![]() ![]() But sometimes after I started to read them, I got distracted by other books, so they returned to the shelf for that imaginary, later period. That’s how I got to know (and read) Dostoyevsky, Marquez, Dickens, Bulgakov, Silverberg, Dumas, Machiavelli, and many others. But when I actually retired, some years ago - only semi-retired, however - I found I had very little extra time on my hands, what with socializing, gardening, housework, dog and cat care, shopping, some freelance work, committee activities, writing, playing music, coffee with friends, online gaming, and so on.īack in the 1970s and ’80s, I was heavily influenced in my reading by friends who discovered authors and titles sooner, then introduced me to them. For decades, I’ve collected books (let’s not call it hoarding, as if these were rolls of toilet paper) and put them aside to read “when I retired” as I kept telling myself. The nature of our current solitude offers new possibilities to tackle some longer, more demanding works. I do not want to impose my tastes on anyone, but I do have some suggestions, one in particular. ![]() Stay home, read a book! yells everyone, but how am I to know which book I need amidst this din of suggestions that often seem like just another attempt to impose one’s own identity and tastes onto someone else?Ī sentiment I don’t agree with: to me, every book suggestion is an opportunity to discover a new author, a new subject, a new way of expression. Blogger/editor Sara Reggiani, writing from Italy in Life in Quarantine, asked, plaintively, The social-distancing period can become not just a burden, but a great opportunity for immersing yourself in books.īut with so many choices, what should I read, you ask. Trying for some, but it’s the perfect time to catch up on your reading, to explore new authors, to discover the contentment of a comfortable chair, a cup of tea, and a novel. With every responsible, mature adult practicing social distancing and self-isolation these days, it means spending lots of time at home, alone or within the small family unit. ![]()
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