I just finished another Zane Grey book, Rangers of the Lone Star. I'll start another one soon. I've never read War and Peace, Tom and don't imagine I ever will.
I think that we have a fear of long books. I certainly did, but I overcame it when I had to go into hospital to have my septum reset. Knowing that I was going to be laid up for about a week, I bought a copy of James Joyce's Ulysses and settled down to read that. It was the only book I took with me and I read it. I was in my early twenties at the time and the nurses, all of a similar age, thought that I was a a most erudite and intellectual young fellow. I was in no mood to disillusion them, but whether any of that was a factor on my future reading choices, I cannot possibly say. I know that I have never been intimidated by the length of a book since...
My trouble with eating and drinking, while reading a book is that the book becomes a place mat and takes a hit once in a while. Library frowns on that.
I am reading again my old marketing book, which is kind of bible to me; Marketing without Money; Free, Cheap and Offbeat Ways for Small Business to Increase Sales, by Nicholas E. Bade.
I'm ten days into War and Peace and I'm up to 750 pages, so I'm over half way. I'm finding it a reasonably easy read. The chapters are short, so you can read snatches here and there or settle down for a longer read. I'm familiar with the characters now, which makes life easier. Something else that helps is that it is a period of history that interests me; Tolstoy mixes his fictional characters with real people, including Napoleon Bonaparte and that is a technique that I want to incorporate into the novel that I am working on. I'm not, of course, suggesting that I am a modern day Tolstoy (I wish). There is no harm, however, in picking up a few tips from people who really knew what they were doing.
Made it...War and Peace is finished. I'm quite glad that I made the above post because I can see that it took me about three weeks.
A couple of weeks ago I finished reading a recipe book. I always like stopping by the recipe section in the library to see what kind of recipe books to thumb through to get fresh ideas for the table. I browse through the astronomy section at the library too. Been busy trying to get information for my mother about irregular heart beat and trying to find knowledge about coconut oil online. Just haven't the time right now for a book
I'm having a bit of a tilt at "books I should have read by now." Having seen off War and Peace, I'm currently reading Pride and Prejudice. Despite being something of a 19th-century literature obsessive, I've read little Jane Austen. In fact, the only Austen novel I've read until now is Northanger Abbey, which I enjoyed at the time, but enjoyed even more once I'd read Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, at which Northanger Abbey pokes a little light fun.
When I was younger I read Zane Grey and War and Peace, I have not thought about re-reading them. I have read a few of my grandson's book about Greek Mythology charactors on the same story line as Harry Potter. I enjoyed the books. Recently I have been listening to books instead of reading hard copy books.
I am actually reading several books right now. I am reading a "real book" about hyperinsulinism called "Healthy For Life" by Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller. It explains in great detail how overeating of carbohydrate loaded foods can cause people to release too much insulin, which in turn causes heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer. I just borrowed a book from the Kindle lending Library called "Babylon Rising; and the First Shall Be the Last", by Rob Skiba. He has an excellent webpage about end times prophecy, and other interesting Biblical topics. I have been following his study about the Creation for the last few months, and was happy to be able to borrow this book to read also. Then, just for entertainment, I also have Zane Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage" on my Kindle app, and I read that a bit at a time in my spare time, often off of my iPhone when I am stuck waiting for something or someone.
I'm sort of re-reading Caddie Woodlawn and Black Mass, but am mainly concentrating on making my way back through (for the 3rd time, at least) the Stephanie Plum Novel series. Whenever life gets too stressful, I chill out with some Stephanie Plum, the books are easy reads, and are good for helping me mentally escape real life.
I am still reading the Book of Awakening. My wife has vision problems and I am reading to her. I have also just finished another Western story.
I started reading "Womens Murder Club" series and am on the #5 book, The 5th Horseman. I have 10 more books to read. They are by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Last book before this series was "The Longest Ride" by Nicholas Sparks. Always enjoy his books, and this was one of my favorites. Saw the movie too, and really liked it....Very Moving.
I'm taking a break from the classics I've been catching up on. I'm reading an amusing work entitled Do Not Pass Go by Tim Moore. As the title suggests, it relates to the board game Monopoly and he visited all of the locations on the (London) Monopoly board, experiencing a number of very odd escapades and people on the way. It's very funny and quite informative, too. Where else would I have learned that the name of one of London's most famous streets, Piccadilly, originates from the fact that the land near Piccadilly Circus was bought and developed by a tailor who had made his fortune from the manufacture and sale of pickadills, which were spiked metal collars that supported the ruffs that were in fashion at the time?