Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Jul 7

Happy Birthday, America! (July 7, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

After a long week of doctor’s visits for me and my parents, it was great to celebrate the nation’s birthday in the Geriatric Ward. Despite a few days of exploding fireworks (and gunshots) in our peaceful little hamlet, I’ve managed to continue my reading schedule. There’s a happy finish and a couple of new starts just in time for the new week.

What I Finished This Week

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. I must admit that I really enjoyed reading this classic novel. While I could see the scandal it would have caused at its time of publication, I found the story relatively tame and extremely provocative and thoughtful. Can marriage survive without intimacy and passion? Should a person have to deny his or her desires simply to avoid public dishonor? Add to this discussions about class distinctions, technological development, and societal change and you have a really outstanding book. My only complaint? Lawrence’s writing felt pedantic and redundant at times. 3.5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer (p. 110 of 302). I’m kind of on a roll with books about broken relationships, so this seemed like the perfect fit for the moment. Eddie and Barrett are sisters who could not be more different. Eddie lives in the city, works in publishing, and enjoys a fast-paced life. Barrett is opening her own business on Nantucket while trying to care for her father at their farmhouse. The girls’ lives have been traumatized by the desertion of their mother and the tragic death of their brother. Eddie returns to Nantucket for a long overdue homecoming so she can assist Barrett with the store’s grand opening and help with her father who seems to be dealing with some depression. This begins the rebuilding of their lives together as they deal with loss and hopefully begin to find love again. Thayer’s writing glides effortlessly and is a relaxing experience that readers can be swept away into a lovely summer story.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 14 of 817). This absolutely beautiful edition has been praised for its exquisite translation and readability. I added it to my bookshelf in 2004 with every intention to read this work, but I always found a reason to put it back on the shelf every time I pulled it down. Either it was too long for the limited reading time I had available or the Russian names (and the multiple iterations of names) were intimidating and would require more effort than I was ready to devote. I don’t have my nose in any other #BigBookofSummer at the moment and based on my recent readings about relationships, this seemed like the perfect moment in time. So in the wee hours of the morning, I quietly slipped to the back while the rest of the Geriatric Ward remained asleep and began to dive into the pages. I even read the introduction to the edition before diving into Tolstoy’s story. My plan is to pair this massive novel with more contemporary options in the coming weeks. I’ll try to get through at least one of the novel’s eight parts each week; most of the individual parts are around 120 pages in length. I know it’s going to be an adventure, but it’s time to just jump into the deep end of this Russian classic. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer classic family saga The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Jun 23

Summer Heat Wave (June 22, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

It has been a rather warm week in the Geriatric Ward and the forecast does not suggest much relief in the foreseeable future. What has that meant for me? Plenty of time to read as long as I find the quiet spots in the house before the patients take them over and blare every television in the place!

What I Finished This Week

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. It was 947 pages. It took almost a month of my life to get through this first #BigBookSummer read and I thoroughly loved it. This is the second volume in Gabaldon’s Outlander series. While I’m not normally one who enjoys time travel in my fiction, Gabaldon’s characters are so beautifully crafted that I can accept the impossible and focus on the amazing story. Dragonfly has a bit of something for everyone. There’s romance, magic, political intrigue, and thrills around every corner. I was a little concerned that I would not remember much of the storyline coming back to the series after a year away from Claire and Jaime’s story, but I was sucked back in quickly. Gabaldon gives enough backstory to events to trigger the reader’s memory when necessary without feeling as though you are re-reading past events. Because of their size, I am planning to read one of these books each summer. Was it a perfect read? No….there were times that I found things getting sluggish and I simply wanted to move on. But overall, this was another outstanding read. There are trigger warnings to consider for domestic violence, miscarriages, and war. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram (p. 106 of 321). After Dragonfly in Amber, I needed something different and not so massive. I decided to take a detour from my plan and dive into the recently published book I had received from The Book of the Month Club. The Summer We Ran follows Tess, the Democratic candidate for the governor of Virginia. She was raised by a single mother who worked for powerful people in Virginian society in the 1990s. Tess’ opponent in the gubernatorial race is Grant, a man who has lived a privileged life in DC society. Tess and Grant share a secret past that they are keeping from their families, their constituents, and their staff. When the truth ultimately comes out, it promises to be destructive and life-changing. Written in an alternating timeline, Ingram is revealing events in the summer of 1996 and then showing how it is impacting both Tess and Grant in their current lives. This is proving to be a fast-paced page turner that I simply don’t want to put down. The Summer We Ran will fulfill the prompt for a book published in 2025 for The 52 Book Club 2025 challenge.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer Book of the Month The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Jun 16

The Sound of 880 Piano Keys All At Once (June 16, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I have returned from the Texas Music Teachers’ Convention in Houston and lived to tell the tale! I was there to staff the Wayland booth in the exhibit hall — talking to teachers, alumni, and potential students about our programs. Held in the Hyatt Downtown, the exhibit hall was on the bottom floor on Friday and Saturday. Vendors from all over were in the hall. Our booth sat just across the aisle from the piano vendors — who had about 10 pianos on the floor to be played throughout the day. I’m not talking about digital instruments or consoles. No….these were grand pianos with their lids fully opened! What do 10 large pianos sound like when they are all playing different pieces at the same time? Imagine 20 toddlers in your kitchen floor with wooden spoons that they are banging on large metal pans. Yeah….it was a hot mess!

