Cannot resist book meme
Author you’ve read the most books by: Shakespeare, for sizzle. Though Samuel Delany John LeCarre, and an embarrassing number of thrillers writers are also up there. I’m a completist. If I like an author, I’ll read everything they wrote.
Best sequel ever: The Odyssey
Currently Reading: I’m reading two books currently. The Sports Gene by David Epstein. This book is basically a collection of scientific studies on sport performance and it rules. Think Malcolm Gladwell, style, but actual science as opposed to fuzzy behavioral psychology. There is lots of fascinating stuff in here about gender and race in sports. I highly recommend it.
I am also reading A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney. Moloney is creepily obsessed with Gerry Adams, but that obsession has lead to a minutely reported history of the Provos leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. The problem is that because so much of this book is based on anonymous sources and inferences Moloney is deriving from disparate sources it is impossible to know how accurate it is as a history. It’s a compelling read none the less.
Drink of choice while reading: Coffee or scotch, depending on the time of day.
E-reader or physical book: The only e-book I have ever read is Charm’s instant classic, Is the Pope Catholic? I have so many unread physical books in my house, I really do not need another way to purchase things I don’t have time to read.
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: I don’t know what it says about me that I cannot answer this question, but there you go.
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: The Art of Fielding. I’m generally not reading Brooklyn white dude fiction anymore, but this book is absolutely wonderful.
Hidden Gem Book: I continue to maintain that a hundred years from now Dhalgren will be considered one of the seminal books of late twentieth century American fiction.
Important Moment in your Reading Life: I’m dyslexic and didn’t learn to really functionally read until very late. There isn’t an exact moment when it clicked for me, but somewhere in elementary school, I started catching up with my classmates in reading ability and my life changed.
Just Finished: Yet another Lee Child novel. This is middle age -- done with Brooklyn literary fiction, reading dude trash novels.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: I will read basically anything. The older I get, the more I realize I have no taste.
Longest Book You’ve Read: Infinite Jest? Executioner’s Song? Who knows. I have a soft spot for really long books.
Major book hangover because of: What is a book hangover?
Number of Bookcases You Own: Counting wine crates stacked in a rustic yet elegant manner? Six I guess.
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: The Iliad. I’m looking to read it for a third time sometime next year.
Preferred Place To Read: Our fucking awesome and huge new couch.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: “try, fail, try again, fail better”. I think Beckett and I disagree on what this quote means, but whatever. I am the reader, I have agency?
Reading Regret: That I cannot quit my job and read full time.
Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series): I am a ridiculous series completer. As mentioned above, if I like an author, I’ll read everything. Currently, I’m reading my way through all of the Bard’s work. I’m about halfway there. I need to finish that project someday.
Does that count as a series? Probably not. I also want to finish Charles Stross’s Merchant Princes series someday.
Three of your All-Time Favorite Books: Dhalgren, Moby Dick, Executioner’s Song
Unapologetic Fan For: John LeCarre
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: With all the great reviews, I’m pretty excited for Donna Tartt’s the Goldfinch
Worst Bookish Habit: Buying far more books than I will ever have time to read.
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: I am at the office right now, so that would be “McKinney’s New York Rules of Court, State”
Your latest book purchase: Letter to a Young Stoic, Seneca, and The Big Book of Basketball by that insufferable guy from Boston.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): This never happens to me, I like sleep.
Best sequel ever: The Odyssey
Currently Reading: I’m reading two books currently. The Sports Gene by David Epstein. This book is basically a collection of scientific studies on sport performance and it rules. Think Malcolm Gladwell, style, but actual science as opposed to fuzzy behavioral psychology. There is lots of fascinating stuff in here about gender and race in sports. I highly recommend it.
I am also reading A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney. Moloney is creepily obsessed with Gerry Adams, but that obsession has lead to a minutely reported history of the Provos leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. The problem is that because so much of this book is based on anonymous sources and inferences Moloney is deriving from disparate sources it is impossible to know how accurate it is as a history. It’s a compelling read none the less.
Drink of choice while reading: Coffee or scotch, depending on the time of day.
E-reader or physical book: The only e-book I have ever read is Charm’s instant classic, Is the Pope Catholic? I have so many unread physical books in my house, I really do not need another way to purchase things I don’t have time to read.
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: I don’t know what it says about me that I cannot answer this question, but there you go.
Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: The Art of Fielding. I’m generally not reading Brooklyn white dude fiction anymore, but this book is absolutely wonderful.
Hidden Gem Book: I continue to maintain that a hundred years from now Dhalgren will be considered one of the seminal books of late twentieth century American fiction.
Important Moment in your Reading Life: I’m dyslexic and didn’t learn to really functionally read until very late. There isn’t an exact moment when it clicked for me, but somewhere in elementary school, I started catching up with my classmates in reading ability and my life changed.
Just Finished: Yet another Lee Child novel. This is middle age -- done with Brooklyn literary fiction, reading dude trash novels.
Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: I will read basically anything. The older I get, the more I realize I have no taste.
Longest Book You’ve Read: Infinite Jest? Executioner’s Song? Who knows. I have a soft spot for really long books.
Major book hangover because of: What is a book hangover?
Number of Bookcases You Own: Counting wine crates stacked in a rustic yet elegant manner? Six I guess.
One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: The Iliad. I’m looking to read it for a third time sometime next year.
Preferred Place To Read: Our fucking awesome and huge new couch.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: “try, fail, try again, fail better”. I think Beckett and I disagree on what this quote means, but whatever. I am the reader, I have agency?
Reading Regret: That I cannot quit my job and read full time.
Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series): I am a ridiculous series completer. As mentioned above, if I like an author, I’ll read everything. Currently, I’m reading my way through all of the Bard’s work. I’m about halfway there. I need to finish that project someday.
Does that count as a series? Probably not. I also want to finish Charles Stross’s Merchant Princes series someday.
Three of your All-Time Favorite Books: Dhalgren, Moby Dick, Executioner’s Song
Unapologetic Fan For: John LeCarre
Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: With all the great reviews, I’m pretty excited for Donna Tartt’s the Goldfinch
Worst Bookish Habit: Buying far more books than I will ever have time to read.
X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: I am at the office right now, so that would be “McKinney’s New York Rules of Court, State”
Your latest book purchase: Letter to a Young Stoic, Seneca, and The Big Book of Basketball by that insufferable guy from Boston.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): This never happens to me, I like sleep.