Books are for people.

For all that I like to read and have spent quite a good bit of my life reading sometimes I feel remarkably un-well-read.

I think it's partially do with how I read. I read purely for pleasure. And often as a way of escaping the constrains of my own mortal existence. This form of 'light' reading does not lend itself to many of the great classics some of which can be downright difficult to get through.

However recently I've embarked upon a bit of a quest to try and read up on those classics we hear so much about. The idea was to make a giant list, mostly compiled from lists one can find online, and to try and work through the list. But the list creation proved to be a bit more involved than I was going for and fell through.

So last week when I was at the library (something was due so I had to go) I was on a quest for Atlas Shrugged. The quest was actually for other reasons but I figure the book is on the list anyways so it couldn't hurt. I also knew that I am going away camping next week and ought to be able to get in some reading. (Although now I kind of question that I'll have the time I thought I would. But then 2 weeks ago I definately read 3 books in one week.) Go figure the universe conspired against me, one copy of Atlas Shrugged was checked out and the other was being serviced or something weird and annoying. I began to randomly browse. I ended up with quite a good stack of pages.

I picked up Dr. Zhivago. Honestly I couldn't recall a thing about it besides that I recognized the name and thought it might not be too drab. Now I see that I may know the name from the movie, but also that its a great work of political importance.

I also selected Dune. I don't know much about it either except that there was a mini-series by the same name, and same premise I believe, on the SciFi Channel a few years back that I watched. But given that I consider myself to be a bit, though not much, of a Fantasy buff I figure I ought to read some of the Fantastical greats. Plus I think it's harder to find dry Fantasy/SciFi (though not impossible).

Lastly I was looking for something lighter and that could balance out the others in case I didn't like them. So basically some chic-lit. I ended up with The Birth of Venus. I'm pretty sure its chic-lit but I'd also heard of it before and it got good reviews.

Interestingly enough however after all of this library pondering I ended up stopping my Borders and purchasing Atlas Shrugged. I'm compelled to read it to try to understand something. And I had a gift certificate, plus a coupon. Although to use the coupon, %40 off, I needed to spend $10. And the book was 8 something. So then I ended up getting the Forrest Gump Sound Track because I've wanted it forever. Like seriously for years and years and years. And everything together still ended up running me about $8. But I did get some good stuff.

*sigh* I've been spending too much money lately. It's bothering me.




"Books are for people who wish they were somewhere else."