Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Oct 28

What a Whirlwind (October 28, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

I should have learned by now. I really should be able to see the signs. As soon as I return from a brief vacation, I should know that the next week promises to be INSANE! Last week held up to that standard. I felt as though I was running from the second I got back to Texas and never got caught up. I’m the proverbial dog chasing my own tail at the moment.

No surprise then that my reading pace slowed once I got back to reality. It’s during this time of year that I find myself too tired at the end of the day to think about doing much reading. If I’m reading at the start of the day, it’s a sure sign that I woke earlier than planned and I’m hoping that the meditative action will help me grab a few more fleeting minutes of rest. Despite the hectic pace, I did manage to finish a book this week and (barely) started another one.

What I Finished This Week

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. My latest novel told the story of a flight where everyone on board received disturbing predictions of their death — both the manner of their death and their age — from the strange Death Lady who may or may not be psychic. Dark premise, huh? I found that I enjoyed the exploration of the difference between fate and coincidence and man’s ability to determine his own destiny. While it is not my favorite book that I have read this year — that honor is still held by Kristin Hannah’s The Women — I did enjoy this read very much.

What I’m Currently Reading

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (p. 24 of 369). I am participating in the Booklist Queen’s 2024 Reading Challenge (even though I will not complete all 52 prompts this year) and needed to read a book published in 2014. While perusing the selections made by other members of the group, I stumbled across this read by Moyes and thought this would be a good escape read for this final week before the Presidential election. I have enjoyed Moyes’ other novels and it sounds like a good way to escape reality for a little while.

As you can see, I am not very far into the novel at all. Here’s what I know at this point. Jess is a single mother who works for a cleaning service to make ends meet. Her daughter, Tanzie, has recently been recognized as extremely gifted in math. As a result, Tanzie has been offered a scholarship to attend a prestigious private school that has an exceptional math department. However, the scholarship only covers 90% of the tuition; if Tanzie’s dream is to become a reality, Jess will have to figure out how to cover the remaining tuition as well as registration fees, costs for uniforms and transportation and all of the other “incidental” expenses that might arise. Just two chapters into the book and I am already invested in the challenges of this family. Hopefully, I’ll have much more to tell you about this one next week.

Until next Monday evening….

Happy reading, y’all!

~Kennith

Book of the Month fiction thriller

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Oct 21

Fall Break is Over (October 21, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Traveling is always good for my reading progress — well, at least the flights are good for reading. Once I get to my destination, I generally manage to just read the minimum each day to maintain my daily goal. That was definitely the situation when I got home for Fall Break. Here’s what I can tell you about my current read.

What I’m Currently Reading

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (p. 313 of 495). An airline flight might not have been the best place to really dive into this novel. Here’s the basic premise. While on a very full flight, a woman gets up from the front row of the main cabin. She stops at each row, points at each person and morbidly predicts the year of their death and the cause. While some are relieved as they learn that they will live to old age to die of a heart attack, others are alarmed at the woman’s predictions. A thirty-something man celebrating his birthday is told he will die this year in a work place accident. A toddler’s mother is told the child will drown in his seventh year. A new bride traveling to her honeymoon in her wedding dress learns that she will die due to “intimate partner homicide.” The novel proceeds to follow the passengers who have been warned of their death and the mysterious woman who made the predictions. This novel is terrifying, troubling, and captivating at the same time. I can’t wait to keep reading to see what is going to happen next!

What’s Next on My TBR?

I think my next read will be Every Secret Thing by Rebecca Harrt. This is the second volume in the “Acts of Valor” series. I really enjoyed the first of these Christian thrillers and wanted to go back in for a second trip. It will be a fairly easy read after working through the Moriarty brick. Also, I’m looking forward to picking up my Kindle this time around.

So there you have it! Until next week, happy reading y’all!

~Kennith

fiction thriller

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Oct 7

Back to Reality (October 7, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

As should be expected, I left a piece of my heart in Malibu. I didn’t want to come back to West Texas, but responsibility beckons.

Last weekend, I attended Waves Weekend at Pepperdine University. This year was targeting 1990s alumni (that’s me!) and there were lots of special faces that returned to the ‘Bu to reminisce and celebrate with us. Additionally, I was asked to coordinate an alumni coffeehouse to close out the weekend on Saturday evening. While most of the music wasn’t my typical rep, it was exactly how I stretched my wings as a collaborative pianist and music director while I was at Pepperdine, so it felt very natural to agree.

Were there challenges? Absolutely! Just lining up performers and rehearsals from Texas was a challenge in and of itself. But if I hadn’t had the responsibility of performing, I probably wouldn’t have made the trip back to California. There never seems to be a convenient time to leave work if I’m not performing or recruiting students. So I had to steal away from the reunions for a few hours to grade a few submissions, but nothing too daunting.

