So Many Books, So Little Time

As a child, I read a lot. I mean, a LOT. There were a couple of summers where I completed my local library's summer reading program TWICE... not just because I wanted the crappy prizes, but because I really just enjoyed the act of reading. Strangely, though, at a certain point, I just stopped. I can't really explain it, but fiction just became unbearable. My ability to immerse myself in the plot, absorb the characters' personalities and motivations just faded away. Pretty suddenly as I remember it, actually.

Biographies, historical and scientific accounts still capture my attention from time to time, but nothing beats the thrill that I get when reading about artistic people and their endeavors. It goes beyond simply admiring the pages and pages of eye candy. While I often find immediate inspiration in their images, I find it more fascinating to arrive at a better understanding of how personal or historical circumstances shaped artistic outlooks, movements and processes. Luckily for me, the birthday and Christmas season just dumped a TON of these sorts of books in my lap. Here's what I'll be thumbing through and eating up in the coming weeks and months.