I planned to spend my time on the exhibit floor reading. That didn’t happen at all. I did manage to make a little progress once I retired to my room on the top floor of the hotel, but my head wasn’t going to cooperate too long in my effort to concentrate on the story.

What I Finished This Week

…..I had to at least make you look.

What I’m Currently Reading

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 672 of 947). Most of the 150+ pages I read this week were completed on Thursday’s flight to Houston. Once I encountered Claire’s miscarriage, I found it really difficult to push through that section. I thought Gabaldon handled a tragic event in any woman’s life with such grace that I didn’t want to rush through the storyline and savored the way she handled the text. I almost felt as though Claire’s grief as well as that felt by her husband could not be rushed. Now that I am in the ultimate battle scenes of the novel, the pace is picking up again and I *think* I will finish this Big Book of Summer this week. (At least, that’s the goal.)

What’s Coming Next?

I think I’m going to depart from my plan and insert a book that arrived last week from the Book of the Month club. The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram sounds very interesting. Two teens meet and fall in love during a summer trip. Fast forward to their adult lives, and the two former loves find themselves on opposing sides of a political campaign. It will definitely meet a need on my reading challenge since it was published in 2025. But first, I have to finish my current installment in the Outlander series and find out what happens to Claire and Jaime.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer Book of the Month historical romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Jun 2

A Busy Start to Summer Break (June 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Greetings from the Geriatric Ward! I arrived in eastern Arkansas Sunday afternoon and I am really looking forward to a slightly different pace for a few weeks.

This past week was busy in an unusual way. As you will recall, I was in Austin for the Memorial Day weekend to play for the Texas UIL Solo and Ensemble state contest. I returned to Plainview on Tuesday to begin packing up my apartment for summer. Somehow, I got the schedule wrong in my mind for the week. So Wednesday turned into a flurry of activity as I ran errands, cleaned, packed, and prepared to leave for Stillwater, Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Music Teachers’ Conference on Thursday. The conference was great and ran through Saturday afternoon. Rather than begin the drive home, I stayed the night in Oklahoma City and drove home on Sunday.

All of that to say that I was able to do some significant listening in my car, but not as much physical reading as I would have liked. I didn’t meet my finish goals for the week, but I’m very close to another finish. Let’s just take a look at where things stand at the moment.

What I Finished This Week

Beach Read by Emily Henry. This audiobook got me through many miles of driving this week. The story centers around two authors who hated each other in graduate school. When they find themselves living next door to each other, the old rivalry is reignited. In the heat of battle, the two issue a challenge to each other — she must write a story that doesn’t resolve everything in the end with a neat “happily ever after” tied up in a bow; he must write a romance with a happy ending. Henry’s writing is entertaining and filled with heart. Beach Read is about writer’s block, family difficulties, and the challenges of falling in love. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 133 of 148). I’m so close to another finish, but I couldn’t quite get there this week. I just have the final chapter and the epilogue to read, so it will definitely get done this week. Just another reminder that non-fiction is not my typical jam.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 241 of 947). I’ve read another 100 pages this week. The slow pace is only because of the little amount of time I have been able to devote to the novel. Truthfully, most of the week’s progress has happened in the Geriatric Ward. I’m not worried about getting this done quickly now that I am in a position where I can regularly read. Not sure that I’ll get finished this week, but I anticipate sizable progress ahead.

Emma by Jane Austen (p. 116 of 335). My plan to make this the focus piece of the week fell by the wayside when I realized that I didn’t have as many days in Plainview as I thought. I plan to slowly work my way through the remaining 220 pages this week to get a finish. (Somehow, I remember this very point in the story being the challenge for me when was first assigned the novel in my undergraduate studies. Just have to push through!)

May in Review

May was not a good month in my reading life. I’m still ahead of schedule in my reading goal, but I have to have good months in June and July to get back on track with my reading. Here’s the shameful numbers to report for the month.

