Lynness- short stories and other reading

I checked out a book called something like 'greatest American short stories' to get a start.  I found a story by O. Henry and read it and decided to get a collection of his, of which I have now read probably 75%.  I am sure you are all familiar with one of his best know works, The Gift of the Magi, but he offers much more.  A very few fell flat for me, but most have the clever twist he is known for, good writing, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of human behavior.  And a surprising number of words I don't know.   I consider myself to be fairly well-read.  I love geeky games (Balderdash or Quidler anyone?).  I got proposed to with a DICTIONARY for goodness sakes, but I have had to look up words at an alarming rate!

I also checked out some of Roald Dahl's short stories.  I believe these were written before his children's books, and he has a reputation for being ingenious as well as macabre and sometimes racy in his adult literature.  I browsed a bit, and read a couple, but then got into O. Henry.

Another book I read yesterday is Buy-ology- Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, by Martin Lindstrom.  Nathan had picked it up for me when he went by the library, thinking it was my type of book (he really knows me, I guess) and I devoured it and wished there were more.  I found it to be not only engaging writing (though it could've lost a few expletives), but also a very interesting and potentially useful subject matter.  It's the sort of book that makes you examine why you do things and ask more questions.  It's the sort of book that makes me want to write a response to the author.  Not adoring, not critical- but autobiographical- about what I recognized in myself, and what connections I made, as well as how I am different (or think I am, anyway) from the normal shopper (likely because I put a premium on economy and care little for brands and didn't grow up with a TV and generally watch maybe 3 hours of TV a month).

I have requested an eclectic mix of books from the library this week...
Peace Like a River
Confucious Lives Next Door
The Hunger Games (won't get this for a few months, I'm sure)
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
A Company of Swans
The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment

Raehink: July reading

I hope everyone had a safe and sane Fourth of July celebration. Our assignment for the month of July is to read a short story or two or three...your choice of author and type. Have fun. Return and report.

Happy summer reading!