What’s the point of making a to-be-read plan, but leaving most of the list unread in the end. I knew I was not going to follow the list anyway. When it turned out just as I predicted, I felt vindicated of my own wisdom. “Knowing yourself, that’s knowledge.” An ancient sage once said, the definition of sage being one who can’t shut up even after death. Instead of the to-be-read list, I should have drafted a maybe-read list.
I tend to project myself reading more serious books, but it ends up I usually replace those serious beneficial books with non-serious useless entertaining ones.
“We’re Going to Need More Wine” by Gabrielle Union. I didn’t know who the author is until I looked her up in Wikipedia. And then I received an email telling me that I belong to the small percentage of people who donated money to the encyclopedia website last year and I was asked to repeat what I did. So I donate a little money. I feel too guilty not to since I use it to look up things a lot. Even for a very short paragraph, I may encounter things I want to verify. So I obviously use it too often. She is Dwyane Wade’s wife. Dwyane Wade looks familiar. So I looked it up and realized that I must have watched him play basketball during the several months of my Jeremy Lin fever.
At the second half of the book, it is said she played Christen in one of the episodes of “Friends”, in which Ross and Joey compete for the attention of Christen, a new tenant who moved into the neighborhood. Christen is so cute. I can’t believe she has issues with her own image. She’s too cute to have such a problem, no matter what color she is. I mean she can be of green or blue color and everybody will be stunned by her beauty. I guess Hollywood is a depressing place. Living among all those super beautiful people, it is easy to feel one’s not good enough.
“Interior Chinatown” by Charles Yu. The beginning and the ending are great, language almost as good as those in the best books. I like most of the book, except when it talks about accent. I can understand the sentiment of Asians who are born and raised in America, though I don’t have the same view. Born and raised in Asia and came to America in my 20s, I don’t feel that I am invisible, even if I am probably truly invisible.
“The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia” by Peter Hopkirk. It is such a good book, but as it is very loyal to historical facts and less loyal to narrative drama, many parts of the book seem to be rather tedious. Still, on the whole, it paints a good picture of Central Asia in the second half of the 19th century. Unfortunately a map is needed for this audible book, preferably with a list of all the people showing up. I can’t agree with the author in the way that he calls every Asian ruler despot as if the Victorian England is enviably enlightened. Can an empire on which the sun never sets be ruled by enlightened ideas without subduing its unwilling subjects? Is that even possible?
“Influencer” by Brittany Hennessy. It is all new to me. I don’t even know such a thing even exist. I know about Kardashians, but I thought she’s an exception rather than a norm. I am totally wrong. Influencer is a profession and a career.
“You Are (A Comedy) Special” by Maria Bamford. This book feels like a prologue to a real book this comedian is writing. I am all for female comedians. Whenever they come up with a book, I will want to have it. I like women’s humor, which is distinctly different from men’s.
Not Read Yet. “Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir” by Amy Tan
I hope this book is as fun to read as “Joy Luck Club”, and the first several pages gives me the hope that it’s probably better. It ends up
Not Read Yet. “Camus and Sartre: The Story of a Friendship and the Quarrel that Ended It” by Ronald Aronson
I don’t believe Simone de Beauvoir nags Camus and pesters him for love. Camus is not suitable for her. Even I, from 70 years away, can see that. I am sure she can see it too.
Reading 30%. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
I like “Even The Stars Look Lonesome”, which is part poetry part prose–my favorite format. I am expecting this book to be better. I expect it to be part better poetry part better prose.
Not Read Yet. “Great Brand Blunders: Marketing Mistakes, Social Media Fiascos, Classic Brand Failures…and How to Avoid Making Your Own” by Rob Gray
I haven’t had time to read this one, but I really want to. Marketing is as much a wild jungle as everything else in this world. Haha.
Haoyan Do 