Book the 1st...

Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
Fiction
Book #1
Estimated reading time: 2 weeks
Estimated time spent on shelf: about 3 weeks (it's a new one, not much dust yet!)

So I'm sitting here listening to some classic rock and drinking a glass of wine....and thinking it's about time I got going on my blog! I was busy this past week trying to book the flights for (what I've now just dubbed) European Trifecta 2012 and dealing with the fancy new online component of my class. (Notice there's no mention of the thesis...ack!) But now it's back to the important stuff...

I officially started my quest last week after my first post. I did spend some time perusing the shelves, wondering where to begin. After a suggestion from a friend, I decided to go with Ham on Rye. I had never heard about this book, or Charles Bukowski for that matter, until recently. Apparently Bukowski is one of the big writers of the 20th century [source needed - ha!], a fact which sure made me feel dumb for not having heard of him. Anyway, I picked up two of his books a while back: Ham on Rye and Post Office. I tied into Post Office right away. It was a quick read and actually pretty funny. It's a random story all about some dude and his life as a post office employee (and the stupid stunts he pulls). Considering my previous Bukowski experience went well, I thought Ham on Rye would be a good place to start (I'll leave the phonebook-sized Russian history saga for next month). And I must admit that once I found out my boy James Franco is writing a screenplay of it, I had to check it out.

As I was browsing the shelves last week I came across a little gem I was given. It's a lovely bookmark with a picture of two horses rubbing noses *puke*. The caption reads: "Love knows no bounds." Further examination of said bookmark revealed additional laughable treats, such as the tiny metal horseshoe attached to the fancy black tassel, the choking hazard warning, and the price tag. Seems as though my dear friend paid a whopping $3.49 for this inspirational treasure. I've just decided that Chief and Shua (the names of the two horses, according to the back of the bookmark) of the historical herd Sulphur Springs shall keep my company on my journey.

Now I'm off to contemplate whether my skimming of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad counts as "reading", or if I have to force myself through that beaut again. TTFN