a strange tale from down by the river

"if there was something to worry about, it was that an important piece was missing from my life. even though i would literally throw myself into things, i was eternally skimming the surface, never truly hearing or seeing the substance. all along, i'd look for surface beauty to hide the emptiness. but perhaps that's what hobbies are for, in the final analysis."

lizard: a strange tale from down by the river, banana yoshimoto

'the way he lived his life, it was all that'

"in all things, especially when it cost little and did no harm to others, Ghosh was his own man. The bow tie told the world how pleased he was to be alive and how much he celebrated his profession, which he called "my romantic and passionate pursuit." The way Ghosh practiced his profession, the way he lived his life, it was all that."

- cutting for stone, abraham verghese

someday it must shine again

"however long the moon disappears, someday it must shine again"

little bee, chris cleave

whatever.

"you can't just march back into someone's life, I tried to say, but it came out: oh, yes, well"

fat ladies floated in the sky like balloons, Amanda Davis 

 via

reading through the year

there isn't much that i commit to for any new year. maybe it's because i've come to terms with the fact that i'm an ideas person - i'm a starter, and an inspire-er... not a finisher. i find myself constantly disappointed with my progress, and as such, i try not to commit to things that are overwhelmingly heavy. because that's what else i am - a high achiever. no goal too large.
so this year, the only thing i've promised myself, is something i almost nearly do. this year, i'm comitting to time to myself - enough to read (at least) one book a week, in 2014.
any book will do - as long as the language is enough to inspire me, and the content is thorough enough to engross me for a moment or two.

here goes nothing. #jamiereadsweeksworth