Am I glad I went? Absolutely! There is really nothing quite like spending time with cherished people who poured into my life during some formative years. Hugs with Hung, Bob, Stuart, LaJuana, Scott, and Kim lingered as I soaked in their love. Spending time with men and women who did life with me on campus for six years as friends, musicians, and fraternity brothers cannot be given a price. (Oh how I treasure the time I got to spend with Jessica, Andy, Amy, Jen, Alan, Ben, Tim, Natalie, Gina, and Brian Lee….as well as lots of others!) Sometimes I think I forget just how much I need to be in a safe space with people who know me best and love me most. These people are my family…and it felt as though we just picked up as though we were still roaming the halls of Pepperdine as we did 30 years ago. My heart is so full!

Besides traveling and seeing friends, I also managed to get some significant reading done. And that’s what we are here to talk about, right?

What I Finished This Week

Returning to Eden by Rebecca Hartt. For the flight, I decided that I wanted an ebook to read on my Kindle that I could easily come in and out of as the weekend went by. Hartt’s novel is the first in the Acts of Valor series and was listed as a Christian thriller. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised. The story centers around Jonah, a navy SEAL who was taken captive when a mission went south. After a year of being gone, he is presumed dead and his wife and step-daughter have begun to move on with their lives. Then the call comes that changes everything — Jonah is alive, but he has no memory of his wife, his capture, or his imprisonment. Being treated for PTSD, Jonah has a very real sense that his life is still in danger. This gripping novel is a lovely story of transformation through Christ while keeping us on the edge of our seats as we follow the mystery to its chilling conclusion. If you like John Grisham and would like to have something with a Christian worldview, this might be the perfect novel to check out.

What I’m Currently Reading

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (p. 205 of 342). I started reading this novel last week and didn’t get very far. As I kept reading, I found myself struggling through the first 150 pages of the novel. Everything was so depressing as the remaining Blue sisters dealt with the death of Nicky. I am normally fine with dark themes, but these characters seemed irredeemable. I just didn’t like any of them. FINALLY, it appears that the three are going to come together to help each other with their various demons. It seems that the tone and tempo of the book has improved with everyone’s arrival in New York. The chapters are very long in order to maintain a single point of view, but I think the same thing could have been accomplished simply by providing big headings and breaking the chapters into smaller, digestible chunks. I’m ready to see how this one is going to end and hope that I will keep up the progress that I’ve made this weekend.

There you have it! Happy reading, y’all.

~Kennith

Book of the Month Christian ebook family saga fiction romance thriller

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Sep 30

A Shot in the Butt (September 30, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

The week has come to an end with another case of the crud. That’s right. College students somehow don’t understand that upper respiratory infections are contagious and not something that anyone else wants. If you are feeling under the weather, do not walk into a music studio and spread your gunk.

So, I’ve felt pretty crummy the end of the week. I played a service on Sunday morning wearing my COVID mask and went to work on Monday morning with the same mask. I was able to get in to see the doctor this afternoon who confirmed that I have acquired the viral infection that is going around. Since I’ve leaving on a jet plane on Thursday, he gave me a massive injection and I will start a Z-Pak tomorrow. What does that mean? At the moment, but butt is sore from the shot and I didn’t feel like doing a ton of reading this week. In fact, my reading streak came to an end on Saturday after 62 consecutive days of putting my nose in a book. Oh well, time to start a new streak!

What I’m Currently Reading

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (p. 77 of 342). This is one of the September 2024 selections from the Book of the Month Club. As you can see, I’m not very far into it, but it is an interesting premise. Three sisters are dealing with the one year anniversary of the death of their fourth sister. In many ways, she was the glue that held them all together. Rather than dealing with the loss, the sisters have avoided their grief and left their childhood home as it has always been. Now that their parents are selling the space, the option of ignoring the memories and mementos they left behind is no more.

With a flight to the West Coast coming up this week, I hope to make some serious progress in this novel. I really need to get back into a reading routine now that the Cubs season has come to an end and I don’t have the distraction of baseball any more. Now I must choose to spend my time in the pages of a book or mindlessly watching television. Right now, I’m not certain that I will make the right decision because the lure of the boob tube is strong.

There you have it. I’m fighting for my reading life at the moment. Tune in next week to see how things turn out.

Until then, happy reading, y’all.

family saga fiction

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Sep 23

The One with an Eye Infection (September 23, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Last week, the crud that kept on giving in the music department decided to throw me an additional curve. On Tuesday night, I began to feel a stye forming in my right eye. I’ve had them before and normally they can just be treated with warm compresses and a little TLC. Things felt different on Wednesday morning, so I headed straight to the local optometrist because I am not going to fool around with my eyes!

