Some months I seem to have more to say than others. Either that, or some months I have more time to actually sit down in front of the computer and articulate a few scattered thoughts.
I have done some great reading in the last month. I just finished reading Running with Sciss0rs which is quite the read, especially considering that it is a memoir. What a crazy, fucked up life this guy has had. Like a cat, he seems to have landed on his feet though! It was a compelling read, at some times sad, at some times I was shaking my head in awe (not always in a positive way), and at other times, normal is what normal does and only relates to the confines of your own life. Amazing what becomes routine, no matter how crazy it may seem looking in or out. It was a faster read than the last two novels that I dove in to, but definitely a compelling read.
I also finished The Historian just prior to Running..., which could have also added to it being a sprint compared to this book. The Historian is one helluva page turner. I loved the history, the interwoven tales, the mystery surrounding Dracula and barely revealed violence, the exotic locales and lesser known European states and cities, the love stories, the darkness, and the long passages it took to unravel this tale. There was only one section where I think I felt my eyes crossing unwittingly - a section written as if it was an academic journal and that was pretty much the only part of this 700 page novel in really small font that I didn't enjoy and felt like I trudged through. If I am moved, I ear marked a bunch of pages for future reference and perhaps I can dig out a few quotes. The book is still in the car, and well, there it will stay for a bit longer.
AND I also finished reading the Palace Walk, a tale about Cairo just as WW I is drawing to a close. It is an insight in to Arab culture and what life is like in Egypt at that time. It is also a story about a family, and how each member relates to each other and their own slice of life. It is hard not to be riled at times at how different mens lives were from that of womens, but as I reacted to this book in good and bad ways, I had to admire the style in which it was written in order to evoke such strong responses from me. This is one part of a trilogy, and eventually I will read the other 2 novels.
On a total aside, all three of these books were larger, and somewhat bulky (scissors to a lesser extent) and made b'feeding and reading a little more awkward as one hand tried to grapple with the shape of these books. I couldn't imagine not being able to read during those times because I run out of stories and things to blather on about during those times... as well, besides it being nice quiet time together, some times I hope that Brandon will drift off to sleep shortly there after so keeping it mellow is a good thing.
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