Wes Kelley

If I were more ambitious I’d write a cogent and insight book summary after every good read.  Such an endeavor would give this blog some purpose, but I’m not that ambitious quite yet.  However, I can steal from a recent Facebook posting that listed the top five books I read last year.  So here is my summary of 2008’s top five.

1.) Bridge of Sighs – Richard Russo – This book is beautifully structured with quality character development and true insight. It was a great pleasure to read.

2.) Born Standing Up – Steve Martin – This autobiography was interesting because Martin has always struck me as a renaissance man, and this book confirmed it.

3.) Hannah Coulter – Wendell Berry – The slow pace of this book perfectly sets the tone for this simple yet lovely story of a woman growing up in rural America during the Greatest Generation.

4.) The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald – Okay, for some reason I’d never read Gatsby till this year. I have nothing original to say about it other than the story was different than what I expected. More personal and intimate.

5.) John Adams – David McCullough – After reading several other Founding Father vintage books I knew I had to read this one. It did not disappoint. Adams is the Everyman whose strength of character propelled his greatness.

My personal librarian has alerted me to the fact that you can now browse the private book collection of one of the 20th century’s best novelist at this creative website.  Walker Percy was a modern, Southern, Catholic, existential writer whose books were diagnostic experiments exploring the condition of man in our present age.  It is a treat (for me anyway) to survey the books that great writers thought good enough to place on their shelves.

I would especially recommend this “author cloud” that highlights the most common authors in the collection.

Jack Shed recently shared his attraction to DailyLit.  This imaginative service delivers literature in installments, via RSS.  Apparently you pick the book and it breaks it down into bite-size pieces and serves it up each day in your RSS feed.  I guess they’re applying the “read the Bible in 365 days” approach to fine literature.  Some books are free and some will cost you a few dollars.  

Maybe I’ll finally get around to reading Pride and Prejudice in just 146 easy to read installments.