Hey readers.... sorry for my lapse in posting the past couple of weeks, but I just haven't felt like I have had much to talk about lately. Movies are pretty unexceptional, and I haven't tapped into much music worth mentioning, other than what I've already posted about. What has kept me going entertainment-wise have been books. I love to read, and if I really had to pick just one medium to keep me occupied, I think it would be books.
I've seen all my favourite movies many times over, and have heard my best-loved music recordings hundreds if not thousands of times... so over the past year or so, books have been my go-to for satisfying downtime. I've had spells of great album listening, but even those kind of fell by the wayside after a little while. Books, on the other hand, I feel like I connect more with them since I'm spending more time with them. Immersing myself in that world for many days, or however long it takes to move through a particular book.
Though I got off to a slow start with reading books this year, I've kinda picked up steam. On the plus side, I've had great luck with finding really great reads. There were some longer novels, and some were so good that I wanted to enjoy them for as long as possible, so I didn't try to rush through them. Especially the first two I read this year, two Amor Towles stories, which you'll see in my little list below. Here are the books I've read so far this year:
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
Rules of Civility, Amor Towles
The Guilty Plea, Robert Rotenberg
Child of God, Cormack McCarthy
Movie Freak, Owen Glieberman
Strangle Hold, Robert Rotenberg
Limelight: Rush in the 80's, Martin Popoff
The two Towles novels won me over effortlessly, and I can easily say these are now among my favourite books of all time. I'd give both of them a perfect score... five out of five, or ten out of ten, whatever. Excellent writing, great stories and characters and pacing, everything. If you're looking for some exceptional modern fiction, I highly recommend both books.
Rotenberg is a newer discovery for me, so I've been quickly acquiring his handful of novels about police detective Greene. The first two are great, the third just a little less so, and I plan to tackle the fourth shortly. Very nicely written crime thrillers with a law slant to them, which goes deep into courtroom procedures and drama in addition to the police investigative angle. Highly readable, fun and fast-paced, gripping and realistic.
The Rush book is the second in a trilogy (book three on its way) covering the band's illustrious and lengthy musical career. I'd rate it as highly as the first book, Anthem: Rush in the 70's. Fascinating and revealing in every respect, these tomes are essential for the true Rush fan.
I'm about two-thirds into movie critic Roger Ebert's memoirs entitled Life Itself. A truly amazing book full of fun stories and not-so-fun details about his travels through life, especially toward his later years. But a must-read for film fans, as there are several chapters dedicated to various movie directors that Ebert knew well.
As I scan my reading pile, I am torn about my next book. On the one hand, I know I should finally finish the non-fiction Completely Mad: A History of the Comic Book and Magazine which I got over halfway through about a year ago... before getting sidetracked by some quicker reads. Then there are some less cumbersome novels by the likes of Scott Turow, Michael Crichton, and another Robert Rotenberg to choose from. I'll figure that out when I get there.
What are you reading? Please let me know in the comments section!
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