Some Recent Books

I now blog when I am not bike riding, watching my daughter, cleaning, or spending my blessed one hour per night with my wife when Eleanor is asleep. Which means, hardly ever. But here goes...

Lately I've managed to read a few good one:

1. I'm almost done with Thomas Pynchon's Slow Learner. It's obvious from the intro that he doesn't think much of the work, but it's an easier introduction to one of the most difficult writers alive today. I hadn't read a book of short stories for a while, so that's nice as well.

2. Last week I finished Sarah Vowell's Assasination Vacation. Great book, especially if you feel a little pathetic when it comes to knowing your U.S. history. Interestingly, Vowell spends the last few pages talking about faith, which has nothing to do with the rest of the book. I found this in Omnivores Dilemma as well; these strange endings having to do with God even thought the rest of the book is on a subject that is seemingly unrelated. I would love to blog about this, but probably won't have the time. Anyways, it was a fun, good book.

3. David Sedaris' new one, When You are Engulfed in Flames is fun, but definitely not his best book.

4. Falling Man by Don Delillo is brilliant. I'd been meaning to start reading his work, and happened upon this one as an intro. He is a genius, and it is a painful look into one family in the wake of 9/11.

5. I read Starlight and Storm by Gaston Rebuffat. It was fun, even though I am definitely not a mountain climber.

6. I am nearly done with Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire. What a wonderful book! I don't know why I'd never heard of it sooner...

7. Oh yeah, I also read Silences by Tillie Olson, and A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. They were both important books for their time, but not so fascinating to me to read now. But still, I don't regret looking into them.

Okay, I think that's it. Talk to you sometime in the far-off or near future.

Peace,
Matt