**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. I have been off my feed for a couple of weeks, so this is the last two weeks update. I wanted to be sure that you had the opportunity to check out all the posts if something appeals to you. This past month has not been my favorite of the year, but things are looking up. How about you? How was your week? Did you have a lot of treaters stopping by? Do you decorate for Halloween? Do you party or treat yourself? Do you dress up?
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
COME ON….JOIN IN.
I was feeling out of sorts for the past couple of weeks, so I am sharing the past two weeks.
Previous Total: 2222
Currently Reading
Books Read
Books Added
I got these books free from Amazon. Be sure and check for the “0”.
I would like to welcome Ken La Salle to fundinmental, as he shares his thoughts about Sherry-ing books (lol)
Nobody ever tells you what’s going to happen to your books.
Most
of us, if we’re readers, probably have a few books up on a shelf. Those
more devoted of us have books on a few more shelves, and in a box
somewhere, maybe filling our storage units. Or is that just me?
Either
way, we go through our lives, reading, buying books, buying some more
books, and maybe buying even more books. Do you know what you’re going
to do with your books?
Because,
until recently, I had no idea. I’m 56 years old and have no children
and started to think my books would simply get donated to charity after I
passed, or burned in a fire at the end of a long line along with a sled
named Rosebud.
Until recently, that is.
While
I’m not a father, I should also mention that I’m not the best uncle in
the world, either. My favorite nephew, Hayden, recently turned 16. He’s a
great kid but a bit too good, if you know what I mean. I decided that
what he needs is a bit of corruption, a little taste of subversion.
You
might think of subversion as “trolling” or being a contrarian but it’s
more than that. Subversion is about seeing the world more as it is than
we would like it to be and undercutting those systems or inclinations we
might have towards ignoring reality. I wanted to help my nephew learn
to see everything he was taught in school not to consider, and did it
with books.
It
didn’t take a lot of books. Only six. My directions instructed him to
hold on to them, not to push himself into reading them but to read them
at his leisure. You can’t force subversion, after all.
These books included:
A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift.
I read this in high school and didn’t believe anyone could be as
deliberate and cutting, certainly not before my time. Eating Irish
children may not be Sunday manners but I felt it was just right for a 16
year old boy.
Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs.
One of the least wholesome books you’ll ever want to read and also no
pushover. The book takes thought to understand while it’s pushing out
images of talking posteriors; what more could a boy want?
Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut. I gave this book to my father for his 50th
birthday but he refused to read it because it had swear words. I
figured my nephew would appreciate them. And, for my money, Vonnegut
rarely wrote so beautifully.
Little Mike, Yours truly.
Here’s how I introduced this book to my nephew: “The world’s going to
shit, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see it for something more. That’s
what subversion is all about.”
The Pinball Effect, James Burke.
Non-fiction can be just as subversive as fiction and, while James Burke
was no revolutionary, he taught the essential lesson of connection,
showing how everything in our world is connected to everything else,
physically, historically, you name it.
A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn.
An honest history of the United States. A way to love your country
without making excuses for it. I think young Americans (not the David
Bowie kind) can use a message like this.
The Worst Case Scenario Handbook.
This was more of a pamphlet than a book but it was given to me at a
young age and, while I never read it cover to cover, picking it up and
reading it now and then reminded me of my mortality. And, though my
nephew isn’t nearly the rabble rouser his father or I had been in our
youth, a little insurance is never a bad thing.
This
box of books was never intended as homework. I would never want Hayden
to feel as though he has to read them. But I saw an opportunity to reach
out to this young man I care very much for and share a few of the books
I love, which shaped who I was at a young age.
What
box of books could you give away? Who would receive it? Would your
theme be subversion or something more intriguing? Or something more
relaxing? In the age of digital media, it’s a shame to simply allow our
printed pages to molder and rot, to go unattended in our passing.
Instead, we have shelves filled with gifts, wisdom to share.
And I say let’s share it.
It’s funny that you chose to share this at this time, Ken. I have been going through my bookks and seeing what I can part with. Now that I have a kindle and find so many free books and review books, I doubt I will reread anything, sooooooo…I am trying to decide how to share them. I have found a place online that I can call and they will come and take them away……
ABOUT KEN LA SALLE
Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name.
He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping
to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on
the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you
can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. I don’t have much to say. Doing the normal. Binging on football for the weekend. Go Blue! And Roll Tide! Boston Red Sox? Jury is still out. For the upcoming week, I plan on writing some reviews, reading, binging on TV, working outside a bit…and piddling around the house. Does anyone else piddle? Piddle: to waste time doing something that is not important or useful. Well, if I am doing it, it is important. LOL
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately! If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below HERE
Sweet Caroline is a staple at the sports stadiums. Everyone loves to scream and sing. Also, I do remember when The Jazz Singer came out. America shot to the top of the charts. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing it…and I loved it too.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. Hope you had a good week. The sun has been shining and the weather is fantastic, warm, in the 80s. The sun is still intense, though it has shifted in the sky. For the summer it hangs to the left of the pool and as the fall approaches, it comes back to the right of the pool. I feel a visit to the beach coming on. Need to make a pitstop at Hooters for some wings and a beer, then some cruising around and checking out what is going on. They had closed the road to the Gulf Island National Seashore. It’s funny that we have to deal with sand after a storm, instead of snow. They deal with it the same way, though. Plow and plow and plow. I’ve read some great review books the past week or two and you can check them out on my Tackling The TBR post (click the link below). Some of the freebies I picked up and read were good and there was even a surprise or two, like Princess. It may still be free (I just checked and it is now 99 cents) and if the cover appeals to you, I recommend grabbing it. It’s a quick and gruesome read. LOL
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
COME ON….JOIN IN.
Previous Total: 2216
Currently Reading
Books Read
Books Added
The following two books by A B Whelan and Toni Anderson were added to my shelf this week because I entered their Goodreads Giveaway. Check them out on Goodreads by clicking the cover.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. I have been a bit out of it the past week, some kind of stomach bug, but on the mend and feeling fine. Been raining quite a bit, so I have been hanging inside, missing the pool. I know the days are numbered before it gets cold enough that I don’t want to get in. It’s been very good, easy exercise as I try to get back into the swing of things. I want to be ready for when Covid does come under control and I feel good about traveling.
How about you? Read any good books? Been anywhere? Done any home projects? Or if you just want to share something, feel free. I’m listening.
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
COME ON….JOIN IN.
This is two weeks worth of updates. I was a bit under the weather (no big thing) and missed a post and messed up a couple of posts. Back to normal and almost caught up.
