Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

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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Aug 12

Back in West Texas (August 12, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

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

What I Finished This Week

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

What I’m Currently Reading

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

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

Big Book Summer Christian fiction memoir

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Aug 5

Summer Vacation Must End (August 5, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

It’s the time of year that I hate every year. My summer vacation ends this week and I have to return to west Texas. It always comes without warning and I find myself not quite ready to leave. I’m ready to have my own space again. I’m ready to get things rolling for the Fall semester. I’m really ready to see my chiropractor and let him fix things again! I’m not ready to give up spending time in the kitchen with Mom and helping her with some of the planning that she has to do regularly. But everything has to come to an end whether we like it or not.

During this last week in the Geriatric Ward, I’ve spent most evenings in the kitchen preparing dinner to give Mom one more week of rest before I leave. I’ve also watched a lot of Olympic broadcasts — I’m always fond of gymnastics, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, water polo, and all of the swimming races. Now I just have to figure out how I’ll keep up with these events once I leave here since my home cable connection is anything but reliable.

With all of the cooking and cheering for Team USA, I’ve also gotten quite a bit of reading done this week. No finishes, but I’ve been pleased with my progress.

What I’m Currently Reading

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (p. 384 of 496). I have seen Rivers’ Mark of the Lion on bookstore shelves for years and assumed it was not for me. It is Christian fiction — not my favorite. I assumed that it was a romance on top of that — certainly not my favorite combination. As I was starting my last week in my parents’ home and saw the gift box of the trilogy sitting on the shelf, I decided this was the perfect time to read a little of the book so I could give Mom a teaser to see if she might like it.

I ADORE THIS BOOK AND CAN’T GET MY NOSE OUT OF IT! I had no clue what I was missing. Yes, it is Christian fiction and it definitely has an element of romance in it — but don’t hold those descriptors against this book. This is just high quality writing that pulls you into a marvelous story. It is the story of a young Jewish girl who is taken into Roman slavery in the 1st century. Her interactions with her master’s adult children are memorable and thought-provoking. I have been struck by the similarities between Rome as depicted in the novel and 21st century America.

My hope was to finish this book before leaving here on Wednesday morning as part of #BigBookSummer. It’s possible, but it might be a tight fit. I want to leave it here so Mom can read it this fall, but I also don’t want to have to push pause on my own reading!

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (p. 104 of 257). I continue to plug away at this memoir. I am regularly struck by how Vance’s experiences parallel my own — escaping circumstances through education, the impact of charismatic religion on my faith journey, and the importance of strong women in making me the man I am today. I plan to shift this book to the front of my reading because I want to make sure that I am giving it the attention it is due.

There you have it for now. Next week, I’ll be coming to you from Texas….hopefully I won’t be melting too badly!

Happy reading, y’all!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer Christian historical memoir

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Jul 29

Insomnia is Not Fun (July 29, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

As summer vacation is beginning to wind down, I’m struggling with my sleep. Oh joy! There are a mixture of issues going on, but I’m not entirely sure how to fix any of them. I have been staying up later than normal because of the Olympic broadcasts that I love. That normally is a good recipe for my sleep patterns. Several nights this week, I have found myself lying down at night exhausted and ready to snooze….and once my head hits the pillow, it is as though a switch has been flipped and I am suddenly wide awake! It’s frustrating to lie in bed waiting for Mr. Sandman to come for his nightly visit. To add to my frustration, my father does not understand the concept of quietness. When he gets up between 5am and 6am, it is as though a proverbial bull has been set loose in the house with the emptying of the dishwasher and his grunting. (I know that he is 88 and things probably don’t move very smoothly for him. When I am pulled out of a deep sleep, empathy is not easy to come by.) After his breakfast is finished, he sits in his recliner and begins the long process of clearing his lungs and throat; the acoustics in that spot are VERY good. Most mornings, I swear that he could rouse the dead from their graves with those sounds. LOL!

Those who know me well know that I HATE mornings already, so being wakened does not make for a happy Kennith at all. So you can imagine the level of crabbiness that emerges when I am sleep deprived due to not being able to fall asleep and then abruptly waking after struggling to get to sleep because of all of the noise! Ugh! But, I digress. I only have a few more weeks in the Geriatric Ward before returning to West Texas.

All of this is not only intended to be humorous; it is also a bit of a glimpse into my reading world. I am one of those readers who must have absolute silence to dive into the written word. (You can imagine how challenging it is for me to concentrate in a noisy music department….) If other people are around and quiet, I can read in a public setting. As you have probably derived from my descriptions above, silence is not an option when my dad is around. Truly, I don’t think he realizes the amount of noise that he makes due to his hearing issues. While it is hard to fault him for that, it is still a reality to all of the rest of us in his orbit. That means that my reading life for the past few weeks has been significantly reduced; as the temperature outside rises, Dad is at home more often. And that just means fewer opportunities to bask in the quietness of a lazy afternoon.

There’s a New DNF in Town

Blackout by Connie Willis. This week, I finally admitted to myself that forcing myself to read this book was just not worth it. I wasn’t enjoying the process and I was feeling guilty that I wasn’t reading the book. So I made the choice to label the book as “Did Not Finish” (DNF). When there’s a book on my reading table that I am “supposed” to read — whether I assigned it to myself or someone else has told me to read it — I stop reading entirely. It’s a bit of a perfectionist mentality that is not healthy for me. I’m not saying Blackout is a bad book; I’m just admitting to myself that it is not a good book for me in this moment. So I let it go after reading nearly 50% of the book so I could shift my focus to things that were more interesting in this moment. I will admit that it took most of the week to finally give myself permission to DNF the book after getting that far into it….perhaps I could just power through in order to just have a finish. Nope! I just had to hear the voice in my head chanting “Too many books, too little time to devote to reading something you are not enjoying.”

