Reading in 2009..
The National Library's yellowed copy of EM Forester's Maurice is the book I am reading to close 2009 and open 2010. I renewed my National Library membership in 2009 Maurice would have come in 1972 just after it was published in 1971. I am trying to imagine what the librarian who did the cataloguing must have thought when reading the introduction notes.. this book about homosexual love. The fly leaf has a note in pen from one of the borrowers 'if you are gay or bi call me on x... , (2008) " and then there is another librarian note which says 'pen scratches in book'..
Since renewing my membership, I borrowed and read The Outsider by Camus, and The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales by Shuhei Fujisawa. I long for the day when the National Library would have up to date books to lend, and that books could be ordered like how it used to be. As I try to keep on and also encourage others to read, I have to mourn how our library does not even have recent or older books by many "Guyanese" authors to lend.
I celebrate the source of the books this year and some are on the shelf for next year. I read two books this year that I had on my shelf for years.. The Fall by Camus and The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy, the latter for the book club which pushes me to read other books. This year I read for the book club Balzac and the little chinese seamstress by Dai Sijie, No longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe, Colour Purple by Alice Walker, My Brother by Jamaica
Kincaid, Anthony Winkler The Duppy, My Bones and My flute
Candide by Voltaire
I am grateful to one of my book club members for introducing me to Nadine Gordimer, and her two books The Pickup and The House Gun were thought provoking and hard hitting.. I aint know how else to describe them. My friend Will who was on this intense bell hooks phase sent me All about love : New visions.
Some books lead to others so I also read Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker, and Edwidge Danticat's Krik? Krak!
A lady I am yet to meet in person sent Sections of An Orange by Anton Nimblett. Another friend sent Fool by Christopher Moore
Reading should mean writing and I have been lurking on the various writing sites to think some more about writing for people to read and enjoy. I challenged myself
The 2010 bookshelf has a whole set waiting, including those for the book club. Japanese, 'African', 'Indian', Brazillian, Middle East, .. some probably waiting for the right time. We talked about that, how some books you probably have to wait until your mind is ready for them. Another friend has a Buddhist one he wants me to read. I should also look at reading some more scriptures rather than just singing from them.
Since renewing my membership, I borrowed and read The Outsider by Camus, and The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales by Shuhei Fujisawa. I long for the day when the National Library would have up to date books to lend, and that books could be ordered like how it used to be. As I try to keep on and also encourage others to read, I have to mourn how our library does not even have recent or older books by many "Guyanese" authors to lend.
I celebrate the source of the books this year and some are on the shelf for next year. I read two books this year that I had on my shelf for years.. The Fall by Camus and The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy, the latter for the book club which pushes me to read other books. This year I read for the book club Balzac and the little chinese seamstress by Dai Sijie, No longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe, Colour Purple by Alice Walker, My Brother by Jamaica
Kincaid, Anthony Winkler The Duppy, My Bones and My flute
Candide by Voltaire
I am grateful to one of my book club members for introducing me to Nadine Gordimer, and her two books The Pickup and The House Gun were thought provoking and hard hitting.. I aint know how else to describe them. My friend Will who was on this intense bell hooks phase sent me All about love : New visions.
Some books lead to others so I also read Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker, and Edwidge Danticat's Krik? Krak!
A lady I am yet to meet in person sent Sections of An Orange by Anton Nimblett. Another friend sent Fool by Christopher Moore
Reading should mean writing and I have been lurking on the various writing sites to think some more about writing for people to read and enjoy. I challenged myself
The 2010 bookshelf has a whole set waiting, including those for the book club. Japanese, 'African', 'Indian', Brazillian, Middle East, .. some probably waiting for the right time. We talked about that, how some books you probably have to wait until your mind is ready for them. Another friend has a Buddhist one he wants me to read. I should also look at reading some more scriptures rather than just singing from them.
Vidya,
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing.
if you do write ... what fields are you thinking of focusing on? i asked you this - cause i have found writing helped a particular part of me to find purpose and to grow. for most of my life i had questions that no one, or few seemed to be able to answer. perhaps, i asked or searched in the wrong circles. any how ... more around 1995 - 1999 lingering on to 2000, i understood that i had to write. i don't know where it came from ... but i just knew i had to obey.
janice imhoff
To be honest Janice, i dont know.. as yet, but the blog was one thing and you are right, there is a certain discipline which has to be practised.. but this is a work in progress,
ReplyDelete