Leisure Reading
Joelle said in the early morning on April 7, 2008
I love to read. Growing up, I was a voracious reader and spent most of my summers and weekends at the library, participating in their kids’ book clubs and sneaking reads at books far beyond my years. At 8 I was asked to do a book report on a biography and I chose Betty Grable
I don’t get to read as much as I’d like these days and I haven’t read fiction in years. In fact, I’m struggling to recall the last bit of total fiction I’ve read. Sure, I’ve read a bunch of essays by David Sedaris
The last book I bought was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Not only was I swayed by the beautiful and creative cover when I spotted it in Target, but I saw Oprah’s episodes with Elizabeth Gilbert as a guest. She was so down-to-earth, so funny and charming that I sensed that in an alternate universe, I might have cocktails with this woman. She seemed like the type of woman you could cut up with, have a laugh. She wasn’t all Zen or holier-than-thou… she was just a 30-something chick from New York, like someone I would be friends with.
I picked up the book when I was in Target, but it’s taken me a few months to read it. It’s good, I’m really digging her writing style because it’s conversational and, as I said, she sounds like people I would know. I love that it’s divided into three parts: Italy (the pleasure section of the book, which I thoroughly loved), India (the spiritual/yoga section of the book, which despite it’s new-agey subject matter she managed to write in a way that was accessible and not a turn-off) and the part I’m reading now, Indonesia, where she learns to blend the two aspects of life… pleasure and discipline. I love yoga, but hadn’t explored too much of the spiritual aspect of it because I don’t consider myself a religious person and generally avoid things that involve religion. Her stories helped me see that the meditation aspect of yoga doesn’t have to be all “touchy-feely soft-focus sisters of the woodlands"… it can just be, which was a new concept to me.
Why has it taken me so long to read this book? It’s not like it’s War and Peace. Well, because I keep it in the loo. 
Like I said, I rarely get a chance to just sit quietly and read, as much as I enjoy it. My brain starts thinking of all the other things I should be doing (like work), so I have a hard time concentrating on my reading for too long. (Gee, maybe I should work on that meditation...) The short essays/chapters make for convenient… um… leisure reading.
So, I’m curious… what do you keep in the bathroom, as far as reading materials? C’mon, just about everyone keeps magazines or catalogs or joke books or trivia or spank mags or something in the bathroom. What’s yours?
* Before anyone can get their jollies correcting me, I had “Gatling gun” up there earlier and it’d been bothering me for hours. I knew it wasn’t right and while in the kitchen making toast, I suddenly exclaimed, “Tommy gun!” So there you go.
Moxie Design Studios™
from Portland, OR
I don’t keep anything in the bathroom to read-I’ve never understood that ( guess my uh, innards work quickly!) and think it’s kinda gross. People leave magazines in a plastic container in the restrooms here at work and there’s no way I would touch them. Why would anyone want to hold a magazine that someone else held while taking a crap?
from Virginia Beach, VA • Cocktail: Calypso Cooler
I used to keep gossip magazines and crime encyclopedias (like mafia a-z or serial killers a-z, I am a weirdo like that), but I actually do not keep anything anymore. When you have two small children, you are lucky if you get even two minutes alone in the bathroom.
Nine times out of ten, when I get in there, I no sooner sit down when I hear one of them yell “Mom, were are you?” and within seconds, they just barge in, or stand outside questioning you. Never a moments peace.
from Phoenix, AZ
I can’t keep “real” books in the bathroom because I’ll never come out! I usually have a copy of the most current “The Week” and we have a selection of John Bathroom Reader books.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for months and still have yet to read it, I need to get to it!
About yoga - I am an avid yoga-practicing Atheist so I’m very curious what this book has to say.
from Portland, OR
Oh and BTW-thanks for the review of the book-I’d been wondering if it was worth the hype or not . . . . I’ll check it out.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@jules: haha! You know, I’ve never really considered the “gross” factor, but… huh. I suppose you’re right… kind of. I don’t know! It’s so commonplace, I’ve not thought about that. *overthinks* To anyone I’ve ever lent books to: whatever you’re reading didn’t come from the can. I’m more of a magazine girl. But seriously, magazines at work in the bathroom? C’mon now… And you’re welcome for the review.
@Jenn: haha! Like I said, I’m more of a magazine girl, but even so… it’s not like I’m hanging out in there like Al Bundy. haha! In the minute or so I’m there, I can read a few pages or a few paragraphs… I’m with you on the yoga-practicing atheist bit. Except, I suppose I’m more agnostic in that I believe in the whole energy of everything, connected by energy, etc. Sort of a scientific spirituality, I guess. Then there’s that whole layer of quantum physics that hurts my brain, but all-in-all I’m with you. Yoga is awesome and I need to get more consistent with my practice. I seriously need a class in remedial meditation because I have no clue how to shut my brain down. She explains a bit in her book how it’s not about clearing your mind, it’s about letting your mind wander freely, which was more enticing to me. My mind… she wanders. lol.
@soapbox: I remember as a kid talking to my mom when she was in the bathroom. The poor woman may have wanted just a moment’s peace. haha! Sorry, Mom.
Entertainment Weekly. And I rarely get through it in a week! I guess I’m a quick in and quick out type as well.
from Albany, NY
“I can tell you that I don’t like frou-frou “period” works or bodice-rippers of any variety).”
Thank you!
I sort mail and read catalogues in the bathroom (after-work habit: check mail box, go potty). Although I was once complemented on my copy of Atlas Shrugged. lol.
We keep magazines in the bathroom. Fashion mags for me, computer mags for the hubs. We also have one of those great history books of the San Gabriel Valley, but usually I have enough magazines to keep me busy. That plus I don’t really spend all that much time in there when I’m in there.
from Tulsa, OK
When I’m reading a book it generally travels throughout the house with me, including the bathroom.
