My latest obsession

I have yet to figure out a good way to keep a list of the books I've read and want to read. I tried the old fashioned way--keeping it in a journal--but I always forget to update it when I'm actually near the thing. Internet to the rescue! http://www.goodreads.com lets you keep a bookshelf of books--and label them as things you're reading, have read, or want to read. And you can rate them and see what your friends have read/rated. If you join, look me up and friend me!

Reading list

I am about two inches away from being school-work free! What a glorious feeling! As I alluded to in an earlier post, one of the best things about this time between semesters for me is regaining the ability to read for pleasure.

What is it that makes reading for a deadline/class so different? Even if I like what I'm reading for class, I find it harder to just submerge myself in it. I'm guessing it has to do with feeling the need, with school reading, to stay apart from the story enough to stay alert to why it's working, what the author's intent is, etc. Whereas with pleasure reading I can jump right into the deep end of the characters' lives and setting.

That said, here's what I plan to read in the next month, deep-end style:
* Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. (I'm 100 pages in and really enjoying it.)
* On Beauty by Zadie Smith
* What is the What by Dave Eggers
* Which Brings Me to You by Steve Almond and Juliana Baggot
* Maybe a Sue Grafton mystery thrown in there. There's nothing like breezing through a good mystery.

For my reading for the semester, I plan to make some suggestions to my mentor this time. In the past I've let them do all the suggesting because I want to be exposed to different things. But this time, I'd like to read at least two of the following:

* Later, At the Bar: A novel in stories by Rebecca Barry
* The newest Alice Munroe
* Possibly Winesburg, Ohio. I'm into the idea of reading a few collections of very linked short stories. Not that that's what I'm working on, but I like the idea.

What are you reading???

Reading question

I have the opportunity to read part of my creative writing at a thesis forum (for that other degree I'm getting that I rarely talk about). They want 15-20 minutes. How many pages would that be? Anyone know?

PS--Day one of the Purple Bracelet Challenge: Not so good. This rainy, raw weather ain't making this easy! Plus I had a hard time sleeping last night, and a harder time not complaining about it. The bracelet did make me think first beforeIM'ing my coworker about a slightly annoying situation. So, a minor victory, but I'll need to start over tomorrow.

Short story/novel suggestions?

I'm trying to think of a list of books I want to read next semester. I know I want to delve into these short story collections. Has anyone read anything lately (or in general) that they love? I'm looking for stuff that I can learn a lot from as a writer.

Brief encounters with Che Guevara: stories by Ben Fountain
The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
Something I've been meaning to tell you by Alice Munro
Something by Chekhov (suggestions welcome!)