Literary Overload - Some Recommendations

I read way too much. That sounds ridiculous, I know. Most people I know laugh and say, "Any reading is better than watching TV/playing video games/etc.!" (Of course, I agree with Melina Pendulum: Not all reading is good.) But what I do is, I'll start reading a book, be barely twenty pages into it, and then I'll find another book I really want to read and start reading that book at the same time, and this process repeats until I'm reading a dozen books at a time. Right now, I am slowly progressing through literally sixteen books.

But, at least I can give a couple recommendations for people who might not have my problem of "There's too MUCH to read!!!" Here are a few of the books I'm reading now.

(Key: * = Feminist friendly, ** = Goth friendly, *** = Linguist friendly)

Politics, Language, and Thought - The Somali Experience by David D. Laitin. *** As much as I normally fall asleep during discussions of politics, this book is an incredible analysis of the way that Language and Language Policy affects not only our individual thinking, but our government, economy, and social habitat.

Blood Is Not Enough [edited] by Ellen Datlow. ** I have at least eight collection of Vampire short stories, but this one is unique, as the stories (17 of them) don't deal with the literal bloodsucking type of vampire, but rather the psychological type. You know The Hunger? Yeah, those types. Or like the White Vampires in The Dresden Files. A definite welcome edition to those who like vampire stories.

The Secrets Of Droon - The Knights Of Silversnow by Tony Abbott. YES, I LIKE THIS CHILDREN'S SERIES. Got a problem with that?!?! Nah, really, I love The Secrets Of Droon, and through the wonders of Amazon I finally got my hands on book 17. You can tell Abbott's writing has matured - I was genuinely surprised by some of the plot twists in here. And guess what? *. Yep, I'll write a little bit later about how Droon is completely feminist-friendly, which is a rare treat in children's books.

Vampires [edited] by Alan Ryan. ** Yes, I'm reading more vampire books than usual lately. However, this book is not only great (all of the stories are amazing), it has helped me read a lot of the classics I've never been able to find before - Polidori's The Vampyre, The Mysterious Stranger, and an excerpt from Varney. I'm in the middle of Carmilla now! (Yes, I feel ashamed it took me this long to read it.) The book is nice and thick, too, which I always love.

Mastering Finnish by Börje Vähämäki and Stuart von Wolff. *** Well, it's not as detailed on grammar as I would have liked. And it does one of my biggest pet peeves - putting vocabulary lists/grammar explanations after the practices. But, it is a good source of more cultural-sensitive information, which most textbooks are lacking in, so it's helpful in that aspect.

The Purity Myth - How America's Obsession With Virginity Is Hurting Young Women by Jessica Valenti. * Given that this was recommended and praised on just about every single feminist site I visit, when I saw the title poking out from a low shelf in my local bookstore I pounced on it immediately. And guess what? The recommendations are more than right, this book is fantastic! Every point I try to make to abstinence-only teachers that they ignore is eloquently expressed with detail in this book. And Valenti is an amazingly organized writer - I often get lost in my writing when I try to write about these topics. So yes, go out and get this!