For a Rainy Day

I love the rain, though it always keeps me inside- lazing around, watching movies, and drinking tea. Ah, if only it could rain every day.

I've become alarmed at the rate at which my novel reading has slowed. The last book I read was "Fast Food Nation," and while it was well worth my time and energy (utterly eye-opening and repulsive might describe it better), it didn't lend much to my desire for ficticious escapism.

Why do I read less? Is it because I'm too busy? Lazy? Have my interests shifted beyond books? Will the lure of the glossy mag keep me skimming, rather than diving into the written word forever?

I don't know, man. But frankly, it stinks. I vow to start a novel tonight. Damn whatever's on Bravo.

Ode to the Paperback: A Few of Sarah's Former Faves

1. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson

My dad's a huge fan. Once I was old enough to realize he has excellent taste, I borrowed his worn, tattered copy of Fear&Loathing for a weekend and laughed my ass off. I've tried to convert many people I know to the HST faith, mostly unsuccessfully. Easy read, but takes a certain humor to appreciate. Their loss!

2. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Very self-depricating. Very clever. Very funny. Long live this book.

3. "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb

This was a violently moving story. I can't tell you how much. Probably more geared for girls than boys, but surprise me.

4. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

Poor, pretty Dorian. Actually, I thought this was a very scary book. I had to stop reading it at night and avoid looking at anything hanging on my wall. Creepy and fun.

5. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

This story was read to me over the course of a few lazy nights on Hayes Street. Such a warm memory. If you cherish the voice of your loved one, have them read you this book. I promise you'll both enjoy it.

This is a good start, though there are so many more books I've loved before. However, my story is about to take an ironic twist. Through the course of this blog entry, I've decided my former pledge to begin a new novel tonight must certainly be shelved to allow ample time to bake oatmeal cookies instead. It just seems like the right thing to do.

Time to preheat. And don't look at me like that, I'll read tomorrow.

Comments

[I HEART MORGAN WEBB]

Write back when you've completed the novel.

I'm more of a Star Trek fan and love reading Star Trek novels -- more of the Star Trek: The Next Generation series.

[I HEART MORGAN WEBB]

Woo hoo... first to comment on a Sarah Lane Blog entry :)

[Timm-o]

for whom the bell tolls is the best book imho.

[Hyper Smiley]

I love the rain also. It's one of the few events that soothes the savage beast within me. I may be one of the few that actually loves to drive in the rain. Anyway, the last novel I read was Red Eye which was close to a decade ago. It was very gruesome, and I haven't picked up a novel since. It's so hard to prioritize with what little precious time we've been given. But a novel is still a great experience in a "buy this" world where nearly everyone wants to pitch you a line of garbage. Hope you enjoy the novel. Nothing in life is ever wasted. Best wishes!

Hyper :)

[Langley]

"We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the Drugs began to take hold...."

hey were/are you guys in CO? You should have stopped by Thompson's place in Woody Creek. Get a few bullets whizzed by your heads.

[John Z. Orange]

In need of a good novel? Two must-reads are Tom Robbins' "Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas" and Matt Ruff's "The Fool on the Hill".

Just a suggestion.

[Space Monkey]

Try Syrup by Max Barry. The brief synopsis from http://www.maxbarry.com/syrup/index.html

"Scat wants to be rich, shallow, and famous, so when he gets a million-dollar idea for a new soda, he realizes it's his ticket to movie premieres and vacuous, drink-slurred lunches with celebrities. But first he has to deal with 6, a street-smart, miniskirt-wearing corporate assassin, who is possibly the love of Scat's life or possibly just ripping him off. Then there's Sneaky Pete, marketing genius, refugee from Tokyo, and Scat's best friend ? at least as far as Scat knows. "

Great book. How can you not love a novel that declares, "Coke is one part syrup, seven parts carbonated water, and forty-two parts marketing."

Sweeet!

[Bunny Emerald]

Lonesome DoveShogunSeabiscuit

[WyldWoods]

I can certainly relate to pledging to start reading a book and then having something else take priority. Of course my priorities have never been shifted by oatmeal cookies, although they have been shifted by the person making the cookies. Grandmothers are good like that.

The last novel I read was "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. And let me tell you, you can't go wrong with any story by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, or the two of them writting together. Can I recommend "Good Omens" as an example of the latter.

[Tim]

I just finished reading "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham and now I'm going to start "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom (author of "Tuesdays with Morrie").

I highly recommend the former, and I'll let you know about the latter when I'm done. :^)

[Joe]

Are you the same Sarah Lane as the user 'sarahlane' at fark.com ?

[SomeGuy]

Try American Gods by Neil GaimanBest.Book.Ever. (really good at least)

[dan]

Fast Food Nation had a big impact on me, too.... Used to eat that stuff a few times a week, now it's not more than once or twice a month. Consumer dollars are the only thing companies listen to....

