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February 28, 2006
February Reading
Categories: Words
This past month, I had a scary revelation: I had not completed a book since I finished A Feast For Crows in early December. Not only had I not finished anything, but I really wasn't working on anything. It's not like I was working my way through Moby Dick and it was just taking awhile. I just wasn't reading. For someone who grew up on books, this was startling and unacceptable. I headed to Books a Million to rectify the situation.
Although at one point I had four or five books in my hand, I settled on Nick Hornby's The Polysyllabic Spree. I like Hornby and this book was a managable 120 pages -- a good way to get back into reading mode. What's more, TPS is a book about reading; it's a collection of his columns from The Believer in which Hornby talks about books he's read and bought in a given month.
My favorite line from the book reads: "All the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal. . . With each passing year, and with each whimsical purchase, our libraries become more and more able to articulate who we are, whether we read the books or not." (125)
I agreee with Hornby here. If someone had to examine artifacts of my existence to learn stuff about me, I would have them look at my books -- especially if one includes gaming books and comics. Actually, you don't even need to include the five boxes of comics sitting in the study closet, because I have graphic novels shelved with the rest of the library. I think the books say more about me, who I am and who I think I am, than my CD's or any other artifacts in the house.
Hornby's Believer columns always begin with a list of books he's bought in a given month, followed by a list of books he's read in that month. He then spends the column talking about those books -- both sets. He'll discuss how he picked up the such and such book for two pounds at some used bookstore, or how he spent the month working his way through some biography of some British author I've never heard of and makes it all entertaining. I like to read Hornby talking about books because he's smart without being pretentious -- a delicate balance in the literary world, if you ask me.
Inspired by Hornby, I'm going post the books I've bought and the books I've read for the month, beginning with February. This will keep me somewhat accountable. Hopefully, people will ask me about stuff I've picked up and suggest new stuff. I'll also include any graphic novels I buy, but leave out the monthly comic titles to which I subscribe (Conan, The Amazing-Spider Man, and Knights of the Dinner Table magazine. Okay, I guess I didn't really leave them out).
Since this was my birthday month, I received several gift certificates, so my book budget was expanded this month. I've still got a couple of gift cards to Books A Million to suppliment future purchases.
February Books Bought: The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby; The Fortress of Solitude by Johnathan Letham; Ringworld by Larry Niven; Dungeon Masters Guide II by a bunch of people (shipping from Amazon).
February Books Read: The Pollysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
Posted by Nakia at February 28, 2006 08:47 AM