Staring out at the Pacific Ocean while lounging in a hotel room near Waikiki, I’m doing a little reflecting on the past week of my reading life. (I promise I’ll share more about my adventures on the island in coming posts.)
Last week was finals week at Wayland. Honestly, I can never predict what the week will look like. Some semesters come to a quiet end as things wrap up and the week is very relaxing. That was not the case this week. It seemed that every moment was filled with activity and I was just trying to hang on and survive.
That level of activity ate into my productive reading time. So I don’t have a finish this week. I did, however, continue to make progress — even if it was slower — in my current reads.
What I’m Currently Reading
Emma by Jane Austen (p. 116 of 335). I managed to complete the first volume in the novel this week. I have found that I have to read this one in absolute silence. I am continuing to enjoy the story and look forward to more of Emma’s adventures and social errors.
The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 63 of 148). When I first cracked this one open, I really thought I had made a mistake. The writing is stilted and awkward. However, as I have kept reading, I am pleasantly surprised to see that Stone has brought together some of the best aspects of multiple time management approaches and revised them for modern creatives. It’s definitely a good diversion from the Jane Austen novel right now.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 20 of 947). I read one chapter before packing my bags for Hawaii. My plan was to get lost in the story while high in the air. Instead, I got enmeshed in the Cubs v. White Sox game during the afternoon leg and then got some progress done in Emma. This is my first book of Big Book Summer that will actually start on Memorial Day.
It’s the second week of May and I am still in school. Really? It feels as though this semester started two years ago! Good grief…..students and faculty are dragging our butts across the finish line and have finally made it to finals. Just a few more days before I can officially check out for a bit.
As we pushed to the end of classes, I just did not have the energy to do as much reading as I would have liked. Still, I managed to tick off two books from my reading list this week.
What I Finished This Week
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill. I thought I was never going to get to the end of this one. The stream of consciousness writing style was not a hit for me. I found the plot — a marriage falling apart — very unsettling. I decided to read this one in a digital format because I wasn’t really interested in adding it to my bookshelf. Ebooks are not a good format for me; I think the problem is that I don’t always have a sense that I am making progress in my reading. I finished the read in order to mark off another prompt of the 52 Book Challenge (stream of consciousness narrative), but I don’t want to repeat the experience. 1 star.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. I was aware of this book because of the Hollywood adaptation. If I’m honest, the film’s previews turned me off from reading the book; I just wasn’t interested. When the book popped up as a recommendation in my Audible account, I decided to take a chance. (I was also aware that the first mini-challenge for 2025 from the 52 Book Club included a prompt to read a book by an Asian author.) I struggled with this story in the beginning. I think part of my issues were associated with the accents used by the narrator to provide authenticity and I was having a bit of trouble keeping all of the names of the characters straight. But I continued to listen, I found the story to be witty, insightful, and thoughtful. All in all, I ended up enjoying the story. I wish the resolution was a little clearer. I would have liked to have gotten pulled into the story sooner. But it was a good read overall. 3.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
The Modern Guide to Time Mastery: Focus, Flow, and Freedom by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 22 of 148). As the week ended, I was having lots of conversations with students about time management. As I was reflecting on what I was saying to them, I realized that my go-to time management resource was published in 2001. It’s probably time to look and see what other resources are available that might be more impactful to today’s student. While browsing my Kindle, I stumbled across this short book. It seems to consider creatives and focuses on aligning the things we devote our time to with where our values are. I’ve just started the book, but I am looking forward to spending some time in its pages this week.
