Pooh nodded thoughfully.

“What’s this you’re writing?” asked Pooh, climbing onto the writing table.

“The Tao of Pooh,” I replied.

“The how of Pooh?” asked Pooh, smudging one of the words I had just written.

“The Tao of Pooh,” I replied, poking his paw away with my pencil.

“It seems more like the ow! of Pooh,” said Pooh, rubbing his paw.

“Well, it’s not,” I replied huffily.

“What’s it about?” asked Pooh, leaning forward and smearing another word.

“It’s about how to stay happy and calm under all circumstances!” I yelled.

“Have you read it?” asked Pooh.

Foreword, The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff.

Every time I read it: the first page cracks me up.

September 25, 2009   1 note   [ reading books quotes the tao of pooh ]

Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge…

William Zinsser, On Writing Well 30th Anniversary Edition, p38

Hee. Also: word.

August 29, 2009   [ quotes books reading ]
This week. Woo.

This week. Woo.

August 21, 2009   1 note   [ iPhone books reading music ]
August 20, 2009   1 note   [ books reading Seattle ]
August 10, 2009   [ books ]
The Reptiles
Cover for one of the nature books published by Time Life Books in the ’60s, shot with Polaroids by Patrick Tobin.
The Polaroids are so so nice. I love the placement of the logos within the frame.
(via Coudal)

The Reptiles

Cover for one of the nature books published by Time Life Books in the ’60s, shot with Polaroids by Patrick Tobin.

The Polaroids are so so nice. I love the placement of the logos within the frame.

(via Coudal)

August 4, 2009   [ via:coudal Polaroids books ]

Bait and switch

As much as I’m annoyed by Kindle samples of which fully half are tables of contents and dedications (really?), so am I annoyed with full-length books of which fully one-third is source notes and lack section/chapter demarcations in the progress bar!

I’m glaring, exhausted, at you, 1776.

The writing clearly signaled end-of-class wrapping up, but the progress bar promised another 30% to go. Then boom: acknowledgements and source notes.

August 2, 2009   1 note   [ reading books kindle ]

I wait for Henry.

Where I read The Time Traveler’s Wife:

Started it Friday night, finished it tonight. It’s been awhile since a book compelled me to read into the wee hours.

It’s quite good and it earned that ending  — I’d tell you what it reminds me of, but you should get there on your own.

August 2, 2009   2 notes   [ reading books ]

Since [1946] she has borrowed at least six books every week throughout each year and has recently increased that to about 12 volumes every seven days.

A 91-year-old Scottish woman closes in on borrinwg her 25,000th book

So awesome.

July 31, 2009   [ books reading ]
Thursday. (soon to be supplemented with Maker’s & ginger ale.)

Thursday. (soon to be supplemented with Maker’s & ginger ale.)

July 16, 2009   [ books iPhone my photos ]
Friday. Working from home. Lunch.

Friday. Working from home. Lunch.

June 26, 2009   1 note   [ iPhone my photos food books ]
Tuesday evening, addendum!

Tuesday evening, addendum!

June 23, 2009   2 notes   [ books reading my photos ]
Tuesday evening.

Tuesday evening.

June 23, 2009   3 notes   [ books reading my photos ]

The hope! The guilt! The quest for shelving!

Sarah Vowell, “Shakespeare Wrote for Money: An Introduction Found via the always awesome tiffehr.

I distilled my book collection down when I moved. The introduction of the Kindle along with the established presence of the library has begun to regrow that collection. I haven’t bothered trying to figure out the rules for downloads (Percy Jackson & The Olympians [so. fun.]), borrowing (Cormac McCarthy), and purchasing (Joseph Campbell, David Foster Wallace), but I am thoroughly enjoying navigating all avenues.

More input!

June 22, 2009   [ via:tiffehr books reading ]

Bookish.

Despite my love of reading: I get sleepy and nod off 10-20 minutes in¹, regardless of  material. Until yesterday. All told, I spent 5-6 hours reading Physics of the Impossible and never once felt Morpheus’s tug. (I finished The Soloist² on Saturday, but I was also watching a soccer game, so I had no chance to nod off.)

Got my fingers crossed this not nodding off continues.

¹ In case you wondered (hush, you did): this started in college. Not great for an English major. Oy.
² It was the trailer that got me to read the book, but now I kind of think I shouldn’t see the movie.

June 8, 2009   [ books reading ]