gandpsmommy Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I really appreciate all the ideas I received in the thread I started yesterday asking for book suggestions. I have already read and enjoyed some of them, but many of them were new to me. Sometimes, I just feel an overwhelming sense of ?. . .what to call it? when I think about all of the really good books in the world that I have never read or even heard of. It's not quite urgency, or inadequacy, but something related to both. I wonder how so many other people have discovered these books and how they know literary secrets that I don't. I wonder how I will ever figure out this secret so that I can choose good modern novels, and lesser-known older novels, as well as the well-known classics that I adore. I feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of authors and books out there, as we have all of these really good books from generations past still around to peruse, as well as all of the mind-bogglingly huge numbers of works published every year. I know that I will never be able to read even a small fraction of the books available, even if reading was all I did. And reading is far from all I do. And then I feel a bit paralyzed as to which books to begin with, because I know I can never get to them all. Okay, I'm really weird, I know. I think I'll just stop now. But does anyone else ever feel this way? I think maybe I'll just start with some books I own until I pay off my library fines, and then read some of the books suggested here and some of the books on The Well-Educated Mind lists. But does anyone else every experience this, or am I truly a freak? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I really appreciate all the ideas I received in the thread I started yesterday asking for book suggestions. I have already read and enjoyed some of them, but many of them were new to me. Sometimes, I just feel an overwhelming sense of ?. . .what to call it? when I think about all of the really good books in the world that I have never read or even heard of. It's not quite urgency, or inadequacy, but something related to both. I wonder how so many other people have discovered these books and how they know literary secrets that I don't. I wonder how I will ever figure out this secret so that I can choose good modern novels, and lesser-known older novels, as well as the well-known classics that I adore. I feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of authors and books out there, as we have all of these really good books from generations past still around to peruse, as well as all of the mind-bogglingly huge numbers of works published every year. I know that I will never be able to read even a small fraction of the books available, even if reading was all I did. And reading is far from all I do. And then I feel a bit paralyzed as to which books to begin with, because I know I can never get to them all. Okay, I'm really weird, I know. I think I'll just stop now. But does anyone else ever feel this way? I think maybe I'll just start with some books I own until I pay off my library fines, and then read some of the books suggested here and some of the books on The Well-Educated Mind lists. But does anyone else every experience this, or am I truly a freak? Fellow freak here. :001_smile: I often think that if we did nothing but just read through all the books I own, my girls would have a good education. But I think we'd need more than one lifetime to do even that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Yes, all the time, but it's getting to be less than it used to be. I read somewhere that many readers -- those of us who still read books -- try to cover too much territory at one time. Instead, we would be wiser to just pick a book, look over it quickly to see if it merits more time, then (if so), savor it slowly. I know that seems counter-intuitive to the "get it done faster" mode -- as though we are EVER going to read through the stacks of books that are out there. But maybe in our anxiety over reading it all we miss the point of why we read in the first place... What is the point of rushing, when instead we grow more as human beings through... ... Curling up with our little children on our laps, our older children next to us, all eyes focused on the book... ... Relaxing "alone" with a book and a nice cup of hot tea... ... Reading a great passage out loud to our husband, and engaging in an actual conversation about it afterwards... Last night at the library, the library staff was telling me that since we've "been slacking" this summer with putting items on hold, their statistics have gone down. I was shocked! "Doesn't anyone read?" They said that most people just come in these days to check out free videos. How sad. I understand what you mean about The Lists -- and not wanting to miss a gem, feeling overwhelmed about creating the Perfect List. But that doesn't really exist, because we are all different people, and we "need" different books for our lives. Trust that the books you need will find their way to you, and just go on reading. Don't worry about getting to all of them. Just read one book well. And then do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 First of all, I'll say that I read a TON of books. I read pretty much entirely at the grammar stage level in WEM. I don't do a lot of re-reading and analyzing and note taking. And, I read pretty fast. I have felt what you felt in the past, but then I found the joy and thrill of booklists!! I am a little OCD about booklists, in fact. I am compelled to finish books that I don't even really like because it is on a booklist. But, it has also forced me way outside my comfort zone in reading mind candy and I have been exposed to some of the best books that I would have never read otherwise. I have five different booklists going right now and I just put the next title on hold from the library. (That doesn't include my 888 list, which is basically 8 books from each of my lists and some others thrown in for good measure. :001_smile:) I would suggest starting with the WEM novels section. If reading old classics is scary to you (I really liked Don Quixote, but it seems to derail a lot of people) I think you should start from the end of the list and move backwards. I also just finished the autobiographies section and I think I liked those (for the most part) even more than the novels (again, it is easier to start at the end of the list). I'm looking forward to (and I'm a bit nervous about) starting the histories in the WEM. There is some big-time heavy reading in that section. Don't be overwhelmed! Just dive right in. If you have to go, what a way to go, eh? Drowning in a sea of good books!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Mc in SC Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 The other day I read out loud a list of things famous people would do if they could do anything, Julie Andrews said she'd curl up somewhere and read all the books she had waiting for her to read. My son said "Mom, that's you." I have books everywhere that need reading, I buy them, I borrow them, and I check them out from the library. I currently have stacks on my coffee table and a large stack under my coffee table (which is a pain to move when I vacumm-- and is a good reason NOT to vacumm LOL) Not too long ago someone posted a "what are you reading" post. Oh boy, did that add to my things to read! I've read one off that list and have two more in my library bag. For me, I read about everything. I view myself as a life long learner. And I expect that it will take all my life to even come close to reading and learning about all that I'm interested in. It's not a race, it the journey that counts. Enjoy what you are reading a the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielle Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 DH claims the house is sinking under all the books. Dd recently calculated that there are more than 2,000 books in our 11 x 12 "family" room. There's a 4 stacks next to my side of the bed that are as high as the bed. Then there's the stack on the floor next to my end of the couch, the stack on the kitchen island, and the stack of magazines on the sideboard that I read at breakfast. I just finished reading that book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" and even HE comments on how he keeps discovering books that he is unaware of or hasn't read, but "everyone" else has. And he's an English prof! If only I could read 'em as fast as I can buy 'em! Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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