Ok, So One More Down.....

This afternoon was a lovely day with Babaloo, catching up on TV, cleaning the house together and at one point, laying on the couch together reading...then maybe napping, then reading again. I was able to finish, after holding onto it forever, When You Are Engulfed In Flames by my all time favorite author, David Sedaris. How'd I like it?

I loved it.

There were some really great stories in this one, and even with the more average stories, I laughed out loud at least once. I found the stories just long enough that you could knock one out in about 10 minutes if you were quick about it, but, like most of Sedaris' pieces, you kinda wanted to savor them. My only "complaint" would be about the last story, The Smoking Section. It took up the last 70+ pages of the book, and when you're used to running sprints and suddenly you have a marathon in front of you, it can be a little exhausting. I had to put the book down a couple of times while reading it, partially because of the length, but also it appeared to be the most convoluted of the stories.

So, what's next on the list of books that I have to read before I'm allowed to buy anymore? Given my newfound interest in all things health, I'm reading Winning By Losing by Jillian Michaels. I used to be a big Biggest Loser fan, and got this book back when I had a little more respect for her and the show (the hawking of her diet pills is kinda a turn off for me). Anyway, I figure I can knock this book out in a couple of days and then start the next book. I'm hoping to learn something from this book and anything I find interesting, I'll let you know!

Ok, So Done!!! (part 2)

So, I finished Dog Days: Dispatches From Bedlam Farms. It was a great book that I purposely did not fly through. The pacing of the stories, taken from author Jon Katz's time on his Bedlam Farm herding sheep and spending time with his dogs, cows and donkeys, kinda demands that you read it at a nice leisurely pace. I'll say this - farming sounds incredibly hard, but incredible rewarding! Taffy will love the book, but hate me for giving it to her to read.

So, what's next for Taylor? While I would love to read the latest David Sedaris, I think I am going to wait on that one, as I have another book he's associated with, that I had totally forgot I bought until Babaloo had moved in, and I found it on a bookshelf (kinda like Julia and Julia). Children Playing Before A Statue Of Hercules is a collection of short stories chosen and edited by Sedaris himself. I think the shorter stories will be a nice change of pace for me, what with the holidays coming up. Or I'll want to kill myself, one or the other.

Has anyone read this book? Or Dog Days, for that matter?

Ok, So Too Fat To Fish

I just finished the audiobook version of Artie Lang's Too Fat To Fish (which, yes I know, is not as enjoyable as actually reading, but it 1.) I used the book as something to listen to when I was out of podcasts, and 2.) you can't bit torrent a book.) and I have to say, it was an enjoyable listen. While it would probably help to be a fan of the Howard Stern Show, you don't necessarily have to in order to appreciate many of the stories that Lang shares, particularly about his childhood and teen years. In particular there is a chapter about his father taking him to the World Series as a child that was touching and gave some insight about the author and why he is...well, the way he is. It was disappointing to learn, halfway through the book, that Lang would no longer be reading the book (due to issues with his drug addictions) and had some of his friends take his place in the readings....I mean, you're sitting and reading, for God's sake...and it's not like you're reading a book in Latin...you're reading stuff YOU wrote....it just came off as lazy. But all in all, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys autobiographies...