Where are you reading?

I just read an article in a magazine about a man who stores his American Literature collection in a beautiful cabinet in his bathroom. While this may seem a little strange to some people, it makes perfect sense to me. When people ask me what I am reading, I usually answer, "where?"

This is a tour of my current reading life. Upstairs in the bedroom, I am currently sleeping with (and sometimes on) two books: Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead (an advance readers edition of a much anticipated book) and Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. Whitehead wins out over James most of the time, because James is "required reading" for a book club meeting and it is inevitably put off until the last minute. (I say that this is so it is fresh in my mind, but really it is just procrastination). Still upstairs, in the bathroom I am reading The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willlig. This book is historical fiction of the lighter sort and is perfect bathtub reading.

Downstairs in the living room there is a copy of a play, Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott, and The Gold Coast by Nelson Demille. I am re-reading The Gold Coast in anticipation of the release of DeMille's new book, The Gatehouse in a few weeks. In the dining room is a pile of books that are "to be read" and have yet to be prioritized. In the kitchen are the cookbooks, which as you can tell from the previous post, also are fine reading material.

You might think you are done with the tour, but no, hang on a minute. You cannot forget the car and both of my jobs. In the car is a decrepit copy of The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb that is being slowly consumed at bank drive-through windows and other waiting areas (I swear I hardly ever try to read at red lights....) At the bookstore, ironically enough, I hardly ever read books. I try to catch up on catalogs and reviews and book magazines. But at the library, on my break, I have an uninterrupted period of time to sit down and read. Right now I am reading Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.

I have always enjoyed reading many books at the same time. There are different books for different moods and different times. Some people think that this is confusing and just a little crazy. I say that if you want to know what I am reading, you better specify the location or sit down, because it may take awhile.