Pile of Reading Material

I recently finished reading...

Reefer Madness Eric Schlosser
An interesting discussion of underground economies concerning marijuana, migrant workers and pornography. The book is split into 3 major sections on those topics, which makes it a quicker read, in my opinion. The sections are the kinds of articles that I like to read in the NY Times magazine. This is pretty engaging non-fiction, although I think Schlosser's conclusions/insights are very often those the liberal minded human being would make even without Schlosser's firsthand observations.

Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I admire Garcia Marquez's writing, if I find his language somewhat girly in its appeal at times. I enjoyed the story, although aspects of it would have seemed coarse, or maybe crass, had it been written by someone else.

The Unforbidden is Compulsory or Optimism Dave Eggers
I think that Eggers' writing in the third person about fictional characters allowed me to appreciate this short story more than Eggers' meta-fictional popular novels.

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro Joe McGinniss
synopsis: American follows Italian minor league soccer team in their season of glory in Serie B, the second highest league in Italy. Author finds characters, drama, conflict and elements of a good story. While the author's self references impede some of the story's goodness in the initial stages, the story eventually wins. Non-fiction. Incidentally, McGinniss has a new book out and the New York Times profiled him in an interesting article.

also, the recent issues of Resonance and The Believer recently came.

and now I am reading Never Mind the Pollacks by Neal Pollock. More absurd than Eggers and the other McSweeneys crew, Pollock is also rougher in language. It's an easy read, but best taken in small doses. as Pollock inserts himself throughout the history of rock and roll.

I think I am on pace to read at least a book a week, a rate of which I would be proud.