My almost-reads

I read this article in Slate today about famous writers and all the phantom books they're constantly chasing and well-intending to read.

I am NOTORIOUS for this. While I can't say that I experience guilt about it, I do walk by my dresser and see books here and there, spines half-bent, stories halted until I pull the covers back...and sigh. For some reason, I'm stuck with these few gems:

The Idiot - by Doestoevsky. I am paused, probably 170 pages into this sucker, and now I think I'll have to start back at the beginning if I get back around to reading it. His writing is poignant, beautiful and I loved every bit of it, but my mind struggles with remembering the names of 100 characters with very Russian names. I also started this when the weather was beautiful and my mind was distracted. He's an author you cozy through the winter with...in a blizzard...when you're in bed with a 2-week flu...and you can't sleep.

The Bible. My feeling on reading the Bible is rather similar to my life approach. I sort of take what I like and hang out there, and forget about the rest. I do feel like I SHOULD know what all is in THE book I base my faith on, I just don't know that God wants me feeling all guilty for not reading Judges when he can speak so prophetically to me through the Psalms. And I also know that I won't be doing a 365 day Bible reading program anytime soon...so this one is probably a life's goal.

The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. Willard is brilliant, but I needed a break after each section to process it since there's so much there. I'll get through it in about 4 years and will feel like I've attended college - my brain will be more enriched, but damn...did it have to be that long?

Other books that I am convinced no one should feel guilty for not reading:
Beowulf (single-handly responsible for my abandoning and English major)

Gaiwan and the Green Knight

Anything by Milton,

Authors who think they're brilliant when they're just abstract (ahem, Dave Eggers).

I see no need to elaborate here. I just think that life's too full of fantastic literature for you to suffer through something you hate.

Dear readers, leave your thoughts in the comments, won't you? It might give me something else to feel guilty about.