I Can Read!

I’ve been having a love affair with books lately.

Not that I ever stopped loving them, but getting caught up in the 24/7 Tilt-A-Whirl of the internets will put that love of page and paper on the backburner indefinitely. I’d look at my books and think, ‘There’s not enough tiiiime!’ and then go sit in front of my computer for three mind-numbing hours. You know, watching YouTube videos. Squealing at zooborns. Reading nerd-related crap. Tweeting. Slagging off, basically.

My gateway back to books was The New Yorker. Yeah, I know, that’s not a book — but it’s not US Weekly, either. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve also bought some interesting books for my coffee table, since it was crying for new titles. Yes, my furniture emotes.

Here’s a few of my favorites:

The L.L. Bean Game & Fish Cookbook (Angus Cameron + Judith Jones)

Finally, a cookbook for all the big game I’ve got lying around. Remember that antelope I shot, or the bear I killed with my own bare hands? They’ll be marinated in no time! And who wouldn’t love Squirrel Cobbler, or Raccoon Pie? Without a doubt, this is the most resourceful cookbook I have ever read. The Esq likes it, too! “It’s pretty rad we have a cookbook with actual dolphin recipes in it,” said he. And sharks. And muskrats. And musk ox, woodchuck, caribou, beaver. I’m probably going to stick to the ‘fresh fish’ section.

The Superior Person’s Book of Words (Peter Bowler)

If you’re not sure what the words quim or zugzwang mean, Peter Bowler thinks you’re an Inferior Person. I don’t think you’re inferior; I just assume you’re not acquainted with female genitalia slang or combinatorial game theory. But guess who is? Peter Bowler. Superior!

The New Yorker Album of Art & Artists (The New Yorker)

This one has art in it. From The New Yorker.

Speaking of, I’ve read some of the most inspiring, insane, delicious, hysterical, informative stories in that magazine lately. And one isn’t easy to get through. You think it’s going to be fine, like a normal publication, with ads you ignore and articles you skip to get to the good stuff, i.e.; photos of what Team Edward ate for breakfast. Instead, I’ve been glued to every article whether the subject appealed or not; whatever the angle, it has always engaged. And now I have stacks and stacks of them — thanks to hoarding Arturo! — to throw onto my bed and swim around in, naked. (They’re the closest thing I have to cash.)

If you have any book recommendations — of the non-coffee table variety — leave a comment or shoot me an email. I’m also fixing to start a book club where I’m the scary dictator who makes you read and learn and eat cake, yay! If you’re far away but interested, I’m going to make it accessible online — though not the cake, sorry — so let me know if you’d like to be dictated to. Doesn’t that sound lovely?