The Bookish Girl

The books that ate my brains ~ 2005-09-26

Posted in General by Bookish Wendy at 9:13 pm.
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You see, it’s all John Stewart’s fault. He has this “Goodness Theorem”, where the content of TV is good at a constant factor of 12%, the remaining 88% sucks donkey butt. This somehow led my brain to thunk up the Attention Span Theorem – where the level of attention necessary for all things complicated remains constant no matter what the genres: books, movies, tv, yarn, conversation, sex, etc. Okay, maybe not sex.

So, my brain’s capacity for attention is say, 100%. If I’m reading a really complicated book, I use 80%. Leaving 20% for other pursuits…like knitting (you see why I can’t do lace?!).

I’ve been reading quite a few really good books lately. One is the Human Stain (see link on the sidebar.) A moving, lovely, astounding book, paragraphs so full – it takes eons for the words to fall into my brain folds. My real-life book club pick for the month of September. But-I-hadn’t-finished-it-by-the-time-we-met. This phrase is now one of my hallmarks. I can’t seem to finish anything.

Except these:

The Attention Span Theorem states that feeding my brain with mindless entertainment (and it is entertainment) should leave room for the accomplishment of other, more *ehem* worthy goals. (Elisa may argue that Stephanie Plum, the heroine of the above series, is certainly a worthy goal.)

It just ain’t working though. I am a woman with a mission. People stare at the glow of my fluorescent book covers. I dazzle them with my ability to read pages quickly. I cannot put them down. The Attention Span Theorem is failing me.

It is with determination and guilt that I pick up this project..

Nothin’ but a T – Bookish Style. This is the front. You have yet to see the front. I will be working on re-charting this, ripping, and foraging ahead. Its high time Stephanie Plum do a little more for me than just eat my brain. I’m going to take a stun gun to this baby and make it do my bidding.

—–

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures. Rob took them and put together the slide show soon after we returned home from our trip. It was fun to listen to him adding the captions – he kept giggling to himself. We had it printing into a spiral bound album (via Shutterflies Store.) It’s fun to have the commentary. I have to tell you – he lied a little bit. I didn’t NOT read 14 books, or knit 4 sweaters, we did not have rainbow trout calzones, and he is not some freaky dude on the top of the mountain, he is just a super rad husband. Rob is a story teller.

For the curious, bewildered, or just plain clueless:
Two-Buck Chuck

Related posts:

  1. So many books to read, so little time
  2. WSBGD?
  3. Reader Wrap-Up

11 Comments

  1. Kerstin says:

    Dude! You’ve got some sicko anonymous spammers, eh? Pete and I read Human Stain together a few years ago … four thumbs up! Love your vacation pics.

    Comment - September 27, 2005 : 6:24 am

  2. elisa says:

    I told you that those books were addicting. Addicting, not good. Addicting! And they get even better! In a bad way!

    Yay for Stephanie Plum novels – guilty pleasure extraordinnaire! ;)

    Comment - September 27, 2005 : 7:29 am

  3. CynCyn says:

    I hate to tell you this, but there ARE seven more books already published in the series. And you haven’t even gotten to my favorite book in the series yet. But at least you can knit while reading the Evanovich books. I just have to sit and read.
    I think the T looks terrific!!

    Comment - September 27, 2005 : 11:39 am

  4. Kim says:

    The movie version of The Human Stain (which, admittedly, I haven’t seen) was filmed at Williams, during one summer where I worked there following the end of the school year. We saw Anthony Hopkins, who, at a restaurant on Spring Street (the one two-block street of commerce in W-town) said, “have you met my friend, Gary Sinise?” Why, no! (My guy friends were bummed about not seeing Nicole Kidman.)

    That being said, maybe I should actually take a look at the book.

    Jon Stewart – an excellent comedic crush, btw.

    Comment - September 27, 2005 : 1:11 pm

  5. Micky says:

    looking good! :)

    Comment - September 27, 2005 : 5:09 pm

  6. Sultry PainterWoman says:

    When you are through with Stephanie, you might like Shane Scully who stars in several police/murder mysteries by the TV/Hollywood writer Stephen Cannell. He’s the kind of guy I’d wish on anybody’s daughter… or myself if I weren’t already married.

    Comment - September 28, 2005 : 12:44 am

  7. Anonymous says:

    I think the Bookish looks really cute, are you sure you want to rip it? Just askin’…. :)

    Jackie

    Comment - September 28, 2005 : 2:09 pm

  8. Anne says:

    I LOVED the Human Stain — but thought ultimately it was not as good as American Pastoral, which is my favorite of his books. I’m still working through them though. My husband has read all the Stephanie Plums. I think that makes you equal to both of us or something. (Note the lack of gender stereotypes in our family.)

    We were also totally in the same place this summer. We were in Rocky Mountain National Park too, and we have pictures of those same falls. And I knit socks by a lake (maybe a different lake though). Too funny.

    Comment - September 28, 2005 : 6:04 pm

  9. Heide says:

    Once you get ready to start Seven Up, switch from paper books to audio books. Seriously. Lorelei King reads from Seven Up onward, and she is AMAZING. She has all the character’s voices, they’re hilarious and so so so much fun to listen to while driving, knitting, etc. Seriously. Do it. DO IT.

    Comment - September 30, 2005 : 4:47 pm

  10. Dani says:

    Love the T-shirt! Glad you have been getting some good reading in this summer/fall :)

    Comment - October 2, 2005 : 9:24 am

  11. sarah nicole says:

    If it makes you feel anybetter, my mindless reading involves a kitty cat who likes to solve mysteries :) And they too have fluorescent covers!

    Two buck chuck is the best. I just love Trader Joe’s.

    Comment - October 3, 2005 : 3:15 pm

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