SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan, a small sized book that addresses a huge moral dilemma. How does a solid member of a small Irish town address the horror the Catholic Church is inflicting on a young girl who is 14 weeks postpartum? Very topical for our time in the US and beautifully written. Made into a movie that is also very good.
I buy copies of this for friends and have read it so many times.
I reserved ANTARCTICA her short stories from the library, waited ages for it, read the first one which was beyond disturbing and that was me done for. I just didn’t want to read any more. Next thing I knew the book had to go back as it’s in huge demand.
I’d be interested to know if anyone else has read it…should I have persevered?
I read the rest of Antarctica after having the same reaction to the first, title tale; it can STILL come to mind and make me pause and quake years later! The rest was equally excellent though not as shocking, thank goodness!
I have not gotten ANTARTICA, but did buy her set of stories SO LATE IN THE DAY, and they got more and more weird as I went along. The third and last one was so disturbing that I decided I might not look for ANTARTICA. Sigh. But I loved her long-short story from long ago, FOSTER, which was made into an exceptional film, THE QUIET GIRL. Highly recommended.
I loved SO LATE IN THE Day - my favourite of hers so far. It felt so tightly written that I paused on one sentence unsure I got the whole gist but equally sure it was carefully chosen. I finished the book and almost immediately reread it. Interesting that others have struggled with ANTARCTICA - I also found it quite unsettling so haven't yet finished it.
It’s all Amor Towles for me recently. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, RULES OF CIVILITY, and now off to get THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY. Each one a masterpiece. I feel transported to times and places I want to wallow in well after the last page.
Amor Towles spoke and signed books to raise money for our local library. Every woman in town was there, all leaning forward, listening to every word. Like everyone else I fell in love with him.
If you ever can hear him speak, try to attend. Even a better story teller in life.
I loved all of them - he's such a charming writer (my local bookseller tells me he's just as charming in real life), though I do hope *all* his books won't be about lost rich kids.
Loved Gentleman in Moscow and enjoyed Lincoln Highway. Rules of Civility and his Short story collection is on my TBR- Towles is a wonderful storyteller!
I just finished THE SUNFLOWER BOYS, a debut novel by Sam Wachman. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age story narrated by a 12 year-old boy in Ukraine at the onset of the war. I appreciated its slow start, which gives way to a hurried pace of survival. It is worth the read if only to remind us 4 years later that the war persists and real people continue to live through it. Also, THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans is totally worth the hype.
I really liked THE SUNFLOWER BOYS. It only has 303 reviews on Storygraph and 1250 on Good Reads. It definitely is a book that needs to be pressed in more hands as it is fantastic.
I am reading IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME. I'm finding I like the slow reading very much so I've decided on ten pages a day; so far, so good. With this along with War and Peace, I still have time for impulse reads which has always been my 'scheduling' difficulty. (These monthly posts add to the scheduling difficulty as the TBR list just gets longer! So many interesting recommendations here.)
I’m glad you are slow reading Proust. I’ve just finished a fast exploratory read of Swann’s Way – letting it wash over me, knowing I’ll probably be back. What I noticed was so many references to paintings. Do you follow @Kristine Benoit de Bykhovetz? She is doing a “slow looking” of Proust and now I fully understand why, there’s so much to look at! And it is all about seeing, perception…
I read all six books of Proust’s great novel in my 20’s, am now in my 70’s. And I treasure that time of reading it. I re-read his first book again a while back, and I’d love to slow read it all again. Next time I’ll have to take note of the references to the visual arts. Of course music plays an important role in that first volume especially when Swann is falling in love with Odette.
WHITE TEETH by Zadie Smith. The writing in this book is so beautiful that I had to stop on nearly every page to savor a sentence, a phrase, or an evoked sentiment. Yet the book also pulls you along with intensity, making it hard to slow down - let alone stop and get some sleep.
I chose Fraud, her latest Big novel for my book club offering at the library. Coming up in May - very much looking forward to reading her prose and discussing it. She’s also a good audiobook narrator - I already listened to a sample of Fraud.
This month I’ve been tackling two; FRANKENSTEIN and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.
