Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Aug 26

A New Semester is Under Way (Aug 26, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Last week, the WBU music building was a hub of activity. Students were everywhere it seemed. New music students were finding their way through the halls. Athletes were meeting with my next door colleague for individual conferences to determine eligibility. The school year got off to a start without too much stress.

I also got back to playing this week. After dealing with an injury for most of the summer that effected my right arm and shut me down, it felt good to start playing again. My chiropractor is taking good care of me and gave the all clear to begin playing again — just with the instruction to make sure that I stretch at the beginning of each session and that I listen to my body. The first big test came on Thursday with the fall retreat of the Singing Men of Texas. It was a lot of playing to be sure. By the end of the day, I knew that I had used muscles that had been dormant for a while because I was tired. Thankfully, there was no pain to report — and that’s very good news!

I’m also happy to tell you that I am on a successful reading streak at the moment. At the beginning of the year, my goal was to read at least 10 pages per day. While that sounds like a really small goal, this wasn’t about quantity, but consistency. I especially struggle during the academic year — and the beginning of the semester is often treacherous for my reading. As of today, I have met my daily goal for 29 consecutive days and fully plan to keep it going!

What I Finished

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers. On Tuesday, I finished the second volume of the Mark of the Lion trilogy. As I have already mentioned, this volume was darker in tone and dealt largely with sickness, pain, and healing. There were moments of tears and moments of pleasure as the book reached its conclusion. In many ways, it felt as though a lot of loose ends have already been tied up. I’ve decided to step aside from Mark of the Lion for a bit to read something a little different for a while.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Artist as Citizen by Joseph w. Polisi (p. 20 of 178). Polisi was president of the Juilliard School for 20 years. This volume is a collection of articles and speeches from his term. While I have read the book before, it felt like a good time to return and turn my attention to arts’ advocacy for a few days.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult (p. 195 of 483). Anyone who knows much about my reading life is aware of my love for the novels of Jodi Picoult. I think I have read every book she has published at least once. Every year, I look for the announcement of her latest book and rush to the store as soon as it drops to begin my reading. This year, I pre-ordered the book and it arrived in the mail on Tuesday!

What I enjoy about Picoult’s novels is the way she takes contemporary issues and turns them on their ear, forcing the reader to think about things from another perspective and face their own biases. By Any Other Name is falling a little short for me so far. Here’s why. There is definitely a contemporary issue on the page — the plight of women to have their voices heard in the arts, specifically as a playwright. Where things are failing for me is in the historical fiction set in Elizabethan England. I can tell that it is Picoult’s voice. I understand why she chose this storyline and how it connects to the contemporary story. It just falls flat for me and I don’t think historical writing is where Picoult best shines. I hope that my opinion of the work changes as I continue through the pages. (Let there be no doubt…..I plan to read the novel in its entirety. I’m enjoying the story — I’m just not so captivated by the book that I cannot put it down as I normally am when I encounter Picoult’s writing.)

What’s the Plan?

I hope to finish the Polisi this week. I might get done with the Picoult, but it will all depend on how busy things are in the office this week. I have a Sue Grafton novel on the table to try out next and anticipate having some piano pedagogy resources arriving in the coming week. One of those will probably be my next office read.

Happy reading this week, everybody!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer fiction historical music non-fiction

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Aug 19

Where’s the Thermostat? (Aug 19, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

It’s hot! That’s all there is to it….it’s hot! This week, we have been soaring anywhere between 100-110 F and relief can’t come soon enough. So no one complained too much that we had tons of meetings that kept us in the same room for hours on end and out of this oppressive heat.

Combine the heat with lots of beginning of the semester meetings and my brain is officially fried. Trying to start an online class while getting ready for traditional classes that start in just a few days has me pulling my hair out a little bit. I know I’ll get there. I just might not “really” be ready for everything. One more day to try to put out the biggest fires before we welcome our students back.

