Tag: reading

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reading: Nabokov, Stein, France, tennis, babies….

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Baby Meets World: Suck, Smile, Touch, Toddle, Nicholas Day – Babies are fascinating, and this provides much evidence to support that. Myth debunking, history of oft misguided babycare, multicultural perspective, weird/cool data.

Strokes of Genius:Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played, L. Jon Wertheim – Outlines in elaborate detail, with superb orientation, the 2008 men’s Wimbledon final. I haven’t read that much sports writing, admittedly, but I think this is great sports writing. I was already into tennis when I read this…and it got me more into tennis.

Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle, Nabokov – Nabokov improves your vocabulary and forces you into new cerebral flexibility. I think he is phenomenal.

Paris France, Gertrude Stein – Lately I will give just about any book on France a go. This is good (many of them are not good), sort of slippery and fluid and fast-reading, though her style gets in your head. Weirdly I am reading a lot about France and babies. And babies in France.

On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, Adrienne Rich – This is a collection of searching and riveting essays, all to do somehow or another with women and feminism. So many beautiful and true moments in this. Recommend.

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reading: Nabokov, Adler, Forster, Kakuzo…

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Between Meals, A.J. Liebling – I like reading gastronomes, particularly the French ones, and the ones partial to French cuisine. Want to read the Greek and Roman ones, too.

The Book of Tea, Okakura Kakuzo – How lovely is this binding?

Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita is the kind of favorite that makes me want to read everything Nabokov has written. So, working on that. So far, so good.

Pitch Dark, Renata Adler – Renata Adler writes directly for me, it seems. Directly for my species of consciousness. I felt this with Speedboat as well. Find her so inspiring as a writer.

Howards End, E.M. Forster – many lovely passages, thanks to CPL for recommending.

Swann’s Way, Proust – still (savoring, not that there is any danger of running out of text for the next several years)