Reading List

Bonus points to anyone who knows where that picture comes from.

I thought since I review everything I read I should let you all in for a sneak preview of the days ahead. Today I spent a $25 gift card at Barnes and Noble, and of course there's the usual collection of unread material sitting on the shelves in my bedroom.

Today's purchases:
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
A Son of the Circus by John Irving

My recent run through of some popular Irish novels had me reflecting on the fact that I am very unread in international literature. I decided I should pick countries and try to read a little about them in spurts. My first pick was India, which explains the Rushdie selection. The novel is about a child born at the exact moment India gains independence, and apparently has special powers.

The Irving book is also about India, but even Irving admits he really doesn't know anything about India. It may be interesting to read a book written from a Westerner's perspective. But really, I just found out last night that Irving has a book coming out this year, and it got me wanting to read more of his novels (I've already read six.)

On the shelves:
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Doestoevski
Light in August by William Faulkner (halted in progress)
The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
The Watchmen by Alan Moore
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy
Oh, Play That Thing by Roddy Doyle
Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
...and many more.

I'll be honest, Anna Karenina is a pipe dream, I read the first 10 pages once and it took me forever. The same goes for The Brothers Karamozov. Light in August is one of those books that I got interrupted in the middle of and now I'll just have to wait until I forget what I read and can start over. I have to wait until my Dad finishes the Chabon book. I'm sort of intrigued by The Watchmen, but I don't have much experience with comic books.

I realize this was rather pointless, and for that I am sorry.