Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Sep 2

Vacations Are Too Short (September 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I decided that the Labor Day weekend was the perfect opportunity to escape Plainview and head to the beautiful city of Denver, Colorado. This was my first excursion into the state and I must admit that I was immediately mesmerized. The scenery is breathtaking. The people that I encountered were so kind and welcoming. I slept like a baby. I also enjoyed three really exciting baseball games between the Cubs and Rockies. Somehow, I also managed to get some reading done this week and continue making progress toward my goals.

Rather than pressuring myself to complete a post on Labor Day, I decided to enjoy the holiday and push this week’s post back to Tuesday. Reading for Me will return to its usual schedule next Monday.

What I Finished This Week

Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian. Let’s start with the important information. I absolutely HATED this book! I have rarely read such a piece of trash that has so few redeeming qualities. Why did I finish it? I kept hoping it would get better because I did find the premise intriguing. The story centers around two married college professors who each have extramarital affairs; his is physical in nature while hers is simply emotional. Her student feels the need for revenge and decides to expose her mentor in her debut novel that will also serve as her MFA thesis in Creative Writing. The thesis is supposedly what we are reading. Seduction Theory cannot decide what it wants to be. At times it is the thesis written to expose the illicit acts of all players; at other times, it is a journal of the author’s vengeful fantasies because her mentor decides to stay in her marriage. Adrian gives us a short book (thank Heavens!) that is both confusing and confused. Truthfully, I found myself wondering how an editor let it get through in its present condition. Really not good at all! 2 stars.

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin. Set in World War II England, Martin takes us back to the universe she first introduced in The Last Bookshop in London (read April, 2025). This time, we meet Emma, a struggling widow, with her young daughter Olivia. Because of the marriage bar, women who are (or have been) married cannot work. Having grown up in a quaint bookstore, Emma loves literature and sharing her passion for reading with others. Miraculously, she is offered a position at an upscale lending library despite her social status. As German bombs begin to descend on the small town, Emma is forced to decide whether it is best to keep Olivia close by or evacuate her along with thousands of other children to a place she has never seen. Much of this historical novel focuses on Olivia’s experiences as an evacuee. Filled with humor, wonderfully researched historical data, and a touch of love, The Booklover’s Library is filled with characters that will melt your heart and cause you to care about their well being and futures. This one was really hard to put down! I’m excited to see what other historical novels Martin has available. 4.75 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

I didn’t bring any extra books with me on my trip to Denver, so I found myself headed to the airport without any additional selections. Rather than allowing this to hamper my reading style, I decided to go off plan a bit and start two random books for the week. However, I think I can use them for some of the more “general” prompts in the reading challenge if I need to.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni (p. 22 of 361). Admittedly, I picked this book on my Kindle on a whim as I was looking for a book related to the word “puzzle.” Even though I am barely into the novel at this point, I am immediately thrilled with this selection. Here’s what I know right now. Mike Brink had it all until he suffered a horrible brain injury during a high school football game that left him with the ability to see things differently — patterns, numbers, complex puzzles are no challenge for him. Now a renown puzzle maker, Brink is rather surprised when he is invited to a women’s prison in upstate New York by Dr. Moses to assist with one of her patients, an inmate named Jess Price who was convicted of a brutal murder years ago. Since her incarceration, Jess has not communicated at all….until she drew a complex puzzle to an ancient secret. On the flip side of the paper were two words: “Mike Brink.” The book’s blurb suggests that the puzzle will lead Mike on an adventure involving an ancient Abrahamic prayer, a la The Da Vinci Code. I’m all in and ready to get some more reading done on my flight back to Amarillo.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (p. 52 of 493). I have never been a super fan of science fiction. So the prompt for a book with a character who can fly was immediately challenging for me. I went to three bookstores in the Denver airport looking for anything that would fit the prompt. I was even ready to read a graphic novel about one of the Marvel characters, but nothing was available. While I was in the largest of the bookstores — Tattered Cover Bookstore — I googled recommended books with characters who could fly. Nothing on the list was on the shelves. As I was walking out the door in defeat, this cover caught my eye and I quickly returned to the list on my phone. I knew I recognized that title! It’s longer than I had hoped for a sci-fi title, but I decided to give it a chance and follow through with my plan to be spontaneous this week. I have to admit that I have really enjoyed what I’ve read so far. Violet finds herself in an academy to become a dragon rider — even though what she really wants to do is become a scribe. That’s truly all I know so far. Why have I gotten pulled into this book? Yarros isn’t focusing on the magic too much yet. She is creating characters with depth that have you pulling for their success. We will just have to see how I do when the magic begins to enter the story, but for now, I’m all in on this human saga.

