One of things I've most enjoyed about the blogging experiment (besides the worldwide adulation it's won me, of course) is that it provides a good excuse to pin down my thoughts. The posts I've found most rewarding have been those where the act of writing, for even a very modest audience, has prompted some measure of constructive reflection. And that's been especially the case when writing about books. Having to organize and then express my thoughts about something I've read can deepen what I draw out of a experience and help me sharpen my own awareness of whatever I think the book's message might be. Plus, if we're lucky, it might be interesting for you to read. Or maybe point you to a book that could make a difference in your life.

With that in mind, I sat down at a nearby Ethiopian restaurant last week with a pen and paper in hopes of writing a series of short book reviews about everything I've read over the past few months but failed to blog about. It went okay. I wrote a lot. But then I stuffed the notes away in my bag and now when I pull them out a week later I'm unable to piece the thoughts back together. It's probably a bad sign when I can't even read my own handwriting.

So, all I can offer tonight is a list of what I've been flipping through. They've all been good books, but I guess you'll just have to take my word on that. Sorry.

• Allan Bloom - The Closing of the American Mind
• Allan Bloom - Love and Friendship
• Stuart Dybek - Streets in Their Own Ink
• James Ettema and Theodore Glasser - Custodians of Conscience
• Philip Gourevitch - A Cold Case
• August Kleinzahler - The Strange Hours Travelers Keep
• A.J. Liebling - Just Enough Liebling
• George Packer - The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq
• Frank Rich - The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
• Thomas Ricks - Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
• Terry Teachout - The Skeptic: A Life of H.L. Mencken

And here's what I'm working on now.

• Rajiv Chandrasekaren - Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone
• Benjamin Kunkel - Indecision
• Anthony Shadid - Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War

This is a post Ben Welsh made on October 19, 2006

It is filed with other posts about books and celebrations.

Topics include a.j. liebling, allan bloom, anthony shadid, august kleinzahler, benjamin kunkel, books, frank rich, george packer, h.l. mencken, my life, philip gourevitch, rajiv chandrasekaren, stuart dybek, terry teachout and thomas ricks.

Some similar posts are "Ben's Bookshelf," "The Reality-Based Community's One Note Tune," "My Media Diet," "Rereading Moneyball" and "The market speaks. The blogger whines"