Thursday, December 27, 2007

Choices, choices

DAY TO READ campaign - January 10, 2008


What will you be reading on
January 10, 2008?


I'm still slogging through The Devil in the White City. I am almost half-way through the 388 pages. The actual construction in Chicago of the first World's Fair in the United States is fascinating. They were desperately trying to "out-Eiffel the Eiffel Tower" and create a Fair that would top the previous one in Paris, which the famous Tower was built for. However, the concurrent story of the murders perpetuated by a man who may have been one of the first serial killers in the United States in the down the street from this World's Fair is giving me ulcers.

But I have before me the traditional stack of Christmas books that I received as presents. Every year we exchange books, especially among the adults. And it is taking all the will-power I possess to not tear into my pile.


One book I'm looking forward to reading is City in Amber by Jay Atkinson. He is a professor of writing at a local public college. The story is set in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a depressed former mill town that came into national prominence during the 1990's when a set of fires turned into an arson wave. Lawrence was once a shining example of a 19th century industrial city. The novel moves from 1848 to the 1990's.

A brief description of The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta struck me. It described how a high school health education teacher who believes in comprehensive sexual education is confronted and shamed by the local church which believes high school students should only learn about abstinence. It seems like a wonderful piece of fiction reflecting today's politics and inability to listen to each other, especially when faith is involved.

So, my hope is to be done with The Devil in the White City before Day to Read on January 10th. I think one of these books will be what I'm reading.

What books have you recently acquired? What is sitting in your to-be-read pile?

13 comments:

jodifur said...

Check out my post on this very topic.

http://jodifur.blogspot.com/2007/12/zoom.html

Alex Elliot said...

That book about the teacher sounds really good. Maybe that will be my book for the 10th!

Jan said...

I was just given Stone Butterfly and The Shamen Sings, both written by James Doss. They are Native American fiction. I have read all his other books and I can't wait to start these. I don't know if I'll be reading these on Jan. 10th or not. I'll probably be done with them by then, but I'll definitely have something.

Jan

painted maypole said...

i plan to spend the 10th reading Emma

Jenn in Holland said...

I just now dove into the His Dark Materials trilogy. I can't help myself, controversy completely intigues me. My son read The Golden Compass first and is now chomping at the bit for me to finish it so we can discuss it together.
Got a new Scott Card book for Christmas which I think will be my designated Jan 10 book. I love Scott Card.

Anonymous said...

chris has a set of phillip k. dick books that i've been meaning to read for about a year now.

sigh.

Flower Child said...

I got yet another food book for Christmas! My Life With Julia - about Julia Child in Paris during her culinarily formative years. Alas, we already have it. I thought I would exchange it for an Ian McEwan book - Amsterdam? Something not food related as I'm full from reading Heat (which by the way is very tasty)

Ambassador said...

A--I received a copy of Scott Adam's (yes, of Dilbert) God's Debris - it's a real short read, but can't wait to get back at it. I was kind of hoping that Santa would bring me a copy of Princess Bride for Christmas, but no. *sigh*...

Anyway, I have a suggestion to partner with Day to Read - I'll email you today. Hugs - K

Sai Hijara - Ferraris said...

I got 2 books this Christmas...Veronika Decides To Die and the classi Picture of Dorian Gray...Im reading Veronika now.

Wholly Burble said...

With Mom here for the week, and taking care of family business with the loss of my uncle, my reading time has been non-existant. However, my bookmark is holding my spot in Fire of Heaven by Bill Myers--the second of a trilogy--and Threshold, the last of the trilogy is waiting for me on the sideboard. I'm hoping I can get to Threshold by Jan. 10th! After that--whew, I've got a stack just waiting for me to pick and choose! ;-)

Suzanne said...

Just posted a reminder, asking the very same question this morning.

http://suzannesays.blogspot.com/2007/12/have-you-decided-what-youre-going-to.html

Jury's still out for me. :)

Suzanne said...

Ok, well that didn't work so well. My reminder is at my blog, post date today. :)

I also joined Blog365, and am spreading the word over there. :)

Goofball said...

haha, if you want to know what I've just been reading, come on over and check it out ;)