Reading Again!

So, being a librarian, I have many opportunities to have books in my life. They've been around all my life, as a heavy reader since childhood (duh, that's the foundation for my librarianship). Yet it feels like I don't read enough, am behind on the book scene, etc. Could be some sort of holdover from the graduate program in English, which is a really good way to increase one's changes of ruining one's enjoyment of the written word. Maybe a kind of librarian guilt--I'm in Acquisitions in an academic environment, and while I have books around, it's much too busy for me to absorb them any more deeply than imprint and getting a general sense of subject coverage. Work is all about macro patterns of books, not about any particular book. And when it is about a particular book, if a staff person needs help solving a problem, for example, I really don't care what the book is. I just want the problem to go away, because there are so many more macro problems to attend to. I try not to let this spill over into my attitude toward the problem or the person, but I can't help wondering if the impatience seeps through.

Anyway, all of this analysis is preliminary throat-clearing to say: I have read/am reading some really neat stuff I wanted to share. I rarely purchase books anymore, but take notes in bookstores, and then request as much as possible from my public library. Dash in and out, with my new stack of books. Sometimes this leads to juggling a few titles at a time, because in addition to the things I have requested and intend to read, there are always the happy accidents.

Recently finished is Robert Reich's Reason: Why Liberals will win the Battle for America. I hope he's right. Reich provides an analysis of why the Radcons are twisted, where they came from, and also injects some criticisms of the Left as well. A hopeful breath of fresh air.

Next comes Anne Lamott's Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, which offers comfort until Reich's plan wins out. Lamott conjures reflections on life as no other writer can, weaving spirituality, politics and plain living into a matter-of-fact yet reverent text.

I am currently reading (just started last night, and already recommend) A Year in the Merde, which appeals heavily to my anglo- and franco-philism. Stephen Clarke tells a wickedly funny story of a single Brit male who encounters Paris and Parisians (and more importantly parisiennes) during a year-long job assignment.

There's also The Spoils of Poynton, by Henry James, read for my book discussion group (having rejoined the group I was in when last in Sacramento). That may merit a separate entry of its own.

Whew! Quite a mix as well. Maybe there's nothing to feel guilty about after all. It feels like I'm back in the game.

Upswings

Tomatoes are bursting out in our backyard. The Sweet Million produces about 5-10 a day, an average that will probably increase. The yellow pear is just starting to ripen, with a smaller yield. My other little cherry tomato plant is lagging behind, because it started from seed, but also looks healthy and robust. Toms into winter. Let's hope the other plants produce too (eggplants, cucs, squash).

Over the past week other life areas seem in fairly good balance: work (settling into authority), relationships (continuous conversations), spirituality (great energy from a conversation with a friend over cider at ALA, leading to more reading and thinking). The only area that needs improvement is moving the body. In this regard, I need to move beyond the "I've never been good at that" mentality to "doing, so am". "Small actions leading to new ways of being" might apply across all areas.