The latest edition of The New York Times Book Review, available online by clicking the link, provides plenty of suggestions for your "summer reading." Or for reading anytime, in fact. There may well be a lifetime's worth of important reading in that sixty-seven page listing of good books (at least for someone, like me, who is in his seventies).
As I paged through the hard copy edition last Sunday morning, I felt overwhelmed. Almost every book reviewed seemed to be a "must read." Former President Bill Clinton has suggestions, for instance, many of which books I haven't read. How could I not follow up on his recommendations?
As I worked through the sixty-seven pages, I began to resent the fecundity and creativity of all the authors featured. The editors seemed to be like one of those high-school teachers who assigns way too much reading, by way of a homework assignment. The value of the assignment is clear, but my capacity is simply not up to the challenge.
I'd actually like to write a book, sometime. How could I ever find time for that, or for anything else, for that matter, if I tried to follow up on all this wonderful reading, featured by The Times?
Isn't that the way life is? So many options; so many possibilities! All important. All worthwhile! Many things seek to convince us that we are inadequate, and that we are failing, since we are not doing everything we can see ourselves doing.
Hey, let's relax! It's just "summer reading."
It's just life, and life only!
Image Credit:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/books/review/summer-reading.html
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