4 Shots: Book of Books

In December 1995, I was doing my PhD in English in Nebraska and was worried about how little I was reading outside of school related books. I was given this little notebook and thought if I listed everything I was reading, I'd feel more accountable to reading things outside of academics. This little notebook did make me more accountable and, rather amazingly, I've kept it up ever since. I now have a pretty detailed list of everything I've read for 14 years. Last night I filled the last page with one of the most amazing books I've read in those 14 years, David Quammen's Song of the Dodo. It seemed like a perfect way to end this little volume. Last week I bought a new one and I gaze at its blank pages with anticipation.