On the importance of reading in my life

My dad and I used to read together at bedtime. I remember sharing laughs and bonding together over Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn — my dad and Mark Twain working together to instill in me this love of literature. Did he have any idea that I’d grow up to major in American Literature at the same college he attended? I don’t know, but he certainly wasn’t surprised when it happened. 😉

And yes, I still read now as much as I did when I was younger. Of course there was that brief period of time during college where I read more than I’ve EVER read in my life — I had, at times, five or six books that I was reading at once — novels, poetry, art history books, etc. It was nuts. But now, back to normal, I have one book that I read at a time. Usually, I just get to read it at night since I work all day long.

The bookshelf on my side of the bed.

Oh wait, I just lied…


I have two books that I read at a time. Since getting my iphone, I can download books on that, so that instead of carrying around a book all the time (like I used to) I can easily turn on and read a book on my phone at any time!

I have read so many actual books though that my apartment is being overrun with them! When Aaron and I moved in I made a huge sacrifice and donated a TON of books. But even after getting rid of a lot them, I still have so many that I’m running out of places to store them…

The brand new bookshelves/office space that I got for my birthday this year.

I have two full bookshelves on either side of our bed. I have a bookcase covering almost an entire wall of our living room. And the books have now overflowed into our kitchen.

Here’s a list of the books that I remember reading over the past year…

The books over our kitchen cabinets.

  • Robinson Crusoe (A lot of the classics are free to download on my iphone, so I’ve been catching up on a lot of the books I haven’t read yet.)
  • Tortuga (I read Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima and really liked it, this one… notsomuch.)
  • The Lonesome Gods (My Dad and I read a bunch of Louis L’amour this year, this one was my favorite. I LOVED reading descriptions of Los Angeles before it was even developed.)
  • The Town that Started the Civil War (The story was interesting, but the writing was not captivating to say the least.)
  • Sunnyside (Awesome! I’ve been getting more and more interested in things that involve Charlie Chaplin since shooting the muppet wedding.)
  • The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Loved this book.)
  • Sherlock Holmes : The Complete Novels and Stories Vol. 1 (More classics that I’ve gotten to read for free on the iphone. I read some of these when I was younger and really enjoyed reading them again.)
  • The Old Man and the Sea (This was one of the first books I ever picked out and read by myself and I enjoyed reading again as an adult.)
  • Little Bee (This was a book that I picked up in an airport and read it in two days. I loved it!)
  • Grayson (Another airport book. It was cute.)
  • And a ton of other “filler books” that read and immediately threw away upon finishing.

But right now, I’m FREAKING! I have no book to read! I finished my last book, Sunnyside (which is really great, I highly recommend it) a few days ago and I haven’t started a new one in anticipation of the book I just ordered.

Hopefully in the next few days I should be getting the newly published book from my favorite author (and friend), Glen Hirshberg. I simply do not want to to start another book in anticipation of receiving The Book of Bunk. I am so excited to read it and it sounds like it’s going to be awesome…

“It’s as if Woody Guthrie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had co-authored a 90,000-word folk song about an obscure WPA project.” — Lucius Shepard

and

“Those familiar with Glen Hirshberg’s other works know that he is the consummate storyteller. The Book of Bunk, however, transcends anything he has accomplished previously. Part Great Gatsby, part Grapes of Wrath, and even a tiny bit One Hundred Years of Solitude, this novel exists in a genre of its own.” –S. Kay Murphy

Sounds amazing, right? All of his books are. In fact, if you’re reading this right now and are interested in finding another book to read, do yourself a favor and order Hirsberg’s first novel, The Snowman’s Children. I’ve literally read it three times. Ooh and it makes for a perfect winter time read!

I also always looking for good book recommendations. So if you have any, please leave them in the comments!

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6 Comments

  1. UPDATE: Omg! The Book of Bunk came in the mail today! I am sooooo excited!

  2. James

    Reading was what saved me a long, long time ago when I first learned my brother was mentally ill. I had infinite worlds to escape into and learn from. The geek in me will never forget the day I was reading the Return of the King, by Tolkien. I was sitting in the rocking chair in at my parents’ home, probably 13 years old, and things looked bleak for our valiant heros. When the Riders of Rohan appeared to save the day, I remember goosebumps and a feeling of absolute thrill.

    That was when I realized the absolute power and majesty of fiction. Not even movies come close.

    And now my new job allows me the one luxury I gave up to be self employed. I get to READ!

    • Same here, reading kept me company and pulled me through some of the darkest times in my life. I could always escape into whatever fiction I was reading at the time.

      One of the benefits of my last hostess job was that I could read at the hostess stand when things got super slow. It was awesome!

  3. Karl

    “Silk” by Caitlin R Kiernan.

    “Echo” and “The Hanged Man” by Francesca Lia Block.

  4. Rebecca

    My all-time favorite author in the history of literature is F. Scott Fitzgerald. You’ve probably read The Great Gatsby already, seeing as most literature classes require it. I see you majored in American Lit., so if you haven’t already read these, I wholeheartedly recommend This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, and Tender Is the Night. Personally my favorite is The Beautiful, but This Side is just as good. He has collections of short stories that blow my mind, and his writing always read like poetry to me. 🙂

    • Oh yes, The Great Gatsby and I are old friends. This is how much it’s required reading: it was on a summer reading list in Jr High, then assigned at my first high school, then again in my second high school, then again in Jr College, and then again in college! Thank gawd I love the book. 🙂

      Though, I have to say I haven’t read any of the three you recommended. Officially added to my reading list — thanks!

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