March 29, 2005

A Book A Day, That's All We Ask

Rick Gekoski's idea of bliss involves reading a book a day. He's a Man Booker judge for 2005. And with 130 titles to read in five or six months, the real question here is how much is too much. And is Gekoski the intelligensia's answer to Harriet Klausner? (via Bookninja)

Posted by DrMabuse at March 29, 2005 04:05 PM
Comments

I've actually set myself the task of reading a book a day this year in the hopes of enriching my life as a novelist. Since I was 10 - 32 years ago - I've averaged 100-250 books a year, but I opted this year for the book-a-day approach, because I do think it will help me better define what kind of novelist I want to be. So far in 2005, I've read 98 books. OK, it's official: I'm a geek!

Posted by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted at March 30, 2005 07:57 AM

Lauren: 98 books! Wow! That's exceptionally admirable. I average around 90-130 books a year, a good deal of them dense, ambitious and literary. But while I probably couldn't live without books, the idea of devoting my entire life to literature, without so much as a nice bicycle ride on a partially clouded day or a good meal or a fantastic show or some strange new experience (like learning how to construct a homemade snare drum or something), would probably also stop me in my tracks. It's all about balance. :)

Posted by: Ed at March 30, 2005 09:19 AM

Ed, I am crappy at maintaining balance, which is why I am no good on a bike. I actually only plan on keeping this up for the one year. Then I'll go back to, er, normal.

Posted by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted at March 30, 2005 03:20 PM

Courage, dear Lauren. Courage. You have it in you to find the balance that works for you. :)

Posted by: Ed at March 30, 2005 09:31 PM

That's enCOURAGEing! But, you know, me being me, balance will probably never happen. Anyway, I'd asked on someone else's blog yesterday if the "brownie" is named for the Brown University study that exposed what some of us have long suspected without actually counting the numbers: that the NYTBR skews to the testes. Regardless, you certainly are championing a subject close to my heart. Just yesterday I was saying I'd like to organize a Million Chick March on the NYTBR's editorial offices.

Posted by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted at March 31, 2005 03:56 AM