words words wonderful words

Roald Dahl and Ernest Hemingway (awesomepeoplehangingouttogether.com)

If you hadn't figured out- I love reading.  It's something about the words and the smell of books.  The feel of a solid block of paper in your hands.  The marks that distinguish a book as well loved- creased with innumerable readings and re-readings. Roald Dahl is probably the first author who I had a true obsession with and in part I guess it is because I was a huge fan of Quentin Blake illustrations. 

Now that I no longer have university I am managing to read a bit more than usual (and more books of my choosing which is pretty great, I have to say).  I have recently re-read Breakfast at Tiffany's which proved to be just as dull as I had thought the first few times I read it.  Summer Crossing is definitely more to my taste although I am yet to read Capote's seminal work In cold blood.

 I also have tried some new authors this year, pretty amazing for me because I am prone to being set in my ways.  Also I think most book covers these days are sub-par so I'm kind of repulsed when I go into bookshops more often than not.  I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I do.  It's bad, I know.  David Vann's Caribou Island is one that made it past my ugly radar which is fortunate because I think it's a gorgeously dark read.  I enjoy writing that is slightly off-beat if not a little grim.  I think it's because it can be more difficult to be gentle and beautiful when the subject matter isn't material that immediately lends itself to such description- I value the artistry/skill that an author has to employ to successfully write in this way.   I'm not one for romances or comedy in novels, in part because I think it's difficult to do particularly well.  But mainly because, let's be honest, reading sex scenes is completely weird.  Maybe I'm just a prude...

Next on my reading list are some non fiction books, I don't quite know what genre they fall into- I discussed this with a friend just yesterday.  I guess popular philosophy (?).  The first is a book Let's talk about love that examines the whole notion of taste and what is good and bad etc.  I'm also going to give Cruel Optimism (Lauren Berlant) a read.  I'm on the lookout for some good fiction too.  I feel like I should read the Alexandria Quartet because it is the 'done thing' after all.

I watched the documentary Grey Gardens last night.  That is a whole lot of crazy.