Three books from my pile finished. Ten to go. And I broke down and started a new one this morning. It wasn't even a book from the pile I had been accumulating as possible reads once I am caught up. Oh well. I blame it on TV. I am in the middle of Horatio Hornblower - The New Adventures, and I simply couldn't resist picking up the next Horatio Hornblower book, Lieutenant Hornblower. A few chapters read, and I am already sucked into the story. I'm not sure what I will do once I have watched the final episode of the miniseries. Please tell me they are going to film more? At least I have nine more HH books to look forward to.
I always seem to have "obligation" reading, which is not to say I don't want to read these books or am not thoroughly enjoying them. But I always seem to have something that has a due date, or a book club book that needs to be discussed, so I feel like I should be reading these (and not others--and then I feel guilty when I don't read them). My latest is Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. It has to be returned to the library Thursday. I guess I am going to be late. I zipped through the Italy section. But I am not zipping through the India section. Eating--I can do. I loved hearing about Italy. But to be honest, I am not really religious, and the praying section is not as appealing to me. She is in an ashram in India, and although it is interesting, she is talking about meditation and how difficult it is for her. Can I really handle 60 more pages of meditation? Surely I can. Hopefully it won't all be praying (sorry if that makes me sound awful...). I am curious what the Love section will be like in Indonesia, however, so I am sticking with it!
And I have picked up Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers again (I started this one long ago as part of my Summer Reading Challenge!) with the intention this time of reading it through to the end! It hasn't been hard getting back into the story. I only wish I had read Sayers' earlier mysteries as I feel like I am lacking in basic knowledge about Lord Peter Wimsey (yet to meet formally in this story) and Harriet Vane. I think I have picked up on the storyline in terms of their relationship, however. Harriet is 30 (no doubt thought ancient to be single at the time--the 1930s), very intelligent, and a woman of her own means. She is struggling with the concept of marriage or really any type of serious relationship with Lord Wimsey! The story is written very elegantly, and I love the descriptions of academia (it is set in Oxford University)--it all seem so very "British" to me. I wonder if there is a decent film adaptation of this story? I would love to really "see" it, as I am sure my "mind" visuals are nothing like what reality would be.
So here is where I stand with my little reading pile:
IndianaWar and Peace-- finished in March 2007The Mystery of the SeaMr. Midshipman HornblowerThe Black PearlRobinson CrusoeMonstersGaudy NightEat, Pray, LoveThe ObservationsFrankensteinA Voyage OutSophie's Choice
I have dipped a bit into Robinson Crusoe again (he is getting rather reflective as well--I take it that this can be read with an eye towards religion as well as simple adventure), as well as Sophie's Choice (can I say again--damn Styron can write well!). Hopefully I will be able to get through one of these this week...Nine weeks, ten books left. I don't think I am going to make it...