Nov 7, 2009

I have too many books. Looking at the list of books read, I realized I am partway through half as many. I pick up and read 50 or 60 pages into a book then set it down for another. I'm more in love with the idea of books than I am with books themselves.

I found this 1960s edition of an Iris Murdoch book, The Nice and the Good. One of my friends back home loves Murdoch. His ambition is to read all of her books and he's invited me to read a few too.

When I first bought it, along with 2 other books, I restlessly picked up one after the other, flipping through pages, looking at the covers, and enjoying the smell of an old book.

In my messenger bag I always carry a copy of Dylan Thomas' Selected Poems, with Whitman poems printed on computer paper for a thick bookmark. When I read poetry its usually at home so I rarely ever bring it out in public, but its a comfort to know its there.

This morning I am thinking of all the books I want to read. There is a series called The Church and Postmodern Culture that has two new additions; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon; Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad; Rome and Jerusalem by Martin Goodman; The new Donald Miller book....something from David Sedaris...

Every so often I get like this. Where it becomes impossible to read and all I can do is pick up books and flip through pages. I am so excited for the possibility of reading, it makes reading itself impossible.

I will never be able to read every book I desire. There are too many even now and more are being written. But I love books. The way they smell and feel, page after turned page. Amazon's electronic book, Kindle, holds absolutely no appeal to me. Books aren't for consuming information but consuming stories and the life inside them...

Every book I read makes me a better man.