Resolutions (+ a "piffle" renaissance)
I will not buy any new books in 2006.
Now, okay, yeah: I did just buy a book at Barnes & Noble. And, if all goes well, I'll be receiving this and this on Thursday. But the Stendahl was purchased with a Barnes & Noble gift card I received in 2005, and I bought the two lovely hardbacks in 2005 as well. But once those guys arrive, that's it. I'm done. Fineto.
I have wished every day for the past two weeks that both Zach and I were functionally illiterate. In packing up for the move (coming up this Sunday) (as in, in 6 days) (as in, we're never going to be packed), the bulk of our boxes have been books. And books are heavy. And bulky. And while I love them the way a fat kid loves cake, I don't love lugging them with me. Eventually, I hope, Zach and I will stop with the moving like we're cool enough to be gypsies and then we won't have to move our books again. 'Course, that will require one or both of us to have more than $0 between us. And we'll have to live somewhere that isn't paved in pure gold the way the D.C. area apparently is. And diamond encrusted. And unicorns.
Have I mentioned that our shitty two-bedroom apartment in Rockville (I'm not buying into this North Bethesda mishigas) is selling for $550,000. Plus condo fees?
But I digress.
So I'm not buying any more new books, and my plan is then to actually read the books I do own. And write about them. I'm not optimistic enough to think I can achieve something like 50 books in a year; I'll be happy with 2 a month. I'll also be surprised at 2 a month. Some stuff I write just for me, like this: I can totally do two books a month if I commit to reading during my lunch. That was a little peek into the workings of the steel trap that is my mind.
I'm starting 2006 with Stendahl's The Red and the Black. I own two other editions because I have a sickness. I own multiple editions of many of my books. I also own several of the same edition. Fortunately, I don't have to answer to you; I don't have to answer to anyone. However, as far as The Red and the Black goes, I think this edition is my favorite because of this note:
"This little disclaimer...is pure piffle."
Hi, did you see that? He totally hauled out an unironic "piffle." And it felt real good I bet. Which is why that's my other resolution for this 2006th year: I'm going to bring about a piffle renaissance. So keep your eyes glued to the "Hot in 2006" list. If my 'blog isn't on them, the word "piffle" definitely will be.
Now, okay, yeah: I did just buy a book at Barnes & Noble. And, if all goes well, I'll be receiving this and this on Thursday. But the Stendahl was purchased with a Barnes & Noble gift card I received in 2005, and I bought the two lovely hardbacks in 2005 as well. But once those guys arrive, that's it. I'm done. Fineto.
I have wished every day for the past two weeks that both Zach and I were functionally illiterate. In packing up for the move (coming up this Sunday) (as in, in 6 days) (as in, we're never going to be packed), the bulk of our boxes have been books. And books are heavy. And bulky. And while I love them the way a fat kid loves cake, I don't love lugging them with me. Eventually, I hope, Zach and I will stop with the moving like we're cool enough to be gypsies and then we won't have to move our books again. 'Course, that will require one or both of us to have more than $0 between us. And we'll have to live somewhere that isn't paved in pure gold the way the D.C. area apparently is. And diamond encrusted. And unicorns.
Have I mentioned that our shitty two-bedroom apartment in Rockville (I'm not buying into this North Bethesda mishigas) is selling for $550,000. Plus condo fees?
But I digress.
So I'm not buying any more new books, and my plan is then to actually read the books I do own. And write about them. I'm not optimistic enough to think I can achieve something like 50 books in a year; I'll be happy with 2 a month. I'll also be surprised at 2 a month. Some stuff I write just for me, like this: I can totally do two books a month if I commit to reading during my lunch. That was a little peek into the workings of the steel trap that is my mind.
I'm starting 2006 with Stendahl's The Red and the Black. I own two other editions because I have a sickness. I own multiple editions of many of my books. I also own several of the same edition. Fortunately, I don't have to answer to you; I don't have to answer to anyone. However, as far as The Red and the Black goes, I think this edition is my favorite because of this note:
"This little disclaimer...is pure piffle."
Hi, did you see that? He totally hauled out an unironic "piffle." And it felt real good I bet. Which is why that's my other resolution for this 2006th year: I'm going to bring about a piffle renaissance. So keep your eyes glued to the "Hot in 2006" list. If my 'blog isn't on them, the word "piffle" definitely will be.
posted by Mike at 6:26 PM
3 Comments:
Good luck with not buying any books. I made the same resolution for 2006---and I did the same sneaky "order it in 2005 to be delivered in 2006" and I'm looking into other loopholes (If I submit a review of the book, can I buy it? What if I audit a course, you know, for personal development? Can I buy a book then?). Mostly because I suffer from the same afflictions of moving way too many books (you would have thought that losing 26 kilos of books in transit would have taught me a lesson) and owning multiple versions of the same book.
There's a "piffle" renaissance going on in Britain. BBC TV is devoting a six-part documentary to it (and other such etymological marvels) in a series called Balderdash and Piffle. Should you decide to pick up a Smollett or Trollope (The Way We Pee Now, indeed), I'd be happy to share the experience with you. Cheers, Harry (aka Peregrine Piffle)
I don't know. The BBC probably based its piffle documentary off shoddy Oxford scholarship -- the way they do. What's needed is a probing History Channel expose, like the one they did on "Angels: Good or Evil?" and "Nostrodamus: Eerie, isn't it, how much he got right?"
That's some rigorous intellect right there.
(PS: Thanks for getting the very weak Trollope reference. Some things I do just for me; it's nice when it's also for some others as well.)
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