Emma by Jane Austen (p. 67 of 335). As the semester was winding down, it felt like the appropriate time to dive into one of the classic novels that are scheduled for this year. I have a shameful confession to make as well….I have never read one of Austen’s novels in its entirety. Somehow, I avoided Pride and Prejudice throughout my education. I was assigned Emma as an undergrad and bluffed my way through the class discussions. Now, it is time to actually tangle with this classic British novel. I selected this Austen novel because I have heard that it is her best from several sources and I already had a reliable edition on hand. I gave myself permission to move through the novel at a slower pace so I can focus on what I’m reading and not feel as though I’m working against a deadline. So far, I am finding Emma to be a delightful young woman who has a unique perspective on her society and her circumstances. I’m hoping that since things are a little slower this week, I’ll be able to relax into the story a bit more and get comfortable with the author’s writing style. I anticipate this book will accompany me on my flight to Hawaii this weekend.
It’s a rainy Tuesday morning as I write this post. I’ve found myself playing a bit of catch-up since the last half of the week was spent in Amarillo where I judged piano soloists in the Greater Southwest Music Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the wonderful musicians in Amarillo, but once I got back to Plainview on Sunday afternoon, I realized just how much work there was to do to put the semester to bed!
While in Amarillo, I stayed at the Courtyard Downtown, a historic building in a revitalized part of the city. The room was so spacious and comfortable. What did that mean? Rest…..lots and lots of rest. Still, I managed to make process toward my reading goals as well.
What I Finished This Week
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.As you might recall from last week’s post, a good friend from my time at Pepperdine recommended this book to me. I quickly picked up the book and could not put it down. Without giving too much away, Haig weaves a tale that considers what might happen in the realm between death and life. In this universe, our heroine finds herself in the Midnight Library — filled with all of the various stories that her life might have taken with each choice possibility she faced. What if she had continued swimming in high school? What if she decided to follow her interest in philosophy in college? Maybe she would have found happiness if she had signed the recording deal with her brother’s band? Or maybe she just should have said yes to coffee with the shy guy. So many possibilities…..and so many different versions of her life to explore! Only one problem — she must decide which life to continue in before time begins to move forward again in the Midnight Library! Haig fashions a beautiful story that is thoughtful and filled with hope and light. 4 stars
What I’m Currently Reading
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (7:17 of 13:53). I continue to make my way through this story in the car. It might be time to pull out the AirPods and listen outside of the drive to get this one out of my reading rotation. I’m enjoying the story, but I’ll want something new for upcoming drives.
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (p. 114 of 177) This has turned out to be a very difficult read for me. Basically, it is all about watching a marriage and family fall apart from the mind of the betrayed wife. Written in a modified stream of consciousness style, it is challenging to keep pace with the story as other issues of survival, revenge, and mourning enter the inner dialogue. Offill’s short novel will be my focus piece for the week. I just have to get this off of my plate soon.
Emma by Jane Austen (p. 26 of 335). I knew I wanted to at least start one of my May reads while away this week. Emma is one of those books that has a special place in my memory though I never actually read it. It was assigned for one of my literature classes at Pepperdine (maybe Great Books Colloquium?) and I remember enjoying the conversation a lot. But I was at a point in my life where reading Austen did not come easily and I didn’t think I had time to enter her world. I skimmed through to get the basic details and survive the reading assignments. This text wasn’t figuring into my end-of-term project, so I wrote it off. Now it’s time to actually dive into the text. I anticipate this will take a bit longer to read and that’s why I’ve decided to set aside quiet time at home to sit with this book each day. Here’s hoping that I can get through at least half of the book this week.
That’s where I am. Hope you are all enjoying your reading life right now and that you are planning some relaxing summer reading for the days and weeks ahead.
Last weekend lulled me into a false sense of security and relaxation. Once I returned to the office on Tuesday, I realized just how much there was that still had to be done before the end of the term and the beginning of summer break. Stressing about a few things caused stomach issues and headaches that hindered this week’s reading. I think I’ve gotten a handle on the stress and a plan to successfully get everything done without completely losing my mind.
