It's been just about a month since my last book post. No worries, I am still reading. While it was already flagging, my 2008 Reading Challenge took a big hit with the Europe trip and I have already made peace that this year's goal will not be met... but more on that later.
Can you look back to the past and find a decision that forever changed your life? Arguably these things happen every day, but there are some things that are bigger than others. For me, I can only think back to well over a decade ago, when I first met Todd... or should I say didn't meet him. This non-meeting (we saw each other, just never talked) is now a pretty comical part of our past - but how would our lives been different if either one of us decided not to try again? Places lived, pets owned, wonderful vacations, World Series, a big event this coming August (we just filed for paperwork and I am totally paranoid, so I'm shushing for the interim)... and thousands upon thousands of other things... it just staggers the mind!
Such is the case as we meet Irina McGovern in Lionel Shriver's The Post-Birthday World -- an American-born children's book illustrator living in London with her long-time partner Lawrence. Each year, they meet up with another couple, one of Irina's colleagues Jude to celebrate her husband's birthday -- Ramsey Acton, a rock-star in the world of snooker (to oversimplify it, a form of billiards). Irina and Jude have a falling out and Jude and Ramsey eventually split, but Irina and Lawrence still keep alive the tradition of celebrating Ramsey's birthday. One year, Lawrence is away on a business trip on the day but Irina, somewhat reluctantly, decides to meet Ramsey for his birthday dinner. After an alcohol-laden dinner, Ramsey invites Irina back to his place for a little conversation and pot-smoking. Irina finds herself attracted to Ramsey and compelled to kiss him... and we reach the moment. To kiss or not to kiss?
Fortunately for us readers, we get to see how both scenarios play out as Shriver (btw, a female) skillfully, and often delightfully, gives us alternating chapters of Irina's life had she been spontaneous and kissed Ramsey or thought better not to jeopardize her content, but overly complacent relationship with Lawrence. Irina is sort of re-born after the kiss, but in the long-term was it a wise decision? And even in not kissing Ramsey, Irina's relationship with Lawrence changes as feelings of regret and resentment start to surface. Some things in Irina's life are quite different - while other times the reader gets to see Irina in very similar life situations, but from a very different perspective, based on this one decision.
It may sound all a bit gimmicky (somewhat of a trend in my reading selections this year), but Shriver - an already acclaimed author, handles it all quite well. The book caught my attention by making several "best of 2007" lists - including Time and Entertainment Weekly, where it was named the #1 fiction book of the year - while I've haven't been quite blown away with my reading selections thus far this year, even if I was... I still imagine Post-Birthday will be competing for a similar lofty spot on my year-end "best of" reading list.
As you will see below and as noted above, my 2008 reading challenge is on a downward spiral. With another solid block of travel ahead and coupled with normal (and unavoidable) non-reading days, I am quite confident my goal to read 12,345 pages is well out of reach. That said, I am not disappointed or discouraged. My little tracker spreadsheet shows, even including nearly a month's worth of non-reading days so far this year, that I am still averaging over 28 pages read/day... which ain't too shabby... granted still more leisurely than last year, but reading should be done leisurely and not sped through for the sake of reaching a number, which I will admit is/was a feeling that crept up every now and then since I started these challenges. That said, it's still a motivation (I already have a tentative "plan b" goal)... so I'll keep on tracking.
2008 1-2-3-4-5 Reading Challenge: + 517 Pages (Total: 3,991 pages - Finished: 5/8/2008)
-473 pages ahead of pace (-293 change in pace since last book).
OK, I just did a search of your book archives and didn't see anything by David Sedaris. Did I miss it or have you never read anything by him? If you haven't read any of his books, I strongly recomend "Me Talk Pretty One Day" Its laugh out loud funny. So is "Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim" He has a new book out now, "When You Are Engulfed In Flames". I just got it yesterday and most likely won't be able to touch it until this weekend. Im sure it'll be worth the wait. Even the liner notes cracked me up.
August? Do you have to go to Califofnia for it?
Posted by: Scot | Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:06 AM
I just finished "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. It was a bit gimmicky as well, but knowing your love for our four legged friends I think you should pick it up. It's gimmick is that the book is narrated by Enzo, the dog, from his point of view. It is not long and an easy read. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion.
Joanna
Posted by: Joanna | Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 07:16 AM