As Baby New Year (or is that Dimitri?) arrives, revealing the Joys (or Fresh Horrors) of 2025, I take this opportunity to share some opinions about my unread Kindle purchases—and there have been several (OK, many) over the past few years. Now, “not read” does NOT mean “disliked." Don’t let me discourage you from reading any of these. You may love these books. I may too, if I ever do read them.
RULES OF CIVILITY: I really loved Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow. This sounds great too, a sparkling portrait of New York City society in the 1930s. I haven’t even started it. Why? I guess rules (of civility) are made to be broken?
FIVE-PART INVENTION: Author (and classical musician) Andrea Buchanan penned this novel about a pianist who, after a nervous breakdown, has her instrument taken away. I have read 1% of this book so far, and am very “nervous” about my poor progress.
IONA IVERSON’S RULES FOR COMMUTING: Wonderful escapist read, guaranteed to cheer me and make me smile (according to the reviews)? I guess I’m terrified that it will do neither—what will that say about ME? On my Summer To-Read list for the past two years, destined for a threepeat this summer.
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY: I actually got several chapters into this one before I gave up, and while I THINK I was enjoying it, I have zero memory of plot or characters. I blame my ADHD, not author Bonnie Garmus’ literary abilities. Ugh.
DEMON COPPERHEAD: I adored Barbara Kingsolver’s other novels. I even loved David Copperfield by Dickens, upon which this is patterned. The problem? Demon is 556 pages long. I need to pack this in my suitcase when I go on a very lengthy, very silent retreat somewhere. Someday. Possibly.
NORTH WOODS: A “sweeping saga,” North Woods is the story of a New England house, told through generations of its inhabitants. Something is stopping me from “opening the door” to this one. Perhaps I’m thinking of my own very old house, and my fervent hope that it will NEVER have a chance to tell about MY personal life within its walls.
And then there’s “miscellaneous,”
Why oh why did I purchase...
FAST, FEAST, REPEAT (the skinny on intermittent fasting) Quite obviously I have not yet availed myself of its life-changing wisdom.
MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN a lighthearted look at developing an amazing memory (Maybe I should read this one, THEN Lessons in Chemistry.)
YOUR FIRST 1000 COPIES another perky self-helper, how to use the internet to sell a gazillion books.
If only I’d bothered to read these super volumes, I’d be a svelte bestselling author by now, with total recall!
That settles it! Before I spend Dime One on any more Kindle titles, I will slog through every single e-book I already own! I will emerge, enlightened and entertained, in the Spring of 2025! Hooray!
Note: this does NOT apply to my clothing purchases.
I WILL wear all those dresses.
Someday.
Possibly.
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I am an author (of five books, numerous plays, poetry and freelance articles,) a retired director (of Spiritual Formation at a Lutheran church,) and a producer (of five kids).
I write about my hectic, funny, perfectly imperfect life.
Please visit my website: www.eliseseyfried.com or email me at eliseseyf@gmail.com.