Last year I read Charlotte Gordon’s excellent biography of Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft and it’s been a delight to revisit Frankenstein in light of what I learned from that read.
This is my first crack at Monte Cristo, though I’ve seen film adaptations, and wow, wow, wow! I’m listing to this one on audio and still have quite a way to go but it’s such a delight, absolutely masterful story telling. I did need to take a tangent here to listen to the 6 part Noiser podcast on Napoleon which was great to help give context for both Monte Cristo and the slow read of W&P!
I started it years ago, only months before the internet started to change all our lives, a moldy copy I took of the shelf from our teeny-tiny country library. I got to within 15 pages of the end and thought, there's no way he's going to wrap this up with so few pages left. Sure enough, the last page said, "End of Volume One." There were four more in that edition and I had to hunt them down. A great read, worth the hunt.
I set down Monte Cristo last month at the half way point and will pick it up again soon. It’s so vivid and gripping that I have no doubt the plots will be easy to remember and slot back into.
I just finished my slow read of THE MASTER AND MARGARITA yesterday and had a blast doing it.
I'm hoping to finish THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL by John le Carré today.
Will I finish Vol. 1 of THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY OF MARGARET THATCHER before the end of Feb? 150 pages remain. We shall see. It's a bit of a slog to be honest.
BLACK EARTH by Andrew Meier is a fantastic journalistic travelogue around Russia, written in 2000/2001, at least the Chechnya bit that I just read is. I'm loving it. It couples nicely with
THE ESSENTIAL ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA, a collection of articles by the Russian journalist who was murdered, allegedly by Putin's regime, in 2006.
MOBY-DICK, a slow read with two fellow Substack writers.
I love seeing this! I read it about 20 years ago and I remember where I was when I finished reading it because it was the first time I cried while reading a book. I think I might be due for a re-read.
Prayer for Owen Meany blew me away, not only for its range and scope (not unlike Rushdie--the glorious ambition of it, the story telling, the capturing of an historical era,) its celebrations of the quirks of human nature for which I'll always revere John Irving but how, when the plot had stretched me almost to the point of impatience, a long, long way in, I went the distance and everything, no matter how far afield, everything mattered. Took my breath away. Rushdie is going to have to go some to match the conclusion. Fingers crossed that he too will be able to pull it all together. More than half way through Midnight's Children and I can't imagine how he'll do it, but I couldn't imagine it for Owen Meany either, a true masterpiece.
Also. I applaud your ambition, your capability of containing multitudes! I had to choose something quieter to accompany Midnight's Children. I finished ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD, a quiet hum to Rushdie's symphony with cymbals and, still looking for quieter writing that will stand next to Rushdie, I'm re-reading Edith Wharton's AGE OF INNOCENCE.
I've just finished CLEAR by Carys Davies, THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN for a course I'm teaching, THE HOURS and MRS DALLOWAY for the same course, LONG ISLAND by Colm Toibin (audible by Jessie Buckley!) and STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL (also audible). I'm halfway through AUDITION by Katie Kitamura . . . so strange! Next on my list for March (for book groups and my course) are MARTYR, JUSTINE (#1 of Alexandria Quartet) and THE ENGLISH PATIENT (for the umpteenth time).
I’m doing WAR AND PEACE and MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN slow reads.
I’m also currently reading CIRCLE OF DAYS (Follett) and Tolstoys A CALENDAR OF WISDOM (As a daily read).
In the last month I read
THE CORRESPONDENT (Loved this one SO much!) THE MURDER AT WORLD’S END, A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING, THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, and DIE WITH ZERO. Most of those were audiobooks while I am focusing my physical reading on the slow reads and Follett.
Question, how do you all read so much? I'm keeping up with the 3 slow reads - the schedule and being part of this group gives me accountability - but it has been really hard. I want to read other books but haven't found the time. I used to be a great reader but got out of the habit which is part of the reason why I joined F&T. But, I marvel at people who can read so much. I'm sure all of you lead busy lives. Do have reading schedules? How do you do it? I want to read more. Thank you.
