What I'm Reading This Week (May 31, 2009.)
Quote de jour
"Beware the man of one book."
~St. Thomas Aquinas
Won't you join me for a coffee in the garden? The exquisite morning light diverted me from reading the paper. After a soggy, rain filled week, I found added pleasure seeing the sun filter through the green.
Okay, so the coffee's cold now but capturing delicate, Japanese iris was worth it.
There are no new books featured this week. It's a good thing. It means I spent more time reading last week's choices. A rarity. Check last Sunday's blog for the photos. I loved Jeff in Venice Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer. He evoked the attraction/repulsion of the India I've always imagined. I could smell the dusty, shit and spiced filled air. His Venice tweaked memories of my own to a tee. It's the romantic city of a faded whore, but major kudos to the author for writing a truly fresh and erotic sex scene.
Writers are usually voracious readers. I consider myself an adventurous reader and for me, a vital part of being a writer. I learn something about writing from every book I read. They say you should read up in the genre you are writing about, but I say, read everything. I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres but I haven't read any mysteries in ages. As a young teen, I ate up Agatha Christie mysteries by the kilo, and then my interest waned. To my surprise, I'm mad about last week's Sweetest at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley the launch of a witty new mystery series set in 1950's England.
Amongst the usual array of magazines I post each week, is the occasional black sheep. This week, it's the quirky Iceland Review. I like everything about: the photography, the editorials, even the ads and the paper. After the usual saturation of American style, design and content, it's nice to have a fresh perspective from another culture. It's must read for anyone planning a visit to Iceland. It's a bargain traveler's best buy since their recent economic disaster. http://www.icelandreview.com/
The usual suspects...
I'm dreading my trip to the library this week. A record number of the books I've ordered online came in. I wonder what the Guiness Book of World Record is for speed reading?
"Beware the man of one book."
~St. Thomas Aquinas
Won't you join me for a coffee in the garden? The exquisite morning light diverted me from reading the paper. After a soggy, rain filled week, I found added pleasure seeing the sun filter through the green.
Okay, so the coffee's cold now but capturing delicate, Japanese iris was worth it.
There are no new books featured this week. It's a good thing. It means I spent more time reading last week's choices. A rarity. Check last Sunday's blog for the photos. I loved Jeff in Venice Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer. He evoked the attraction/repulsion of the India I've always imagined. I could smell the dusty, shit and spiced filled air. His Venice tweaked memories of my own to a tee. It's the romantic city of a faded whore, but major kudos to the author for writing a truly fresh and erotic sex scene.
Writers are usually voracious readers. I consider myself an adventurous reader and for me, a vital part of being a writer. I learn something about writing from every book I read. They say you should read up in the genre you are writing about, but I say, read everything. I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres but I haven't read any mysteries in ages. As a young teen, I ate up Agatha Christie mysteries by the kilo, and then my interest waned. To my surprise, I'm mad about last week's Sweetest at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley the launch of a witty new mystery series set in 1950's England.
Amongst the usual array of magazines I post each week, is the occasional black sheep. This week, it's the quirky Iceland Review. I like everything about: the photography, the editorials, even the ads and the paper. After the usual saturation of American style, design and content, it's nice to have a fresh perspective from another culture. It's must read for anyone planning a visit to Iceland. It's a bargain traveler's best buy since their recent economic disaster. http://www.icelandreview.com/
The usual suspects...
I'm dreading my trip to the library this week. A record number of the books I've ordered online came in. I wonder what the Guiness Book of World Record is for speed reading?
Posted by Layla Morgan Wilde at 5/31/2009 11:04 AM 
Categories: Writing, What I'm Reading This Week
Tags: Top Magazine This Week: Icelandic Review
Categories: Writing, What I'm Reading This Week
Tags: Top Magazine This Week: Icelandic Review
Layla, I must read this new book, Jeff in Venice Death in Varanasi.
I have been to Varanasi, even written a poem on it that came after years of sitting inside me!
I LOVE Irises...Such a pleasure to see you posting such gorgeous pictures of the Japanese Iris!
I'll soon be travelling towards the Higher Himalayas and I hope to find many Irises there...they don't grow here in the warm temps of the Plains.
Will send you some Pics of the India of your imagination then
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thank you dear Layla... the coffee was deelish and the photos marvelous and the company was grand... love and hugs
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I read more than I write and I write all the time; I find my own characters start becoming caricatures when I read too much of my own genre but I do read everything else I can lay my hands on.
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