I spent some time yesterday reading Catcher in the Rye at Beanie's suggestion. At this point I'd have to say that my relationship with the book is much like that of bystanders to a train wreck. What an incredibly depressing story... but I'm glad I read it.

After I finished it I had to talk to someone so, logically, I called my mother. I mean, she's an English teacher, right? Anyway. I think I may have worried her. I had literally just put the book down and I was feeling fairly distressed. She did say some helpful things, however. She reminded me that the book was written shortly after the end of World War II and that I should also keep Salinger's personality in mind. If nothing else, those comments bought me some distance.

I have never read a book so absolutely and horrifically bleak. It was also a bit like reading my own story. I suppose that's why the book has remained so significant... we can all relate. I should say that I've never been as lost of Holden Caulfield, thankfully. He is completely alone, alienated from _everything_ with the notable exception of his sister. Ugh.

I figure I'm on a roll at this point. I've finally started Brave New World. I confess, I've never read it. Shocking, I know. I read Doors of Perception and while I wasn't that impressed I did enjoy Huxley's style. He's entertaining. I'm very much looking forward to getting in to Brave New World.

It's great to be back in the reading mode. I've read about 6 books this week. I re-read Dan Simmons' Hyperion books (which, even if you generally hate sci-fi, you should read), Catcher in the Rye, and about half of Brave New World. My next task is The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, I think. I need a break from prose.

What are you all reading these days? Not that I don't have enough to read but I love to have things to look forward to.

...

I think I'd like to take Latin. Maxx has been taking it this semester and I feel like I'm missing out. If nothing else I can't help but think it will give me a lot more solid foundation for learning other languages.

...

So. Has anyone seen an meteors yet tonight? I just went out and looked but didn't spot any. I'll go check again a bit later on. What a treat! It's a perfect night for it... absolutely clear and gorgeous.

Extra

Links

LCD News
Local man makes webcomic, thousands die! Seriously though, it's pretty good stuff. Check it out. Good writing and you can really see the art progress.
M4dbl0g Returns
For god's sake just please don't ask about the cheese. The world is better not knowing. News and commentary for the erudite and wacky.
I bid farewell to old kentucky... the place where I was born and raised
fathom
depression and books
i've resolved lately to try and avoid everything that i can that is negative or at least gives me negative vibes. really need to alter my whole 'the glass is half empty' attitude toward everything. i think i'm finally starting to make a little progress too...

currently i'm reading the 2nd harry potter book. i was hoping that i could finish it before the movie came out, but alas i didn't make it. i read so horribly slow. i think if i spent more time reading i might get faster, but i'm not sure. i guess there's one way to find out. it's always been a huge problem for me.

any suggestions?
loophole
You're on the right track, imo

You might feel like your read slowly now but it takes time. Keep doing and I can't help but think you'll get faster. Besides, there's no hurry. Enjoy your reading :)

m4dd4wg
Learnin'
At the start of class yesterday, the prof asked if any of us went to the Austin Book Festival over the weekend. I said bitterly, "Like I read."
Anyway, I haven't read a real lot of [offline] material that people here would find interesting, but I do need to share the article title of the semester, "Give Me that Old-Time Religion in a Postmodern Age: The Semiotics of Christian Radio." I read another book, Zines by Stephen Duncombe, which I thought was real interesting, but I don't know how many of you would be interested in an academic discussion of zine ideology.
Loop, have you read Paul Auster? I was raving about City of Glass last week. I love it for its pomosemionastiness; its about a writer of detective fiction who is mistaken for his protagonist, and decides to play detective for grins.
loophole
Ol Time Religion...

Ok. That has to be one of the least wieldy titles I've ever seen. Wow. Any good?

Sorry you're not getting your reading time. That's a drag. Any relief in sight?

I haven't read any of his stuff. I'll add it to the list. Sounds like fun.

m4dd4wg
Reading
Oh, I do plenty of reading. I was just joking in class. I'm sure that I read at least 500 pages a week, some weeks well over 1000. Its just that its academic communication and literary theory type stuff, so I can't really be all, "d00d, you've gotta check out Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature or Television: Technology and Cultural Form. I'm looking forward to Christmas break, since I'll be able to do some fun reading, although I suspect I'll be reading school-related stuff. One of the perks of grad school is semester-loans. That's right, I can check out stuff in September and its not due until mid-January. UT, as you might imagine, has nice libraries, too.
Although the head-work I'm doing in Radio-TV-Film is similar to what I did in English, I do miss reading literature. I read a lot of social science material, too, and I think Literary Critics and Film Scholars people (who were all English majors at one point) put a lot more care into their writing than Comm people. We're required to minor (only 6 hours, tho) and, at this point, I'm taking an Information Science course in Knowlege Management that I'm looking forward to, but dang. Next semester, I'm taking one class from a prof with an English degree, so that will be a nice change.