Friday, June 01, 2007

Whatcha reading mummy?

Now that I'm starting to get more into the blogging swing of things, and have made some very cool blog buddies, I'm constantly amazed at how many super-intelligent people, especially women, are out there in the blogosphere. And even more impressed by how well-read and cerebral these people are. What I can't get over is how many books they have read and are reading. Whereas yours truly can barely get through the flyers that come once a week with our neighbourhood paper, scouring for the best deals on Pampers and Cashmere toilet paper. For me there aren't enough hours in the day!

One of my cerebral friends is my sister, who kindly let me borrow about a dozen books from her after I had just given birth to the little G. The theory was that I would read while I nursed, and heck, if she was nursing every couple of hours, for at least 1/2 hour every time, I should easily be able to get through a handful of books. So, how many did I manage to get through? Weeellll... maybe about 3 of them! And remember, the little girl is now just about 2 1/2 years old.

In addition to what sis gave me, I did have some other titles at home that I had just never gotten around to. So in all I did manage to read the following: other women, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, The Human Stain, The DaVinci Code, the Five People you meet in Heaven, The Girls and partway through Interpreter of Maladies.

I should confess that in between I also subscribe to a few magazines, and my guilty read every time we go on holiday is the latest issue of "In Style" magazine. It really is important to know who's wearing what dress to what venue in which international glam city - just in case I ever happen to go to those spots, heaven forbid if I show up in the same outfit as Mischa Burton (as if!).

In order to instill a love of reading in my kids (and also to save money on buying books that I might never finish) I've started taking them to the library on a more regular basis. I used to really enjoy chick lit, ie. Bridget Jones' Diary, I Don't Know How She Does It, and the Shopaholic series. So I borrowed "Shopaholic and Sister", but rather than enjoying it, I'm finding the character increasingly annoying. Now it's just a chore to get through the darn thing. I took it with me yesterday to Liam's swimming lesson in the hopes that I might actually finish my speed-read during the one hour wait, but I ended up flipping through the summer camp schedule instead. For the whole hour. Talk about avoidance.

Maybe my tastes are really changing. Or perhaps my mommy brain is just seeking something a little deeper these days. I used to use chick lit to escape from the very dry, scientific work world (who wants to argue the virtues of bioequivalence, biosimilarity and therapeutic equivalence on a hot summer day?). Now this genre just seems too fluffy (at least this book).

But I'd better finish it. I've got Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures just screaming at me to pick it up. And like a really bad movie rental, I find it extremely difficult to return a book without completing the read, no matter how excruciating the experience may be.

7 comments:

Heidi said...

It's hard to pick up a book and dedicate time to reading it when you have a million things in your head. I read through Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, and Da Vinci Code both books in one weekend cause I was really into it. Shopaholics are simply hilarious -- it's like laughing at a prissy girl getting in trouble.

So if you're not into the book, it'll drag on forever. Drop the book and find another one that gets you -- or if you're feeling ambitious, grab a classic.

Anonymous said...

You've read some good books recently. I loved Balzac and The Girls. I really want to read Interpreter of Maladies and Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures.

It is hard to find time to read sometimes, but so worth it!

Anonymous said...

I have been reading The Alchemist. I liked the main character's approach to a book he found difficult to get into: he chucked it in the desert... He, like you, felt obligated to finish a book on loan. I have an arsenal of reading materials I should just chuck in the desert...It would help with my decluttering goals (New Year's resolution).

Karen MEG said...

ck - I did both those on weekends too! I love a quick read.
I finished shop + sis; it wasn't so terrible in the end, but I'm glad I didn't buy it.
jill - your reading list inspired this post. I can't keep up with all that you're reading! I had to come up with some of the more 'intelligent" reads I've done of late LOL!
Hey bec - I've heard about the Alchemist. I should read it - hey what about keeping your library in your car 'wink'?

Rachie-Babe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachie-Babe said...

Just surfed in. Great blog. Very intersting. You mentioned a book in the shopaholic series. I found confessions of a shopaholic pretty funny. Junkfood for the brain, but funny. You might like it.

I loved the Da Vinci code. Very quick read.

Karen MEG said...

hi rachie-babe- thanks for popping in! I've actually read the whole Shopaholic series, with the exception of the latest 'with baby' so it could be why I'm tiring of the character (I also read Can you keep a secret, which I found better than the Becky series).
I've started a book called "Brick Lane" right now, which should be interesting. Finished "Bloodletting" which was an awesome first-time book. You should check it out if you get the chance.

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