Another Milestone Achieved!

With the end of August, I reached another milestone in my reading goals for 2025. With the final read of the month, for the first time since I have kept track of the number of books I have read, I am very happy to say that I have read 52 books in a single calendar year!!! Okay, I actually read 52 books in 8 months, but who is being that specific? LOL! That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reading for the year because I still have The 52 Book Club challenge to complete. I know…..but not everything I read was a good fit for one of the prompts, so I still have a bit of work to do to complete that task. I’m having fun reading and think I have finally fallen into a good routine.

August in Review

I’m a sucker for looking at the numbers each month. Here’s how August shook down….it’s amazing how much reading I got done during COVID isolation! Don’t want to do that again, but at least there was productivity in the process.

  • Books read in August: 11 (up from 5 in July). +6
    • 6 print
    • 4 ebook
    • 1 audio
  • Pages read in August: 4,014 (up from 2, 273 in July). +1,741
  • Highest rated book: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (5.00)
  • Lowest rated book: Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian (2.00)

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Aug 4

Aestas Horribilis (August 4, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

While watching Final Jeopardy during one of this week’s episodes in the Tournament of Champions, I was reminded of Queen Elizabeth II’s description of the year 1992 — annus horribilis. Considering the troubled marriage of Diana and Charles as well as other troubled royal unions and fire in Windsor Castle, 1992 was truly a horrible year for the monarch. Taking some liberties, I must refer to the summer of 2025 as aestas horribilis – a horrible summer.

What was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me? On Thursday afternoon, I developed a nagging cough that simply would not be tamed by medication. As the day wore on, I began to experience congestion, earache, and headache along with sneezing and fatigue. Friday morning, I returned to Mitchell Family Health (my second home this summer, it seems) and got the diagnosis. I have COVID-19. At some point, I just have to laugh at the irony that I will be dealing with another illness during my final week in the Geriatric Ward before returning to West Texas.

What did this mean to my reading life? Thankfully, I seem to have only had a mild case of COVID and have not suffered terribly with the symptoms. So I have taken over the back bedrooms of my parents’ home and tried to isolate as much as possible. (I am now into Day 4 of my quarantine.) I have had a lot of quiet time to do lots of reading. When first diagnosed, I wondered if I would experience “brain fog” as I have in previous bouts with the virus. Thankfully, that has not been the case and I was able to continue the reading routine I had gotten into before becoming ill.

What I Finished This Week

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean. Talk about a family saga! This novel hit all of the marks for me. A billionaire has died and now his four children and widow must complete a series of tasks to receive their inheritance. Living on a private island, the siblings who are estranged from each other, must work together despite their animosity. As the family hosts a “celebration” for the dearly departed (because how could they possibly be seen mourning publicly?), tensions mount and explode. And all of that happens before the real storm arrives on the island! Want something full of family secrets, challenging relationships, and hilarious hijinks? This is the perfect read for you. Part rom-com, part family drama with a lot of heart-felt soul searching, These Summer Storms will keep you entertained and desperately wanting to turn the page to see what happens to the family. 4.75 stars

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. WHAT A BOOK!!!! Since I first read Hoover’s works a few years ago, I have been enthralled by her writing and storytelling. Few authors are as adept at spinning a riveting story. I wanted to pick up something to begin reading digitally this week; something that I could read while lying in bed and ending the day. I did not expect Hopeless to rock my world as it has and now I can hardly put the book down! The story centers around Sky, a teen girl who is entering her senior year in high school after being homeschooled for her entire life. One day in the local grocery store, she encounters Holder, a bad boy that everyone warns Sky about. Despite the warnings, Sky and Holder’s attraction and connection are undeniable. As their relationship quickly progresses, it becomes clear that something is amiss. When the revelation was finally made at the midway point of the book, I sat bolt upright in bed and couldn’t believe my eyes! (For those with whom I have shared the recommendation, this ranks right up there with Jodi Picoult’s shocking twist in Mad Honey.) From that point forward, I was constantly pulled back into Sky and Holder’s story. The rest of the plot is filled with twists and turns that the reader does not see coming. As I neared the book’s conclusion, my reading pace slowed tremendously because I was constantly wiping away tears. I completely fell in love with these characters and was thoroughly invested in their story. A few trigger warnings are needed because this book packs a major punch; child abduction, molestation, suicide, bullying, and rape are all encountered. While I think Hoover treated each issue with sensitivity, I am certain that reading this book may be traumatic for those who have personal experience with any of these issues. By the way, I am using this novel to fulfill the prompt for an author who publishes more than one book a year. (Although Hoover is not currently publishing, she was producing two books annually when Hopeless was released.) 5 stars.

Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson. This thriller has been sitting at the bottom of my TBR for several months now. I had planned this read for the prompt for a book set in a country with an active volcano (a story about an erupting volcano seemed perfect, right?), but I quickly realized that the better fit would be the prompt of a book with a non-human antagonist. Man vs. machine or man vs. nature are not normal plots that I enjoy, so I decided to use the Crichton thriller to fill the bill. Set in Hawaii, a long dormant volcano is expected to blow its lid any day now. Scientists can predict the time of the eruption and the direction of the lava flow. Thankfully, the lava will flow away from Hilo towards mostly uninhabited portions of the island. The only problem is that there is a large surplus of toxic waste stored below the ground in this part of the island that will have catastrophic results — basically, the end of human life — if it is released into the air….and that’s exactly what will happen unless this team of scientists and engineers can figure out a way to redirect the lava flow. While it sounds incredibly cheesy…and it is to an extent…..it is still a very fun read. The novel was an unfinished manuscript by Crichton at the time of his death in 2008; it was finished and published by Patterson in 2025 with the support of Crichton’s widow. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 574 of 817). This week, I stayed on goal, completing Part 4 and (actually) Part 5 as well. In Part 4, Alexei continues to pursue his divorce of Anna because of her affair with Vronsky. However, when Anna becomes severely ill after the birth of her daughter, also named Anna, Alexei has a change of heart and finds that he has forgiven his wife and found love for both of the children. Despite his desire for things to remain the same in their marriage, Alexei must ultimately admit that Anna does not love him and cannot bear the thought of life without Vronsky. When divorce is once again on the table — only this time, not as an act of revenge — Anna questions if she truly wants the freedom it will bring.

Part 5 shifts our attention to the marriage of Levin and Kitty. As the newlyweds learn of the approaching death of Levin’s brother, the two dash to his bedside where Kitty acts as an angel of mercy, caring for the dying man with tenderness and grace. Levin begins to see his wife in a new light. Interestingly, chapter 20 of this part of the novel is the only one that has a title — “Death.” While this makes the chapter extremely famous in literature, I found the preceding chapter to be much more moving. As the story returns to Anna and Vronsky, we see the two returning to Moscow from their time in Rome. As they near the city, Anna’s desire to see her son grows stronger as his 9th birthday approaches. Despite obstacles and through some cunning on Anna’s part, the two are briefly reunited in the boy’s nursery. However, a schism seems to be forming between Anna and Vronsky, forcing Anna to wonder if she is still loved by the man she chose.

July in Review

It’s hard to believe that another month has come and gone. July was a busy month in my world with health challenges and a trip to Chicago. Still, I had a pretty stable reading life through it all. Not the best results of the year, but still moving towards meeting my goal of 52 books in 2025.

  • Books read in July: 5 (up 1 from June)
  • Pages read in July: 2,273 (up 956 pages from June)
  • Highest rated book: These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (4.75)
  • Lowest rated book: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (3.75)

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Dec 2

Gobble, Gobble Week (December 2, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I was blessed to visit my parents in eastern Arkansas this week. In addition to lots of food, I also got to enjoy time to sleep, bake, and decorate the house. With flights to and from the Geriatric Ward, I also managed to do quite a bit of reading this week.

What I Finished This Week

Owning Jacob by Simon Beckett. My flight path on Tuesday took me from Amarillo to Houston before ending up in Memphis. I managed to find a relatively quiet corner to myself on these Southwest flights and lost myself in this story that I finished somewhere high above Arkansas. The plot took a turn that I didn’t see coming that also turned the book from a psychological study of a man in a mid-life crisis to a fast-paced thriller. Since I finished this one while in the sky, I had to turn to whatever I had loaded on my Kindle.

Every Secret Thing by Rebecca Hartt. Since I didn’t have a lot of options while in the air, I started the second volume of the Acts of Valor series. Once again, this was a Christian thriller featuring Navy Seals who found themselves battling a secret organization that was trying to sell guns to the enemy. As they get closer to the truth, they find themselves and those they love in greater danger. While this isn’t high literature by any stretch of the imagination, I did find it entertaining and a relaxing read during a busy holiday week.

What I’m Currently Reading

JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography by Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio (4:52 of 14:54). Little progress was made in my audiobook this week since all of my travel was by air. I anticipate seeing significant improvement here next week as I drive my car back to Arkansas for the Christmas break.

