So, I had 15 minutes to kill yesterday on my way to a meeting, and decided to spend it in one of my most favorite ways to kill time (which sounds so unproductive and frivolous, but it doesn't feel that way): wandering Barnes and Noble. Having just spent a pretty penny on a new car (!), I knew I wasn't going to buy anything, and with only 15 minutes, it's not like I could sit down and, in one sitting, polish off the lastest Maximum Ride book (which is what I did LAST time I was "killing time"). And so I wandered.
I wish I could explain what it is about that store that makes me feel so at home. I think part of the draw is the familiar--seeing books I've read, organized in the same way, with the ever-present Starbucks and comfy chairs--and part of the draw is the unknown--the possibilities of escape and knowledge and characters that you come to know like old friends. I think I could read every minute for the rest of my life, and except for a neck cramp and an occasional need to run around or eat, I would be content.
For as wonderful as wandering is, there is also a sense of almost urgent searching, trying to find the next book. With so many choices and not enough time, where do I start? And so, I've decided to let someone else decide for me. In addition to continuing to page through the classics (Anna Karenina is next), I've decided to google the Pulitzer Prize in the hopes that some of the dirty work will have already been done, and I will be left with nothing less than a list of great possibilities. I also always take suggestions...
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