On my recent birthday trip, I had zoomed past the beach turn-off, and slamming on the brakes, took a quick turn into the next place. Guess what? I had come upon a little bookstore, Titcombs Bookshop in Sandwich, MA. Of course I had to delay the beach for books!
Inside, the tiny shop was full of people browsing. I was delighted to see so many people getting books for their beach jaunts.
I try to buy something from every independent bookstore I visit, so this time I picked up The Quotable Book Lover, edited by Ben Jacobs and Helene Hjalmarsson.
I opened it at random and found the perfect quotation to share with you today. It’s so true for me, it made me laugh out loud.
“There are two motives for reading a book: one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.” Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness, 1930
Recent reads (all novels this time) I’ll boast about:
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – Weirdo or genius? I am sure many of us will relate to Bernadette in this book.
My Wish List by Gregoire Delacourt – A short, sweet and deep book about how winning the lottery could change everything, but not how you imagine.
Loving Frank – Nancy Horan – a great historical novel about Frank Lloyd Wright and the love of his life, Mamah Borthwick.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker – A sweet and lyrical novel set in Burma.
Current fiction reads include:
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Lovers at the Chameleon Club by Francine Prose
What books are in your beach bag? Boast away in a comment below.
Hi Cynthia,
I’ve decided to read War and Peace. Yikes! I’ve always wanted to read it and was too intimidated, but I feel that if I can finish it, it would be a great challenge and I’d have this sense of accomplishment. I’m enjoying it, and I’m only 21 percent done, but who’s counting?!
Beth,
Yikes is right! But it seems your summer reading is wanting a challenge component, so you have it! If you’re enjoying it, that’s all that counts, right? No judgment in any way about what people are reading. We don’t care where the brow is – high or low – reading is a good thing.
Are you reading on an e-reader? Is that how you know the exact percentage? I think the device that tracks that helps us be counters. Whether that’s good or bad…only as it’s important to you.
Thanks for letting us know what tome you’re tackling this summer!
I’m going to pick up Hild by Nicola Griffith today at the library. Read a write up yesterday about this historical fiction book which follows women through a few centuries back lifestyle.
I just finished a mystery/courtroom fictional work by Marcia Clark called Guilt By Association and to the beach in a few weeks I am taking Initiation by Elizabeth B. Jenkins: A Woman’s Spiritual Adventure in the Heart of the Andes. And, if I can find it, The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri.
Jyoti,
Your books all sound great! I love the titles and can see a poem that includes them all. I want to look up the last one especially.
Thanks for sharing a peek at your books!
I’m on a spiritual seeking path at the moment so most of my current and upcoming books are along those lines. I’ve recently read “Jesus, CEO” by Laurie Beth Jones, “The Healing Powers of Trees” by Sharon Hidalgo, and “The Druidry Handbook” by John Michael Greer.
A book I finished a while back I highly recommend for aviation lovers or anyone who pursues their passions wholeheartedly, “Wings of Madness” by Paul Hoffman is a fantastic story about one of aviation’s lesser-known heroes, Albert Santos-Dumont. Seriously, read it or die deprived.
I am currently reading “Maiden, Mother, Crone: The Myth and Reality of the Triple Goddess” by D.J. Conway. I’m also reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, and “The Turquoise Ledge” by Leslie Marmon Silko.
My TBR stack includes “The First Phone Call From Heaven” by Mitch Albom, a Dragons of Pern 3-in-one book, The Bhaghavad Gita, “Nordic Runes” by Paul Rhys Mountfort, and others. All over the map, I guess, lol.
Thanks for asking, Cynthia. You’re probably regretting it now. 😉
Renee,
Totally NOT regretting asking about your reading! I love hearing about books. It’s a real snapshot of what’s going into your mind and heart and soul, isn’t it? Your comment at the beginning points toward this, that at any given time our lives reflect our reading and vice versa.
So now you have this moment in time captured in your book list!
I will check out Wings of Madness. Great title.
I was recently telling a friend I wanted to read more spiritual books. She gently pointed me away from self-help titles and toward poets like Rilke.
I thought this was really helpful, to consider that we may gain more from reading actual texts than from reading ‘improvement’ texts. Kind of like, go out into nature and enjoy instead of, go out to nature and follow these three steps to enjoy. More direct, I guess.
Anyway! You have plenty of yummy reading on your list. Have fun with your books and I will smile knowing you are getting deeper and truer from your reading. 🙂
Winter here but for me, two older Chuck Palahniuk books – Survivor and Diary. I’d also like to read Damned and Doomed. Love Chuck!
Winter is as a good a time to read as summer. (Heck, every season is perfect for reading; I just needed a catchy headline!)
I haven’t read any of Chuck’s books. But I love the titles. I may check one of those out.
Thanks, Karen! Enjoy winter. 🙂
I loved, loved Where’d you Go,Bernadette? I am reading an iBook of The Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami. I finished both detective stories by Robert(JK) Galbraith(Rowling). I want to finish The Luminaries, lowland, goldfinch. But I would love to find another Maria Semple book–thanks, Cynthia!
Indira,
I’m so glad you liked it! I never know what will resonate with others book-wise.
I’m curious about Luminaries and will look that up! Thanks for sharing your book love!