Monkey Book Back-up

Monkey:  What're you doing with that pile of books?

DAH:  I'm trying to decide what to read next.

Monkey:  You already have twelve books next to the bed.

DAH:  Well, I guess I'm not really reading all those.

Monkey:  They all have bookmarks in them.

DAH:  I STARTED reading them all, and I haven't given up on them.

Monkey:  There's a few more "started" books stacked downstairs.

DAH:  I really ought to bring those back upstairs.

Monkey:  How many in this pile you just made?

DAH:  Seven.

Monkey:  And those others on your desk?

DAH:  They're not in the pile.

Monkey:  And those others on your desk?

DAH:  Eight, nine.

Monkey:  Tell me about some of them. I'll help you choose.

DAH:  Which ones?

Monkey:  Begin at the beginning -- top of the pile.

DAH: "Four Fish" by Paul Greenburg.

Monkey:  What's that about?

DAH:  Its subtitle is "The future of the last wild food" and it's about the oceans, and their ongoing potential to provide fresh fish. It's organized around sections about four fish: salmon, tuna, bass, and cod.

Monkey:  Next.

DAH:  What? This is a great book. I've already started it.

Monkey:  You've already started all of them. You need a long train trip or something for "Four Fish." You're going to read it all at once, skim it, or forget about it.

DAH:  Maybe …

Monkey:  Next!

DAH:  "Frank: The Voice" by James Kaplan. It's a new biography of Frank Sinatra. It's had great reviews.

Monkey:  How long is it?

DAH:  More than 700 pages.

Monkey:  Too long. Next!

DAH:  "Remarkable Creatures" by Tracy Chevalier. It's a novel about this fossil-hunting woman in England.

Monkey:  Like "Bones" on TV?

DAH:  Not at all. It's historical fiction. It looks thoughtful and moving.

Monkey:  And sounds boring. Next!

DAH:  "Free For All" by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp. It's about Joe Papp and The Public Theater in New York.

Monkey:  It looks long, too.

DAH:  Almost 600 pages.

Monkey:  Too long. Next! No, wait. Just give me a quick overview of the rest of your pile.

DAH:  "Blood, Iron, and Gold" by Christian Wolmar, about how railroads changed the world. "Cloudstreet" by Tim Winton, a novel about these two families thrown together in one house. And "In Search of Bacchus" by George M. Taber, about wine tourism around the world, moving from country to country.

Monkey:  Start with the Bacchus one.

DAH:  Why?

Monkey:  Because it sounds like you could read about one country, then drop it for a while, without feeling like you had to start over.

DAH:  You think I'm better off with episodes than epics?

Monkey:  These days, yeah. You have too many balls in the air. You can't focus. That's why you have so many books going at once.

DAH:  It's nice to have different books for different moods.

Monkey:  Yes, it is. And it's nice to make choices that won't frustrate and dissappoint. Discreet episodes and projects until you're ready to bite off something bigger.

DAH:  Are we talking just about books?

Monkey:  We're talking about whatever you like, DAH. You choose what works for you. The world can be your oyster!

DAH:  And you're my monkey.

Monkey:  At least until the wind changes.

DAH is David Anthony Hance. Monkey's not Mary Poppins.