27 June 2026
Sharing Saturday - Longest on to-read list
What book was on your to-read list for the longest before you actually read it?
Last week I finally read a book that had been on my to-read list for over 40 years!
I was in college (the first time around) when someone suggested Silverlock to me—a fantasy novel by John Myers Myers (how do you pass up a name like that?). I didn’t read it then, but it’s been on my mental to-read list as ‘something I’ll get around to reading one of these days’ ever since. Well, that day finally came: it was on Kindle Unlimited, and it was just the palate cleanser I needed after finishing a couple of books that were less satisfactory than I had hoped.
The premise of Silverlock is that the main character—who inexplicably has a lock of white hair, which earns him his nickname—is a guy from Chicago who has reached peak cynicism and barely cares when the tramp steamer he’s on (trying to escape it all) sinks in a storm. He survives and, thanks to another random shipwreck victim (Golias, who serves as his guide through much of the story), ends up washing ashore in a land called the Commonwealth.
As it turns out, the Commonwealth is where characters from literature and myth live. The story becomes a rather fun puzzle of seeing how many you can spot. Oddly (and a bit frustratingly), Silverlock himself never seems to come to any sort of realization about the nature of the Commonwealth, which left me wondering how he managed (despite being a business major) to be so poorly read. Or maybe (taking a charitable view) he avoids even considering it because it might mean that he’s actually dead or insane.
The book is divided into three sections, of which the first is the most satisfying, as Silverlock and Golias join up with Vikings (who lose the battle) and wander on through the Commonwealth from there. The inclusion of a fair bit of poetry (Golias seems to be a sort of bard) is reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, but this book was published in 1949—half a decade before LotR. Apparently Myers was also a poet. At any rate, this book was worth reading sheerly for the Anglo-Saxon-poetry take on the Battle of the Alamo.
I found the second section a bit dull at first: Silverlock and Golias set out to help a friend of Golias break a curse, marry his lady love, and regain his title. While the literary encounters continue to be amusing, the friend (whose name I now can’t even remember!) didn’t appeal to me as a character. But things finally speed up as this part of the story comes to its climax.
The third section was…odd. Silverlock finds himself compelled to seek out a magical spring, which is supposed to allow him (on the first sip) to remember the Commonwealth after leaving it, (on the second sip) to be able to return, and (on the third sip) to become a ‘Maker’ (which is what Golias, who has clearly been there before, is). But the path leads through an Inferno-like dark philosophical journey (led by Faust instead of Virgil) that would be utterly depressing if not for the realization Silverlock eventually comes to: that Faust was lying the whole time.
Inevitably, Silverlock ends up back in the ocean (and back in the real world), with a ship in hailing distance and the possibility (since he managed two sips) of returning someday.
It wasn’t quite a five-star read, but it was definitely worth reading. I’m glad I finally got around to it!
What book was on your to-read list the longest before you got around to reading it?
Thanks for the book review Celia! I don't have either time or focus to read books lately, instead I spend short periods scrolling you tube shorts for distraction in between studying up on the laundry list of medications they have Gary on and trying to sort through the complex regulations with Medicare etc, Turns out both the business manager and the social worker at the skilled nursing facility rehab gave me completely wrong infornation about the insurance, which caused me to waste a precious couple of days expending energy in the wrong direction. Very frustrating as I do not have time or energy to spare. Spent hours yesterday straightening all that out with other agencies -hopefully it's fixed for now. I was told by one agency that it is not uncommon for nursing homes to make these kinds of mistakes. Rather concerning since said facilities are handling this stuff all the time. Gary continues to improve both cognitively and physically, but slowly. His heart is just not pumping that good so he cannot be pushed into a speedier recovery even tho he is eager and willing. The stupid insurance does NOT like to pay for long rehab tho, even if necessary, and the nursing home made it sound like they would just push him out, even if not ready- but got reassured yesterday that legally they cannot do that. Otherwise I am fairly comfortable with his care there and the physical therapists are terrific. So many things are falling apart at the same time tho I have no idea how we will manage to hold it all together, but here we still are somehow and that is truly miraculous!
I don't keep to-read lists -- I buy a book and read it. I do seem to remember saying "I finally got around to reading --," but probably that was a book sitting on the night table way below others.
Friend called last night. I overheard the tag end of the conversation:
"B. wants to see the tall ships, so on the third of July we're going to see the smaller sailing vessels, and on the Fourth we're going to find a spot early near the Verrazano Bridge to see the big ones."
"Too patriotic for me."
"Well, maybe Mamdani will organize an anti-Israel march, and you can go to that."