Well, this is it.
After much agonized thought, I’ve decided to stop doing the book diary.
My life is too busy, too hectic-I have for some time needed to take a look at where I can cut back, and this is one of those places.
Of course, it goes without saying that if anyone wants to take up the diary please do so. I will cheerfully read and participate in it.
I’ve learned much here, and my “to read” list has grown tremendously. I’ve read books I never thought I’d read. And I’ve enjoyed most of them. So thank you all for that.
If you don’t take anything else away from my book diary series, take this. Read
“Push” by Sapphire
“Haroun and the Sea of Stories” by Salman Rushdie
“The Island of the Day Before” by Umberto Eco
Happy Reading, Happy Learning, and love to all from Chez JLongs. May your libraries grow!
Finished “Cryptonomicon”. Reread “Push”. Read a piece of crap called “Into the deep woods” that was a potboiler-murder mystery thing. Also read “The Eight” by Katherine Neville-not bad, but the ending fizzled pretty badly. Disappointing.
If anyone takes this up, please let me know, and thanks to everyone for reading.
for your efforts and congrats on finishing Cryptonomicon!
I might take it up but if I do I think I would do it on monthly basis. If I decide to I’ll let you know (or else you can keep an eye on this space).
Too late for last time’s dinosaur books I read a really fascinating combination of paleontology, history, mythology, and anthropology called “Fossil Legends of the First Americans” by Adrienne Mayor. It discusses Native American participation in fossil hunting (going back to the 1700’s), the attitude of Native Americans toward the fossils, the attitudes of white toward Native American fossil finders, how the fossils were considered by Native Americans in both fact and myth.
I also finally got around to reading “Summer Queen”, the sequel to Joan Vinge’s “Winter Queen”. It did a great job of wrapped all the themes and action up from the first book but I did’t like it quite as well because I thought she tried to cram too much into it which made it feel diffuse — but then I tend to like books with a tighter focus.
You’re very welcome. I have enjoyed doing them and I do hope someone else takes them up.
Cryptonomicon was a hell of a book. Not for the faint of heart, though. It took persistence to get through it even though it was fascinating from cover to cover.
I’ll really miss the book diary, but I can understand how much work it is! I’m far from competent enough myself to try but I do hope someone does!
On the reading list this week was Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Creating True Peace”, which is good and thought provoking and “Beloved and God” by Roysten Lambert, a history of Hadrian and Antinous-lots of opinion to wade through and the usual judgmental crap but some good and interesting history can be unearthed too. And grand plates of statues of Antinous from some of his shrines.
Heck it’s easy. Doesn’t take any competence at all-just talk about what you’ve read lately and ask others to do the same.
Thanks for reading, and thanks as always for your comments. It’s appreciated.
could take a rotating duty? My weekends are usually pretty busy (or I’m trying to get them back that way), so not sure if I could pitch in.
Didn’t bring too many books along on my trip, since won’t have a lot of reading time. I do have David Eddings’ Belgarath the Sorceror and Polgara the Sorceress; I’ve read them before and they’re good light reading. Also packed along The Art and Craft of Poetry and a notebook if I get inspired to tackle some writing.
Before I left, picked up Eragon and its sequel Eldest by, I think, Christopher Paolini. It was a special 2-book set deal at Target, so I couldn’t resist. Both were hardbacks, though, and too weighty to transport so I’ll wait to start those till I get home.
Oh, and I also brought along Dreamweaver: A Visual Quickstart Guide in case I want to tackle more work on the Web Site From Hades…
I love Umberto Eco!
And I’m sorry to see you having to give up something you obviously enjoy to free up time for…
…something you enjoy even more?
And remember.. you can always do a non-weekly-anyoletime, book diary if and when the mood strikes you.
I’ll be looking forward to that if and when you do!
enjoy!
I’ll miss your postings.
Thanks for doing this every week and for your thoughtful remarks.
PS I’m in the middle of The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. Thoroughly enjoying it.