I'm tired a livin' and scared a dyin'

I have stumbled upon a great new way to read, inspired by this blog!

So, I have about twenty books to read before November. Possible, not probable. First I decided to start reading shorter books that I already own but haven't read. I started with The House on Mango Street, the beautiful book by Sandra Cisneros. It was a much quicker read than I'd anticipated, and I found myself one day with the book finished and me stranded downtown with nothing to read.

SO, I went into that weird used bookstore east of the Belmont red line stop. I scoured the fiction section and left with a pile of four books for $13. They are all books I've always wanted to read, all short-ish. This is GREAT! I am going to try to finish this challenge, and I'm going to do it by reading books I've always wanted to read, and I'm going to find them at used bookstores for cheap.

Woo hoo! I'm very excited about this plan.

Unfortunately, it took me long enough to read Show Boat that I'm guessing I will fall short of the 50-book goal. Unless I quit my job. Wait! I could/should be reading right now!

Anyway. Show Boat.

It's always been one of my favorite musicals. The book is by Edna Ferber, who also wrote Giant (another book on my list...so far used copies have been a bit too expensive). It follows the life of Magnolia Hawks Ravenal, a child raised on the river, on her father's show boat. Something about this book really hit me. The bond Magnolia feels with her childhood on the river, the river itself, and the ramshackle theatrical world of the Cotton Blossom is something I identify with. (Filled-to-the-brim summers at a barnlike summer theatre near the beach = similar feelings of longing.)

I have loved these old musicals since I was a toddler. They are woven through my being, at the risk of sounding silly. It's not something that I've been able to share with anyone, really. Show Boat is about this very thing - growing up, becoming an adult, and being lucky (or cursed) enough to come from a place so specific and magical that you never really get over it and always feel a little separate because of it.

ANYWAY! It's been great to read the books my favorite musicals were based on. Show Boat, Tales of the South Pacific (SO GOOD, I can't wait to read it again). The adaptation is fascinating, and there's a built-in soundtrack.

For people who don't know the musical? This is an historical novel with a lot about southern river towns right after the Civil War, and about early blossoming Chicago. And theatre. Lots of great, highly specific characters, some sadness, some humor, great description, and a satisfying arc.

Read it!