Everyone's circumstances are different and I hope you feel a sense of achievement reading three chunky books simultaneously! That's no mean feat. Almost all my additional “non slow” reads are audiobooks, and I have 2 or 3 dead hours a day when I'm cooking, cleaning, gyming, doing laundry etc. But of course reading is now my job, so no one should compare themselves to what I do!
Maybe when you finish one of the slow reads, you'll find time in your schedule to pick up some fast reads instead?
DNF books you don’t love, audiobook on commutes and while doing menial tasks (I find that most of the audiobooks I read tend to be easier fiction titles), annnd admittedly… I get behind on my slow reads sometimes because a quick read can distract me 😂 🤫
I added restrictions on my phone to reduce social media time, don’t own a TV, and that adds up. Sometimes I take a day and go to the hot springs and read for hours on end.
I wonder the same thing! I don't get through many books in a month, and I fall off the slow read wagon on a regular basis (Midnight's Children, most recently, which is sitting in front of me, *looking* at me).
I make it a point to read every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. I don't watch very much TV or many movies, so that helps me to have more reading time. I've also gotten pretty good at picking out books I'm sure I'll like, and it doesn't bother me to set aside books I'm not liking and never finish it. The book doesn't care if I finish it or not. Audiobooks are another great tool. I can listen to a book while I'm cleaning, and that helps me get through things. It's always great to listen to someone tell me a story while I'm doing something boring.
I'm a slow Slow reader too. Instead of trying to finish books, I circulate through three or four books that act as an antidote to the 'big masterpiece' I'm currently committed too. Luckily I have a hundred or so books on my shelves that I've never gotten to (or hardly recall) to choose on a whim.
Simon's posts and the 'What are you reading?' thread have made me think of books as friends. Like friends, they can all be different, and it's nice to have a quick catch up once in a while.
I agree with Simon. Don't pressure yourself. You should read what you want, when you want, and exactly how much you want. I, for one, could not do more than one slow read at a time, or I would get all of the plots confused. So kudos to you for keeping up with three!
I will say that reading and music are my two main pastimes. I cannot remember the last time I went a day without picking up a book. And I carry a book everywhere I go. As others have already mentioned, I listen to audiobooks while driving, doing housework, and exercising. But I am not really an auditory learner, so I have to choose "light" reading for my audiobooks.
I also do not watch television. No value judgement intended toward people who do, it is just not my jam. I have been told that this qualifies me as a weirdo, but I would much rather spend that time each day reading or writing, listening to music or making music.
I don’t have human kids so I have more free time than most but in addition to my full-time job I do watch a good amount of TV and I have a lot of crafty hobbies (watercolor painting, crocheting, sewing)… For the W&P slow read, I usually read the daily chapter after I get off of work. Then I read in bed before I sleep- which can be dangerous if I’m super into a book! But I generally try to read for at least half an hour a night.
I absolutely do not have as much time to read as I should. I'm also terrible with "slow and steady," so I'll usually find myself on a Saturday or Sunday a couple of times a month just reading for hours to finish a book. My goal is 75 this year and last year I got to 70 (closest I've come to my reading goal since 2020), and for me, the goal helps keep me motivated. I too used to read ALL THE TIME and never thought that could change; whelp, here we are!
Alongside War and Peace I’m reading HAMLET and enjoying the almost excavatory nature of reading Shakespeare for the first time since university. I’m also reading a crime novel by a very famous author but won’t name him here as he’s not stacking up well against Russia’s greatest writer and England’s greatest writer tbqh
You're reminding me that it's time to read HAMLET again after seeing fragments at the end of HAMNET, the movie. And, after a little more time has passed, to return to HAMNET the novel, movie and novel, each for their own lushness.
My on-line book group did Hamlet as a "Classic Read." I was amazed at the number of Hamlet lines that have survived as part of our everyday English expressions. I suspect most people don't know that. My biggest aha moment was that Hamlet's play, the Mousetrap, was in fact the inspiration for Agatha Christie's most famous work when it had to be renamed.
Well, that *is* exciting news! Does one congratulate the writer before they've actually written the book? I don't know, but well, congratulations! I can't think of a better person to write that book, and am excited to see what emerges.
