Comments on: The 50-novel challenge

By: annette

annette — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 21:38:16 +0000

bj, damn, i knew there would be a catch.
a big thank you to all for the reading recommendations. today was a livin’ right kinda day. i took a break from my usual sunday activity–obsessively solving, or attempting to solve, the new york times crossword puzzle, which has me sitting at my computer for the better part of the morning–NO that is not considered cheating. checked out the brande blog for reading inspiration and walked, with dog, to local INDEPENDENT bookseller. found two titles, used, which always feels good (”falling angels” and “winter’s tale”), but that’s not the livin’right part. turns out that heretofore unbeknownst to me this merchant has two random register giveaways per day (i’ve only been patronizing this place for 20 years, i think i have to work a little harder on my powers of obsevation). anyhow, you quessed it, i won–the entire purchase was free.
can’t wait to dig in.

By: bj

bj — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:36:34 +0000

Oh Robin? Even if you’ve officially disqualified me since I disqualified myself, you’re welcome to send me more of those chocolates from Harry and David anytime you want (and I’ll just have to walk an extra mile a day and ride a few extra hours a week . . .)

By: bj

bj — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:29:41 +0000

Annette, if you’re reading this you are USING my codework. I designed this website. So the fluency needed is in geekspeak, particularly xhtml/css/php as well as a fluency in photoshop/fireworks and graphics filters . . . easily acquired by being a totally obsessed computer weenie and not having any sort of normal life. Though I do get to write a lot . . . even if normal people can’t understand any of my blog articles.

Robin, I must confess further. I don’t always read “high literature”– in fact, far from it. My bedroom has been taken over by aliens and some of the books I read are from that collection. The paperbacks have names like “The Currents of Space” (Isaac Asimov, 1952), “The Atlantic Abomination” (John Brunner, 1960), “Day of the Giants” (Lester del Rey, 1959), “Space Gypsies” (Murray Leinster, 1967), “Children of Tomorrow” (A.E. Van Vogt, 1970), “City of Illusions” (Ursula K. LeGuin, 1967) and many others, all of which are, for the most part skinny little books compared to today’s, and are fast reads. I often intersperse more modern reading with these space operas. Or, if I’m feeling particularly cynical, with one of the books from my almost just as huge collection of 1950’s and 60’s detective novels.

Hi, I’m bj (hi, bj!) and I’m a bookaholic . . .

By: annette

annette — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:36:31 +0000

bj, i’d like your “codework” gig provided it does not entail fluency in navajo. where do i apply?

By: robin

robin — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:16:11 +0000

I knew you’d be disqualified, BJ. I also knew you’d totally kick my butt in number of novels for the year. Thanks for fessing up.

By: bj

bj — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:09:42 +0000

Um . . . geez, I wonder if I could figure out which of the HUGE NUMBER OF NOVELS I have stacked around this house that I read after January first of this year. I betcha I’m already fairly well over the 50 mark. I routinely read anywhere from three to six books a week, even when my codework schedule is heavy.

Oh, forgot to pass along another for you to put on YOUR list, Robin– “The Secret Live of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd. “The Mermaid Chair” was also good reading but there was something very special about “Bees”– probably the way she captured a young woman’s true heart, and how that same young woman discovered her mother’s heart.

And Robin? It would REALLY be unfair of me to enter this contest since I threw out my TV years ago, and books are, and always have been, a major part of my life.