Book Ideas, New Purchases

First of all I have to report a scandal: I was appalled to see that at the Borders “If you like this…then try…” shelf, right next to the Edward Kennedy biography stand The Sexual Life of Catherine M. and Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love and Porn. How shocking! I have been scouring the bookstores for more reading materials, in particular two quick reads to be fitted in the 10-hour Amtrak train ride from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. The Coast Starlight will meander through the coast with beautiful sceneries. What should I be reading through this changing vignettes? Should I re-read Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express to create a sense of suspense on the train?

This post inspires some reading ideas that would spice up and shuffle up priorities.

1. Jane Austen—completed already with Emma. Persuasion is next.
2. Charles Dickens—I’m thinking about Oliver Twist.
3. Ian McEwan—I don’t remember much about Atonement, but I enjoyed On Chesil Beach; would Saturday be a good choice?
4. John Steinbeck—I have no clue. Maybe the train ride through Watsonville would spare some inspiration?
5. J.R.R. Tolkien—this is the most insurmountable goal because I have absolutely no interest in Lord of the Ring.
6. British Mystery or Comedy
7. Russian author-–this one is a regular ritual of mine.
8. Old Classics—Dickens, Faulkner, Joyce, Lawrence, etc.
9. Nonfiction—I have procrastinated on this category. The book on sushi and global economy, as well as In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules, by Stacy Perman.
10. Poetry—another challenge because I’m totally not conversant in poetry. Pablo Neruda would suit me well.
11. Pulitzer Winners—One book stands out and catches my attention: March by Geraldine Brooks.
12. Published in 2010

I was looking for another book by Jay McInerney, whose book The Good Life I really enjoyed—I actually riveted it. I’m down to the last 60 pages as the book gathers up in suspense. The only copy of The Last of the Savages is one with pages accordioned in the middle. Decided against the less-than-perfect volume at a regular price, opted for The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam, which is an accidental find. The book sets in Hong Kong during World War II. I dig novels set in my hometown and how can I pass this one?