Marghanita Laski used to be a regular guest on panel shows when I was a kid, so it's a name I know, but I've never read any of her books. It's interesting to see a revival of interest in her writing - I think she's on the Persephone list, isn't she? I must give some of it a try.
I've been rereading George Mackay Brown's autobiography FOR THE ISLANDS I SING. I love his writing, and gobbled it all up in my 20s, now revisiting it as I approach 60, and at a more leisurely pace. I'm thinking about writing some longform pieces about Scottish literature and its association with the land and he's on my list. He was a big fan of Tolstoy, as it happens, in part because he says Tolstoy understood that every work of literature is not only the artist's but "comes from the whole community in which they live". I'm very interested in that idea.
It's less than 200 pages, so not too much of a commitment. More a work with occasional nuggets of greatness and interesting to read about his literary influences. I'm working on a historical dictionary at the moment and a lot of what he says about place resonates strongly with that.
I just finished rereading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for an adult ed course I am leading. For the first time, I read it not just for the pleasure but also to notice how Austen constructed the plot and admitted us into the characters' minds. Brilliant.
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan, a small sized book that addresses a huge moral dilemma. How does a solid member of a small Irish town address the horror the Catholic Church is inflicting on a young girl who is 14 weeks postpartum? Very topical for our time in the US and beautifully written. Made into a movie that is also very good.
And the film, with Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt, is exceptional as well!
Such a great story in a small package. Really a marvel how impactful- the economy of words! FOSTER was excellent too.
I have this one on hold at the library. Can't wait to read!
I buy copies of this for friends and have read it so many times.
I reserved ANTARCTICA her short stories from the library, waited ages for it, read the first one which was beyond disturbing and that was me done for. I just didn’t want to read any more. Next thing I knew the book had to go back as it’s in huge demand.
I’d be interested to know if anyone else has read it…should I have persevered?
I read the rest of Antarctica after having the same reaction to the first, title tale; it can STILL come to mind and make me pause and quake years later! The rest was equally excellent though not as shocking, thank goodness!
I have not gotten ANTARTICA, but did buy her set of stories SO LATE IN THE DAY, and they got more and more weird as I went along. The third and last one was so disturbing that I decided I might not look for ANTARTICA. Sigh. But I loved her long-short story from long ago, FOSTER, which was made into an exceptional film, THE QUIET GIRL. Highly recommended.
Just read FOSTER on Saturday -- it's amazing! Now I have to see the film!
The film is beautiful. It's also a great adaptation
I loved SO LATE IN THE Day - my favourite of hers so far. It felt so tightly written that I paused on one sentence unsure I got the whole gist but equally sure it was carefully chosen. I finished the book and almost immediately reread it. Interesting that others have struggled with ANTARCTICA - I also found it quite unsettling so haven't yet finished it.
I read that one this month as well. Fantastic!
Wonderful book.
We read this in our book club recently, it is small but very powerful. The characters are so memorable.
The BEST
I am reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS for the first time and I love it.
It’s all Amor Towles for me recently. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, RULES OF CIVILITY, and now off to get THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY. Each one a masterpiece. I feel transported to times and places I want to wallow in well after the last page.
Amor Towles spoke and signed books to raise money for our local library. Every woman in town was there, all leaning forward, listening to every word. Like everyone else I fell in love with him.
If you ever can hear him speak, try to attend. Even a better story teller in life.
I loved all of them - he's such a charming writer (my local bookseller tells me he's just as charming in real life), though I do hope *all* his books won't be about lost rich kids.
Loved Gentleman in Moscow and enjoyed Lincoln Highway. Rules of Civility and his Short story collection is on my TBR- Towles is a wonderful storyteller!
Oh I loooooved Lincoln Highway
I just read his short story collection, Table for Two, and I loved it! Highly recommended.
Me too, loved it!
I just finished THE SUNFLOWER BOYS, a debut novel by Sam Wachman. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age story narrated by a 12 year-old boy in Ukraine at the onset of the war. I appreciated its slow start, which gives way to a hurried pace of survival. It is worth the read if only to remind us 4 years later that the war persists and real people continue to live through it. Also, THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans is totally worth the hype.
