Reading for Me

My reading life became a little more normal this week. I found myself wanting to dive back into the world of story. That has been a welcome relief. It took so long after graduate school to really fall in love with reading again. I have always feared that the passion would leave if I did not nurture it on a regular basis. When I begin to see a prolonged drought in my reading life, I get nervous.

This week, I finished Jeffrey Archer’s The Sins of the Father, the second volume of the Clifton Chronicles. You can check out my thoughts on the book here as well as get some quick reviews of my two previous reads. In addition to reading the Archer novel, I also continued making my way through The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I have been surprised that this YA novel has not been a quicker read for me. As I have reflected on it, I think I have begun to understand why.

Don’t get me wrong, The Hate U Give is an outstanding book that should be read by every American interested in race relations from the perspective of our teens. I am mesmerized by the story and am determined to know what happens next in Thomas’ writing. So what’s the problem? I really think it is the fact that I am reading an ebook. I consider myself a modern reader and hated to come to this realization, so I took some time to see if I could unpack why reading electronically has never been a successful or highly pleasurable experience for me.

First things first. When I am at work, my tablet is always in my hand. It is how I check my email and send text messages throughout the day. All of my musical scores are housed there. There is an expectation that I constantly be plugged in and able to be contacted. Therein lies the first problem. When I read a novel, I want to be unplugged, detached from the stress of the day. Even though the content is very different, I think I feel a connection with work and the many easy interruptions that come with reading on my device.

I think there is another element that I had not noticed before that became evident this week. While reading both books, I found myself more engaged with Thomas’ YA novel. But I found myself consistently returning to Archer’s novel that I was reading in paperback. What was the difference? I was always able to see my physical progress through The Sins of the Father with each passing page. As I neared the end of the book, I felt the shifting weight of the plot in both my hands and my emotions. I am motivated to press on through every project — whether work or leisure — when I see visible signs of progress. Sure, I can go to the table of contents of my ebook and see how many chapters remain, but somehow that is not as satisfying for me. After working with a Nook reader when they first appeared on the market, I knew that I maintained my preference for physical books, but could not clearly state why. I enjoy the convenience of digital books. I love having a massive library available at my fingertips. But that convenience still does not trump the joy of feeling the pages against my skin and the tome’s heft in my hands. There’s just nothing that can replace that feeling…and it is not something I am willing to sacrifice at this time in my life.

So this week I plan to intentionally try to make my way through The Hate U Give. I’m also going to start the third book in the Clifton Chronicles. Even now as I look at both “books,” I am drawn to spending time with my paperback, but I feel the “need” to devote time to the work housed in my iPad. The struggle is real.

Reading has been slow this week again. I am finding a lot of relaxation in other activities. Plus, reading pulls me into my thoughts. With the unrest that has settled in our nation this week as well as saying goodbye to a high school colleague, spending time with my imagination was not a healthy place to be. So I’ve made limited progress in my reading. I’m hoping that will change in the new week.

I have continued to work through Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer. I have about 200 pages left to go as the adventure continues to center around mistaken identities in New York City and British POWs in Nazi Germany. It’s a fun read despite the settings and the era. I’m anxious to see how things are going to turn out for Harry Clifton and his friends.

I finally admitted to myself this week that reading The Grapes of Wrath was just not a good idea right now. There’s too much sadness and depression in society at the moment that I don’t need to contemplate more hopelessness in Steinbeck’s writing. Perhaps I’ll revisit it later, but for now it is going back on the shelf. When I finally made that decision, I knew I needed to add something else to my reading schedule.

Since I don’t have a large selection available at the moment, I decided to check out some YA novels as ebooks. That’s when I settled on The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I first, I was afraid that this novel would also be too heavy for the moment. I’ve read the first four chapters and I am totally engrossed. You will see why it is an important read for this day. It is the story of Starr Carter, a young African-American girl. While she and her friend, Khalil, are driving home from a local party in the ghetto, they are stopped by a white policeman. The officer becomes upset and forces the male driver from the car. The officer returns to his car to check Khalil’s license and registration but first tells the young black man not to move. Khalil opens the driver’s side door to check on Starr. Shots are fired and Khalil is dead on the pavement. The incident appears to have been unprovoked, but there are rumors that Khalil was selling drugs and may have been under suspicion of possession. Starr must now deal with the trauma of seeing her friend die and decide if she can trust the very ones who have sworn to protect and serve her community. As you can see, it is a riveting read in our current climate. I anticipate that this book will be a quick read because I am so eager to see what happens next. However, I also want to make sure that I maintain a pace where I can contemplate the ideas that Ms. Thomas is raising.

Keep a watch out on the blog this week. In addition to updating on my last two reads (still!), I hope to finish both books before the end of the week. We’ll see how that works out…

Reading on a regular basis is proving to be more challenging than I had anticipated. When the Geriatrics are at work, I have piano lessons to teach. When they come home for the day, there IS NO WAY to get any reading done! The concept of having silence in the house is completely lost on them. Right now as I am writing this post, the television is murmuring some 25 feet away while they carry on a conversation over the volume of the boob tube! Needless to say, I am fed up and just want to get some reading done!!!!!

So….I’ve gotten about 90 minutes of reading done this week in The Sins of the Fathers. I think my time working my way through The Grapes of Wrath has sadly come to an end. Without prolonged times of quiet available to me, I just can’t get through the book. I’m finding other things to occupy my time since I can’t devote myself to reading, but I am fearful that I will get out of the habit of daily reading in the process. I worked so hard to train myself to spend some time every day with my nose in a book. But I’ve also learned that I can only successfully do that without distraction. I’m not a reader who can make significant progress if there is the slightest bit of noise going on in my environment. So….my updates for the next few weeks may just be “same song, second verse.” I’m trying to find another solution to get back into a reading routine, but I’m not having much success in that area so far.

