Post: Whatcha Readin'?

Friday, June 10, 2011

Post: Whatcha Readin'?

Posted by Christina at 6:57 AM

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Post by Christina

I used to live in Boston, and one of the things I miss most about urban living is reading in public parks and on the T. Now that I live in a smaller city, I have a back yard and I drive my own car everywhere. I rarely have the pleasure of reading in public, and I don't often see other readers out and about with their books. I miss wondering about what other people are reading and wondering if they're also wondering about what I'm reading.

How do you feel about being interrupted by strangers who want to know what you're reading? That's exactly what the authors did for the illustration above. I like that the people they interviewed are giving reviews of books they're still reading- it's not a perspective we often get in the book blogging world, since we all tend to finish a book and then review it. So, if you have a moment, I'd love to hear what you (yes, you) are reading right now, and what you think of it so far.

I'll go first, but I'll be brief since I've already gushed about The Instructions, which I'll be finishing and reviewing soon. I'm on page 639 now, and still loving it. I find Gurion's slang seeping into my thoughts sometimes, and I can't resist calling my baby boy "boychik." (Cutest Yiddish word EVAR!)

So people, whatcha readin'? Do tell!

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Emily · 720 weeks ago

I'm reading an ARC of Amy Waldman's The Submission, published by FSG. Premise is fascinating and timely as we approach the anniversary of 9/11. In the novel, which begins 2 years after the cataclysmic event, a committee is formed from artists, prominent Manhattanites, and family members of those who died that day to select a design for a memorial on the site of where the WTC used to be. They choose a soothing and beautiful garden design from among the blind submissions, only to discover that the winning submission was from a young Muslim man. You can imagine the outrage and backlash and harassment that ensue when this knowledge becomes public. I'm only about halfway through the novel so I can't guess it if will be the healing ending I'm hoping for or something completely different.

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softdrink · 720 weeks ago

I'm almost finished with Centuries of June, and I will be sad when it's over. It's about a man who gets hit in the back of the head on his way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. He is then visited by one mysterious old man and 7 beautiful women who tell him stories...after they try to kill him. It sounds odd, and it is a bit, but it's very well done.

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artventure365 9p · 720 weeks ago

I am reading a hilariously terrible travel guide called Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: Hungary by Zsuzsanna Ardo. Now I wish I had written down the best lines, but here are a few I read last night. "One explanation you may be offered to account for Hungary's respectable place in the international league table of suicides is a nebulous reference to work." and "You will know your lover is the real McCoy, a Hungarian on heat, when humongous bunches of exquisite flora or other surprises hit you at all times and places." Although I do like her (for once) succinct line "Hungary is the belly button of Europe. So there you have it." If only she'd tell me what to pack for lint protection.

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IngridLola14 79p · 720 weeks ago

I'm reading The Second Sex! I'm loving it and can't wait for the discussion for A Year of Feminist Classics.

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Andrea Landaker 4p · 720 weeks ago

I'm in the middle of "Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow. It feels kind of like going back in time to my own teenagehood at a high school in San Francisco (except mine was exceptionally boring and devoid of run-ins with authority). It's always tough to write from a teenage point of view -- when you are a teenager, you often don't realize there's any other point of view out there, and once you're past it, most attempts either feel to precocious or too self-centered.

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bookedallweek 13p · 720 weeks ago

I just started Persuasion, by Jane Austen. I was craving a comfort read, and so far it's just what I want and expect it to be.

I don't mind it when strangers make (positive) comments about what I'm reading, like "Ohhh I read that book last week, isn't it great?!" but it often bothers me when strangers ask me what I'm reading as a way to begin a conversation, because hello, I'm BUSY. On the other hand, that IS how I met my current boyfriend, so I guess I can't complain all that much :)

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Judith · 720 weeks ago

I'm in the midst of finishing Lost by Hans-Ulrich Treichel, a somewhat autobiographical novella based on the author's postwar childhood in Germany. I'm reading (and loving it) for the German Postwar Literary Challenge, which I'm informally hosting. I say "informally" because I don't have Mr. Linky and so forth.

Judith (Reader in the Wilderness)

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