Somehow, the heat and meetings didn’t completely stifle my reading this week. I’m feeling pretty comfortable with the progress I have made and look forward to what’s ahead this week in my reading chair.

What I Finished

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It took longer than I had planned to finish Vance’s memoir, but I really enjoyed his insightful analysis of rural southern life. So much of what he said parallels my own experiences. I find his ideas about the roles of parents and teachers in education as well as his thoughts about the paths to higher education fascinating. I don’t know that I agree with everything he proposes, but I think there are some conversations that need to be had in our nation.

What I’m Currently Reading

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers (p. 328 of 432). The end of this second volume of Mark of the Lion is quickly winding down. Hadassah is now known by the name Rapha — Healer — to conceal her identity from those who would do her harm. That name gives us insight into what this novel is all about. Julia suffers from an illness resulting from her immoral choices. Phoebe’s illness comes on suddenly and without explanation. Marcus is simply lost and needs to be healed of his painful memories, guilt, and sin. As each of their stories progress, they again encounter Hadassah, and, more importantly, her God. While this installment of the trilogy has been darker in tone, I still find myself enjoying the movement of the Spirit across each page as the characters’ sagas unfold.

What’s On the Horizon

I need a break from 1st century Rome and my reprieve will arrive tomorrow in the form of Jodi Picoult’s newest novel, By Any Other Name. I know nothing about the story and really don’t care. It has become a tradition in my reading life to simply pick up everything Picoult publishes and inhale it. So I hope no one really needs much of my time this week…..I’m gonna have my nose in a book!

Happy reading, y’all! See you next Monday.

~Kennith

Big Book Summer Christian fiction historical memoir

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Aug 12

Back in West Texas (August 12, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Greetings from the HOT plains of west Texas! I started the drive back to my normal life on Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Plainview on Thursday….just in time to do some work on Friday before online classes began. What a whirlwind! Thankfully, I was able to get back into a semblance of my normal routine without too much difficulty and my reading life continues on mostly uninterrupted.

What I Finished This Week

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I was frantically reading this book in the Geriatric Ward throughout the day on Tuesday since it wasn’t my copy and it was so good that I wanted to make sure Mom had access to start reading it soon. I gushed about how much I enjoyed this read in last week’s post, so I’ll spare you a repeat. What I will say is that the ending TOTALLY surprised me and I was reading the last several pages through tears. Really phenomenal story telling that also tugged at my heart strings.

What I’m Currently Reading

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (p. 152 of 257). You will understand in a matter of moments why I’m still not finished with this book since the Rivers’ novel is completed. I’m still enjoying the memoir, but with all of the hatred that is being spewed on social media at the moment, I’m drawn to fiction over non-fiction at the moment.

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers (p. 124 of 432). Since I was driving through OKC this week, a stop at Half-Price Books was in order. That meant that I absolutely HAD to pick up the remaining two volumes in Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series because I’m desperate to know how Marcus, Julia, and Hadassah’s stories all play out! That also meant that I had to start reading the second volume — because clearly I have no self-restraint! I anticipate that this will be my last book of #BigBookSummer, but we will just have to wait and see how long it takes me to get through this one. This installment has a darker tone at the opening than A Voice in the Wind and the addition of some new characters have made for some minor challenges in getting my head wrapped around the storyline. But I’m moving forward.

Big Book Summer Christian fiction memoir

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Jul 8

Doctors and Independence (July 8, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

As July arrived, the reality that there are only a few weeks remaining of my summer vacation became a reality. That meant it was time to take care of a lot of doctors’ visits for me. Before the holiday arrived, I visited both the dentist and the cardiologist. Thankfully, I got good reports from both….and might have heard about the importance of flossing and exercise.

The arrival of Independence Day signaled one very big reality for the rest of the week — the Geriatrics would have a four-day weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents. But I am the oddball of this family and prefer to enjoy the sounds of silence more than the cacophony of mind-numbing televisions. My dad is the major culprit in this issue. Because he cannot hear (I don’t jest!), he has no idea just how loud things really are. Several times, I had to shut the doors separating the living room from the bedroom-turned-small-den in the rear of the house because the volume on the tiny television in the back was so loud that you could hear it over the main system in the front. It was really bad!