I really liked THE SUNFLOWER BOYS. It only has 303 reviews on Storygraph and 1250 on Good Reads. It definitely is a book that needs to be pressed in more hands as it is fantastic.
I'll add it to the list!
I am reading IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME. I'm finding I like the slow reading very much so I've decided on ten pages a day; so far, so good. With this along with War and Peace, I still have time for impulse reads which has always been my 'scheduling' difficulty. (These monthly posts add to the scheduling difficulty as the TBR list just gets longer! So many interesting recommendations here.)
I’m glad you are slow reading Proust. I’ve just finished a fast exploratory read of Swann’s Way – letting it wash over me, knowing I’ll probably be back. What I noticed was so many references to paintings. Do you follow @Kristine Benoit de Bykhovetz? She is doing a “slow looking” of Proust and now I fully understand why, there’s so much to look at! And it is all about seeing, perception…
I read all six books of Proust’s great novel in my 20’s, am now in my 70’s. And I treasure that time of reading it. I re-read his first book again a while back, and I’d love to slow read it all again. Next time I’ll have to take note of the references to the visual arts. Of course music plays an important role in that first volume especially when Swann is falling in love with Odette.
WHITE TEETH by Zadie Smith. The writing in this book is so beautiful that I had to stop on nearly every page to savor a sentence, a phrase, or an evoked sentiment. Yet the book also pulls you along with intensity, making it hard to slow down - let alone stop and get some sleep.
Oh wow. Read this years ago!
I chose Fraud, her latest Big novel for my book club offering at the library. Coming up in May - very much looking forward to reading her prose and discussing it. She’s also a good audiobook narrator - I already listened to a sample of Fraud.
This month I’ve been tackling two; FRANKENSTEIN and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.
Last year I read Charlotte Gordon’s excellent biography of Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft and it’s been a delight to revisit Frankenstein in light of what I learned from that read.
This is my first crack at Monte Cristo, though I’ve seen film adaptations, and wow, wow, wow! I’m listing to this one on audio and still have quite a way to go but it’s such a delight, absolutely masterful story telling. I did need to take a tangent here to listen to the 6 part Noiser podcast on Napoleon which was great to help give context for both Monte Cristo and the slow read of W&P!
Fantastic when books and context overlap like that!
Monte Cristo is one of my all time favorites. So good!!
I started it years ago, only months before the internet started to change all our lives, a moldy copy I took of the shelf from our teeny-tiny country library. I got to within 15 pages of the end and thought, there's no way he's going to wrap this up with so few pages left. Sure enough, the last page said, "End of Volume One." There were four more in that edition and I had to hunt them down. A great read, worth the hunt.
I set down Monte Cristo last month at the half way point and will pick it up again soon. It’s so vivid and gripping that I have no doubt the plots will be easy to remember and slot back into.
I read the Count of Monte Cristo decades ago, and I loved it. I hope the upcoming Masterpiece Theatre production lives up to it.
I just finished my slow read of THE MASTER AND MARGARITA yesterday and had a blast doing it.
I'm hoping to finish THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL by John le Carré today.
Will I finish Vol. 1 of THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY OF MARGARET THATCHER before the end of Feb? 150 pages remain. We shall see. It's a bit of a slog to be honest.
BLACK EARTH by Andrew Meier is a fantastic journalistic travelogue around Russia, written in 2000/2001, at least the Chechnya bit that I just read is. I'm loving it. It couples nicely with
THE ESSENTIAL ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA, a collection of articles by the Russian journalist who was murdered, allegedly by Putin's regime, in 2006.
MOBY-DICK, a slow read with two fellow Substack writers.
Midnights Children. Loved it but definately needed a character list handy
Now re reading a Prayer for Owen meany
Owen Meany is a firm favourite of mine!
I love seeing this! I read it about 20 years ago and I remember where I was when I finished reading it because it was the first time I cried while reading a book. I think I might be due for a re-read.
