mrr design

The Gotham Book Mart was famous for its literary eminences. A December 1948 party for Osbert and Edith Sitwell (seated, center) drew a roomful of bright lights to the Gotham Book Mart: clockwise from W. H. Auden, on the ladder at top right, were Elizabeth Bishop, Marianne Moore, Delmore Schwartz, Randall Jarrell, Charles Henri Ford (cross-legged, on the floor), William Rose Benét, Stephen Spender, Marya Zaturenska, Horace Gregory, Tennessee Williams, Richard Eberhart, Gore Vidal and José Garcia Villa. (Photo: Gotham Book Mart)

So many books, so little time

Years ago I read this wonderful quote at the Gotham Book Mart in Manhattan.

I loved that book store.

The shop was stacked floor to ceiling with books, manuscripts, literary papers

and was a haven for book lovers for 87 years

until its inventory was sold at auction.

There had been a series of unfortunate events that led to its downfall

click here for the story

But the generosity of one anonymous person, who bought the inventory from the landlords,

was amazing; he donated the collection, worth several million dollars,

to the University of Pennsylvania.

A great ending to a sad story.

Second and last owner around 2006.

The original owner died at age 101 in 1989.

Last night at my book group - we have been meeting since 1998 -

well we were talking about a lady in the neighboring town who started reading a book a day

on October 26, 2008 followed by a brief review on her blog

and then she would start again.

Check out this NYT article

and now take a look at her blog.

So Many Books, So Little Time is more my speed.

I can't imagine reading a book a day.

Each time book group day comes around I must "power read".

since I fall asleep as soon as start reading in bed at night...

I wake up early on Sunday and plunk down on the cozy couch and read all day...

phew... I finish in just the nick of time too.

So glad I do finish (most of the time) because book group is rather dull if you can't contribute...

But there is no way I could read a book a day for 356 days...

simply too many books, too little time

So here, here to Nina Sankovitch!

and thanks to Nina's blog my reading list is chock full of new titles

and

will be a wonderful source for books to listen to while I create in the studio...

Last year I provided you with a run-down of my reading & listening lists here.

More to come from the last 12 months.