December 20, 2015, Sunday evening -- Reading Anthony Powell

In Helena, Montana


He is reading A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring, by Anthony Powell.  We were sitting in the kitchen at the tail-end of a party, and out comes the book. It's always a good idea to have a book when the party slows down. He read us selections aloud when we asked.

One of his favorite books is Sheldon Jacob's Guide To Successful No-Load Fund Investing, by Sheldon Jacobs, Lawrence Solomon, and Layne T. Aurand.

December 17, 2015, Thursday evening -- Reading Kahlil Gibran

At a taqueria in the Mission District

He is reading The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. His grandmother gave it to him a few years ago and he gave it to his cousin, who carries it with him all the time. This is a copy he got to replace the one he gave to his cousin.

Something good he's read recently is Tales of Power, by Carlos Castaneda. It's about an apprenticeship with a shaman. He said it was really trippy and it blew his mind.

December 10, 2015, Thursday evening -- Reading Molly Crabapple

Waiting for friends on a rainy night

Sometimes this blog is hard to keep up because I don't always feel like talking to strangers, but after I caught a glimpse of the lovely red inky illustrations within the text of the book, I couldn't help myself. She is reading Drawing Blood, a memoir by Molly Crabapple, an illustrator she likes and follows on Twitter.

One of the best books she's read lately has been The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, which is about books, and love.

December 6, 2015, Sunday afternoon -- Reading John Wyndham

Reading before a piece of pie

She is reading Chocky, by John Wyndham. She said that the book is Sci Fi, but also a book about families.  The family is concerned about a child having an imaginary friend, but the friend may not be imaginary.

Her partner, who is sitting across the table from her, is going to read it after she finishes. They have so many books at home, they said, that they are thinking about stacking them up like a table (tables?) and putting a surface over it/them.

A good book she's read recently is 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami. She said it was pretty phenomenal and that she thinks Murakami is one of the best contemporary authors.