I have been a neglectful blogger and reader recently. Last weekend, I struggled with a cough, congestion, and body aches. In our current climate, you know that I feared the worst diagnosis. Thankfully, when I was able to get into the doctor on Tuesday, it was only a sinus infection.

Needless to say, while sick, I didn’t feel like doing much reading. I am continuing to work my way through The Grapes of Wrath and began reading Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer, the second volume of the Clifton Chronicles.

Yesterday, I made the long drive to eastern Arkansas to spend the summer with my parents. While driving home, I made my way through Tan France’s audio book Naturally Tan. It was an entertaining read that addressed his life as a gay man and his experiences as a Pakistani man facing discrimination based upon the color of his skin. His discussion of life after 9/11 from the “brown perspective” (his terminology) was incredibly insightful and eloquent.

After reading the memoirs by both Jonathan Van Ness and Karamo Brown, I had a certain expectation in mind. Naturally Tan was a different kind of memoir — not that I expected all of the boys’ writings to be the same — and I found myself laughing and crying with Tan throughout the long drive. The added features with his close friend and fellow cast mate, Antoni Porowski, were charming celebrations of the joy of friendship.

Woo hoo! The spring 2020 semester is finally over and I am officially on summer vacation! It doesn’t really feel like it yet as I am still in Plainview at the moment — have some work that needs to be taken care of this week — and not entirely sure if a trip to the Geriatric Ward this summer is really wise given the world’s uncertainty regarding the Coronavirus.

Despite a full schedule this week, I did manage to complete one of my reads earlier today. Angela Duckworth’s Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is a phenomenal read that should be required reading for parents, teachers, and anyone who finds themselves in a leadership role. I will post my complete review on this work later this weekend, but for now — GO BUY THIS BOOK!

The novel I am currently reading has not beckoned this week. The Grapes of Wrath just takes too much brain power that I do not currently have. I’m not sure if it is end of the semester haze or what. I think I will try to focus my reading on Steinbeck’s novel this week to see if I can make some real progress in the book and maybe find a little more connection with the characters. In fairness, I am only 200 pages into the book and the Joads are in the early stages of their trip west. I know it’s a great book….I’m just struggling to jump into it at the moment.

Finals have begun in west Texas. Alas, I have no completed reading projects to report this week. Still, my reading life has continued — even if it has taken on a slower pace for the moment.

On Sunday, I began reading John Steinbeck’s classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath. I was struck by the lyricism of his voice and the rhythm of his prose. I was quickly lulled into adopting a slower reading pace that allows me to savor each word. At this slower speed, I am sometimes finding it difficult to find enough time to make it through some of Steinbeck’s lengthy chapters. It is just a matter of finding the balance between regularly reading from the novel and not getting lost in some of the extremely wordy descriptions.

I quickly decided this week that I would need something else on my reading table that allowed me to digest more words in a single sitting. I picked up the copy of Grit by Angela Duckworth that has been in my TBR stack for several months. I am fascinated by the topic of the role of perseverance in success and find Duckworth’s writing style very approachable and readable. I don’t normally expect to enjoy these theoretical types of reads, but Grit is proving to be a fun and encouraging read. I’m already beginning to think of ways to work some of this material into my seminar for new freshmen in the Fall.

As the semester comes to a close, I plan to finish reading the Duckworth this week and continue my travels with the Joad family on their way to California. Wish me luck!

It’s a good week when I get to report a completed book. This week is exceptional because I finished two books! That has to be a sign that the spring semester is almost over and summer is on the way.

Early in the week, I finished reading Jon Meacham’s biography, Destiny and Power. It was a wonderful account of the life and presidency of George H.W. Bush. After such a hefty book, I needed something a little lighter. I returned to James Patterson for a “beach read” with The 19th Christmas. It’s hard to believe that I am almost current in the Women’s Murder Club series. The 20th installment was published earlier this year. That will be a welcome respite later this summer when my reading becomes heavy again.

What’s next on my reading pile? Since I anticipate more reading time ahead — and more need to calm my mind during finals — I decided to give myself some diversity and have three books on deck. I rarely read multiple books at the same time, but I’m thinking this might be the right time to do it again. I’ve been looking forward to returning to The Clifton Chronicles for a few weeks, so I will definitely be getting started on the second installment of the series, The Sins of the Father, this week.

As the semester draws to its close, I see lots of students who are stressed out and simply ready for the online semester that was thrust upon them because of COVID-19 to come to an end. I must admit that I am also in that same boat. I just have to hold out until May 9 and then I can begin to breathe a little more deeply. As I prepare to mentor students with the prospect of an uncertain future, I am picking up Angela Duckworth’s highly recommended Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. I am hoping to find insight for myself and my students.

For the past few summers, I have decided to include a classic novel in my reading plan. This year, I’ve decided to return to a work that I first encountered in high school and absolutely hated. I read more works by the author in college and beyond; his other novels have become treasured favorites. Both The Winter of Our Discontent and East of Eden were wonderful reading experiences that forever changed my approach to American literature. So, this summer I am planning a serious read of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. (Since summer is almost here and I am ready to dive in, I decided to get an early start!) My plan is to work through the novel methodically and without a specific timeline. I want to have plenty of time to enjoy Steinbeck’s language and reflect on the images he portrays of early 20th century America. I’ll keep you posted each week on my progress and my reaction since that will be part of “The View from My Reading Chair.”