Monday, January 19, 2009

Smorgasbord

I remember one of my college instructors saying the one's library is made up necessarily of the books one has read but the book one hopes to get around to reading. I'll admit it: the impossibility of reading all of the books I want to read (just those I know I want to read) overwhelms me. My reading taste is as eclectic as my gastronomic taste. I may be finicky--there are some books on which I refuse to waste my time--but I have a broad range of interests that leads me all over the bookstore or library shelves.

While I can't read them all, I can't quit searching for the next good book--and the one after that. I have cultivated reading friends for year. As a teacher, I have done my best to create readers who will come back years (or days) later and say, "I have this great book you should read." My book list sources are vast. Every Sunday morning, I turn to the Books page in Charlotte Observer the before I check out the headlines, the sports page, or even the L.A. Times crossword puzzle.

Today I ventured to another great source for titles, the Lemuria Bookstore blog (in the list on my page.) I haven't even made it to the bottom of the posts, and my list has grown. I'm clicking all over the place trying to find out more about books mentioned there. (How can I resist a title like Jim Harrison's The English Major?)

Dave Barry once advised that if you have a song stuck in your head, you may not be able to get rid of it but you can pass it on. (Thanks, John, for John Prine's "Happy Enchilada.") The same, I would venture, goes for books. If I can't read them all (yet), I can share the title with someone else who can--and then report back to me!
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4 comments:

Glenda Council Beall said...

Once again, Nancy, I find we have something in common. So many books, so little time. I buy books that I know I don't have time to read yet, and pass them on to my sisters and get their reviews on them.
But they come back to my bookshelves where, one day, if I live long enough, I will read them.
I just can't resist a book that I know will be an excellent read.

Miguel Costa Matos said...

Hi Nancy.
I'm Miguel de Matos from Poetic Asides and I got the link from there to your blog.
I must agree with you. So much literature and so much knowledge lies in abundance throughout our humble world.
Literature, which most of always, shares a message with the reader (one which many times is important); is too abundant for man to read. And a man who devours all books will ultimately have no time for anything else and be desolate and alone.
Is this what a man wants?

I cannot fear more lack of knowledge and ignorance; but, when I realize that one never can be all-knowing (none but the Father, of course); I lose all my fears.
Instead, I realize that I must seize my day and take all the opportunities I can and commit my full effort to everything. Remember the old maxim, "Carpe Diem"

Your poetic friend,
MigMat

Laurie Kolp said...

Nancy- I loved your poem today on Poetic Asides! Have you noticed I don't blog on the "Conversations With Laurie" blog? It was supposed to just direct people to the new one- www.conversationswithacardinal.blogspot.com. I was going through some stuff and saw your comments- thanks so much- but please visit my current blog.

Nancy said...

Miguel and Laurie,
Thanks for wandering over here from Poetic Asides. Laura, I've changed your link now. Thanks!
Glenda, have you heard of Book Crossings, a site that encourages you to leave books with a link to their site, so you can track then to see where they go as they are shared? Now I just have to decide when to let go!