In an attempt to save money and staunch the growth of my knitting book collection, I put two books on hold at the library, thinking it would give me more time to peruse than at the bookstore, hoping I would identify and learn certain techniques during the two weeks allotted to me. But I guess with knitting books, it just doesn't happen that way. An order has been placed and the books are now en route to my permanent collection. Oh well, at least I know exactly what I'll be getting.
And now that the yoga challenge has timed out (though I am keeping to an every other day schedule, which is a bit more realistic) I am free to return to voracious reading. The book club I belong to meets tonight and we will be discussing a book I read not just once but twice over the past month, one that I highly recommend.
I noticed that this particular book, A Short History of Women, struck quite a chord with readers on Amazon. People either loved it intensely or found it unreadable, a type of controversy that I always find probably means it is something worth exploring further. I wonder if this is partially due to the grimness of the subject matter, which involves a similar emptiness in the characters' lives over place and time or the fact that it imparts a sense of futility and ennui whilst and after reading. Which I don't think is a bad thing, mind you. However, reading it the first time I was so caught up in the mood and plot and was left with such a hollow feeling myself (it is impossible not to search for similarities in one's situation) that I decided to give it another shot. I felt like I was missing something important. Well, I was; namely the craft of the writing - so beautiful and carefully constructed that I was compelled to read passages aloud. I am looking forward to discussing it tonight.
And so I turned from this much lauded (and hated!) novel to another, Chronic City. Yes, I respect this writer immensely and yes I have read all of his novels thus far, but I do find them dense and slow reading. So I am also reading a very powerful memoir I found in the Brooklyn History section of the library. Oh, and various children's books to my sons. Though I did finally admit that I actually lost Moominland Midwinter - the first library book I have ever ever lost, much to my eternal shame. Wherever could it be? We never took it out of the house so I can only conclude it has been spirited away by some Moominish character. Perhaps.