Looking over my reading list this past year I saw stellar book after stellar book. Bam, bam, bam, nearly all excellent reads. And then I got to the past few weeks and realized that things lately have been merely fine—good but not great, decent but not deepening. And then I picked up Vivian Gornick's Unfinished … Continue reading On the Re-Reading Life and Vivian Gornick’s ‘Unfinished Business’
libraries
Notions, the Pandemic edition
Soooo what's going on with you? Anything new or exciting? Weird about that pandemic causing a global crisis, huh? Joking aside, it's hard for me to think or talk about much other than the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the weird, surreal waiting game my community at least is playing. I am also so grateful for … Continue reading Notions, the Pandemic edition
Bookish NYC
This week's post was delayed because...I went to NYC with my younger sister! And because I'm me, the trip included some literary highlights. For one, I fulfilled a life goal of visiting the main branch of the New York Public Library. The building is beautiful (even if the famous lions flanking the front were under … Continue reading Bookish NYC
Do Books Matter?
We're a strange group of people—us readers, we bookish types. And writers know which side their bread is buttered on. Without readers, writers would have little reason to exist, which is why I've often felt that there's something a bit obvious or pander-y about books-about-books. Reading a book about the delights of reading, being a … Continue reading Do Books Matter?
The Library Book
This weekend I finished Susan Orlean's The Library Book and ... wow. I will have more to say about this book but for now I want to give a slow-clap standing ovation to the writing. This was my first Orlean and she is remarkable. Take this early description of the Los Angeles CentralLibrary: ...the neighborhood … Continue reading The Library Book
Dogs, Coffee, & Books 