What I Finished This Week
If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. I cannot sing this book’s praises enough! I absolutely adored this read. What was so special about it? First of all, it was the read that got me out of a reading slump and I found myself devouring this story in just a few days. The story centers around a recent graduate from fashion school who is obsessed with shoes. As a plus-size woman, she has found it difficult to find clothing that expresses her personal fashion and doesn’t think she will be taken seriously in the industry. While flying back to Los Angeles for a few weeks to help her stepmother, she is dazzled by a charming man who seems to see the woman she is on the inside. Sadly, she fails to get his number before leaving the airport. Her stepmother is the producer of a reality dating show and our Cinderella-in-waiting ends up filling a spot that was vacated at the last minute. At the first taping, she discovers that her Prince Charming from the plane is the suitor for the season. If The Shoe Fits is a funny, witty story about love, self-esteem, and clothing. Unlike most other romances on the market these days, there is little in the book that would embarrass your grandmother. 4.5 stars
What I’m Currently Reading
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (6:37 of 13:53). I can tell that I am not spending as much time in the car as I was earlier this spring. Audiobooks are requiring a little more time to get through as a result. The story is enjoyable, but I have to remind myself to turn on the book when I’m driving right now because I’m not constantly interacting with the book.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (p. 134 of 288). This book was recommended to me by one of my mentors and dear friend, Bob White. When Bob recommended the book, I immediately put it on my TBR and bought it on my next visit to the bookstore. The book centers around the question of what happens in the time just before death. In Haig’s imagination, we find ourselves in a magical library filled with books that reveal how our life might have been different if we had made different choices. It is an intriguing premise that grabbed my attention from the very beginning.
Dept. of Speculationby Jenny Offill (p. 18 of 177). I decided to add an ebook to my reading rotation again now that I thought things were “slowing down.” (Yeah, right!) My plans to read this book during lunch breaks came to naught. The quasi-stream of consciousness writing is requiring more of my attention when I read than I first expected. (Why can’t a short book actually be a quick read?)
April in Review
April was a busy month and it felt as though I accomplished less in my reading life than what the numbers suggest. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised earlier today when I realized what I have accomplished this month.
Books read in April: 5 books (even with March’s reading)
4 physical
1 audio
5 fiction
Pages read in April: 1,336 pages (down 494 pages from March)
Highest rated book: The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (4.75 stars)
Lowest rated book: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (0.5 stars)
What’s Ahead in May
I need to finish The Midnight Library and Dept. of Speculation to close out my April plans (that underwent some serious modifications this month). That is the first time in this challenge read that I have found so many books that I simply could not read. I’m not worried about that because I found substitutions pretty quickly.
May is always an exciting reading time of year for me personally. With finals week and the beginning of summer living, I get to turn my attention to a few longer works and hopefully complete more books than I have planned for the month. At the end of the month — with the arrival of Memorial Day — I’ll begin my second adventure in Big Book Summer. The idea was first started by Sue Jackson on BookByBook.Blogspot.com. It is quite simple….any book over 400 pages qualifies and you read as many BIG BOOKS as you wish. The challenge runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. I try to read one big book each month, May through September…..but I probably won’t wait until Memorial Day to dive into the first one of the summer.
What’s on the TBR this month? I’m actually rather excited about several of these!
The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer
Emma by Jane Austen
Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (This is May’s Big Book coming in at a whopping 947 pages!)
I’m thinking that I might start with either the Austen or the Lawrence to knock out one of the classics early on before my brain goes completely into summer vacation mode.
Now that February is here, my time is no longer my own. Rehearsals for the children’s opera are in full swing. State music conferences are happening in the coming weeks. Recruitment is in full swing and it is also contest season in Texas. That means I’m spending a lot more time on the piano bench and fighting to find time to read each day. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — it’s just a seasonal change for the next few months.
Traditionally, the spring semester has always been a difficult time for me to maintain an active reading life style. In the past, I would get frustrated that I wasn’t making progress and simply give up as I watched my goals pass by unmet. This year, I’m taking a more realistic approach. My daily goal is to read 20 pages….so far, so good there. That smaller goal means that I may not read a book or two every week. I’m okay with that. As long as I am constantly making forward progress, then I am still on my way to achieving my goal of reading 52 books in 2025.
