An interlude
Hi. Once again, there has been a long lull in my blog posts here. Not that most should notice, it’s just that pointing out my absence is an easy way to re-introduce myself on my blog. Since this is a book blog, I am pleased to report that the creator of this blog, who has a short attention span which is susceptible to the temptation of bite-size lifestreams, has still managed to cling to books. Writing about what I have read is another story. As it is, the writing will probably not catch up with the reading, so instead I list below most of my recent reads. I shall, however, still endeavor to write even short paragraphs for those books in the list which left more than a passing impression on me, and longer ones for those which really got to me.
I should note that, apart from everything else, I find that the greatest threat to my reading time is Web 2.0. Being the geek that I am, it has been a big distraction. Of course, thanks to RSS feeds, there is also a lot of reading that goes on there. A lot of it is transient information, which combine to form a constant hiss of white noise. They are shiny objects, though, and before I know it, when I look up from examining them, I am wondering what has happened to my time.
Be well, dear readers, and should the internet not eat me, I will hopefully be here again soon.
Novels and novellas:
* Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
* Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
* The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie
* Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
* The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
* Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
* An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym
* The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
* Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
* Bittersweet by Nevada Barr
* The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
* Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Short stories:
* The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
* The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe
* The Christmas Banquet by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Poetry:
* The Complete Poems and Plays of T. S. Eliot (I have not read all in the collection, but have already enjoyed reading many)
I loved Frankenstein! I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
missra, thanks for the comment. I plan to write a blog entry for Frankenstein but, in short, I was amazed with it. I was amazed because of the thoughts and ideas that Shelley put forward and which I found myself reflecting on since those thoughts and ideas are surprisingly relevant to me. I had many “OMG” moments as I was reading it. I will no doubt find even more in it when I reread it. Yes, I loved it, too.
Good to see you blogging again.
RSS feeds are amazing in how much time they can absorb without you noticing. I find it hard to balance reading books and blogs and writing about my reading. The later invariably falls by the wayside!
adevotedreader, hi! If it’s good to see me blogging again, I dare say it’s even better for me to read a comment from a fellow reader, especially since your RSS feed (to which I am subscribed) has also been quiet. But I will think warmly that your writing time is being usurped by the worthy activity of reading.
Glad to have you back in the blogosphere. It’s been a while. I’m glad you’re still reading, and look forward to your writing. I’ve recently read an excellent book, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I think is quite unique, accessible philosophy.