Prayer for Owen Meany blew me away, not only for its range and scope (not unlike Rushdie--the glorious ambition of it, the story telling, the capturing of an historical era,) its celebrations of the quirks of human nature for which I'll always revere John Irving but how, when the plot had stretched me almost to the point of impatience, a long, long way in, I went the distance and everything, no matter how far afield, everything mattered. Took my breath away. Rushdie is going to have to go some to match the conclusion. Fingers crossed that he too will be able to pull it all together. More than half way through Midnight's Children and I can't imagine how he'll do it, but I couldn't imagine it for Owen Meany either, a true masterpiece.
Also. I applaud your ambition, your capability of containing multitudes! I had to choose something quieter to accompany Midnight's Children. I finished ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD, a quiet hum to Rushdie's symphony with cymbals and, still looking for quieter writing that will stand next to Rushdie, I'm re-reading Edith Wharton's AGE OF INNOCENCE.
So many characters! Glad you enjoyed it.
I am reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for JANE EYRE as she is my best writer after SHAKESPEARE.
I've just finished CLEAR by Carys Davies, THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN for a course I'm teaching, THE HOURS and MRS DALLOWAY for the same course, LONG ISLAND by Colm Toibin (audible by Jessie Buckley!) and STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL (also audible). I'm halfway through AUDITION by Katie Kitamura . . . so strange! Next on my list for March (for book groups and my course) are MARTYR, JUSTINE (#1 of Alexandria Quartet) and THE ENGLISH PATIENT (for the umpteenth time).
Loved CLEAR. It was a very popular choice in my book group
I’m doing WAR AND PEACE and MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN slow reads.
I’m also currently reading CIRCLE OF DAYS (Follett) and Tolstoys A CALENDAR OF WISDOM (As a daily read).
In the last month I read
THE CORRESPONDENT (Loved this one SO much!) THE MURDER AT WORLD’S END, A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING, THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, and DIE WITH ZERO. Most of those were audiobooks while I am focusing my physical reading on the slow reads and Follett.
I also loved THE CORRESPONDENT!
Question, how do you all read so much? I'm keeping up with the 3 slow reads - the schedule and being part of this group gives me accountability - but it has been really hard. I want to read other books but haven't found the time. I used to be a great reader but got out of the habit which is part of the reason why I joined F&T. But, I marvel at people who can read so much. I'm sure all of you lead busy lives. Do have reading schedules? How do you do it? I want to read more. Thank you.
Everyone's circumstances are different and I hope you feel a sense of achievement reading three chunky books simultaneously! That's no mean feat. Almost all my additional “non slow” reads are audiobooks, and I have 2 or 3 dead hours a day when I'm cooking, cleaning, gyming, doing laundry etc. But of course reading is now my job, so no one should compare themselves to what I do!
Maybe when you finish one of the slow reads, you'll find time in your schedule to pick up some fast reads instead?
DNF books you don’t love, audiobook on commutes and while doing menial tasks (I find that most of the audiobooks I read tend to be easier fiction titles), annnd admittedly… I get behind on my slow reads sometimes because a quick read can distract me 😂 🤫
I added restrictions on my phone to reduce social media time, don’t own a TV, and that adds up. Sometimes I take a day and go to the hot springs and read for hours on end.
I wonder the same thing! I don't get through many books in a month, and I fall off the slow read wagon on a regular basis (Midnight's Children, most recently, which is sitting in front of me, *looking* at me).
I make it a point to read every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. I don't watch very much TV or many movies, so that helps me to have more reading time. I've also gotten pretty good at picking out books I'm sure I'll like, and it doesn't bother me to set aside books I'm not liking and never finish it. The book doesn't care if I finish it or not. Audiobooks are another great tool. I can listen to a book while I'm cleaning, and that helps me get through things. It's always great to listen to someone tell me a story while I'm doing something boring.
I'm a slow Slow reader too. Instead of trying to finish books, I circulate through three or four books that act as an antidote to the 'big masterpiece' I'm currently committed too. Luckily I have a hundred or so books on my shelves that I've never gotten to (or hardly recall) to choose on a whim.