Long story short, somehow the respiratory infection found its way to my eye. I was prescribed a salve to apply to the lower eyelid — the INNER lid actually — as well as a Z-Pak. I would eventually figure out how to apply the salve effectively. The Z-Pak, however, made me so sick on the first day that I decided it wasn’t worth the effort. I cannot handle nausea at all!

Since my eye was infected, reading was not all that fun this week for several days. Thankfully, my eye was significantly better by Friday afternoon and I was able to get back to a reading routine that resulted in more than just my minimum daily goal. Despite all of the challenges, I had a finish this week!

What I Finished Reading

As Sure As the Dawn by Francine Rivers. This final volume of The Mark of the Lion trilogy was not what I expected. The now free gladiator Artestres returned to Germania with his Roman wife and a Roman centurion. As they desired to share the gospel with the village that Artestres called home, they were faced with pagan rituals. This volume was much darker and filled with the miraculous. The dead were raised, spiritual warfare was a central part of the story, the gift of tongues was used to share faith with non-Greek speakers. All in all, it was a fascinating story but certainly not what I was expecting from what I would consider mass market Christian fiction.

What I’m Currently Reading

Although I made no additional progress this week, I still have plans to read No Book Beginners by Tim Topham. Since I just finished the Francine Rivers book yesterday, I’m looking for a new start. I pulled a couple of things from my book shelf, but nothing struck my fancy. A package from the Book of the Month Club arrived this afternoon, so I think I’m going to start making my way through one of them. You’ll have to join me next Monday to see what I actually end up reading.

Happy reading, y’all!

~Kennith

Christian fiction historical

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Sep 16

Thankful for Cold Medicine (September 16, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

The title tells you everything you need to know. This week was all about trying to outrun the Typhoid Marys and Typhoid Charlies that roamed the halls of the music building this week. Everyone went on choir retreat together last weekend. Everyone came home with various types of crud. No one wanted to stay home and not spread their cooties! I managed to stay out of the grips of the plague until Friday afternoon. Of course, my students managed to ruin my weekend as well. I love them dearly! (The dripping sarcasm is completely intentional.)

As is normally the case, when I don’t feel well, my reading takes a hit. Thankfully, I was able to keep things under control with a few days of cold medicine and maintained my streak of consecutive days of reading. Nothing was finished this week, but I’ll take the small victory of reading through the congestion when what I really wanted to do was binge watch another episode of Scandal.

What I’m Currently Reading

As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers (p. 220 of 473). Atretes and his child are now attempting to leave Rome, but their efforts may be thwarted by a manic Emperor who simply wants to show his power over the former Gladiator. Atretes is fueled by anger, but his heart is pierced as he hears the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans and the tenderness of Rizpah, the woman who has raised his child since birth. This final volume in the Mark of the Lion trilogy is definitely more character driven than the previous books. I’m not sure how I feel about Rivers’ portrayal of this man who has risked everything for his freedom. I’m finding myself almost making appointments with the novel rather than simply being drawn into its pages.

No Book Beginners: A Step-By-Step Framework for Creative Piano Teaching by Tim Topham (p. 80 of 194). This is proving to be a challenging, thought-provoking read for me. Topham essentially argues that the reason students do not excel in piano study and end up hating it is because we force them to read music before we allow them to fall in love with the language. The point has some validity and needs further study. However, I’m not sure that every teacher has the skills needed to incorporate the improvisation and composition required to follow Topham’s method. In all fairness, I am just getting into the portion of the conversation that truly lays out Topham’s plan in sequence, so I am making assumptions about what is required. I am being very methodical and taking copious notes as I read the work because I want to be able to recall the ideas and communicate them clearly to others when I’m done. With a very busy week ahead, I don’t know that I will have much time to devote to this more academic reading assignment this week, but I certainly plan to continue reading and considering the argument.

That’s what I’ve got this week. Now, back to the books!

~Kennith

Christian fiction music

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Sep 9

Fall Is Coming! (September 9, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

The weather is getting cooler. We experienced a few rain showers. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home after getting the first full week of playing up and running. No students or pianists were harmed in this endeavor. Of course, my annual friend chest congestion made an appearance. Fortunately, Mucinex seems to be doing the job of keeping things under control and not allowing this unwelcome friend to set up permanent residence.

There was also some reading that happened this week and some decisions made. Here’s the scoop….

What I Finished Reading

The Rookie by Jim Morris. I shouldn’t have been surprised that I enjoyed this memoir as much as I did. After all, it was a baseball book. But it was so much more. It was a story of fear, failure, family, and frustration. It was a story of dreams delayed and dreams fulfilled. It was encouraging and challenging. It was the perfect read for the beginning of a new semester and a new group of freshman students in my world.

