I find end of year lists released in early December a little offensive. Offensive is too strong a word, but you know, culture is still coming out in these final days. So I will wait until December 31 to release my year in read list. That said, since finishing 1Q84, I’ve had a lot of trouble getting into another book. After all these years of reading on my own, I still can never figure out the right book to read for whatever mood I’m in. I always end up with history books or short stories on a plane, which is the exact wrong thing for me.
But at December 22, the facts are on the table: we are getting to the end of the year, and I’ll probably only read one or two more books in 2011. But while 2012 doesn’t start for another week and a half, starting today, the days will be getting longer. And even if it’s too early for year-end lists, it’s not too early for a stiff drink to celebrate that.