What I'm reading this week (9/11/17)

Last week I finished

Like most readers, I love books about books, words, and reading. I bought Kory Stamper's Word by Word when it came out, then "saved" it for the right time. I finally got to it last week, and it was a fun read. This is Stamper's memoir of her years working as a "dictionary writer" with Merriam-Webster. I will say that it was equal parts fascinating and boring. Some parts were really interesting, and some really weren't. I chalk this up to personal preference. I really enjoyed the nitty-gritty of how definitions are written and dictionaries made. I enjoyed the memoir-y parts, especially, like her one whole month working on the definition of the word "take" and also the interplay between how words are defined and culture (words like "nude" when used as a color and "marriage" when used in reference to gay couples). Small words, especially verbs, are the most difficult to define (and also are the least likely to be looked up). Stamper does get into the weeds, though, on things that I wasn't interested in, like the history of offensive words. And there is generally a whole lot of swearing throughout. You'd think that someone with access to the whole world of words wouldn't need to resort to swearwords so often to make her point. Stamper is, though, quite funny, and there were a number of guffaw-out-loud parts. The book reminded me a bit of A.J. Jacobs' The Know-It-All, about his quest to read every word of the Encyclopedia Britannica, but this is actually Stamper's job. If you like books about language and learning about folks who do odd jobs, this one is a good read. It's thorough and well-written. My rating: 3.5 stars.

I also finished the short book (or long essay) Painting as a Pastime by Winston Churchill last week. Churchill is quite a man. I've always been fascinated by him. One thing I didn't know about him, though, was that he was a passionate painter. This book/essay is a nice little foray into why painting means so much to him and why everyone should try it. Churchill himself was middle-aged before he discovered the joy of putting brush to canvas, and he urges his readers they are not too old to try. The book includes several of his paintings which are quite accomplished. I believe this title is having a bit of a revival because President George W. Bush references it when he talks about his own endeavors into painting. I enjoyed the work, but I never felt fully invested in it--perhaps because I'm not a painter and don't plan to be. But the language and writing are beautiful. Churchill is a very good writer. My rating: 3 stars.

This week I'll be reading

I'm not quite to the halfway point of Bess W. Truman, but Harry has finally made it to Washington. What on earth is the second half going to be about if it took 200 pages to get to Bess's White House years? I guess I'll find out this week.

 

 

I'm also working on

I'm still enjoying Morningstar. I anticipate finishing it this week.

 

My audiobook

I'll also finish listening to Homegoing this week. I have some complicated feelings on this one, but there will be a review next week.