State of the Blog

I'm relieved to have finished my last 2008-related book review and I feel that I can finally start to focus on my schedule for 2009. I'm starting a new position (same company) that might require longer hours in the short term, books are rolling in, and I've set up a facebook account hoping to extend my network of friends - so things are already busy.

I've decided to go back to the old fashioned way of reading books for a while: one at a time. I do have four books, one of which is an audio book, in progress at the moment so the change won't come immediately, but soon. I'm curious to see if I will absorb more from concentrating on one audio and one written book instead of spreading my reading over as many as seven or eight at a time. I'm not sure how I got into that habit, really, but I suspect it gradually happened as new books arrived or I unexpectedly came across something exciting in a bookstore or at the local library. They were all just too tempting and I couldn't wait to start them. Anyway, the change should be interesting.

Speaking of interesting - have you guys noticed how actively Josh Henkin is working with book groups and clubs in discussing his current novel, Matrimony? Josh is even willing to travel to meetings held within a couple of hours of his home and makes himself available by telephone for groups farther away. I think he is helping to break new ground in marketing himself and his novel this way and, although a few others are doing something similar, Josh seems to be setting the pace. Take a look at this Philly.com article to see how it works - makes me wish I was part of a book group.


Josh with a Mount Laurel book group


It's hard to believe that we're already a whole week deep into the new year - I'm finally ready to turn the calendar page. 2009, here I come...