I know I shouldn't be counting but I can't help myself. It's not quantity but quality (and how often do I say that, too) and of late I have had a really good run of very good reads, so I should not allow myself to be bothered by this, but you know how it goes. Last year I read fewer books than almost every other year (save for the first and second) that I have been blogging. If last year wasn't a good year (relatively speaking of course) then this year is going to be downright dire. In order to even match last year's number of reads I need to finish twenty-two books between now and December 31. Yes, 22! Now for some readers I know this might easily be a drop in the bucket, but for someone who is reading as slowly as I am, the idea of 11 books each in the next two months overwhelms me. It's like an insurmountable pile of books. Maybe I should only read novellas between now and the end of the year? That won't work. Better to simply not count. Counting only gets you into trouble.
So, let's just think about reading possibilities for the coming month instead. I just finished reading Maus I by Art Spiegelman, which was very good, but somewhat heavy going. I am about to embark on Maus II as my local art museum is reading the two books for their Visualizing Literature Book Club which is meeting in just a few weeks to discuss the books. I am very curious to see how they tie the books in with some of the works of art on display.
I'll be reading (hopefully) several books for the German Literature month, two of which are shorter novels. I have just started Stefan Zweig's Fear, and Zweig is always good. I'll be starting Joseph Roth's Flight Without End, which is set during WWI. I've never read anything by Roth so am curious to see what his writing is like. And I am leaning towards something by Peter Handke, too. Short novels don't always mean easy, however.
My next class book is Leon Uris's Exodus which is a massive doorstopper of a book. One of those blockbusters from the (in this case) 1950s. It's about the founding of Israel told from the perspective of an American nurse and Israeli freedom fighter. Technically we have only been assigned to read excerpts from the novel, but I am really keen on reading everything in its entirety for the class. I thought I would spend the weekend mostly with the book but it seems I spent the weekend mostly with other books. A novel of nearly 600 pages filled with teeny-tiny print to be read in just over a week and a few days. Can she do it? It's not hard reading by any means and judging by the reviews on Amazon, I think it is something of a page turner once you get into the story. But 600 pages is 600 pages.
Then there is the next Mary Russell mystery, O Jerusalem, set in--yes, Jerusalem. Another book I had hoped to get a start with over the weekend, but it will be dropped into my bookbag this week. It seems fitting that I am reading a book set in Jerusalem to go along with class reading. This installment in the series goes back a number of years to before Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes's marriage. Apparently there was reference to it in The Beekeeper's Apprentice (which I don't recall), but I think it doesn't matter and can be read on its own. I really like Mary Russell, so I will follow her adventures anywhere at this point!
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that I have been reading Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd? I'm nearly to that 'point of no return' and well past the halfway mark. I am not sure what to think of the book--of Bathsheba and her many suitors. I was all prepared to like her so much more and root for her in the face of such choices, but I am just not quite sure as she chose the man who must surely must be the most roguish (though also best looking and most charming?) of her trio of suitors.
Last night, faced with my pile of books and wanting something to prop on the table and keep me company while eating dinner, and not being quite in the mood for either mystery or class book, I decided to take a look at my much diminished (had a good weeding of library books over the weekend) pile of books and picked up Charlie Lovett's First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen. I've not read enough yet to give a first impression, but it certainly has lots of appeal and is different than all my other current reads. That was just a little taste mind you, and I might end up with something altogether different! (As a matter of fact some other book came to work with me today . . . ).
I'm not entirely sure what else I will be spending time with this month book-wise. I guess if I do want to try and make go at catching up with last year's reading I had better make a better attempt at clearing that 'in progress' pile (or really do pick up a few more novellas this month!).
Where is your reading taking you this month?