I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
Jorge Luis Borges
Six months have passed since the beginning of the year. My New Year's Resolution was to read more and procrastinate less. I succeeded with the first and completely failed with the second. When I say that I succeeded with the first, I mean that it certainly felt like I'd read more, but seen as I'd not recorded what I'd been reading in this way before, it was hard to tell whether I'd read more than I'd done on previous occasions or less.
Nonetheless, my reading list for the past six months is below, keep in mind I'm a slow reader - I like to savour every sentence, often reading them twice if I think they're that good, underlining them, or copying them out. I also have a habit of reading 2 or 3 at the same time, so it takes me longer to finish a book completely.
Please feel free to plunder it if you wish, there's some classics and some new ones. There's always a book I'm desperate to read, or one I'm desperate to finish, so I can start the next one.
Below I've put them in separate lists of read, reading, and finally what I'd like to read next, in essence my "to read" list.
Oh, there's also a list of "started, but haven't finished yet" Basically those books that get put aside when you're in the middle of reading and you never get round to finishing them off. A terrible habit, but one I shall make every effort to conquer.
For me, books are sources of information and wonder, they are how I make sense of the world. I dog ear them, I write on them and I smell them, stroke them even. I never treat a book like a priceless object, I don't want to miss any essential facts or information, I don't want to forget a thing, I don't want to miss any new words or new ways of seeing things.
There's never enough time to read all the books you want to read in one lifetime, but I can try.
Books I've read so far
Was Beethoven a Birdwatcher
The Pearl John Steinbeck
East of Eden John Steinbeck
A Russian Affair Anton Chekhov
God is Not Great Christopher Hitchens
Astragel Albertine Sarrazin
Necropolis: London and its Dead Catherine Arnold
The Moon & Sixpence W. Somerset Maugham
More Pricks than Kicks Samuel Beckett
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal Ben Macintyre
Marilyn Norman Mailer
Currently in the middle of reading
The Emperor of All Maladies: A biography of Cancer Siddhartha Mukherjee
Free at Last! Diaries 1991 - 2001 Tony Benn
The Happiness Trap: Based on ACT: A revolutionary mindfulness-based programme for overcoming stress, anxiety and depression
Cupid's Scythe: An Anthology Venus De Mileage
Books I started but haven't got round to finishing
Naked Lunch William S Burroughs
The Goldfinch Donna Tartt
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke
Books I want to read
Eleanor Marx: A Life Rachel Holmes
The Creativity Question Albert Rothenberg
The Book of laughter and forgetting Milan Kundera
Metaphor Denis Donoghue
Neverwhere Neil Gaiman
Coming up Trumps: A Memoir Jean Trumpington
Trials of Passion: Crimes in the Name of Love and Madness Lisa Appignanesi
Cook Simple: Effortless cooking every day Diana Henry
So there you have it, my have-read-books, my-nearly-there-books, and my-really-wish-I -had-these books. My live is one long literary adventure, with stories, new words and ideas swimming around in my head like miniature people.
If you'd like me to write your story well, you know where to find me. It can be anything you like, in whichever format you like. A sales letter, a press release, a blog, an article - they all tell their own story.
pandora.77@hotmail.co.uk