The last novel I really liked was: The Life of Pi - Martell

[Lee]

My favorite novel is Walker Percy's "The Moviegoer" - nobody who knows me is ever surprised to hear that. But it's a really good book. Honest.

Some of the books I've enjoyed recently...

"Basket Case" and "Sick Puppy" by Carl Hiaasen: The titles should give you a pretty clear idea of what you're in for. But if you're into genuinely twisted fiction and characters so f***ed up you'd SWEAR they actually exist, you cannot go wrong with Hiaasen. Fans of Warren Zevon will LOVE these books.

(While we're on the subject, just in case you don't have it already, put "The Wind" on your wish list - it's every bit as good as they say it is.)

"My Anecdotal Life" by Carl Reiner: Still one of the funniest people alive, I think. And a genuinely nice guy, too.

"Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick": Of course, one of the greatest science fiction authors should need no introduction, but this book is still a great place to start. Here, you'll get "The Minority Report", "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" ("Total Recall"), "Second Variety" ("Screamers"), "Imposter", and "Paycheck". A great read.

"Wonder Boys", "The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay" and "Summerland", all by Michael Chabon: The less revealed about these books, the better (I knew next to nothing about "Summerland" when I first picked it up) - Chabon at his best is a genuinely surprising writer. Enjoy.

Well, those are a few. I'm open to suggestions. (Has anybody read any of Patrick O'Brian's books? I saw "Master and Commander" the other day, and now I'm thinking about checking out a few of the novels.)

Bye...

[Lee]

P.S. You'd better save a few of those cookies for me. ;)

[CoolB]

Reading is gooooood, but oatmeal cookies are gooooooood too, care to share any of those home baked cookies Sarah? Please?

[Kris]

Glad to see a new entry in your blog...and about books too! This time of year is one of the best for diving into a good novel. The only book I've read in association with Hunter S. Thompson is The book of Jones. Jones was Hunter's cat and he was mericurial and manic. For any of you out there looking for a good read, here are some of my faves: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers and The Virgin Suicides or Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

[kingdom]

Once and Future King

[Glugory]

anything by David Gemmell. that guy is a god of the pen, i swear. he does heroic fantasy, and if you thought tolkien was deep, you aint seen nothin yet! a little hard for us in the U.S. of A to find, but if you can find anything by him, buy it, read it!!! he is such a good author!

[Hyper Smiley]

I agree Kris. This is definitely a good time for reading. Those are some intruiging suggestions. I feel we have a lot in common. As I was named Christopher for being firstborn. And to me our tastes seem similar. Although I think I will pick up Once and Future King this weekend. :D Of course his cat would be mercurial from a guy named Hunter. Most cats are. That's why they're so cool. ;)

[Larry]

I read Fear and Loathing... for a satire class in college. Loved it! When he's in the bathtub and wants fo be electrocuted during White Rabbit...great stuff. Never saw the Johnny Depp movie, he's a great actor, but I couldn't see a movie doing the novel justice.

[nudebuddha]

Vurt, Pollen, Automated Alice and Nymphomation by Jeff NoonThe Secret History by Donna TarttAmerican Psycho by Brett Easton EllisSurvivor by Chuck PalahniukZombie by Joyce Carol OatesThe whole Sandman series by Neil Gaiman

[Mulletman]

What about Leo's book? Maybe now he'll stop plugging the damn thi...*Smack!* ... sorry couldn't resist ;D. As for real books, I am not big on reading, mainly because its almost 2004 and I still have to use my imagination. Usually what I do read are my old English Lit books, I hated the class but alot of the stories there are great and i enjoy them even more when I dont have to over think the story the next day. I loved The Partner by Grisham. As for the rain, I live in Houston, Texas... for us the rain is a necessary evil. Its 100+ degrees for about 300 f'kin days of the year and when it rains its floods like crazy.

[EgadOne]

Great. That's just great.

Now I have the Guess Who song "Undone" stuck in my head. Much obliged Sarah!

Ah well, 'spose there's worse things to have stuck in one's head...

It's too lateShe's gone too farShe's lost the sunShe's come undone.Whoa-wha-wohwohwoh

[Hyper Smiley]

Ah! Old lit is great! To Kill a Mockingbird is still an old favorite (The father I lost at the age of eighteen and the father I inspire to be).

[Perquacky]

To Kill a ckingbird is great, but t comes in 2nd. Start with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

[Perquacky]

And next time, I'll try to include all the letters. Here are the ones I left out: Mo i

[Kevkill]

Good call on Fear and Loathing. You should give The Rum Diary by HST. It is an absolute hoot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0684856476/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-7685259-8095814#reader-page

BALLS!!!

-Kev

[EgadOne]

/me lists a few things while waiting for his thebroken video to download

The Dune series by Frank Herbert, and more recently the prequels by his son Brian. Still in the midst of the Butlerian Jihad.

