I started 2008 reading like a maniac. I took down 10 books in the first month and figured making a new years resolution to read 52 books would be a resolution that even I could keep. Then February hit and my reading slowed down exponentially. We are one day away from the end of the month (and that is only because we are graced with a leap year this year) and I have only finished 3 more books. I still think I can make the 52 goal, but I'm going to have to step it up (or get back into graphic novels).
A few weeks ago I asked my internet world for some book recommendations as I was struggling to find something that was capable of wisking me away from the horrendous Chicago winter we are in. Schmidlap came through with Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash - even promised to reimburse me my purchase price if I wasn't hooked in 50 pages. Sounded like a good bet to me - with little to no risk involved.
So I headed down to my local independent book store and was surprised to see half a shelf of Stephenson books (surprised because the Science Fiction and Fantasy are combined into one bookcase so there's not a lot to choose from - damn new release readers taking over my store!) However Snow Crash is not one of the titles available. But because my bookstore rocks I special order it and have it in my hands in 4 days.
In the meantime I was struggling through Murakami's Kafka on the Shore so I put Stephenson to the side for a few days. Sunday (as in 5 days ago) I headed out to a local coffee shop with an almost finished Kafka in my bag - at the last moment I threw in Snow Crash just in case. I was right in doing so since I finished the crazy Japanese story and began my descent into the not so distant future.
Schmidlap said 50 pages was the hook point. 14 pages in I thought I might actually get my $15 back (if I had the nerve to ask for it that is), 28 pages in I was ready to pay him $15. It's now Thursday, I was sick all day Tuesday, and went out drinking all night Wednesday and I am on page 206. It's fucking great. I now have the name for my second dog (the first one will be Atticus) -- Hiro Protagonist. Thanks Schmidlap!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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1 comment:
Glad you're liking it!
You may be the first woman to ever read that book. Congratulations.
And you certainly should have had the nerve to ask for the refund if it came to that...a deal's a deal.
I'm about 200 pages into Volume 2 of The Baroque Cycle. It got way better, though it will still probably take me all year to get through 2 and 3.
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