Let's chat. Or I'll chat and you can listen. Anybody will tell you... I've always got an opinion, an idea or a suggestion. And I'm always willing to share. From unlocking "The Secret" to shaking a fist at companies trying to shake us down, sometimes you just gotta talk about it... and so I do. Here. Welcome. And feel free to talk back.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Top 10 Books (I'm trying to read)

So, you know how you're always tripping across lists of books that people have just or recently read? Well, I gotta list sort of like that. Only mine is piled up next to my bed.

Someday that pile will be transformed into a list of books I too have found the time to read. But not today. Today the best I can do is to list the books I'm waiting to crack open. The top 10 closest to the bed and therefore, at least theoretically, next in line are:

1) Love Monkey by Kyle Smith. A novel that had me by the end of the second page read on Amazon.com (Go to the website and read for yourself... ) And actually this one I've already started on.

Update 3/22: finished it. Not as good as I'd hoped... sort of a Nick Hornby wannabe. Better off reading "High Fidelity" or "About A Boy"

2) Find More Time by Laura Stack. A book chock full of ideas to get more organized and get more done. If only I can find the time... Ironic, ain't it?

3) The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory. I've read a few of her historical novels (The Other Boleyn Girl, my first and so far favorite). This is the book I've borrowed from Lain and have to get done with so she can pass it on to Daria who is waiting for her turn. Oh, the guilt. Oh, the pressure.

Update 6/2: Finally finished and passed on. A fabulous book, like Phillipa's others, which I was sorry to see end.

And now we move from the nightstand to the pile on the floor next to the bed.

4) Is it hot in here? Or is it me? by Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz. Two editors from Newsweek who decided to tackle the myths and secrets of menopause. Written with wit and a sense of humor- two critical tools to getting through the subject as well.

Update 5/20: Haven't finished the book yet, but we've started planning the "Is It Hot in Here? Cruise" and invited Pat and Barbara along... Wanna come along?)

5) What Comes After Crazy by Sandi Kahn Shelton. Another novel written with a hefty helping of humor. Key to getting me to 'charge it please' and order it on up on Amazon.com I'll let you know, someday, if it lives up to its promise.

Update 4/24: Cindy says: Five Stars!! And oh boy, what a fabulous book... funny and engaging. Once I finally started it, I couldn't put it down. Now I gotta get the rest of Sandi's books... and start reading her blog at
http://www.sandishelton.com/)

6) I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. See #5 only this one is by Nora, who has a pretty good track record on books I actually have read. See #3, another book Lain is waiting for.

Update 3/23: This was to be my follow up to 'Love Monkey' (see number 1) but... well, I feel bad about this book. If I want to hear somebody whining and complaining, I'll just call one of my friends and invite them to vent. At least then I could maybe help them feel better...

7) Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. Odds are I'm not going to finish this one, but the movie trailer looked good and the pile wasn't quite big enough yet. And yes, it's Lain's but I think Daria got it before I did. There's a relief.

8) How to Want What you Have by Timothy Miller. A book that promises to help me 'discover the magic and grandeur of ordinary existence' which, come to think of it I'm already pretty in touch with. Maybe I can just pretend that I've read this one.

9) Florence of Arabia by Christopher Buckley. He had me at Thank You For Smoking and I've pretty much (eventually) read just about everything he's done since then.

10) Princess Bride by William Goldman. Of course, this one I have already read. Twice. But I found myself unable to resist buying the 25th anniversary edition with shiny book cover and now it taunts me... Plus, if you're reading this with a thought of taking a crack at any of these books, I'd really recommend Princess Bride. Charming, funny, engaging, magical... and then some.

Hopefully now that I've put these all down, maybe I'll be better motivated to get 'em all read. And then I can move on to the pile next to the pile next to the bed. Which I won't list now cause that would be just getting too silly.

1 comment:

Metz said...

A short list:
1) I am very surprised to see no comments as of yet on your blog. Must be one of the best kept secrets around.
2) I know exactly what you're talking about only the piles are all in my head of what books I want to read and what books I want to write. I'm always in the writing phase myself.
3) A few posts back you mentioned looking for something "to do". As a helpful person I wanted to suggest that maybe you should work on the book, don't give up on that regardless of the progress or lack of you've made in the past.

Start over or pick it up from where you've left off but don't give up on it. Maybe joining a writer's group or a creative writing class taken just for fun will help to stimulate those creative juices?

The writer's group I meet with is an excellent source of support, ideas, critiques (honest but considerate), and optional mini "assignments" we give ourselves to jump start our brains.
We don't meet just to feed each other's egos either, we try very hard to keep each other on track and to set attainable goals that help to keep us motivated.

and finally,
4) Some new authors you might want to add to your stack of books:
Terry Pratchett
Mike Resnick*
Cory Doctorow*
*excellent collections of short stories that are good quick easy fixes for when you don't have the time for a full length novel--warning though, they tend to make you want MORE, very addictive. ;-)