Hitchhikers Guide Trilogy (of 5 books. Old joke, I know, but I thought I'd include that for the uninitiated). Douglas Adams, RIP. You are missed.

Best Democracy Money Can Buy, by Greg Palast. Proud member of a dying breed: the investigative journalist. This is one of the few publications by Greg you can find in the states as his writings are generally found to be, *ahem*, a bit too revealing for the powers that be. Just ask Jello Biafra what the Bush clan thinks about Mr. Palast. ;)

[hp]

If you love the rain, move to Vancouver, curl up with a cup of tea, read "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland. It changed my life.

[fnord]

Holy crap! I've read all but one of those.You are too cool!Did Kevin read you The Alchemist? If so, that's just too sweet!

Here's my suggestions:

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (you thought Fast Food Nation was an eye opener...)

anything by Tom Robbins

for escapism, anything by Charles DeLint

[Kris]

For Glugory:

Wanna chat about books you're reading? Email me!

[John-Paul]

Actually, the movie Fear and Loathing does do the book justice. My female friend is an english major and a complete book snob and the only movie adaptations she feels are good enough are lord of the rings and fear and loathing.

The movie turned me on to the book and I LOVED the book. I have ever since been apart of the hunter faith. I heard the rum diaries is good and also generation of swine was recommended to me.

As for Oscar Wilde I never knew much about him but I was at my friends house night before last and this movie "Wilde" comes on, and my friend is like "Oscar Wilde is my hero!! We gotta watch this"

20 minutes into the movie, and four gay men love scenes later I had to get up and leave. I have nothing against gay men but that doesn't mean I want to watch them. Anyway, the movie seemingly had nothing to do with any aspect of Oscar's life other than his gayness and even my friend was like "...i had no idea..."

Jesus, the last book I read and actually finished was probably Frankenstien in my world lit class a couple years ago.

[jeremy]

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - dave eggers. its effin' depressing...but really awesome.bluh.i am bored and in an office.

[rick]

I simply must say the best series I ever read was the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Lumberg..yeaaaa]

Hey Sarah Bear!!!!

I think i caught a re-run of TSS, but you seriously looked like you were maybe 11 or 12 when you were sitting on that recliner with the pig tails.

I know what you mean by losing the interest to read. Its like an evil mutation of the 'writers block virus'. Just one of those things that will come back to you and you can enjoy again i suppose. My favorite book is a book called 'The Power Of One' by Bryce Courtney. and no...i didnt find it off an infomercial. You might have seen the movie adaptation. Its a great book. Keep up the good work on TSS, we are all rooting for you! :)

[John-Paul]

God call with the Douglas Adams rick :o)

[J]

Yes, I'm sure you don't know who this is, in fact I'm absolutely positive you don't. I'm just some guy who's seen you on The Screen Savers. I just thought that I'd add in my two cents. I understand how reading isn't always the most entertaining thing to do, and that really sucks especially if you're reading a good book. At least you try to read, unlike myself who has tried to convince himself over and over to pick up a book. I haven't read a book in a few years for Christ's sake, although I know I should. So yes, screw whatever is on Bravo, which has mostly been reruns of Queer Eye anyways.

[joe]

Crime and Punishment is always a good read-- especially during these cold New York winters. As is anything by Jack kerouac. Cheers!

"I'm gonna pull you in close gonna wrap you up tightgonna play with the braids that you came here with tonightI'm gonna hold your face and toast the snow that fellbecause friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell" --Obstacle 2 by Interpol

[tammy]

hi sweetie. i think you're awesome.

[Bry]

Hunter Thompson is great! I actually have a coffee table book of his artist. I can't recall his name right now but it's definitely some crazy shiznit - the stuff daymares are made of.

[Steven]

Gotta give you props on the Fear and Loathing selection...

[kool sonneries]

great content, keep up the good work

[Adult Online Dating Service]

Just wanted to say I love your Journal

[Hemorrhoid Relief]

I know what you mean, my novel reading has dropped greatly as well. All I have time to read these days are college textbooks.

[spiele]

You`re absolutely right, but telling the truth sometimes hurts!

[logos]

To be or not to be? That`s the question.

[handylogos]

What a fantastic idea! You think also about details.

[lord_acid1]

Lovely websitebooks to readlord of the ringsDragon eyesbooks about subjects that you like.

and quotes

I gave her my heart. all she gave me was a pen.

Movie- say anything

its better to burnout, than fade awaymovie- Highlander

[goodlife2000 - goodlife 2000]

Your blog is a refreshing change from the majority of blogs I have visited. When I first started visiting web sites I was excited by the potential of the internet as a resource and was very disappointed initially. You have restored my enthusiasm and I thank you for your efforts to share your insights and help the world become a better place.