And done!

I have read The Origin of Species cover to cover.  It feels like such an accomplishment getting through that book!  I present you with my thoughts on the work.

Darwin was passionate about his work, and that certainly comes through in the writing.  It is certainly not a book meant for pleasure reading, as it is extremely academic.  I did learn some fascinating things about animals, and I am glad for that knowledge. My problem with the book is that Darwin tried to be way to mathematical and scientific about nature.  If nature has proven anything to us, it is that nature is crazy, complicated, beautiful and tragic at the same time.  How can nature be presented in a neat little scientific package?  It can't be, and that is why this book is such a polarizing topic to this day.

Once I was done with the book, I went to my computerized random number generator, and asked for another number.  I was given the number 45, and scanned my reading list in great anticipation, all the time hoping I did not have to read War and Peace quite yet.

I got Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff.  I laughed out loud when I saw that I would be reading a much loved children's book, and one that I cannot recall ever reading.  Since my reading list just said "Babar," and there are quite a few Babar books, I decided that I should read the very first book, The Story of Babar, published first in 1931.

And then I went to Outback with my husband and had beer and steak.

So, since my beloved main branch of the public library is closed today, tomorrow I will visit the children's department and pick up the book.  It is tempting to get another book from my reading list out at the same time, but I will wait until I finish Babar first.  It's a whole 47 pages long, plus illustrations!