Whats On Your Nightstand A Moment of Meta-Something

Whats On Your Nightstand A Moment of Meta-Something Last week there were fewer of  you answering this question, which might mean youre weary of itor might mean your TBR piles simply havent budged. Thats OK. I firmly believe that, given the short shrift books receive in our culture, the more opportunities we all have to talk about them in any way, the better. However, I know that not everyone feels the same way. A colleague (this person might not want to consider me so, but we are both members of the National Book Critics Circle) once criticized me for promoting book chatter without learning. Of course, I understand that asking someone what theyre reading is not the same as writing a critical essay. I also think that both of those things are valid ways of talking about books. What do you think? Those of you who regularly stop by these posts (and those that other sites and blogs have that are similar), chime in and share with me what you gain from sharing your book lists. As for my own nightstand this week, its surrounded by new titles. Ive got the Toni Morrison, the Peter Carey, the latest Camilla Läckberg, the Kurt Anderson, the new Jacqueline Winspear, the Richard Ford, the Hilary Mantelits an embarrassment of riches. Thats how I feel about your comments, too.  I never tire of seeing what other people are reading, just as I never tired of looking at other peoples bookshelves.