That said, I’m actually on Chapter 12 of The IT Girls Guide to Blogging with Moxie right now. So, uh, yeah, it’s actually YOUR book (and Kathy’s) that I’ve been taking into the john with me.
Love it, by the way.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@Jenny: HAHA! I’m so proud our book has made it to the john!
I’m also happy to hear you’re enjoying it. Thanks for reading!
I’m not saying I do keep reading material in the bathroom, but if I did, hypothetically, it would be Reader’s Digest. Short articles, light reading, perfect bathroom reading.
from cloudy san diego
HA! Reader’s Digest is a good one! Since cutting way back on my mag subscriptions I don’t keep anything in the loo. If reading is “required” for any reason I’ll take junk mail or a newspaper. Easy, quick, rip out an ad or coupon then recycle the rest.
creepy flashback- a guy I dated in college had 3 other guy roomies and their place was full of girlie mags. One day I saw a Vicky’s Secret in the bathroom and thought “hey new cute panties to buy” and quickly realized it’s icky stickiness. did not touch. gross!
from Los Angeles
I work in a bookstore part-time (yes, I’ve successfully recommended a couple of copies of your book—you can send my $0.03 commission later). If you’re looking for good reads, I can think of several that top my list. Check out Dave Eggers’ “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.” A little heavy but a great read. Witty and sad at the same time. And, I may be in the minority here, but I loved Steve Martin’s “The Pleasure of My Company.” I’m not a raving Steve Martin fanatic but that book was immensely better than any of his movies. I laughed all the way through it. Twice. His other book, “Shopgirl,” was a dud though. And that’s the one they chose to adapt into a movie. Go figger. I like Tom Robbins too. But he may be a little strange for some people. My favorite of his is “Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates.”
Dude...my “library” is over two feet high, stacked on the tank of the shitter. It incudes (but is not limited to):
- Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
- Nickled and Dimed (Barbara Ehrenreich)
- A couple of Sandman trades (Neil Gaiman)
- The first four Invisibles trades (Grant Morrison)
- The Mexican Pet (a collection of urban legends)
- The Psychology of Harry Potter
- Haunted (Chuck Palahniuk)
- Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)
- Two Lush catalogs
- The Complete Encyclopedia of Symbols
There’s more, but I can’t really remember it all. I eat plenty of fiber.
from Albany, NY
remind me never to use the loo at macgeezel’s place. I’d be in there for hours. And probably since forgotten my need to pee in the first place. (i’ve been known to have friends come knocking after getting caught up in “The Zombie Survival Guide” and “The Worst Case Scenario”
from Michigan
I am a huge Sedaris fan and have finally read Running With Scissors by Augusten Boroughs. He is not nearly as good as Sedaris, but he’s really interesting and clever. It was a good read...good enough that I just ordered Dry!
I recently read Some Fun by Antonya Nelson which I loved. Her style is really great and her perspective is really interesting. I also recently read Rabbit Run by John Updike, which many people say is a man’s author, but I thought the book was really interesting. You can see the kind of books I like to read...books about people lives. Whether fiction or not, I like books that are like looking through the picture windows into their living rooms.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@Tina: Ooo! These are great recommendations. I’ve always wanted to read Running with Scissors, but I was afraid of all the “cool factor” of it. Like “Is this going to be one of those books that all the cool kids say is great, but bores the crap out of me?” But if you like Sedaris and you liked Scissors, then I think I’ll give it a go!
@macgeezel: That does not shock me at all. In fact, when I was writing this, I thought of you. haha!
@Darren: thank you for pimping us!
I’m a sci-fi fan. I just finished the Ringworld series (1 through 4) by Larry Niven, and now I’m going to move on to the Neandertal Parallax series (3 books in there). So, yeah, my reading habits and my television/movie habits are in sync. Sci-fi til I die!
from Michigan
Scissors is good but not great. I mean, its incredible but a lot of that is because its true, you know? It is definitely enjoyable and you want to keep reading, but he’s not the writer Sedaris is, I don’t think. So, good, but not great. Enjoy!
from NE Arkansas
I used to be the biggest romance novel reader in history. I admit to still having a few Johnna Lindsey novels and one Jude Devereaux novel (she had one with a chubby heroine, so I keep it) still around.
I can’t say that I read for anything other then enjoyment. I am the biggest fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. They are a hoot.
I then got into Maryjanice Davidson’s Queen Betsy series (vampire books...yea, I know). I really liked them at first but the last two have kind of disappointed me. At any rate, the first couple are fun reads and have great humor.
So, after reading Queen Betsy I got into another vampire series written by an author from my home state. They aren’t necessarily filled with humor, but have some and the mysteries are what hold me. Those are the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Her Harper Connolly series is awesome, too (no vampires, LOL).
See...kind of just fluff. I always check out the bargain tables at Books a Million and Barnes and Noble. They have kind of let me down with the last few. But I did find Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz and it was great. I enjoyed Feast of Love by Charles Baxter (haven’t yet seen the movie).
This is probably too much, huh? I’ve been consuming books of late. I’ll shut up for now.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@Christy: you know, I’ll tell my friend Nikki about those vampire books. She’s gotten into them lately… thanks!
from Charlotte, NC
Entertainment Weekly magazine. My husband is always current, but I am 4 weeks behind because of my OCD. I have to read it cover to cover.
from san diego
The last two fiction books I read, and LOVED, were:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Both are SOOO good! I still hae TTF if you want to borrow it. Seriously, it’s GOOD!
reading!
okay so I was going to do a blog on books I’ve been reading and love after reading a post by Joelle, and I was going to say – look at my reading plug in on the right to see some of what I’ve read. But I changed designs and didnR...