Read all the books I own, but have not yet read.

I think it’s quite appropriate to finish reading this during the International Year of Astronomy. This book focuses on Galileo’s achievements interspersed with letters from his eldest daughter, who was a nun and apothecary. The letters are full of love, and comments about pills or food she is making for him, and concern for his health. And occasional requests for money (because she was a Poor Clare, and no kidding…)

I see that the only book left on my “already started” list from before is A New Earth. Add to that Life in a Medieval Castle (and the other two, Medieval Village and City) which I bought in New York and started reading on the train. So I guess those are next.

I have been pecking away at The Language Instinct since August and I finally finished it last week. I liked it a lot, but it’s made watching The Sting a little bit harder—apparently, Lonnegan had no business having an Irish accent if he grew up in New York because children learn their language from their peers and not their parents.

On to Galileo’s Daughter.

...for giving you 8 solid hours to do nothing but read. I’ve gotten quite far into The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker. He studies how language is acquired. His thesis is that grammar is not learned but is as instinctual as walking (and by grammar, he doesn’t mean the who/whom thing, but being able to tell that sentences like “I know what you” are not correct—he also explains why that last sentence was a tad tricky to parse). It’s fascinating and he’s quite entertaining.

I went to a friend’s cottage this past weekend and FORGOT MY BOOK! Fortunately, someone else brought a copy of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and graciously allowed me to read the 5 or so pages I had left.

So it’s taken me the better part of a year, but I’ve finally finished the damn thing. It was very thought-provoking.

On to The Language Instinct, which is not on my list of already-started books, but I’ve been itching to read it. Unfortunately, it’s not exactly easy to carry, nor is the hardcover beach-friendly. Oh well.

I’ve been inching closer to finishing The Omnivore’s Dilemma but I keep getting distracted (with summer school, with planning my trip to Europe next spring, with re-reading Julie & Julia, which I forgot I had but of course the movie coming out made me want to revisit it and now I’m going through her actual blog, etc.) It will be done, however. Now, I’ve got nothing but time.

I’ve read 38 pages_{read it everyday recent days}

The marking is done, school is nearly over, and the guilt that I should be doing something more productive is nearly abated.

I’ve been chipping away at The Omnivore’s Dilemma and plan to finish it this weekend.

I love reading. Hence, this should not be a ‘difficult’ goal to achieve. However, it is. This list chiefly includes the books that I bought only because they were ‘famous’ or someone spoke pretty highly of them. I realised this as I began sorting out what books I required to read. I am going to avoid these two pitfalls in future because I really don’t like owning a book that lies unread for years.

Moving on towards solving the problem… well, I’ve decided to read these books like textbooks. I HAVE TO “BEGIN” reading them. Once I’m halfway through ANY book, the journey gets exponentially easier and becomes more interesting.

I’m drawing out a reading schedule where I allot the ‘number of pages to be read’ to each day of the week. If I feel that I’ve only got to read 10 pages of the book and no more for the day, it feels easier… it’s like working on a less-liked subject at school.

I hope it works. ^.

I actually finished The Colony of Unrequited Dreams back in September and have sort of stagnated ever since. I’ve since read Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend and started reading Nicholas Nickleby (obviously, I’m trying to catch up on my Dickens) but those don’t count towards this goal since they are on my Zire and not physical books.

I have started to finish The Mobius Strip (currently living at school) and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. My current goal is to finish those by at least the end of June, when school stops.

I shall be very old and gray before this is completed.