I couldn't act like a responsible grown-up for one moment longer, so today I decided to watch Dallas while reading the book. Actually, it was more like alternating between reading and watching, I would read ten pages and then watch 5 minutes of Dallas although that turned out to be a very bad idea because I have reached the season where Sue Ellen has a permed mullet, and it was so heinous that it was all I could think about while I was reading the book. I've learned a very important lesson from this, reading is bad and TV is good. No wait, that wasn't the lesson. The lesson is that TV and books are like Oreo cookies and Hot Pockets, wonderful little pieces of perfection on their own, but really overwhelming when combined. And now of course that really bad metaphor has led to me wondering which is the Oreo and which is the Hot Pocket in this scenario? I think Dallas is the Oreo, but I'm not 100% sure. What do you think dear readers?
Today's book, "Buzbee, a former bookseller and sales representative, celebrates the unique experience of the bookstore - the smell and touch of books, the joy of getting lost in the deep canyons of shelves, and and the silent community of readers."
Shallow thoughts:
- I know, I know, I've already read a book similar to this one. But the other one wasn't very good, so I thought I would give the subject another try. As it turns out, this might be one of those hand-on-the-hot-burner kind of situations. I need to just accept that I'm going to get burned every time and move on with my life. But it continues to baffle me that I could love bookstores this much and yet not enjoy any of the books that are written about them. Knowing me, I will continue to read books like this, despite never liking them. But I promise dear readers, I will spare you the trauma of having to go along for the ride.
- I didn't intensely dislike today's book, but I didn't enjoy it either. It was just kind of blah. And it was filled with sentences that sounded like they belong on a bookmark featuring a kitten who is reading - such as, "A great book will never go out of style - books go with every outfit." Can you just imagine the kitten, propped up on the book, possibly wearing wire-rimmed glasses?
- Favorite sentence, in which the author describes his childhood reading habits, "Nothing too heavy, mind you, and not too much of it, because there was a lot of TV to watch and a lot of bike to ride." - Ahhh, finally a person who loves to read, who also acknowledges the joy - no, the necessity - of TV. I have been told on more than one occasion that it's rather odd that I am so addicted to both books and TV. And I supposed it is odd - but in a twisted sort of way, I'm kind of proud of it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to juggle such hard core addictions. I realize that I make it look effortless - but I can assure you dear readers, it requires a great deal of effort and strategic planning.
- Favorite passage, "A book will not crash or freeze and will still work when filled with sand. Even if it falls into the bath, it can be dried out, ironed if necessary, and then finished." Or if it's left in the rain . . . or dropped in the toilet. Just kidding on that last part - I did drop a book in a toilet once (that's what I get for trying to brush my teeth and read at the same time) - but I just couldn't bring myself to finish reading it after that. There's just something about having to fish a book out of the toilet that kills the reading mood.
