Some of the changes I've made in my life in the new year have allowed me to do more of something I really enjoy: reading.
Here are some brief thoughts on what I've been reading.
. There are a lot of how to make money on the Internet books out there, but this really combines the best of all worlds. Chris Guillebeau outlines a project that is intensely do-able. Be consistent, be honest, and don't promise things before you're sure you can deliver.
This is also a great guide to changing existing habits or creating new ones.
. turned me onto the works of Tim Dorsey. Dorsey's hero, Serge Storms, is a wacky hobbyist-slash-sleuth-slash-homicidal maniac. Everything I've read is hysterical, fun and downright enjoyable. I'm not even going to bother summarizing the plot for you; just go grab some Dorsey and unwind.
. I'm in the middle of this on audiobook. recommended it to me when we decided we were getting a dog, and she talked me into trying the audiobook (which is great, because I can listen to it while I'm walking Rufus). I love the narration, I love that I don't need light or to pause to read it, and I love the book.
Narrated by a dog on the eve of his euthanizing, the novel is about Enzo's family, from living with Denny – a race car driver known for his ability to drive in the rain – to Denny's meeting his wife Eve and having their daughter Zoe, to Eve's brain cancer and more.
Garth Stein's Enzo is convinced that dogs are closer to humans than chimps are, and he puts up a good argument.
. Steven Pressfield, an accomplished novelist, screenwriter, and probably something else, too, wrote this outline to completing a project. It walks you through the outlining process, the self-doubt, the crash when something goes horribly wrong, and the push to ship your product. This is a quick, easy read, and I highly recommend it, even if you don't have a major project on tap.
. Steve Martin is best known as a comic actor, and a really good one at that. But he's a great literary novelist, too, and this Manhattan art-world story focused on our protagonist, Lacey Yeager, is a great read.
We meet Lacey in art school, and follow her through her first job at Sotheby's, at a private gallery, and then into gallery ownership.
Your turn: What are you reading these days?
Whoa, a Serge story without Coleman? I’d heard there were a couple but I hadn’t gotten to one yet, so I guess I’ll have to try to find this one. Otherwise, nice progress on your year; me, I’ve got nothing.
Mitch,
Serge has a similar sidekick in this one, just going by a different name. There’s a great reclusive author character, too. More plot turns than others I’ve read, and the story-telling is a bit more advanced.