If I excused myself for my absence (again), I doubt anyone would be listening at this point. So, I think I'll just plow on - as always - with the assumption that everyone and no one is listening.
After the new year started, I made a decision that this year I would read 15 books. Why 15? Simply because it's 2015, and I certainly don't plan on reading 2015 books...so 15 felt right. I threw in books that are in those "Must Read" lists, many of them being award-winning and they had a lot of buzz around them and yes I was going to plow through. And then, I decided to read books that I actually thought I would enjoy it. Peg it on Nick Hornby's influence. I'm casually reading Ten Years in the Tub and his discussion on reading things you think you'll like, rather on them being really famous, really motivated me to make a list of books I was actually excited to read. The decision also came from the fact that I was plowing - I use that word deliberately here - through The Goldfinch and I was at page 200 and I felt accomplished and exhausted. I know the book gets a lot of hype and it's supposed to be really amazing. But instead I find myself tired of Theo and the writing, and I got impatient really quickly. After finding some articles on the internet that echoed my sentiment, I felt I should move on. I left the book on the list, just in case. I won't feel bad if by the end of the year I didn't bother finishing it, however. Anyway, here are the books I will, hopefully, read this year:
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles (Finish - I put it down for a whole year!)
- The Strange Library
- 100 Years of Solitude (Finish - In my defense, I don't read in Spanish often)
- The Luminaries
- Lost Illusions
- In Search of Lost Time Vol. 1
- Dora Bruder
- History's Forgotten Milestones
- Alan Turing: The Enigma
- War and Peace
- The Plague
- The Goldfinch (?)
- Empire Falls (Finish - Sorry, I have a bit of not finishing things; but you already knew that)
- The Secret Wisdom of the Earth
- Stardust (Because why not?)
As you can see, some of these books have a lot of hype around them (War and Peace? Really? Yes.) But I really do think that I will enjoy them. I have finished two of the books already...mostly because I'm writing this in February and I went strong for about a month. And now I am spending far too much time on the internet and shamelessly reading a page of The Luminaries before reading for hours things online. I'm embarrassed. But I think writing this should help motivate me. Right? Right?!
Well, I'll try and provide a proper review of the books I read. I'll try to come up with some witty content, but I have to admit I have slightly fallen off the make-up wagon (not really interested in talking about the stuff anymore) and I don't have the right style to talk about it...so, I guess that just leaves me right now with my mind. Which some people aren't particularly interested in reading. But either way, I'll upload content. Eventually...