Current Reading

Over at Comment Magazine there's a nice little article called Twelve Rules for the Bookish Life, by Doug Sikkema. It's a nice set of "rules," considering the fact that, as he says right at the start, there are no rules.

Me, I'm on the bookish side, I guess. But of course it's all relative. I know people who read a lot more than I do, and people who own a lot more books. My current reading goal (or one of them) is to read all the as yet unread books that have been sitting on my shelves for years. In most cases, I then drop them off in one of those "little free libraries" that have popped up around town. This amounts to a very slow de-cluttering. Unlike many bookish people I know, I have no problem letting go of books.

Just now I'm reading three books.

• Simply Good News, by N. T. Wright. This is the book that occupies my morning and evening commute. Wright is one of my favorite authors, and this one scratches where I itch. 
• The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien. I haven't read Tolkien in years, so this represents a return to an old love. This is my rocking chair in the evening book. The thought occurs to me that Tolkien's Middle-Earth is the greatest artistic creation of the 20th century. 
• Wait Till Next Year, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Reading this book satisfies two of my reading goals. First, it's one of those that's been in my collection for years. Second, I like to read at least one baseball-related book per year, especially around late winter, early spring. I'll fit this in somehow.

Needless to say, I love all three of these books (so far). I wouldn't be reading them otherwise. I'm in full agreement with Doug's rule about not feeling obligated to finish every book you start. Read on only if you want to. You may decide the book just rots, in which case, mine go directly to the "little free library" in front of the cafe down the street. Life's too short to be reading sucky books.