Friday, January 09, 2009

Give a Hoot, Read a Book

Last night I made an effort to improve both the quality and quantity of my reading time. On the surface, each seemed like an easy solution. Quantity could be improved simply by staying awake for more than 3 minutes. Quality was a somewhat more subjective subject. Last night, though, it was a no-brainer. I put down my current read:
and picked up a book I got for Christmas:

It seemed to be just the swap I was needing. Quality went up just by the fact that the title didn't include the word shit. Quantity also rose -- I made it to 5 minutes (!!) before I gave up and turned off the light.

Now you're probably expecting me 1. to tell you where and when I bought the first book, and 2. to tell you how much better the 2nd book was. To answer the first question, I bought it this past summer (August '08) at the Gatwick Airport, London. It just looked like a good airplane book, if you know what I mean, and it would have been one too, if I hadn't gotten wrapped up in David Sedaris' latest offering. As for the second question, it's just not that easy. I'm halfway done without even breaking a sweat, and of course, it is written beautifully. But it doesn't mean that it's better. It's just different.

But it's just different in a "but they are very much the same" kind of way. Both of them tell it like it is. One is a bit more acerbic than the other, but in my world, a life-truth is a life-truth, no matter how it is presented. Sometimes I prefer the lofty thought, the beautiful language and the uplifted, illuminated truth. Other times though, I need the hot dog and fries. I'm just as happy with the truth presented in an uncouth manner, snark phasers set to stun. It's a little like setting your iPod to play Beethoven and then play Beach Boys. You like them both, and put the whole mess on shuffle, and somehow it all works.

So I'm off to crawl into bed yet again and go for SIX minutes tonight without nodding off. That, however, could be dicey, so please don't bet real money. Then we'll see what comes in the morning. It just may be time to pick out something new.

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