Somehow, I managed to convince my Mom to resume her reading life and she has had her nose in The Women by Kristin Hannah recently. Two readers in the house means there was a little more productivity going on since we didn’t have to have the television roaring for entertainment purposes. That’s a happy sound to my ears!

What I Finished This Week

Crusher by Darryl Banner. This light romance told the story of Quin and Adrian. Quin is an art student with immense talent and low self-esteem. He has been convinced by everyone — his parents, his art instructor — that he should pursue another career. But Quin’s passion for painting tells him otherwise. While visiting a beach-front town, Quin encounters Adrian – the local heartthrob who is known around town as the “Heart Crusher.” Opposites attract, the two fall in love, and all’s well that ends well. LOL!

What I personally found most rewarding about this read was the insightful conversation the two boys had about the pressures of creating and searching for validation from those you trust. Quin voices the fears of every young artist and explains beautifully to his non-artist friend the emotional roller coaster that is trying to figure out if you have the fortitude and talent to succeed.

What I’m Currently Reading

Blackout by Connie Willis. (p. 254 of 491) Now that I have reached the halfway point of my July selection for #BigBookSummer, I’m finally beginning to enjoy this book. I was worried for a bit as I dove into the book this week.

Here’s the basic premise….Historians at Oxford in 2060 have the ability to travel back in time to observe important events as they occur. Despite their various intentions, the team finds themselves in sundry locations in and around London during World War II. Okay…I like historical fiction and I am fascinated by this war. I thought this would be an excellent read for me. A large portion of the novel’s opening necessarily explores the time travel since the intricacies of the process are important as the story progresses. However, I got lost in the weeds and just wanted to get to the War. Now that the aspects of time travel are woven into the background of the characters’ stories, I am finding that I can simply enjoy the trials and exploits of these people. I’m glad that I stuck with it for a while and did not DNF this book. But be warned….if you are not a sci-fi fan (like me!), this is probably not a book I would recommend.

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. (p. 114 of 369) This novel is proving to be a fun and fast read that keeps me coming back for more. The Devlin family are all lawyers — everyone except TJ, that is. TJ is a convicted ex-con and recovering alcoholic who works for the firm as an investigator. TJ’s older brother has his sights set on taking over the firm when his parents finally retire and is working on a major merger to insure he is set financially. When John discovers that the company’s accountant has been embezzling funds, John arranges a private meeting. In the early pages of the book, John becomes irate and throws a rock at the accountant that strikes him in the head. When the accountant’s body is found a few days later, a few questions are at the top of everyone’s minds. Did John kill the man or did someone else? Does it matter?

At this point, I don’t have many of the answers at all, but I’m definitely looking forward to continuing my reading to find out what is going to happen next and to learn The Truth About the Devlins!

Upcoming Plans?

Later this week, I’ll be visiting Cincinnati for the first time to hear a friend’s voice recital and to take in a game at the Great American Ball Park. As a result, I’m not entirely sure just how much reading I’ll get done. I would like to finish the Scottoline book this week, but we will just have to see how that goes. Regardless, I’ll meet you back here next Monday to give you the update about my reading life.

Happy reading!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer fiction historical Sci-Fi

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Jun 24

Part-time Nurse, Part-time Reader (June 24, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Happy Monday, fellow readers! Things have been hopping here in the Geriatric Ward this week. Mom was getting better with her chest infection all week long. Sadly, on Friday evening, another infection appeared that required another trip to the ER. Thankfully, this was nothing life-threatening, but couldn’t wait until Monday…..so we spent roughly 6 hours getting care. (That’s an entirely different story that I might share at some other point.)

Somehow, I have managed to get some reading done this week now that I’m back at home. I am happy to say that I have a finish, some serious progress, and a decision. Here’s what’s been going on.

