To Be Read?
by Seth Warburton
One month of 2022 is already gone, which means this is the time of year to default on all those lofty goals that you made only a few short weeks ago. I rarely make New Year’s resolutions myself with the exception of setting the number of books I want to read in the year to come. With my goal comes a constantly-growing pile of books that I aspire to read: my TBR pile. My TBR, or To-Be-Read, list never seems to shrink, no matter how many books I read. My biggest problem is rank promiscuity. When it comes to books I’m an unrestrained philanderer. I always mean to read books that will satisfy my intellectual self-image, but end up reading whatever tome with a flashy cover catches my eye. Here are a few books from my TBR that someone needs to read; if not me, then maybe I can talk you into them?
Though I’ve always loved to read, I hated being assigned a book to read when I was in school. But, oh, how I now wish I had actually read “The Great Gatsby,” when my 10th grade English teacher told me to. Surely, squeaking through English class by faking my way through discussions of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel was more effort than just reading the book. Alas, young me couldn’t imagine that I’d ever regret it. But with the original work entering the public domain, modern authors are free to improvise with the story, including my favorite new speculative fiction writer Nghi Vo. Her “The Chosen and the Beautiful” elevates secondary character Jordan Baker to center stage. Transforming Jordan into a queer, Vietnamese woman, Vo introduces more social complexities into Fitzgerald’s contemplation of class and privilege while retaining the dazzling veneer of 1920’s America.
But how could I read Gatsby when there are so many other tempting books to read? Instead, I picked up “You Sexy Thing” by Cat Rambo. Not only does it have an explosion on the cover, the title character is a sentient space ship named after that 70’s song (you know the one, “I believe in miracles” etc.). Call me weak-willed if you must, I can’t deny it. Rambo’s book is excellent fun. I don’t regret it in the least. F. Scott Fitzgerald remains on the shelf. Joining him is Marcus Aurelius, whose “Meditations” I’ve decided could be an entry point to reading more philosophy. Perhaps a dose of stoic philosophy could persuade me not to pursue every shiny book that catches my eye. But, in a classic catch-22, I may never get to it in a world of books as appealing as “Fan Fiction,” by actor turned author Brent Spiner. How could I resist Spiner’s account of life on the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, fictionalized as comedy noir featuring crazed fans, sultry FBI agents and caricature versions of his co-stars? The audiobook is even more irresistibly peculiar, read as it is by the author and featuring the voices of all those co-stars, from LeVar Burton to Patrick Stewart. I don’t regret this book either. Perhaps I’m not cut out to be a stoic after all.
At least I know I’m not alone. During the month of February, library staff have assembled a display full of the books we just haven’t gotten to, at least not yet. Some are aspirational: languages we want to study, skills we want to learn, or classics we want to conquer. Some offer vicarious experiences: travelogues of places we want to visit, revealing biographies of movie stars, and fictional thrillers. Our TBR display is as varied and interesting as our staff and will surely offer you something appealing to read. Please, visit the library and crack the covers on one of the books we wish we were reading but just haven’t got to yet.