There aren't a ton of books I think I would actually read these days. I used to be an avid reader. Loved going to the library to pick up the new whatever. But that love started to sour in high school and continuted through college. Having to read something, assigned to read something slowly bled that love from me. And three years removed from college, I still haven't recaptured that want to pick up a book and just devour it like I did over a decade ago.
Recently, I read The Godfather, a book I've wanted to read for forever. I loved it. Pulpy. It always had me wanting more. I couldn't put it down. It may sound crazy, but I had the same urge to read it every day like I did that one day when I was a kid reading Matilda. I can honestly say that I don't recall a thing about Matilda, but I vividly remember taking it with me to my dad's Carvel store in Tuckahoe, NY and reading it all day while he worked, in one sitting. I think I stopped a couple times to go to the bathroom and have a slice of pizza for lunch. But I read that thing ravenously. I'm racking my brain right now, but I still can't remember a thing about it. I can only recall that it was a paperback and it was a large paperback. That is all. But I read The Godfather in the same way. I think it took me five days or so, reading it before I went to bed each night for awhile, but I read that book like a madman.
My friend Pat lent me two graphic novels he thought I'd like: V for Vendetta and The Dark Knight Returns — I absolutely loved both of them. The want to read slowly returns perhaps.
And just a few minutes ago, I was reading through my RSS feed for my one of my favorite political blogs, MyDD and I see this post for a book, Crashing the Gate. It's by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, the founders of MyDD.com and DailyKos.com, respectively. I want to read this thing. From Jerome's post:
If you like what we've been blogging about on Daily Kos and MyDD over the past 4 years, I know you'll enjoy reading Crashing the Gate. When we formulated the proposal for this book at the beginning of this year, we wrote a sort of historical chapter from this decade and the rise of the outsiders or reformers within the Democratic Party. That wound up being Chapter 5, Civil War, the story of CFR, Dean, and the rise of the netroots, placed within the context of the Democratic Party. Every other chapter takes it's footing from the blog world as well, but that was probably the easiest chapter to write, because most of it was from our experience, and didn't require a lot of interviews. We let the DNC winter meeting and the California Democratic convention of 2003 take the center stage for the presentation of Dean. I think those two speeches (and Dean never gave that speech again) epitomized the call to action that Dean for America represented to millions. And for us, being the first political event that gave credentials to bloggers, it was a breaking out moment for the blogosphere.
And for further incentive to get the book, "Full purchase goes directly to people and organizations working for social and political change -- Working Assets, Chelsea Green Publishing, and the authors" and it is "Printed on recycled paper, shipped in recycled packaging" mmmmmm.
Pre-orders will ship before it hits the bookstores and will have a nifty "Progressive Partner Special Limited Edition" footing on the cover. It ships in mid-late February; I think I'll order it as an early birthday present [Feb 3rd!] and I'll receive it as a late birthday present, it'll sort of prolong my birthday I guess.
"People-Powered Politics" — I can dig that.
I've always loved reading. Its one of the things I always am up to do. Matt has the V for Vendetta book too, they're making it into a movie. I think he likes it alot cause it's pretty much his last name. (just two letters off).
I totally got to get Jerome's book. I know someone famous! Sorry you couldn't make it to DL last night.
Posted by: phedrang | December 21, 2005 at 11:17 AM