We need to talk about beauty in Ukranian.
I like lists. I have many lists. One of them lists all the books I would like to read in the immediate future.
I try and be realistic and keep the items on this reading list to under a dozen. Rather than go out and buy them all straight away (what, impulse buying? Me? You must be joking - or I must be drunk), I enjoy holding on to the list until the most convenient opportunity arises to purchase or borrow them - or until there is nothing left in the house to read, whichever comes first.
These days it pays to be patient: three of the books on my reading list are now part of the current 'Buy 3, pay for 2' offer at Books Etc.. And so I parted with a very reasonable 15 pounds 98 pence and I came home with:
- Zadie Smith, On Beauty (loved White Teeth, stayed away from The Autograph Man probably due to reviews saying it was not as good at her debut novel, but I think I might like this one);
- Marina Lewycka, A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian (I know very little about this one but come on, with a title like this it has to be brilliant);
- Lionel Shriver, We Need To Talk About Kevin (I am very much intrigued by this one, I feel it's probably going to punch me in the stomach and I will either devour it in one Saturday afternoon or be forever stuck at page 11);
Given my present reading speed, I think I've now got enough bedside table material to last me well into 2011.
Tuesday 19 September 2006 at 1:49 pm
I finished We Need To Talk About Kevin last night. I warn you that you may indeed get stuck at page 11. It wasn't until I got halfway through that I finally wanted to finish it. However, having finished, I can say that it was very, very good. Persevere!