Reading for the Next (few) Month(s)

1. I finished Never Let Me Go today. It was really quite good, the message the author sent and the unique way he does it, slowly, revealing a little at a time so you relate to the characters. Which of course is essential, and the whole point of the book - to be able to relate to the three. Some of it was annoying, but overall very clever.
2. I’m currently on page 3 of On the Road. I have high expectations for Kerouac’s novel from what I’ve heard of it and the references that have been made in pop culture. Plus the exploring-the-open-road bit, searching for freedom and meaning, that is very me. It’s actually surprisingly difficult to read, though! Not very difficult, but I was just surprised that it took more effort than I expected. Too many incomplete sentences and fragments. But I MUST stick to it.
3. After giving up on Absalom, Absalom! (which is INSANE btw) I think I’ll try Faulkner’s more renowned The Sound and the Fury.
4. Lolita. The cover is so different and I need an excuse to watch James Mason go “I’ve told you before, Lolita, no boys!” and compare it to Bill Hader’s impersonation.
5. Ulysses. I’ve never read James Joyce but I’ve heard good stuff! Plus anything that is remotely connected to my favorite poem, I’ll read. And anything that Marilyn Monroe reads, too!
6. Some Hemingway. I was brought to his genius last year, reading novellas and short stories that were TRULY incredible even if I didn’t like some of the depictions. Either A Farewell to Arms (for being mentioned in Catcher) or For Whom the Bell Tolls (cause my literary and culture freak twin said I’d like it, and there’s a Metallica song).
7. Catch-22 has been in the top 5 of so many book lists but somehow I’m not in the mood.
8. I suppose I ought to give old Fitzgerald a chance, after three years of hatin’ on Gatsby, the old sport (SEE WHAT I DID THERE TEEHEE). This Side of Paradise or Tender is the Night? I’m leaning towards the former.
9. After binging on Steinbeck all these years I’ve been wary of restarting my foray into his works. For one, it’ll be the beginning of the end (*sob*) and I don’t want to pick up a bad Steinbeck novel (if such a thing there be) after all this time. East of Eden is too long. I’m thinking Tortilla Flat orCup of Gold.
10. Speaking of “if such a thing there be,” I need to read poetry again! My daily poetry email service is obsessed with Sarah Teasdale and the same old poets. I need some true, rare gems.
11. Willa Cather is actually sounding really good right now. I liked the resentment-free, breezy Great Plains feel of My Antonia, but also that the matter was serious and poignant. The aforementioned friend also owns O Pioneers! and loved it, so I can put that down on this list.
12. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. AGAIN, that friend recommended it to me and owns it. It sounds very heavy and deep and addresses raw issues - like something that can change a life.
13. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The author teaches at MIT, of all places!
14. Should I attempt Eats, Shoots, and Leaves? I’d feel smarter for it, but I can think of a few grammar freaks for whom this punctuation book would be better suited (wow, I even took care not to end with a preposition!).
15. I will read some fun books too! Any of the Marilyn Monroe books with lots of gorge pictures (maybe My Week with Marilyn, the book that’s the basis for the new biopic with Michelle Williams?)
16. Fifth Avenue, 5 am. And maybe Classy.
17. OOOH almost forgot! I WILL read Palo Alto. And be more inspired by James Franco’s infinite skills.
18. A Thomas Hardy book: Return of the Native or Tess of the D’Ubervilles? I almost got the latter for free but opted for just The Silmarillion.
19. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Not as urgent of a reading, but I want to see the links to catcher.
20. Atonement. See, I’m trying to read recent stuff!
21. That said, don’t expect any Twilight (does that word even deserve to be italicized?) books.
22. Or any Dragon Tattoo books, about which I actually heard negative things (gasp!). Plus I don’t want too much IKEA and sandwich references (there’s a theory that the whole book is about sandwiches - the word is mentioned like 2x more often than murder or something).
23. No Dan Brown, either.
24. I WILL however finally read a Malcolm Gladwell book! This I WILL do!

A daunting task, yes, or 20. But I can do it. When I was lying in bed today, simply reading, not eating or anything, I felt SO HAPPY. Unbelievably, inexplicably so. I don’t even know what to say about it, how to describe it. It wasn’t like the stab of joy of getting in college. It was more like that warm feeling when you settle in for a bubble bath. Or maybe the start of vacation and you’re building a fire in the fireplace and a great movie comes on and everyone settles in to watch. Or like when you’re in a movie theater and the lights dim and you’re happy and it feels like it’s raining outside but you’ll be safe. Like Holden described museums. I do so love museums, so, so much. I get reduced to a little kid in them. I can’t wait to be able to have an excuse to go to many soon.