  • Books read in May: 3 books (down 2 books from April)
    • 1 physical
    • 1 ebook
    • 1 audio
    • 3 fiction
  • Pages read in May: 1,249 pages (down 87 pages from April)
  • Highest rated book: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (4 stars)
  • Lowest rated book: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (1 star)

Plans for June

May clearly did not go as I had hoped, so I still have some loose ends to tie up there. I need to finish both Dragonfly in Amber and Emma. I was also scheduled to read The Summer We Started Over and Lady Chatterly’s Lover last month. For June, these are the new additions that I have slated to read:

  • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
  • Moby Dick
  • The Quiet Librarian
  • Eruption

Thankfully, most of June’s novels are shorter than those I encountered in May. I hate to think about it, but it may be the month that I begin to reassess my plans for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge and pivot in order to reach my goal.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer classic ebook historical romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
May 19

Aloha from Honolulu (May 19, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer classic The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
May 12

Can I Start Vacation Already? (May 12, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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.

2025 Reading Challenge audio classic Mini Challenge non-fiction The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
May 6

Music in Amarillo (May 5, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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.

Until next Monday…..

~Kennith

2025 Reading Challenge audio classic

Leave a comment »
Apr 28

The Beginning of the End (April 28, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

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 Speculation by 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.

2025 Reading Challenge audio classic plans romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Apr 21

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail (April 21, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I hope you all enjoyed a restful Easter weekend. I escaped Plainview for the a few days and visited Austin. It was a needed time of rest for my body and a chance to reflect on my reading. I made a couple of important discoveries along the way.

What I Finished This Week

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. For such a short book, I thought I was never going to get finished with this one! I suppose it was a mistake to try to read a genre I am not naturally drawn to while dealing with the exhaustion of the opera. It was a stretch on most days to read my self-imposed goal of 20 pages. When Easter break started on Friday, I sat in my reading chair with the determination that I was going to plow through this novel before hitting the road. I got it done, but can’t say that I enjoyed the experience. 0.5 stars.

What I Am Currently Reading

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (1:48 of 13:53) I didn’t make much progress in my audiobook this week. With only one trip to Canyon this week, I was really banking on making some headway here while driving to Austin for Easter. What can I say? There was a Cubs game on the radio and that required I listen…..and it was a GOOD game too! I think once I get to the introduction of the young woman to her boyfriend’s Chinese family that I will be more inclined to listen at other times and not just in the car.

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy (p. 156 of 292). This is exactly the book I needed to get me out of my current reading slump! Imagine a retelling of Cinderella that includes a plus-size shoe designer who finds her way onto a dating show (a la The Bachelor). It’s funny and the reality TV aspect has me rolling! It’s also nice to see a leading female character who doesn’t look like Barbie! This will do nicely for the prompt of a fairy tale retelling.

What I Removed From My TBR

Once in Austin, it was time to begin my next read. I had brought both books since they were part of my March and April reading plans. As I started to read, I realized that both books had some baggage that I was not equipped to deal with at the moment. Once There Were Wolves was the first book to be chopped. The novel opens with a relatively gruesome scene that I simply could not get past. (Those who know me well know that I have an extremely weak stomach.) This was my second attempt to get this novel going and it was clear that I wasn’t getting through the first chapter. Now, I’m on the look out for another piece of climate fiction.

Then came the realization that Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was getting connected to my previous reading of Wicked by the same author. As much as I adore the musical, the novel was a real sludge for me to get through. Since I was already in a bit of a reading slump, I wasn’t ready to struggle through another tough read so soon after And Then There Were None. A trip to the bookstore led to the discovery of If The Shoe Fits, making me very comfortable to leave Confessions behind for this year.

2025 Reading Challenge audio mystery romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Apr 14

A Week in Midland (April 14, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Opera Week 2025 has come to an end. It was a successful production, but I am very glad that it is now in the rear view mirror. With such a busy schedule, I was happy to actually do a little reading each day. My brain and body were generally too tired between performances to focus for very long though. I made progress, but nothing substantial.

What I Finished This Week

Not a thing. I hate it, but it was how the week went. I’m trying not to get discouraged that I am falling behind my schedule a bit. Instead, I’m looking forward to having some free time coming up this weekend to hopefully make some headway and get back onto my reading schedule.

What I Am Currently Reading

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (p. 131 of 247). I learned something else about myself this week. Mysteries require my full attention and energy level to make a dent. This one doesn’t really feel like a mystery. I am just watching character’s mysteriously die off and I’m wondering who will be the next victim instead of who is the killer. I really need to plow through this book this week or I’m afraid I’m going to get lost in the weeds on this one.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (1:12 of 13:53). Since I was traveling with others in my car this week, I didn’t try to listen to my book until returning home. I’m only 6 chapters in, but the new premises are much more entertaining than what I thought I was in for in chapter 1. I’m actually looking forward to continuing this read a bit more this week.

That’s all there is to tell this week. Easter weekend is coming up and I am hoping that I will get some reading done while I’m away enjoying a little R&R.

2025 Reading Challenge audio mystery The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Blog at WordPress.com.