What I Finished This Week
Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong. For the first time in 2025, I have only read one book this week. I have to admit that I am a little sad about that, but I am deciding to focus on the progress instead of the lack of movement. This book fulfilled Prompt #1 in The 52 Book Club 2025 Reading Challenge: A Pun in the Title.
Finding Mr. Write is a 2024 rom-com that had a lot to say about the publishing industry. Daphne is an author who has not been able to get her apocalyptic zombie novel published. On a whim, she adjusts her cover letter — focusing on the survival skills in the novel — and uses a man’s name instead of her own. In that moment, Daphne’s alter ego, Zane Remington, is born. To Daphne’s surprise (or perhaps, her frustration) Zane’s novel is published and climbs to the top of the best-seller list! Now, Daphne must find an actor to portray Zane in public appearances on the much anticipated book tour. Instead of finding an actor, Daphne hires Chris Stanton, a handsome accountant in need of extra cash. What follows is a charming story of role play, romance, and fun.
Unlike several of my previous reads, Finding Mr. Write spent more time exploring mutual attraction before the two characters finally begin to fall in love. While there are a few scenes that would be classified as “open door” as the book nears the end, the overall spice level of the book is very low. Overall, this was a very enjoyable, funny read for me. 4.75 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
Reset by Dan Heath (1:32 of 6:17). Self-help books tend to be a challenge for me to read on audio. Reset has proven to be no different. As the week has been busy, I have found myself reverting to driving in silence. I have a longer drive coming up on Tuesday, so I anticipate getting this book finished and hopefully starting something new.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston(p. 172 of 227). It is no surprise to me that I struggle reading literary books on my Kindle. There’s just something in my psyche that associates ebooks with fluff reading. I thought about driving to Barnes and Noble and picking up a copy of this book to add to my library, but I was tired and opted for the ease of reading the ebook. I’m intentionally delaying starting another novel until I can plow through the rest of this classic. I love the characters, but the dialect is forcing me to slow my reading pace to make sure I comprehend the material.
What’s Ahead?
I will spend most of the week in San Antonio attending the Texas Music Educators’ Conference. With some 10,000 participants from all over the state, this is a great time to speak with potential students while vision casting and dreaming with my colleagues. That also means that I won’t get a lot of reading done this week. (I find it difficult to read if other people are around.) So my goal for the week will be to read something rather light on my Kindle this week — Diamonds Aren’t Forever by Connie Shelton.
There’s a plan in place. Now we will just have to see if I reach the goal when we chat again next Monday….
The last few weeks have included some work travel. Last weekend, I was in Norman, Oklahoma; this week saw me in Waco, Texas at the Texas Music Teachers’ annual conference. I was there telling piano teachers, parents and students about Wayland and the opportunities we have there. My plan was to do a lot of reading while sitting in the booth. I was so excited to curl up with my books and get some work done.
Sadly, I learned that things have not changed for me. I am easily distracted and cannot concentrate in the midst of noise. So the constant banging of pianos not only gave me a headache, but it meant that I could not read a word of the easy read that I had selected for this purpose. When the day was done, all I wanted to do was head back to my hotel room and relax in the silence. At night, I would do a little reading to calm my mind, but I didn’t get as much accomplished as I had hoped.
Now on this Monday afternoon, I have returned to Arkansas to find a situation that will once again mean that I don’t get much of anything accomplished this week. Yesterday morning, Mom was taken to the ER with shortness of breath associated with a lung infection. She’s fine, but feels horrible and will be spending much of the week in the back room watching television and resting while a humidifier pumps cool midst next to her. To add to the fun, Pop got attacked by a cat this morning (yep…..a simple little cat) and had to go to minor medical to get bandaged up. He has been on blood thinners for years, so even a small scratch requires medical attention. But the bandages plus rainy weather means he is home for the day as well. What does that look like? He has plopped down in the recliner, remote in hand, and the volume up incredibly loud because he is deaf and won’t admit it to himself! (Just a little frustrated about that, but at some point you just have to say “whatever” and move on.) So that means I can only find a bit of quiet at the dining room table with my EarPods crammed in my ears to try to shut out some of the noise. C’est la vie!
