Friday, June 12, 2009

Summer Reading

My daughter just finished up her first year of high school. The week before school was out, she picked up a little summer reading from the library.




I took one look at that volume and thought, that is not a book. That’s not even a tome. That is a piece of furniture.



She carted all six pounds of it (yes, she weighed it) around in her backpack the last week of school. I figured if nothing else, at least she’d get a workout. It turns out, she loved it. She finished reading it last night; it barely took her a couple of weeks to get through it. Maybe it's as hard to put down as it is to pick up.

I have to say, I’ve always been intimidated by the sheer size of that work. Which doesn’t make sense, because when I’m in the middle of a great book, I hate for it to end. For the first time, I’m curious to read it.

What book have you been meaning to read, but have never gotten around to it?

16 comments:

Suzie said...

I think Id like to read that too and Ulyses

Kimbra Kasch said...

I can't think of any because I read all the time. It's crazy - I'll have four books sitting around me on my bed - all laying open. When I get tired of one, I jump over to another one for a little while. ADHD . . . maybe.

Stacy Nyikos said...

I started "Soul Mountain." Its author won the Nobel Prize for literature some years ago. Couldn't make it all the way through. Some day, I'm planning on picking it up again...I hope.

Rena Jones said...

Awesome for your daughter to read this. War and Peace is one I've wanted to read too, but like you, have been too imtimidated. Your daughter sounds a lot like mine. I don't think they own one YA novel, but they have shelves full of the old classics. Very cool!

Love the pic of the book & plant!

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

wait - isnt it in paperback at all??

Unknown said...

It is the same title - War and Peace !! When? Am reading A Dog Abroad by Bruce Fogle.

LW said...

Wow! good for her, I am very
impressed....

Louise

PS... love the bookstand picture..

Bish Denham said...

Wonderful that your daughter read, finished it and liked it. Congrats to her. It's a book I should read someday.

I tried to read Magister Ludi (The Glass Bead Game) by Herman Hesse. I had enjoyed all the other books of his I'd read...but I couldn't get into it. Maybe I was too young. Maybe I need to try to read again?

Kelly Polark said...

You always have such great pictures!
Good for your daughter to get through that monster of a book (I've never read it either...). I have too many books I want to get to to list!

PJ Hoover said...

Wow. This is inspiring! I have it on my to-read list and have been putting it off.

MG Higgins said...

A couple of weeks! Holy moly. It would take me a year to get through that tome. Congrats to your daughter for being such a committed reader.

Adrienne said...

Thanks for the comments! I can tell you my daughter highly recommends this one. I'm on, um...page 32. I think I'll have to pick up my own copy - or pay a fortune in library fines!

Brenda said...

War and Peace! OMG! I can't imagine toting around a 6 lb book...I like to read in bed, so I would be afraid of falling asleep and having it crush my chest...grin...

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I've never read that book but your photo of it as furniture is hilarious.

Adrienne said...

Lilfix - The librarian warned her not to bonk herself on the head that way :D
So glad to hear from you, BTW!

Becky - I would make a great step stool, too - but that just seems so wrong...

Mary Witzl said...

Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy'. We've had this for ages and it looks great, but it's the size of Texas and just makes me dizzy every time I pick it up. Loved War & Peace, though. Seems like I've gotten easily cowed by volume length in my middle age...