Gaps in Reading

While discussing literature, philosophy, the ways of the world and the weather with a new friend, it occured to me that there is considerable gaps in my reading experience. I have mainly focused on contemparary books classified as ‘literature’ and the English, Greek and Roman classics. I had never heard of Don DeLilo until last year and nor did I pay much attention to post-modernist or science fiction novels.  I’ve been trying to include more Russian and French classics into my readings. I’m not stuch in a reading rut but I’m mindful of trying to broaden my horizons and curious too. I’ve discovered some great names and titles from this friend and likewise for her (I hope).

New acquisitions this week (I really need to stop buying books…):

1. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

2. She Came to Stay by Simone de Beauvoir

Book News & New Books

• Tim Winton has won his fourth Miles Franklin book award for Breath. I haven’t read many of his books aside for Dirt Music which won the Miles Franklin in 2002.
• This is the BIG news – the Tomorrow series will finally be made into a movie trilogy! They’re focusing on the first three books and will be written and directed by Stuart Beattie who also co-wrote the script for ‘Australia’. I hope it turns out to be wonderful.

I also bought some more of those orange Penguins which were further marked down. They are just wonderful although I’m pretty sure they will probably disintergrate in my hands in ten years time. New titles are:

• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• The Surgeon of Crawthorne by Simon Winchester
• The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
• Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl

I must have almost half the available titles. I also got my Zafon which I’m very excited about.

Away in the Grown Up World

I have been pushed to the limit these last couple of weeks and attempting to juggle everything in my life. At times I wonder when I became such a grown up when I remember very clearly I would not turn into one of those people where work is their life. But this is only for a temporary basis so I can live with it. It certainly gives me taste though.

As a result, I’ve been a little out of the bookish world. Just some tidbits here:

• Two new Poirot stories have been uncovered from Agatha Christie’s holiday house. They’re short stories, sketches Christie made, before they’re turned into novels. These will be included in a book on Christie with reproductions of her notebooks that will be released this September.
• Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s newie, The Angel’s Game, is FINALLY out in Australia. I’ve waited a year for this translation (the Spanish version was released last year) so I’m very excited to read it. However, I must get a copy first!
• I finished reading Lucky, Alice Sebold’s memoir. It’s one of the most traumatic books I’ve ever read. Sebold is a swift writer and manages to hook you in despite the horrible events that happens to Sebold. I highly recommend it but I don’t recommend reading it before work!