Now that I have whined enough about my situation, let me tell you what I’ve been reading this week.
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas. (p. 135 of 246) This was the book that I expected to get to finish at the conference this weekend. Set in the 1950s, it is the story of four young ladies who are beginning their freshman year at Radcliffe College. While in the area, they begin a friendship with Alice, a single woman who owns a local bookshop and they begin a book club. Their discussions center around books that examine the role of women in society and often become heated as some of the girls hold very traditional stances. Against the backdrop of these conversations, one of the freshman girls is assaulted and cannot share her trauma with her friends and turns only to Alice. Nearly halfway through the book, I’m really enjoying the conversations and watching as the literature becomes relevant to the situations they are finding themselves in.
Adam Bede by George Eliot. (p. 237 of 574) I’m just going to be honest here. I’m struggling to find inspiration to continue reading this classic novel. When I first started the book, I was drawn in by the theological concepts and the growing relationships. However, the reading is SLOW and it just feels like I am slogging through thick mud to finish a single chapter. There is part of me that wants to read this work because I know it is important and well-written. But then I find myself questioning if it is worth the effort. I’ve not made a decision yet, but I won’t be surprised if this is DNF’d this week because of how much I am drawn into my first BIG NOVEL of the summer.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (p. 66 of 627) When I first learned about the Summer Big Book challenge, I immediately knew this was my opportunity to finally give this book a chance. I picked it up last week and got to a slow start rather intentionally; I didn’t want to get too invested before going to the TMTA conference. While in my hotel room on Friday night, I picked up the book for read a bit more and the time travel element was established — and I was HOOKED! So now I just want to keep my nose in this massive book and see what is going to happen to Claire in old-world Scotland. My goal is to finish this big book in the month of June so I can pick up another one to enjoy in July.
That’s what has my attention at the moment. Now….back to the reading!
I intended to write with more regularity. I really did! But when life and performances began to take off, something had to give…..and blogging was the obvious choice. When things began to slow down, the thought of trying to catch you up on my activity, dear Reader, was overwhelming. Even though life was busy, I managed to continue reading a bit. But every time I thought about sitting down to write an update, I froze.
So I have decided to simply update you in this way. Since my last post in March, I have read 5 additional novels (both audio and print books). The books ranged from contemporary literature to beach reads. That’s the total update you’re getting for March, April, and May. Now I can just pick up and report on my reading for the last couple of weeks.
What Have I Finished Reading?
For the official kick-off of summer reading, I started The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah the day after Memorial Day. I have really enjoyed reading Hannah’s works recently and decided to explore another of her earlier works. Published in 2004, the novel is the story of two women. Angie is a divorcee who has also experienced fertility issues and has no children. Lindsey is a teenager from a dysfunctional family who finds herself pregnant. The Things We Do for Love is a beautiful exploration of family, motherhood, love, and loss.
What Am I Currently Reading?
Adam Bede by George Eliot. I’m only about 220 pages into the book and enjoying it at a leisurely pace. With a goal of reading roughly 25 pages each day, Adam Bede will certainly be a long term project for the summer.
The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas. I’ve only read a paragraph….but I’ve started! With more travels coming up this week, I needed to get something loaded and started into my Libby app that would keep me moving while sitting at the recruiting booth for WBU at the Texas Music Teachers’ Convention in Waco this week.
What’s Ahead?
While watching YouTube earlier this week, I stumbled on Sue Jackson’s Big Book Summer Challenge and was intrigued. The premise is pretty simple: read big books between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For the purposes of this challenge, a big book is defined as anything with 400 pages or more. I am certain that I can read at least one big book this summer…and here’s hoping that I can read a few more. Here’s my list of possibilities for summer 2024.
