An unstoppable reading machine

Reading has many virtues that make it ideal for procrastination. It is:

1. Portable. You can always put off anything, anywhere, by whipping out a book.
2. Intellectual. Even the worst pulp crap has a thin veneer of self-improvement that computer games will never have.
3. Time-consuming. It is possible to while away hours, even days, with ease.
4. Cheap. Libraries are free! Some stores aren't bad either if you don't mind a few nicks.
5. Fascinating. Each book you read is not only a story, but it accumulates a little story as you read it since it becomes a part of you.
   

In the past two weeks I have done a shed-load of procrastination. Here are the books I have read, and some remarks about them. In the original version of this post I included numerical ratings. But then I thought, "Numerical ratings are for beauty pageants! Books deserve better!", so I have edited the ratings to make them more descriptive.

All The Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. Follow the link for my review. My smaller half found our copy in a second-hand store and paid $8 for it several years ago. Since then it has moved from Canberra to Brisbane to Adelaide without being read. I finally snapped and read it, since last year I read his book "The Road" and loved it, and also I was feeling bad that I had neglected it for so long. Rating: If this book was a piece of furniture, it would be an old dusty armchair.

The Midwich Cuckoos, by John Wyndham. I've had a soft spot for this author ever since I read Chocky when I was much much younger. He writes very British sci-fi. Absolutely outlandish things happen, which are conveyed to the reader through characters discussing the extraordinary events in the neighbourhood over a cup of tea with the vicar. I tried to read The Midwich Cuckoos before, also when I was much younger, and did not finish it. I grew impatient with the interminable discussion of ethical quandaries in the book, whereas these days that is much my kind of thing. I paid 50 cents for this book at a Volunteer book sale at the hospital. I'd read the telephone book for that price. Rating: If this book was an item of food, it would be a cucumber sandwich, with a hint of mustard chutney.

A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick. I love PKD. And this is by far the best of his books that I have read. His other books contain extraordinary ideas and cardboard cut-out characters. This book is almost a character piece, focussed on an undercover drug agent whose superiors assign him to monitor himself. There is not much plot, but lots of paranoia, darkness, and gloom. I was really surprised, in a good way. This one is going on the "keeper" shelf. I got it for $6, in as new condition, from a store in Strathalbyn! Rating: If this book was a cult, it would be the Leopard Society.

Ubik, by Philip K. Dick. More in line with his other books - crazy crazy ideas, and characters whose names you don't bother to remember because they're all the same. I got this one is Strathalbyn too, for six bucks. It was good, but I don't think I'll re-read it. I felt kind of sorry for this novel because I read it straight after A Scanner Darkly and I think it got the worse of the comparison. Still, it's a funky cover on this edition - bright orange with a line drawing of an aerosol can on the front. The blurb on the back is printed at 90 degrees to the usual, like a postcard. Cute - but I might try to get rid of it soon. Rating: If this book was a piece of clothing, it would be a beanie with a propeller on top.

Travels With My Aunt, by Graeme Greene. I like Graeme Greene too. He could write a train timetable and it would be great (except for an Adelaide one, because the Adelaide train network is so hideously broken). I'm kind of cheating here since I'm only half-way through, but I'm really enjoying it. This one cost me 50 cents from the same book sale as The Midwich Cuckoos. I actually bought it expecting it to be an autobiography. It turned out to be a novel. The premise is so appalling I almost didn't begin it: "Retired bank manager befriends his outrageous aunt and they strike out on a journey together" but like I said - it's by GG and hence is highly entertaining. Provisional rating: If this book was a Member of Parliament, it would be Bob McMullin.

Man, I really miss my old book club in Canberra. It was a great source of reading material and a wonderful generator of conversation. My chief problem in trying to get hold of good books is that 90% of them are crap (Sturgeon's Law), so having a book club on hand to filter the garbage out was fantastic. Now, however, I have at hand a pool of people with demonstrably excellent taste in reading: youse guys.

What recommendations do you have for me?