What I Am Currently Reading

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (p. 76 of 257) I made a little more progress in this memoir once I allowed myself to DNF Blackout. As I stated earlier, I don’t intend to fly through this book as I am wanting to get to know a little more about the VP Candidate through his writing. This week, I have been struck by the challenges Vance described as his family made their way from rural Kentucky to Middletown, Ohio. Some have attempted to make Vance’s Middletown experience that of a privileged suburban existence. As a person who grew up close to a metropolitan area, I can understand how a few miles geographically can still equate to an enormous gap between the ease and convenience of the city and the poverty and challenges of rural living.

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (p. 24 of 497) Several years ago, I gifted a box set of Rivers’ three volume Mark of the Lion series to my mother for Christmas. The books are intimidating because of their size and the historical scope of the saga. A Voice in the Wind is the first of these books and I decided it was finally time for me to find out for myself what they were all about. Even though I only read the first few pages last night before bed, I am definitely hooked and looking forward to this piece of Christian fiction.

The story centers around Hadassah, a young Jewish woman living in 1st century Jerusalem at the height of the Roman occupation. Although other Jews have fled the city, Hadassah’s father insists that the family remain to share their personal accounts of the deity of Christ and the power of His resurrection. Quickly, Hadassah loses her entire family to Roman violence — only surviving as a slave with little hope for release or a rich future.

Rivers’ prose is lyrical and places the reader in the heart of the story. Her characters are created with great care and her attention to detail and historical accuracy is obvious from the beginning. I cannot wait to continue reading about Hadassah’s experiences and watching her courage and faith grow in uncertain circumstances.

That’s what I’ve got for this week. I hope you all have a lovely week of reading as you greet August and all that it entails for us.

~Kennith

Big Book Summer Christian historical memoir update

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Jul 22

Of Water Heaters and Shower Doors (July 22, 2024)

by kennithfreeman

Greetings, friends! It has been another unforgettable week here in the Geriatric Ward. This is not one I will soon forget. Sure, I continued to struggle with a little congestion and not feeling terribly well, but that wasn’t the biggest event of the week.

Let’s just “dive” in…..the water heater in my parents’ bathroom developed a severe leak this week. Truly, there was water standing all over the floor. The old linoleum has torn from the floor and the area rug that was in the room is completely ruined. Patient #1 decided to order a tankless water heater to install. It sat unboxed in the living room as he puzzled over the instructions. The next morning, his crew joined him before deciding that this was too complicated to install. So off to the store they went to buy a new water heater.

Once I returned home, this merry band of workers had installed the new water tank — after shoving the vanity that sat next to it over a few inches. It was clearly obvious to any observer that the new tank was wider than the previous resident. That’s when the hilarity began.

The next thing I hear is Patient #1 calling Patient #2 to tell her that we have a “little problem.” While installing the heater, the crew had kept the door to the shower open — still not entirely sure why they were in the shower, but sometimes questions are better left unanswered! Anyway, now the shower door can’t be closed because the top of the vanity sits in the door’s path! Over the next few hours, there is talk of cutting the corner off of the vanity by the same crew of merry men — I could just see the entire thing collapsing to the ground — or buying a new shower. The last time Patient #1 bought a shower, he had gotten something so small we can barely stand in it…..so I had to think quickly and come up with a solution that would buy time for Mom to find the shower she wants.

So off I go to Walmart, a place I hate more than any other, and purchased a shower curtain, liner, and rings. We have removed the door of the shower and installed the curtain. It’s not pretty and it’s certainly not ideal, but it gets things started. Now I just have to make some phone calls to get estimates to redo the bathroom. Nothing like the end of the summer for things to start falling apart in the Geriatric Ward!

What I Read This Week

My Best Friend’s Secret by Romeo Alexander. I don’t really have a lot to say about this book. It was an easy read when I wasn’t feeling well. It wasn’t the best use of my time, but it kept me reading when I didn’t necessarily feel like it. I don’t think I would recommend it to others though.

What I’m Currently Reading

Blackout by Connie Willis (p. 290 of 491) I made progress this week. I didn’t make much progress, but I put a few more pages in the rear view mirror. When I finally sit down to read the book, I don’t hate the experience. I just have to consciously make a choice to pick this book up. It just doesn’t call to me. So I’m trying something new this week to see if I can help get a little further along and finish the #BigBookSummer selection for July.

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (p. 11 of 257) I’m going to see if a non-fiction selection will help me devote a little more time to Blackout this week. I read Hillbilly Elegy in the summer of 2017. I remember the basic details, but now that Vance has been named the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, I think it is important to revisit the narrative so I have my own opinions about the book’s content. I just started reading late yesterday, so clearly I’ve not gotten very far — actually, just the introduction. I think I will probably read a little more slowly this time through since I am looking for Vance’s philosophy and if that lines up with my personal feelings on important topics.

So I’m not really feeling very good about my reading in the past few weeks. I had hoped to get much more done, but we deal with the circumstances of life. I did reach the halfway point in my personal reading goal for 2024 — finishing my 20th book of the year. We are now in the 30th week of 2024, so i need to get in a few extra books if I hope to get back on pace for reaching that goal.

There you have it! Hope you have a good week ahead filled with lots of happy reading!

~Kennith

Big Book Summer memoir romance update

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