Through a concatenation of circumstances, I find myself with a big stack of books. I have two from Booksfree — Skinnydipping and the Food of Love — and two from frugalreader — The Great Gatsby and, on feebeeeglee’s recommendation, Robert Parker’s Pale Kings and Princes. There are three that I have begun but not finished — Stash Envy, Deadly Dance, and the widely-admired but dull Lost in a Good Book. I also have five books loaned me by Ozarque.

Now, as I said in the last literary conversation I was involved in (over at The Water Jar), I am a grownup, so I can read whatever I please. Normally, I enjoy having a large stack of books, and would take pleasure in reading one of the essays in Stash Envy and then turning to a novel and later perhaps dipping into the nonfiction. In this case, however, I am supposed to re-read The Great Gatsby for Book Club. What’s more, I took The Poster Queen’s suggestion to arrange to see the movie version, and Netflix tells me that it will be here Thursday, and of course I want to read the book before watching the movie. No question, I should be reading The Great Gatsby.

I enjoyed this novel very much the first time I read it, and I really like Fitzgerald’s way with words. I have in fact been looking forward to reading it again. But since I am supposed to read it, since that is the book that I ought to read — now I find myself filled with the desire to read something else instead.

This is always the way.

And it has something to do with knitting, as it happens. I have begun the process of arranging to teach knitting at the local craft store. Begun, and then stopped. Because the things I do for pleasure — needlework, singing, gardening, study — would I think be spoiled if I did them for a living, even on so small a level as a weekly paid gig. I could be wrong. I enjoy a lot of the things I do at work, after all — including looking after the flowers and studying stuff. Hmm.

Here is Nadia, who has chosen to sit on a cushion like the Queen of the May.

I had to laugh at this.

She obviously is not plagued by any sense of duty whatsoever.

And MacGyver was the winner, though Rosalyne01 spoke up for Bond, James Bond. I tried to persuade some male xangans to vote, but they have not done so. I don’t know whether that would have altered the results or not. Here’s hoping that you do not actually need any emergency interventions…