My Book of Books

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Earlier this month I reached the halfway point of my 2022 Read Harder Book Challenge.  Finishing my twelfth challenge of twenty-four.  Since then I've ticked off another two challenges so I've comfortably got only 10 more to do in the next six months. 

With the total upheaval of our lives this year, I'd wondered if I'd be able to finish this year's challenge but I'm confident now I'll finish.

Within days of being home in Arizona I had a new county library card and hold books on the way.  Last night I finished my first of the requested library books:  Pamela Paul's book My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues.   

A couple of Books of Books

This is a book that has been on my wish list to read since June 2017.  The month we were moving to Italy.  Up until earlier this year, Pamela was the editor of the New York Times Book Review.  I think we can safely say that the woman knows a thing or two about books. 

Her book interested me for a couple reasons.  I love books...obviously.   A book about books...I'm intrigued.  A book about a woman who keeps a list of all the books she's ever read in a notebook she calls Bob...I think I've found a kindred spirit.        

Because, I have my own Book of Books.

 

It is a Moleskine journal that Tom gave me more than 12 years ago.  I don't recall exactly when but I can sort of pin down a general time frame because the oldest date notation is October 2010.  Now Pamela Paul has been keeping her Book of Books since 1988 so in comparison I'm still a bit of an amateur.

 

Just a recitation or meditation on all the books she's read since 1988 would most likely not be a best seller or of particular interest.  What she's done instead is selected an anchor book that is central to a particular time in her life or aspect of reading that she wants to explore and built a chapter around it.  It is more memoir than I expected.  And she mentions more unfamiliar books than familiar.  All pleasant surprises.

 

As I suspected, Pamela is a kindred spirit.  There were many parts of the book where I agreed wholeheartedly, totally related and felt like it was something I could have written because it's exactly how I feel. 

 

There is a point in the book where she is asked: 'Why do you read?'  The question caught her and her fellow book club members a bit off guard, and also me.  I don't think I've thought of that exact question...why do I read?   I guess I read for many reasons.  Enjoyment.  Education.  Escape.  Perhaps it's my Nature.  Maybe even Compulsion.  I frankly can't imagine not reading.  It is part of my personality, my character, my lifestyle.  My life would feel awfully empty without books. 

 

And for a passionate reader and bibliophile...having a book of books like Pamela's or mine is a fun record to look back on.  I enjoy flipping through my Moleskin journal that contains a record of 12 years of reading.  And as Pamela shares in My Life with Bob...our lists do tell a deeper story.  It shows particular interests at particular points in life.  Tangents.  Authors that hooked us.  Popular series that captured us.  Pressing issues of the moment.  And times when mindless entertainment was all we could handle.

 

I thought I'd share a photo from my journal.  

A snapshot

I selected this page for a couple reasons.  I think it's just a nice representation of my journal and the handwriting is fairly legible.  This is from my journal's 'Borrowed' tab - a.k.a Library Books.  It includes a book that Pamela mentions in her book - The Lady and the Panda by Vicki Constantine Croke.  A book I read in September 2016.  It's the first book Pamela reviewed for the New York Times Book Review. 

 

I also like this page because it covers the time I put My Life with Bob on my wish list of books to read.  It's also a record of the books I was reading before our move to Italy and the months following.  This was a HUGE year for us and an impactful year of my reading life.  I wrote THREE blogs about this year.  I've included links to all of them below in case you'd like to delve deeper into the story behind these two pages.

 

So what are you reading right now?  

 

Do you keep a book of books like me and Pamela?  Please leave me a comment.  I'd love to know. 

 

What I'm reading next are more challenge books plus some fun ones too.

 

Keep Reading!

Nicole

Books, Books, Books!! (Part One) - 1 January 2018

 Bring on the Dogs (Books Part Two) - 2 January 2018

An Eclectic Rest of the Year (Books Part Three) - 4 January 2018

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