…if you’re a reader, that is! Pat Conroy, author of books such as The Water is Wide and The Prince of Tides, has written a nonfiction account of his lifelong love affair with books titled My Reading Life. I chose an audio version of the book, read by the author himself, and enjoyed hours of Conroy’s gruff voice, the lover caressing his own words as he moves from descriptions of Gone With the Wind to War and Peace and the role each novel played in his life. It is a great book. So, why shouldn’t you read it? Because my reading list just got longer and so will yours. You can check out the book list on Conroy’s website.
Also, Conroy has really made me rethink the 75-book challenge. I really haven’t had too much trouble reading a book and a half a week but I wonder if I would have taken a bit more time to absorb and appreciate them without the deadline. In addition, as I look over my list for the year, I wonder how many had the kind of impact that Conroy describes. I read and listened to some great books this year but were they life changing? And, if I had read some of them more slowly, would they have had a bigger effect on my life? Maybe I should abandon the number of books and focus on Conroy’s goal: 200 pages a day!
How would I fit them in? By finally giving up television, something I’m seriously considering since I heard the advertisement yesterday for a new “reality” show called Bridalplasty. I guess I missed the earlier iterations of this plot line: brides to be move into a mansion and compete for plastic surgery and a fabulous wedding. This seems like an obscene example of our superficial society and the fact that these kinds of shows are considered reality really makes me worry about the future. This certainly doesn’t reflect the reality of my life or those of my friends and colleagues.