Adam Bede (George Eliot)
Black Out (Connie Willis)
Outlander (Diane Galbadon)
Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy)
There you have it! Now back to the reading. (And the blogging hopefully…..look for update posts each Monday throughout the summer!)
One of the joys of having a very productive reading life in January 2023 is that I’m not always finding time to post my responses to the readings in a timely manner. That’s the case with this classic novel that I decided to revisit as the calendar turned to a new year.
I first encountered A Tale of Two Cities as a high school freshman in Crawfordsville, Arkansas. The school was not known for its academic prowess and I often found myself bored in my classes. Through some type of insane logic, the administration decided to put me ahead in the math and English sequences. When Mrs. King announced that we were reading the Dickens novel as a class assignment, I was thrilled. The French Revolution was a fascinating era and I loved the use of hyperbole and symbolism throughout. Sadly, I became ill with the flu and spent much of the lecture period at home. I was resigned to tackle Dickens’ novel on my own.
Now that I was able to return to the novel as an adult, many of the details that make this novel a classic were made clear. While I recalled some of the symbolism employed — most notably, the constant knitting by Madame Defarge — I missed many of Dickens subtle statements about society and the danger of revolution. It is always a welcome opportunity to return to a work again with new life experiences and more mature perspectives. I also enjoyed having the opportunity to read the work at a leisurely pace; this allowed me to soak in all of the beauty of the text as I desired.
There will certainly be another classic novel in my future since I need to read something written before 1850 for the 2023 Reading Challenge. I’m not certain what that will be just yet or even when I’ll schedule that into my reading life. What I do know is that I am looking forward to exploring what is so special about these beloved texts that have withstood the test of time.
This week, I returned to a classic novel that I first read the summer after my freshman year of college. One of my roommates had a copy of the novel nestled on a shelf above our shared desk and he regularly commented how this was one of his favorite books of all time. Since I hadn’t read the book in high school, summer break sounded like the perfect time to read about the fictional school of Devon and the events that occurred in the summer of 1942.
A Separate Peace focuses on the friendship between Phineas and Gene as they deal with the horrors of war and their imminent call to serve in the American military. Gene is a scholar; Phineas is the epitome of an athlete. The two should not have the makings of such a strong friendship, but that is exactly what happens. Phineas finds his identity firmly planted in his success in his various athletic pursuits. Gene, on the other hand, seems to only have an identity as the friend of Phineas. When tragedy strikes, the boys each find themselves in an unexpected search for self-identity.
Themes of fear, athletic competition, self-identity and self-worth run throughout the pages of the novel. These themes are heightened by the looming background of the Great War in the lives of these impressionable adolescents. Honestly, I had forgotten how much of the novel involved athletic pursuits and dreams of success above all else.
I expected a quick read since this is a relatively short novel, coming in at just under 200 pages. Instead, I found myself reaching for my pen regularly to underline passages that spoke to me and filling the margins with questions to consider as I continue reflecting on Knowles’ story. I enjoyed a slower pace of reading and the opportunity to once again question the text.
What’s next in my reading life? I picked up one of this month’s selections from the Book of the Month Club this afternoon. I’m just a few pages into the novel, but I am enjoying Elin Hilderbrand’s The Hotel Nantucket so far. I’ll let you know next week how it’s going.
This classic novel has been on my TBR list for years. I would always find a reason not to pick it up. Now I’ve finally gotten through it and my response is an indifferent “eh.” I’m not sure if my opinion was influenced by the fact that life was extremely busy with NATS and opera production week while I was working my way through the short book or not. I could not get excited about the turmoils of Ponyboy, Soda Pop, and Johnny. I found myself thinking that this was a novel attempting to ride the success of West Side Story and failed. I read the book because I started it and felt that “I needed to.” My apologies to the many people who told me that The Outsiders would become one of my favorite novels….it’s not.
Reading for Me 