All that pomp about reading and reading lists has strung me onto a reading meme, courtesy Jess. I’d claim (a) ignorance of the tag (but technorati splashed it in my face the moment I logged in), or (b) indifference (but what fun is that) or even (c) lack of time (but really, I’m just sitting here looking for an excuse to post) — but instead I’ll play along.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
One would have thought my new e-book reader would have been close at hand, but for sheer proximity (working on the laptop as I was) I had to go with a two-thirds-read tattered copy of “The Difference Engine” by Gibson and Sterling. This particular work reflects the (often cited) modern definitive example of recent steam punk literature, and has coincidentally recently reached the top of my (apparently large) reading pile (save for a healthy virtual stack of ebooks, of course).

2. Open to page 123.
Well into the Third Iteration.

3. Find the fifth sentence.
“A sop to the Cerberus of popularity,” Huxley said.

4. Post the next three sentences.
“Though I question the consequences to the fluttered nerves of paleontology. I confess I’m not at all at ease with this argument. I’ve not yet read Foulke’s paper, and you, Mallory, have yet to publish on the topic.”

5. Tag five people.
Greetings friend. Do you wish to look as happy as me? Well, you have the power inside you right now. So use it! Send one dollar to Happy Dude 742 Evergreen Terrace Springfield. Don’t Delay, Eternal Happiness is only a dollar away!

Or you could take five minutes and post. Let’s see… I tag:

1. Brett – Just a guy who might actually get a kick out of it. And I know he has at least one book on his shelf. Oh, and a blog. Sucka!
2. Julia – Your mom or dad should be reading SOMETHING long enough to report on by now. Even Claire’s been through Charlotte’s Web once.
3. Deb – Payback for the three dozen Facebook invites you sent me? Just kidding. Maybe. Just no more cursing in my comments!
4. Sharyl – Might just need some traffic to her blog to generate some fundraising dollars anyhow. Though now that she’s through with University I wonder if she hasn’t burned all her books.
5. Zach – Big piles of books. Shelves full. Stacks. I’ve seen them. Not bad taste, either. And unlike his wife (nudge nudge) still occasionally updates his blog.

Remember to link back to this entry to get credit for the post.