Reading

S.

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My tsundoku keeps multiplying and I won’t apologize for this self-infliction. I saw this beautiful novel titled S. in a bookstore recently and decided I had to have it knowing very little about this other than it was sealed in plastic, but well designed.

I was not disappointed. Once I removed the plastic, I then had to break the seal to slide the hardback from its cardboard-protected shell. The hardback itself is designed to mimic a novel from the 1940’s from a fictional author who tells his fascinating life story. Inside, the pages are designed to appear weathered, worn and faded yellow. The story within the story within this story is not only the biography itself, but of two people who communicate through each other’s marginalia (I LOVE marginalia) on these pages. But wait, there is more. Inside the pages are inserted, physical letters, postcards, notes on a cafe napkin, photographs and even a paper compass wheel.

Which do I read first? The typed novel, the novel written as margins or the inserts??

I enjoy a good story, but even more so the approach that publishers are crafting multi-dimensional books to tell a good story and keep the reader engaged. Much like the Rabbits series and my current reading of XX.

The only other book I want but not in my physical possession is The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I need to rectify that soon and increase my tsundoku.

I look forward to devouring S. as soon as possible.

S.

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My tsundoku keeps multiplying and I won’t apologize for this self-infliction. I saw this beautiful novel titled S. in a bookstore recently and decided I had to have it knowing very little about this other than it was sealed in plastic, but well designed. 

I was not disappointed. Once I removed the plastic, I then had to break the seal to slide the hardback from its cardboard-protected shell. The hardback itself is designed to mimic a novel from the 1940’s from a fictional author who tells his fascinating life story. Inside, the pages are designed to appear weathered, worn and faded yellow. The story within the story within this story is not only the biography itself, but of two people who communicate through each other’s marginalia (I LOVE marginalia) on these pages. But wait, there is more. Inside the pages are inserted, physical letters, postcards, notes on a cafe napkin, photographs and even a paper compass wheel. 

I enjoy a good story, but even more so the approach that publishers are crafting multi-dimensional books to tell a good story and keep the reader engaged. Much like the Rabbits series and my current reading of XX.

The only other book I want but not in my physical possession is The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I need to rectify that soon and increase my tsundoku.

I look forward to devouring S. as soon as possible.

Too Much Input

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My appetite for well-written novels and articles in genres and on topics that I’m interested in, and the availability of all of those, are more than the time I have to read it. I am already staring up at the tower of books now.

These aren’t counting the five books I finished already in 2024

Regarding Reading
1. I will make lists of books I want to read for the upcoming year as a guide and promptly ignore it in favor of following wherever my heart and brain take me instead. 2. The books on the nightstand and shelf will eventually be read, if only I stop
Web LogChris Denbow

Click here ↑ to enjoy this related article and ↓ for another

Bookshelf
Reading is a lifelong habit for me. I enjoy reading for pleasure as well as knowledge. The book log below is not an exhaustive one because I have not kept up with it so I’ll be filling it in slowly as I go and re-reads will be with an
Web LogChris Denbow

The pile of physical and digital books I want to read grows far more rapidly than the pile I have read. The list of articles I have saved in my read-it-later app is just as extensive, but they are more easily digestible.

