Saturday, June 21, 2008
Books!
I have always been a reader. As a little girl I would go to the library and check out as many books as possible. Reading a good book always psyches me up to reading more. As a young girl I have fond memories of reading Madeleine L'Engle, James Herriot, and a weird and unnecessary phase of Sweet Valley High.
I went home last weekend and cleaned out my room a bit (Yes, my mom has kept my room as a shrine), and decided I would donate as many books as I could let go of.
Most of my comedy related books I have donated to the UCBT Library. You're welcome student who has been chomping at the bit to read Brett Buttler's Autobiography. (FYI, click the link, Brett Butler is looking for some web help.)
I donated all my animal books, but Born Free, Gorilla's in the Mist and my Jane Goodall books, to the Chester County Library.
And I donated all of my Basketball books, minus my autographed copy of Charles Barkely's Autobiography to the Chester County Library. Basketball books? Yeah, I was a huge fan of B-ball from Middle School Through College.
Sample list of donated B-ball books:
For You Hank – Bo Kimble
My Life – Earvin “Magic” Johnson
The Winner Within – Pat Riley
Shaq Attaq! – Shaquille O’Neal
Rare AIR – Michael on Michael – Masturbatory photo essay
Bob Knight: His Own Man – Joan Mellen
Magic Touch – Earvin “Magic Johnson , Jr. and Roy S. Johnson
I was bonkers for B-ball people! Jealous?
Anyway, why am I sharing this? Because I have decided to take on a book reading challenge.
I am going to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning Novels/Fiction works.
When I find that I enjoy a particular Author or style of book, I tend to go nuts for them by reading as many as possible (Chuck Pahlaniuk, Joyce Carol Oates, Mad Magazine Cartoon books). I have found that I enjoy reading Pullitzer Prize winning Books. Crazy right?
I am not sure how long it will take, but I am going to guess years. Before I took on the challenge I had already read:
Grapes of Wrath
Confederacy of Dunces
The Hours
Interpreter of Maladies
The Amazing Adventures of Cavelier and Clay
Middlesex
I decided that I would work my way to the middle, reading the newest, then oldest etc etc. So I read 2008 winner "The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," and I am now in the middle of 1918's winner "His Family."
I will probably only repeat read The Grapes of Wrath, as the others I have read in the last 5 years.
I have not decided yet if I will take on the General Non-Fiction winners list. I will atleast try one and see how much my brain can take. For some reason truth is not as fun as untruth to my mind.
Anyway, thats what I'll be doing for the next few years, while I mix in some other books along the way, like Cesar Millan's "Be the Pack Leader."
80 plus books to go!