Simon's posts and the 'What are you reading?' thread have made me think of books as friends. Like friends, they can all be different, and it's nice to have a quick catch up once in a while.
I agree with Simon. Don't pressure yourself. You should read what you want, when you want, and exactly how much you want. I, for one, could not do more than one slow read at a time, or I would get all of the plots confused. So kudos to you for keeping up with three!
I will say that reading and music are my two main pastimes. I cannot remember the last time I went a day without picking up a book. And I carry a book everywhere I go. As others have already mentioned, I listen to audiobooks while driving, doing housework, and exercising. But I am not really an auditory learner, so I have to choose "light" reading for my audiobooks.
I also do not watch television. No value judgement intended toward people who do, it is just not my jam. I have been told that this qualifies me as a weirdo, but I would much rather spend that time each day reading or writing, listening to music or making music.
I don’t have human kids so I have more free time than most but in addition to my full-time job I do watch a good amount of TV and I have a lot of crafty hobbies (watercolor painting, crocheting, sewing)… For the W&P slow read, I usually read the daily chapter after I get off of work. Then I read in bed before I sleep- which can be dangerous if I’m super into a book! But I generally try to read for at least half an hour a night.
I absolutely do not have as much time to read as I should. I'm also terrible with "slow and steady," so I'll usually find myself on a Saturday or Sunday a couple of times a month just reading for hours to finish a book. My goal is 75 this year and last year I got to 70 (closest I've come to my reading goal since 2020), and for me, the goal helps keep me motivated. I too used to read ALL THE TIME and never thought that could change; whelp, here we are!
Alongside War and Peace I’m reading HAMLET and enjoying the almost excavatory nature of reading Shakespeare for the first time since university. I’m also reading a crime novel by a very famous author but won’t name him here as he’s not stacking up well against Russia’s greatest writer and England’s greatest writer tbqh
You're reminding me that it's time to read HAMLET again after seeing fragments at the end of HAMNET, the movie. And, after a little more time has passed, to return to HAMNET the novel, movie and novel, each for their own lushness.
My on-line book group did Hamlet as a "Classic Read." I was amazed at the number of Hamlet lines that have survived as part of our everyday English expressions. I suspect most people don't know that. My biggest aha moment was that Hamlet's play, the Mousetrap, was in fact the inspiration for Agatha Christie's most famous work when it had to be renamed.
Well, that *is* exciting news! Does one congratulate the writer before they've actually written the book? I don't know, but well, congratulations! I can't think of a better person to write that book, and am excited to see what emerges.
Marghanita Laski used to be a regular guest on panel shows when I was a kid, so it's a name I know, but I've never read any of her books. It's interesting to see a revival of interest in her writing - I think she's on the Persephone list, isn't she? I must give some of it a try.
I've been rereading George Mackay Brown's autobiography FOR THE ISLANDS I SING. I love his writing, and gobbled it all up in my 20s, now revisiting it as I approach 60, and at a more leisurely pace. I'm thinking about writing some longform pieces about Scottish literature and its association with the land and he's on my list. He was a big fan of Tolstoy, as it happens, in part because he says Tolstoy understood that every work of literature is not only the artist's but "comes from the whole community in which they live". I'm very interested in that idea.
Definitely no congratulations – that feels like tempting fate! 😅
They played some clips of Laski on talkshows on the Backlisted episode I listened to. She seems like quite a force.
You should definitely write something about GMB. I loved what I have read of him and perhaps I should read his autobiography? I love the Orkneys.
It's less than 200 pages, so not too much of a commitment. More a work with occasional nuggets of greatness and interesting to read about his literary influences. I'm working on a historical dictionary at the moment and a lot of what he says about place resonates strongly with that.
I love GMB too and keep his Collected Poems nearby and read them frequently. Orkney such a special place and many happy memories of visiting there.
Yes me too. It's a strange and lovely place, isn't it? So different from the rest of Scotland.
I just finished rereading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for an adult ed course I am leading. For the first time, I read it not just for the pleasure but also to notice how Austen constructed the plot and admitted us into the characters' minds. Brilliant.