How My Neighbour Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn (p. 190 of 470). Once the decorations began to go up in my parents’ house, I was ready to do a little holiday reading. As I browsed Kindle Unlimited, I found this book and was intrigued. Think of a Hallmark movie. A small community that celebrates Christmas year round hosts an annual competition to see which of its residents has the most Christmas spirit. When an outsider who is caring for her aunt decides to enter, the town grump also must join the contest simply to keep the stranger from winning. Alas, not only is he defending the town’s honor, but he is also slowly admitting that he is attracted to the beautiful red head. Each chapter begins with a short poem written in the style of Dr. Seuss — which gives the book an obvious allusion to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Is it also funny? Definitely! Quinn’s book has proven to be a quick read so far and I anticipate it will continue in that vein through its conclusion.

What’s Ahead?

The 52 Book Club released its mini-challenge for December 2024 earlier today. I have already found myself drawn to the idea of reading around the holidays this month, so the challenge seems like a perfect motivation for me. Here are the challenge’s three prompts and my selections at the moment.

  1. December captured on the cover: The Christmas Tree Farm (Laurie Gilmore)
  2. Holiday harmonies:
  3. Features festive flavors: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Laurie Gilmore)

While visiting Barnes and Noble this evening, I was surprised that more Christmas books were not featured on tables throughout the store. Truthfully, there was only one small table of romances sitting out. I didn’t realize until I typed the list above that I selected two books by the same author. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I generally prefer to read a little more widely. As you can see, I don’t have a selection for “Holiday Harmonies” at this point, so I am open to suggestions. The prompt can be interpreted in several ways. It can either have a significant scene featuring caroling or choral singing. Or one of the main characters can be a musician or composer. The other option is that the book’s cover feature either a singing character or musical notes. Normally I would head to the local library for some options, but since I’m leaving here next week, I don’t want to take a book and keep someone else from enjoying the read while I’m away. Have a great idea for a December cover or holiday harmonies? I’m all ears!

Hope you all have a very happy week of reading!

~Kennith

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Nov 18

On the Mend (Nov. 18, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

After what feels like the longest illness ever, I think I am finally on the road to recovery. I’m still dealing with some lingering congestion and sneezing, but I am definitely feeling better. As a result, I managed to put my nose into a few books this week and got two finishes for my efforts.

What I Finished This Week

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. Once again, Jojo Moyes hit me right in the feels with another excellent novel. Yes, this book was about bullies and self-doubt. It was also about misunderstandings and forgiveness. It was a beautiful look at a dysfunctional family wrapped up in a charming romance. It was everything that I should have hated in a novel that left me much richer for sharing a little time with these powerfully drawn, deeply flawed characters.

No Book Beginners: A Step-By-Step Framework for Creative Piano Teaching by Tim Topham. I’m a little ashamed to admit that this book has taken me several months to complete. It wasn’t because the writing was challenging or that I found the discussion uninteresting. Truthfully, the book is a very fast read. What slowed me down was the fact that I really needed to wrestle with the basic argument and decide where I stood on it. Here’s the basic idea: if we really want to teach young pianists effectively, don’t rush into introducing them to the challenge of reading the notes of the page. Instead, focus on the other elements of music — melody, harmony, rhythm, and sound. Let the students become so engrossed in the music itself and develop a natural curiosity about it. Then (and only then) begin to explore the language of reading music. It’s not how I was trained, so everything in me rebels against the idea. Yet, I have to admit that there is something in the argument that causes me to pause and consider. Topham presents a 10-week framework for these beginning lessons that prepare the student for reading. Am I ready to jump in completely? Not yet….but it has definitely given me something to think about. That’s what we ask from the non-fiction that we invest our time and energy into reading.

What I’m Currently Reading

JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography by Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio (1:46 of 14:54 listening time). Normally, a 15 hour audiobook would turn me off, but this one caught my eye. I had started listening to Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell on Wednesday, but the topic was much darker than what I had originally anticipated. That’s when I saw this biography on John F. Kennedy, Jr. I have always been fascinated with the man and watched along with the rest of the nation when his plane went down. Honestly, I had planned to listen to a little bit of this book to close out the week and begin with something a little shorter next week. But then I realized this wouldn’t be like other biographies. McNeil and Terenzio have gathered recollections from those closest to the Kennedys to tell the story of John-John from their various perspectives. The result is a story that I cannot get enough of. The recollections of John’s famous salute to his father’s passing casket and his early interactions with other men after his father’s death are spellbinding. While this won’t be a quick read, I am in for the long haul now.

