Reviews and Current Reads

Try to have a book in progress at all times. It is a noble aspiration. If someone were to ask you what you were reading, have an honest answer on hand. And never be ashamed of reading trashy things.

Infinite Jest

I haven’t started yet, but Infinite Jest is something that I have been meaning to pick up for years. I think the time time to tackle it will soon be at hand. I’m going line up a few shorter, less heavy reads first since it it will probably be a while before I get around to anything else.

I believe the first time I heard about the book was from a friend while I was in college. He was a smart kid, I think. Admittedly, I did not know him very well. He liked to project himself as very intelligent though. He was more of a friend of a friend really. That was over 20 years ago. More recently, I heard the book being discussed on NPR. It sounds like a major theme is the curious state of unhappiness that afflicts so many secure adults in a developed, peaceful society. Or something like that.

I have a week off from work in the middle of January and I expect to pick it up then.

Joe’s Mystery Boxes

Joe is an old friend and a free spirit. A few years back he was stricken with acute restlessness. This led him to shed many of his material possessions and take a summer to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Alas, this was only a temporary fix. A little over a year later, Joe got rid of most everything else he owned and left for Thailand for an indefinite stay. That was two years ago and I have not heard form him since.

Before the hike, Joe had a collection of thousands of books. Most were given away or donated. There were, however, four boxes worth that he could not bring himself to lose. They remained in temporary storage for a while. When he went to Asia he began looking for a longer term, perhaps permanent, home for them. They were entrusted to me. As I had no idea if or when he would be back, I have left them undisturbed as they were given to me in a back room of my house. Their slumber is to coming to an end now. I have no idea what is them, but I am going to take a peek inside and add a title or two to my reading list. Check the post section for updates on what I find in the boxes.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

April 23, 2021

If you have not read Where the Sidewalk Ends, or have not read it in a long time, I highly recommend you do.  Shel Silverstein is in possession of a unique brilliance and this title, in particular, is evidence of that.  It is a literary treasure.  Read it aloud… Read More

The Hawkline Monster Recap

March 5, 2021

I finished Richard Brautigan’s The Hawkline Monster some time back and have been procrastinating writing a review of it. It’s a fantastic piece of literature and I want to share my impressions, but I’ve been struggling to find the right words that capture how… Read More

The Homebrewer’s Companion – Mash Calculations

February 22, 2021

What follows might be among the most boring and scope limited book reviews of all time.

If you should happen to take up home brewing.  There is a pretty good chance that you will learn from Charlie Papazian’s very excellent book, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.  I would recommend it to…. Read More

Song of Achilles reminds me of something…

February 12, 2021

The first 100 or so pages are a combination of Clash of the Titans, Blue Lagoon and Brokeback Mountain. I hope I don’t have to clarify to anyone that that’s a good thing. I think that is kind … Read More

Song of Achilles – Did I already know Achilles was gay?

February 3,2021

One of the first things I remember thinking is that the book seemed a little homoerotic. There seemed to be a little extra effort describing men and boys in a way that seemed to accentuate physical attractiveness. At first I thought it might be just me. I thought…Read More

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