Big Numbers in a Vacuum:

I am beginning to worry that I have won by default in the early weeks of February.  I realize this is not the most competitive attitude, since Uncontested Victory a mere six weeks into 2012 would, inevitably, crown me King of All Book Geeks and free up lots of time for video games... but we are not amused.  I demand competition! (I have no idea where Kate is, but I suspect she is falsifying a retreat in order to ambush me with artillery fire in the form of The Twilight Saga.)

The Emperor's Children, Claire Messud, 496p.  Remember last week when I said I was afraid this book might be really pretentious, obnoxious, and not live up to the ridiculous amount of hype?  I am so happy to report that my worries were totally unfounded.  Messud's critical darling read like a gem, was as funny as Tom Wolfe, and never ventured into pure meanness, which can be pretty tricky in satire.  I can't recommend it enough; holy crap was it good.

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, Kerry Cohen, 240p.  Totally unexpected find at work - one of those 'therapeutic' books that the students are sometimes given to read.  Burned through in a couple of hours, Cohen's memoir left a strong impression on me mostly because I feel like I've known many girls like her, mostly in college, all in some sort of need, and all unreachable.  I especially liked that it conveys a sense of struggle and psychological truth without getting bogged down in external, clinical details.  Not a cheery read, for the record. 

I really, really want a Kindle.  I think the new ultralight version is the way to go, and would also solve my ongoing problem of living in a town that lacks those places that sell you books from shelves neatly ordered into subjects.  You know, book stores.  I remember them, from the 90s, when God still loved America.  At this point, if Amazon will give me access to more than a few dusty P.D.James castoffs and Belva Plain paperbacks, I'll give them my firstborn.  Sign me up, Kindle-borg! 

WEEK SIX TOTAL: 5461 PAGES!