Owning Jacob by Simon Beckett (p. 40 of 343). On Sunday afternoon, I was browsing the Kindle library for a new read. I didn’t want anything too literary. I did want something that would keep my attention from the start because I hope to continue making significant progress in my personal reading as the year draws to a close. This thriller has all the elements I was looking for. The novel opens with the death of Sarah who has left behind her husband Ben and his 6-year-old stepson, Jacob. While sorting through his wife’s possessions, Ben stumbles upon a lockbox that contains Jacob’s birth certificate and newspaper clippings about a child that was taken from the hospital nursery. As Ben continues to investigate, he realizes that Jacob shares the same birthday as the child that was taken! Was Jacob actually Sarah’s son? Or has he unknowingly been part of something far more sinister? As the truth begins to emerge, Ben is now faced with the question of what he should do — reunite his autistic son with his birth parents or continue as though nothing has changed? This novel is absolutely riveting. Since the truth has been revealed so early in the story, I’m anxious to see where Beckett’s storytelling is going to take us next.

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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

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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

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Oct 14

Recruitment Season (October 14, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Fresh back from my trip to Malibu, I hit the ground running with a lot of recruitment activities to begin finding a new class of incoming freshmen for next fall. Monday saw two college fairs that were quite good. Then my attention turned to recruiting current students to play in the Pep Band that will return in the Spring term. Needless to say, I’ve been a little busy and not getting to do as much practicing or reading as I would have hoped. Somehow, in the midst of all of that, I did manage to finish one novel and begin another.

What I Finished This Week

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. The jury is still out on whether or not I enjoyed this book. I just finished it last night and I’m still trying to figure out my response. The final chapters and epilogue were actually pretty good and rather rewarding. The fact that I had to plow through so much bad storytelling to get to the fulfillment of the ending was frustrating. I was tempted several times to shelf the novel and invest my time in something more worthwhile. But I was consistently drawn back in by the hope that these characters would ultimately become redeemable. I finally decided it was okay to have hated the book. Don’t ask me what it was really about — I can’t really tell you in a single statement. Its dark themes and the family drama would normally be a really good fit for me. This novel was not…..

What I’m Currently Reading

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (p. 32 of 495). Although I just started reading the book this afternoon over a turkey sandwich and a side of tomato basil soup, I can already tell that this is going to be a breath of fresh air after my horrible experience with Mellors’ nightmare. The writing is much more enjoyable and I am completely drawn in to the story. Here’s the opening concept — on a flight that has been delayed for several hours, now that the aircraft is finally in the air, a woman begins walking the aisle. As she goes along each row of seats, she points at passengers and declares how old they will be when they die and gives the cause of death. Is she a lunatic or a psychic? Should the knowledge of the manner and time of your death change the way you live? I’m fascinated to see how this story is going to progress and cannot wait to put my nose back in the pages of my book! It’s a bit of a brick, but with some more travel ahead this week and a real thirst for a good read, I think it will be a good fit for my reading life at the moment.

There you have it, folks! I’m going to dive back into Moriarty’s world for a bit longer before calling it a night. Happy reading until next week, y’all!

~Kennith

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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

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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.

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Nov 29

#27: Angels Flight (Michael Connelly)

by kennithfreeman

November was not a kind month for my blogging, but I actually managed to get some reading done during the month. What was the problem on my end? There were a few things. I’ve fought a cold for most of the month that finally turned the corner and became a mild case of bronchitis. It’s also the season of voice competitions and various auditions that require video recordings for my singers. There have been job applications to complete. (Yes, I’m looking for a new place to land. Have a lead for an open position for a collaborative pianist and teacher? I’m all ears!) Just to add to the fun, my portable keyboard decided that the keys now need to stick which makes typing at home much more challenging than it should be. I could use the iMac, but I’ve gotten spoiled by writing from the comfort of my recliner and sharing my thoughts with you, dear readers. Alas, this blog is not designed to tell you about the challenges in my personal life…..so let’s get back to the books.

Early in November, I read Michael Connelly’s Angels Flight, another of the Harry Bosch novels that I have been reading as part of My Library Shelf challenge. In this book, Harry finds himself called to investigate a mysterious hit outside of his normal jurisdiction. Why? Because the victim was a prominent lawyer who was in the process of bringing a case against the LAPD for corruption and racial bias. This novel finds Harry facing off with some old foes while trying to maintain relationships that he has built. Of all of the Harry Bosch novels that I have read thus far, this was by far the most enjoyable. Angels Flight captivated me not only with its intense plot, but Connelly’s excellent character development as well. While I wouldn’t recommend reading this one as a stand alone because the relationships that have been built in previous novels are all important to the story, this definitely suggests that Connelly has found his best voice and that the following installments in the Bosch series will continue to benefit as a result.

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