Regarding Reading

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  1. I will make lists of books I want to read for the upcoming year as a guide and promptly ignore it in favor of following wherever my heart and brain take me instead.
  2. The books on the nightstand and shelf will eventually be read, if only I stop adding to them. But I know I won’t stop adding to them.
  3. Reading does not make me superior. 
  4. Reading, instead, makes me feel inferior as I have much to learn and sort out how to apply.
  5. Bookstores, libraries, junk shops are labyrinths for the mind I plan on getting lost in every time.
  6. I will make time for reading, in the same way I make time for food
  7. I will read whatever I find interesting including novels, short stories, blog posts, essays, biographies, magazines, etc.
  8. I will try not to prejudge or set expectations before read something.
  9. I will practice marginalia by highlighting and notating sentences and paragraphs that reach out to me.
  10. I will notate and add quotes and passages inside my personal operating system (Grey Matter)
  11. I will re-read books just like I would have songs on a playlist or re-watch movies.
  12. I will make lists of books I want to read for the upcoming year as a guide and promptly ignore it in favor of following wherever my heart and brain take me instead.
  13. I will try to bring a book with me at all times. (E-books are great for this)
  14. I will read whatever I feel like without hesitation or guilt. 
  15. I will read whatever I find interesting including novels, short stories, blog posts, essays, biographies, magazines, etc.
  16. I will not allow an author to waste my time and allow myself to label a read as “did not finish”
  17. It’s okay to put a book down and go off to do something physical. The book will be there when I get back.
  18. Do I want to read more biographies? Will I learn something or is it propaganda?
  19. I have a smile on my face after finishing a book and immediately pick up the next one with the same energy.
  20. When I find a book that I enjoy, I will make an effort to read other titles by the same author. Maybe even try to discover their influences and read those too.
  21. I will turn off notifications and distractions
  22. I will not finish books “just because”
  23. I have to accept that is impossible to read everything I want to.
  24. I enjoy book reviews and discussions of books if done correctly. I will download and skim samples of a book, including the Table of Contents before deciding to purchase.
  25. I will follow up on what people suggest after I ask them what they are reading.
  26. I will keep, document, and share what I am reading and maybe even explain why. 

Go visit my Bookshelf page for more insight

Human Feeders

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I think it was Kleon who used the phrase “human bird feeders” to describe those places that attract and feed us. A Little Free Library certainly counts as a feeding place. We ventured out for some geocaching after lunch today and had a 2-for-1 special in that while we were looking for a hidden cache it was inside the LFL. Bonus: I found a title that is currently on my “to be read” list called Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Now I can scratch that one off of my public library hold request list.

I can also check two more geocaches from local hiding places. Love it.

What are some other “human bird feeders” that attract us and make us pause?

Sneaky hide
Easy grab and go cache hidden under a rock

Two Essential Apps

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Day One- Over the previous ten years I have enjoyed using this journaling app and just re-subscribed. I appreciate the attention to logging every detail that may be used in context with, well, the text I input. Details such as the music I was listening to, the location, weather, fitness activities and more.

An inside look into my digital journal using Day One.

Book Tracker- Quite simply, one of the best purchases I have made to remind me of what I have read that includes stats, reading progress, reading goals, what I plan to read next, track the physical library I have on my shelves, etc. Adding tags to help me catalog specifics such as what year I have read a book, and where it was consumed such as physical, Kindle, Kobo, audio, etc.

Books read for my 2024 reading goals and books I am currently reading to the left

XX

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This book, like the Rabbits novel is not an easy read and requires patience and concentration. There are so many layers and even a soundtrack to listen to complete the novel (much like the Rabbits podcast). This will take some time.

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This book, like the Rabbits novel is not an easy read and requires patience and concentration. There are so many layers and even a soundtrack to listen to complete the novel (much like the Rabbits podcast). This will take some time

Kobo

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Yes! The new e-reader is here and by the looks of it, everything I wanted. I purchased a book from the Kobo bookstore that has been on hold at the library for 27 weeks (half a year!) and got it for 50% cheaper than Amazon. In case you are wondering about the cat on the cover of the title Starter Villain:

🐈‍⬛
“In a dog-eat-dog world, be a cat.”

I was able to synchronize the reader to my Pocket “read-it-later” account so any article from the web I want to save for later can be synced to the device.

Successfully added .txt documents, .pdf books and installed .epub books from a variety of sources like Gutenberg Press, Standard E-books and Global Grey Ebooks all titles are generally classics and in the public domain.

The ability to highlight text and make notations was great as those sync to my personal FoxOS database for references. W00t!