As we say in Italian, or, in English – a bookworm, a mostly harmless beast, usually found in libraries and bookshops, or gravitating around bookshelves and bedside tables.
This is lovely! I was also a voracious reader and had no one to impress and I love how you bring us into the wondrous world of this smart, gifted, artistic soul of a girl. One of my favorite memories is lying on the floor listening to a record of Greek myths or escaping to read Crime and Punishment, not realizing how much that the title spoke to my family’s circumstances. Oh, those hidden away moments, eh? What are your current reading delights? I really love your Substack!
Margo, you always say the sweetest things, thank you! Now – Crime and Punishment – that's a story you have to tell us, if you feel like sharing it, of course. I'm currently reading Japanese haikus and the "Empire of Signs" essay by Roland Barthes, for an article I'll be writing for Substack. Before that, I read again all of Chekhov stories, I've been influenced by George Saunders and his book on Russian Literature. What about you?
That sounds fantastic. I just finished Everyday Something Has Tried to Kill Me and Has Failed, essays by Kim McLarin and now reading Survivor Cafe by Elizabeth Rosner. Recent fiction was Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra and revisiting short stories by Guy de Maupassant. And this morning came across a wonderful hybrid essay by Nina Adel called Refugere. There are so many more I want to mention! And hear of yours! About crime and punishment, the tale was told in The Opposite of Hollywood ☺️.
Great read, thank you for sharing. I would have to say my favorite memory is of my father reading to me every night up until I was 15 or so. He was a bibliophile of great proportions. He started with Penrod by Booth Tarkington and one of the last ones I remember was The Gulag Archipelago. Needless to say, I had very little choice but to love books as well. :-)
I'm a book lover, bookworm and book hoarder. You'll find books everywhere my relatively small Japanese house. My wife periodically threatens to either burn or throw them away, but I can't resist getting more of them.
I'm also a rather slow reader, which means there are currently about 100 books on my shelves patiently waiting to be read. I recently read one I had originally bought some 20 years ago.
Sono un amante dei libri, un topo di biblioteca e un "accumulatore" di libri. Troverai libri ovunque nella mia piccola casa giapponese. Mia moglie minaccia periodicamente di bruciarli o di buttarli via, ma non posso resistere a prenderne altri.
Sono anche un lettore piuttosto lento, il che significa che attualmente ci sono circa 100 libri sui miei scaffali che aspettano pazientemente di essere letti. Recentemente ne ho letto uno che avevo acquistato originariamente circa 20 anni fa.
I'm 100% with you, Gianni, and W la Résistance! Just think how many wonderful hours of reading you have to look forward to! I'm sure your house is still very kawaii, please tell your wife to be patient, there are far worse obsessions: you could collect MAGA hats and guns. ;-)
I loved this so much, I remember finding For Whom the Bell Tolls at 10 and devouring it, I didn’t understand it or appreciate it but it somehow sunk into my bones and became a part of me. When I studied to become a librarian I we read the rights of a reader and it resonated so much with me in so many ways (especially escapism)
This is lovely! I was also a voracious reader and had no one to impress and I love how you bring us into the wondrous world of this smart, gifted, artistic soul of a girl. One of my favorite memories is lying on the floor listening to a record of Greek myths or escaping to read Crime and Punishment, not realizing how much that the title spoke to my family’s circumstances. Oh, those hidden away moments, eh? What are your current reading delights? I really love your Substack!
Margo, you always say the sweetest things, thank you! Now – Crime and Punishment – that's a story you have to tell us, if you feel like sharing it, of course. I'm currently reading Japanese haikus and the "Empire of Signs" essay by Roland Barthes, for an article I'll be writing for Substack. Before that, I read again all of Chekhov stories, I've been influenced by George Saunders and his book on Russian Literature. What about you?
That sounds fantastic. I just finished Everyday Something Has Tried to Kill Me and Has Failed, essays by Kim McLarin and now reading Survivor Cafe by Elizabeth Rosner. Recent fiction was Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra and revisiting short stories by Guy de Maupassant. And this morning came across a wonderful hybrid essay by Nina Adel called Refugere. There are so many more I want to mention! And hear of yours! About crime and punishment, the tale was told in The Opposite of Hollywood ☺️.
Great read, thank you for sharing. I would have to say my favorite memory is of my father reading to me every night up until I was 15 or so. He was a bibliophile of great proportions. He started with Penrod by Booth Tarkington and one of the last ones I remember was The Gulag Archipelago. Needless to say, I had very little choice but to love books as well. :-)
What a lovely memory, what an amazing, great dad! Thank you for sharing, Tim!
I'm a book lover, bookworm and book hoarder. You'll find books everywhere my relatively small Japanese house. My wife periodically threatens to either burn or throw them away, but I can't resist getting more of them.
I'm also a rather slow reader, which means there are currently about 100 books on my shelves patiently waiting to be read. I recently read one I had originally bought some 20 years ago.
Sono un amante dei libri, un topo di biblioteca e un "accumulatore" di libri. Troverai libri ovunque nella mia piccola casa giapponese. Mia moglie minaccia periodicamente di bruciarli o di buttarli via, ma non posso resistere a prenderne altri.
Sono anche un lettore piuttosto lento, il che significa che attualmente ci sono circa 100 libri sui miei scaffali che aspettano pazientemente di essere letti. Recentemente ne ho letto uno che avevo acquistato originariamente circa 20 anni fa.
I'm 100% with you, Gianni, and W la Résistance! Just think how many wonderful hours of reading you have to look forward to! I'm sure your house is still very kawaii, please tell your wife to be patient, there are far worse obsessions: you could collect MAGA hats and guns. ;-)
Thanks Portia, I'll pass your comment on to my boss... I mean, my wife.
I loved this so much, I remember finding For Whom the Bell Tolls at 10 and devouring it, I didn’t understand it or appreciate it but it somehow sunk into my bones and became a part of me. When I studied to become a librarian I we read the rights of a reader and it resonated so much with me in so many ways (especially escapism)
https://medium.com/be-unique/the-10-honest-rights-of-the-reader-according-to-daniel-pennac-2e132336881a
What an image: books sunk into your bones, especially when you're so receptive to them, as in your childhood. Thank you, Nancy!
Such a tender and heartfelt exploration of developing a love for reading during childhood. And I love the term Library Mouse.