What I Stopped Reading

The Artist as Citizen by Joseph Polizi. The more I read in this collection of speeches, the more I realized that the era that Polizi addressed was not the art world that I currently reside in. There were interesting points to consider, but the book was not speaking to me. Besides, there were other books sitting nearby in the office waiting for my attention. This volume had become a drudge and a duty. That’s not what I want my reading life to be about any more.

What I Am Currently Reading

No Book Beginners: A Step-By-Step Framework for Creative Piano Teaching by Tim Topham. (p. 18 of 194) One of the books that was calling from the corner of my desk was this one. A leader in modern music instruction, Topham is calling for a new approach to piano instruction. Following an approach more akin to language learning, Topham suggests that students first explore the language of music before the process of learning to read and write begins. This approach would pull teachers away from traditional piano methods and require more activity-driven instruction of students as they discover musical concepts. While the traditionalist in me is a little apprehensive of the prospect, the educator in me is intrigued. I’m not sure what I’ll find, but I’m looking forward to making my way through this book slowly in the weeks ahead.

As Sure As the Dawn by Francine Rivers. (p. 45 of 473) In this final novel in the Mark of the Lion trilogy, Rivers focuses on the story of Atretes. Atretes was a gladiator who purchased his freedom from the arena and has since discovered that his child lives. I’m still very early in the story, so I’m not entirely sure where we will be heading. I am excited to see how things will be tied up in this final episode of the saga and trust that I will enjoy this novel as much as I have the rest of the series.

There you have it. Happy reading, y’all!

~Kennith

fiction historical memoir music

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Sep 2

Happy Labor Day! (September 2, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Ah….the joy of a long weekend at the very beginning of the semester. After getting things up and running and beginning to get into the groove of how things are going to go, I get a day off. That’s the perfect time for my allergies to begin causing problems and congestion to settle into my chest. Just what I had hoped for!

The week has been pretty good overall. Lots of things accomplished in the office, practicing again with some regularity as my arm continues to heal, and still managing to do some reading. At the moment, I’m fighting through a bit of a reading slump after powering through the final book of #BigBookSummer. Let me tell you what I’ve finished, what I thought, and what I’m reading now.

What I Finished

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. I am conflicted about this book. It was an interesting premise — Did Shakespeare actually write all of those plays and poems or were they purchased from other individuals, including women? The plight of women to receive equal footing and respect in modern society is certainly an issue worthy of discussion. Sadly, this book did not arouse the type of response in this reader that I expect when I come to one of Picoult’s books. I expect to have to think critically about important issues from perspectives that may challenge me and make me uncomfortable. By Any Other Name felt like a history lesson about a little-known female author fighting against a system that simply wasn’t going to change. I get that Picoult was pointing out how women have been fighting the same battle for centuries, but the historical fiction almost made the plight seem hopeless. When reading about the modern playwright who was deceptive, manipulative, and dishonest in order to get her play read — and then pouted when her plot blew up in her face — I was not cheering for her. Honestly, I was rather pleased that she got what she deserved. Dishonesty is never the way to bring about societal change. So, I’ve put this book on a low shelf of my bookcase and don’t plan to recommend it to other readers. I’ll just pretend that Picoult didn’t write it and continue to enjoy most of her other works.

What I’m Currently Reading

Plans changed this week and I didn’t pick up the Sue Grafton novel I mentioned last week. I also didn’t finish reading my office book….because work was BUSY! Here’s where things stand at the moment.

The Artist as Citizen by Joseph Polizi (p. 54 of 178). I chose this book for my office read because it is a compilation of speeches given about the role of the arts in American society and the artist’s responsibility as a member of society. What I failed to realize is that the quickly changing conversations in these speeches left me not necessarily wanting to dive back into the reading. So I am not making much progress through it. I’m hoping that I can force myself to continue reading the speeches this week and get closer to a conclusion. That’s also why I didn’t choose to begin another novel this week.

The Rookie by Jim Morris and Joel Engel (p. 59 of 276). A baseball memoir should be an obvious choice for me. I am finding myself drawn into the story of a west Texas boy drafted into the Big Leagues despite the obstacles, but as I have struggled with my allergies at the end of the week and needed to take care of a few things around the apartment, I haven’t done as much reading as I had hoped. Thankfully, this is a really fast read and not requiring a ton of effort to make progress. After reading several dense, big books recently, this short memoir will be a nice change of pace.

There you have it! Happy reading this week, y’all.

~Kennith

baseball Big Book Summer fiction historical memoir music

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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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