What I Finished

The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas. As I mentioned last week, this was a fun, fast-paced read set in the 1950s featuring four freshman women at Radcliffe College. The novel took an unexpected turn at its climax that I am still trying to decide if I liked or not. What I did enjoy was how each of the four women grappled with their beliefs about the role of women in their society and the importance of marriage. Even after reading the final word in the middle of the week, I found myself thinking about these characters and wondering what might have become of each of them as their lives continued. I suppose that is a mark of an exceptionally well-written story.

What I Put Away

Adam Bede by George Eliot. This should really not come as a surprise to anyone. I enjoyed the premise of the novel. The writing was wonderful. I simply could not find desire or time to read the novel to make any significant progress. The sense that I “should” read this novel was also having a negative impact on my reading of other books because I would feel shame whenever I picked up something else. Admitting that to myself made the decision to DNF Adam Bede an obvious choice. Will I return to it again later? Maybe. I enjoyed reading The Mill on the Floss earlier this year. Perhaps one Eliot novel is my max for the year.

What I Am Reading Now

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (p. 349 of 627). Now I cannot put this book down! I’m loving the developing relationship between Claire and Jaime. I find the prose smooth and the plot filled with suspense, love, and humor. It’s really a beautiful novel!

Plans for the Week Ahead

Since it is the last week of the month, I’m going to focus my attention on finishing Outlander as part of the Big Book Summer Challenge. I have a bit of incentive to finish as well; my next big book arrived today — Blackout by Connie Willis. I’m also going to start looking for my next “normal sized” read for my Kindle. But this week is all about Outlander….and I can’t wait!

That’s it for me! Happy reading, y’all.

Big Book Summer fiction Series

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Jun 17

Home After a Bit of Travel (June 17, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

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!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer classic fiction historical

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Jun 10

Finally Getting Back to It (June 10, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

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!)

~Kennith

Big Book Summer classic fiction update

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Feb 21

#4: A Darkness More Than Night (Michael Connelly)

by kennithfreeman

It seems that I am constantly playing catch up in my blogging. February has not been a nice month. There was simply no time to read….much less write about my reading! I finished reading the 7th of the Harry Bosch novels back in the middle of January and I’m just getting to blogging about it over a month later. As you can see, I wasn’t terribly excited to write about this book.

A Darkness More Than Night is a bit of a departure from what we have come to expect from Connelly’s plots. Harry is testifying in a murder trial against a Hollywood powerhouse while he is also being investigated as a suspect in another case. The new police detectives introduced in this story are not as fully developed as the cast of characters we have grown to love in the series, making the novel feel shallow and ill conceived.

I have shared my feelings about this novel with others who have read the series and they shared my sentiments about the abruptness of the changes in the structure. However, they did encourage me to continue reading the series as they think that I will continue to enjoy the books. I don’t know that I will finish the series though. I began reading the books as part of the My Library Shelf project and Darkness was the last of Connelly’s books on my shelf. I have a good feel for his writing and his voice. I have enjoyed the books, but I think there are many other authors that I would rather explore rather than devoting so much time and energy to this single storyteller.

2023 Reading Challenge fiction My Library Shelf Series thriller

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Jan 18

#2: A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

by kennithfreeman

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.

Now, back to my reading……

2023 Reading Challenge classic fiction

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Dec 31

#34: Five Winters (Kitty Johnson)

by kennithfreeman

To bring 2022 to a close, I finished my first ebook on the Kindle that I received for Christmas. I’ve not been incredibly interested in getting a digital reader since I spend so much of my day reading music from my iPad. I wasn’t sure how this gift was going to work out at all. So I just purchased the first inexpensive book that I thought I could handle to give it a fair shake.

That’s the best thing I can say about Five Winters. It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great. It was okay and a decent companion to actually beginning to read A Tale of Two Cities this week as well. The Dickens is going to take me a little longer to plow through for sure. Johnson’s novel was a nice diversion at the end of a long day.

ebook fiction romance

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