Currently Reading (or avoiding)

or How to Create the Impression of a Well-Read Book:

Quicksilver is my current nemesis. When I have reached new heights of procrastination, I pick up Quicksilver and try to knock down a few pages. I have realized that if I have finished Quicksilver before I have finished my dissertation, it is entirely possible that I have erred significantly in my priorities.

Cryptonomicon took me 16 months to read, so I am optimistic about my chances. I started the current book in August and I am on page 32. I may need to pace myself.

I do carry the book with me nearly everywhere, in case the urge hits me. Given its, as one of the Wikilensers put it, "low enjoyment/page ratio," the urge doesn't hit that often. Not very much at all. But there it is in my backpack, straining my shoulders, and accumulating wear and tear on the cover. When I am done, it will look like a well-loved and much read book. But we'll know better, won't we.