On Reading

I saw a list today of the Best New Blogs of 2010 .I thought it sounded interesting so I went to check it out. One of the blogs is called Better Book Titles, which seems to be a tongue-in-cheek site that essentially gives books more descriptive titles that reflect the plot. The idea is semi-amusing.  The thing that annoyed me, however, was the synopsis of the blog: 

Better Book Titles takes the work out of that thing we (I) love to hate: book-reading. I don’t have time to read books: I have too many blogs to read, too many emails to mark as read. In the internet age, Better Book Titles is a public service. 

I really don't understand why people constantly slag books and reading. I enjoy skimming blogs, but I don't find blogs or e-mail to be a replacement for reading books or even newspapers. Reading is a wonderful, solitary act that offers a little solace in a world that is moving too fast.  Reading books offers an escape few other activities do. Personally, I think people who are decrying the death of books and reading must have been abused as children.  Forced to read like they were on a death march. Picture books stolen from them at an early age so they could slog through chapter after chapter of assigned reading.

My young son loves to be read to. Some days I think it's his favorite thing in the world. As he gets older I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that his love of reading isn't snuffed out. In the internet age, maybe we should all unplug and curl up with a good book.

LEGOs

I have a toddler and he has rekindled my love of LEGOs. Even though he is playing with DUPLOs (their larger cousin), the idea of dumping out blocks and building something crazy or interesting or different has brought back great feelings from my own childhood. I always knew they were cool but I forgot just how cool LEGOs are. Today I found (thanks to the New York Times' Abstract City blog), a great use of LEGOs.  I LEGO N.Y.  Go check it out, it's one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. I guess LEGOs are on the brain for me lately. There was even mention of them in the book I'm reading by Michael Chabon (Manhood for Amateurs). 

02empirestate

My parents still have boxes of Legos from when I was a kid that I cannot wait to share with my son when he gets a little older. Personally, I'm going to enjoy building spaceships or castles as much as he does (at least for a while).