Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Oct 28

#25: The Innocent (David Baldacci)

by kennithfreeman

As things got more hectic in the office, I realized that my reading needed to become more relaxing and less intellectual. So I looked for thrillers and beach reads. I realized that I had picked up this Baldacci paperback in the bookstore earlier this year, but had never gotten around to reading it.

The Innocent is an introduction to Will Robie, a hired gun with a conscience. When an assassination goes bad, Robie finds himself as an outcast in his own organization. In his attempt to get to safety, he becomes linked with a runaway foster child. The unlikely pair partner up when they learn that both of their lives are in danger. Is this a coincidence? Or is there a larger plan at work? Is this about Will or the young girl that dropped into his life? Will they find out in time?

In normal Baldacci fashion, The Innocent was a fast-paced read that kept me coming back for more. There were constant plot twists and plenty of excitement to keep the reader’s pulse pounding. While exciting, the story was not challenging to follow….and that was exactly what I needed at this point in my life.

What am I reading now? I’m sticking with the light reading and returning to James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. 22 Seconds is not disappointing at all either!

fiction thriller

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Oct 22

#24: The Carnival of Wishes and Dreams (Jenny Lundquist)

by kennithfreeman

With all of my recent travel and performances, I failed to write a review of this charming middle grade novel that I read earlier this month. While looking for something to read that featured a carnival to share with some children I mentor locally, I stumbled upon this novel and was very intrigued by the plot summary. I was very pleased with the reading experience during a really busy season.

Here’s the basic story of Lundquist’s novel. A small community has been traumatized after the local factory was destroyed by fire. Many jobs were lost. Lives were lost and friendships were destroyed. As part of the fallout of the fire, a group of young girls find themselves estranged and searching for understanding in a time of unimaginable confusion and personal pain.

When each of the girls receive an unsigned invitation to meet at the Ferris wheel at midnight at the annual carnival with a magical carousel, things are certain to be mysterious and exciting for all involved. The story was suspenseful, heart-warming, and fun.

As an adult reader, I especially appreciated the statements about the number of young people who find themselves forced to hide behind masks in order to gain social approval. The role of social media is prevalent and a great reminder of the hazards that come with it. I was really thrilled to see that there was much more here than just a cute story. Definitely plenty of things that can serve as discussion starters for these middle grade students.

Uncategorized

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Oct 9

The View From My Reading Chair – Oct 9, 2022

by kennithfreeman

If you read last week’s post, there was only one question. Will I make more progress on The Attic Child by Lola Jaye? The answer is “yes” and “no.” Yes, I made progress but not in actually reading the book. The book made progress from my messenger bag back to the bookshelf in my apartment. I’ve added another book to my DNF list — and I’m happier because of it.

Since I was struggling to read, I made my way to middle grade literature and started The Carnival of Wishes and Dreams by Jenny Lundquist. It’s a cute story about a group of girls who are all struggling through middle school drama for different reasons and find themselves together at the carnival. There are powerful conversations to be had around this novel about being yourself, hiding your true self behind masks, and the negative use of social media. I wish I had a class of middle school students to explore this novel with.

I anticipate finishing The Carnival in the next few days. Then I’m gonna move to some short stories by Poe — seems appropriate for the month of October — before starting my next novel.

Children’s literature fiction Reading Chair update

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Oct 2

The View From My Reading Chair – 10/2/22

by kennithfreeman

Last weekend, I began reading Lola Jaye’s The Attic Child. The novel was one of my September selections from The Book of the Month Club and I was very intrigued by the premise of the novel. Throughout the week, I’ve found myself struggling to sit down with the book and actually dive in. I’ve been shocked that I’m not pulled into the story.

What’s the problem? I’m not entirely sure. Jaye’s writing is beautiful and the story is compelling. I found the opening scenes with Dikembe in Congo riveting and wanted to know more. I cried with the young boy as he boarded an ocean freighter to begin a “short visit” to England. I want to know what happens to this child who is now on display for all to watch in the mysterious house at 109 Ranklin Road.

Then there are the chapters focused on Lowra….and I find myself confused. Who is this young woman and why has she inherited the mysterious house? The only items that she seems to care about in the home are a few items hidden beneath the floorboards of the attic that were clearly left behind by Dikembe. Was he the attic child or was Lowra a victim of abuse and locked there against her will? This is where Jaye’s book is frustrating me. I don’t necessarily want all the answers immediately, but I do want some sense that I know something about what is unfolding on the pages. In my opinion, Lowra’s chapters are getting in the way of a wonderfully wrought story about Dikembe. When I get to Lowra’s story, I am suddenly struggling to press on because I’m not invested in her story.

I’ve been tempted to skip the chapters titled Lowra, but I want to trust that the author is eventually going to reveal an important fact that links the two stories into this single novel. Now that I’m over 100 pages in, I’m losing patience though. My Story Graph account tells me that I’m only 23% into the book at this point, so I’m willing to give Jaye a little more latitude, but I don’t know how much longer I’m willing to wait for the payoff. My reading time is valuable. However, I don’t have enough of it to waste if an author is not going to hold up their end of the bargain and provide a fulfilling experience.

For now, I’m going to continue making my way through The Attic Child. Visit me again at the end of the week to see if things have improved in this reading experience.

update

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