My Reading Frenzy

What I've Read - What I am Reading - January 11, 2021

The Beautiful Capitol Building in more peaceful times

I disappeared for a while. Between prepping to be away from home for the next few months and the holidays, I let the blog posts languish. But I am back with renewed inspiration and reading goals.

In my previous reading update, I was nearing my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 185 books, I ended 2020 having read 189. That last week of the year, the time between Christmas and New Year's is a reading heavy time for me. My next post will review my favorite 10-15 reads of 2020. 

I have relocated from DC to FL for some time, no firm plans at this point, but one goal is to avoid seeing live snow this year. I do love being inside and cozy, watching snow falling. (I dislike when it hangs around making walking the sidewalks a slushy obstacle course.) One of my most favorite walks is around the Capitol Building while it is snowing or just after it stops when the whole world is quiet. (The events of the past week, the desecration of this temple of democracy is heart breaking. I shed copious tears watching and reading about the invasion and attempts by some to thwart the democratic process with terroristic methods. I make no apologies for these strong words.) 

 

Read:

December 2020

• Holly Black's How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (purchased book) - I have not read anything by Holly Black that wasn't fantastic. If you are just starting her work, I would recommend The Curse Workers series that begins with White Cat or her most recent The Folk of the Air series that begins with The Cruel Prince. The stand-alone The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is also a favorite of mine.
• I finished A Promised Land by President Barack Obama (purchased from Audible) before driving to FL. I find Obama's voice pleasant to listen to. Add to this, my preference for non-fiction read by the author and this was a 5 star read for me. This is the first of two books about his Presidency. This volume ends with the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011. With this installment coming in at 768 pages and ending before the end of his first term, I wonder if he will move more quickly through 2012-2016. I anticipate a fair bit of reflection on his entire presidency at the end of the 2nd book. Whatever the case, I will again purchase and listen.
• Super Fake Love Song (purchased book) by David Yoon - I almost stopped reading this around chapter 3. Early in the novel, Yoon uses some stereotypes of students who play sports, students who prioritize their academics, and musical students that I disliked. I was also turned off by the portrayal of teachers as indifferent at best and hostile at worst. As a high school educator I can speak from experience when I say these types have been a minority in schools where I have worked. But, I chalked Sunny's attitude up to self-absorption and moved on. I am glad to say my faith in Yoon was well placed as Sunny's story progressed. 
• Christmas at the Island Hotel (elibrary book) by Jenny Colgan - This was a well-timed read just before Christmas. Colgan's novels are not without conflict and angst, but the characters are engaging, the settings serve as integral to the characters and their relationships, and the resolutions are satisfying.
• The City Baker's Guide to Country Living (elibrary book) by Louise Miller - I can't rave about this one because of some unrealistic coincidences that served to move the plot along. But I read the whole book and did not feel like I wasted my time. 
• Carry On Warrior (library audiobook) by Glennon Doyle - I have read Doyle's books in reverse chronological order after starting with Untamed (I bought this audiobook and WILL listen to it again now I have finished all her books.)
• Second First Impressions (egalley) by Sally Thorne - This is the 3rd and final book I will read by Thorne. My first was The Hating Game, which I gave 3 stars. Next was 99 Percent Mine, which I did not finish. This one was a 2 star read. The dialogue is unrealistic and choppy. The story was boring and the characters only prompted indifference. 
• For Everyone (library audiobook) by Jason Reynolds - This isn't really a book, but a long poem. It is self-reflective for Reynolds but contains nuggets of wisdom for everyone about living a creative life. I listened to his reading but am planning to buy the print version to reread and reference. 
• The Cold Millions (ebook purchase) by Jess Walter - I agreed to read this novel in order to participate in a small book club with two friends. I read Beautiful Ruins a few years ago, but was unsure about this one because of references to violence in the book's description. I am happy to have given it a try. I don't always like novels that switch from character to character, but these interwoven stories in early 1900s Spokane, Washington were well-balanced and paced. I am looking forward to our Zoom meet up to discuss. The history was also intriguing enough to push me to further research, which is not always the case.

 

January 2021

• Act Your Age, Eve Brown (egalley) by Talia Hibbert - I am disappointed there are no more sisters in the Brown family. I hope Hibbert will discover some cousins whose stories need to be told. Funny, romantic, and satisfyingly realistic are three ways I would describe all three of Hibbert's stories of the Brown sisters. [Get a Life, Chloe Brown (#1) and Take a Hint, Dani Brown (#2) - Though there is no need to read these in order.]
• The Lost Love Song (egalley) by Minnie Darke - I read Darke's debut Star-Crossed last January and liked it enough to recommend and send through the mail to a friend. I don't read too many books that take place in Australia, so I appreciate the change of scenery. This one has a number of settings including Edinburgh, which are an element of the story of the lost love song. I liked this one better than the first in part because of the larger cast of characters who are caught up in the story of the song. (An interesting companion read would be Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano.) 
• "The Prince and the Troll" by Rainbow Rowell and "Hazel and Gray" by Nic Stone. These are part of a series of five short stories by YA authors that reimagine classic fairy tales. The other three are "The Princess Game" by Soman Chainani, "The Cleaners" by Ken Liu, and "The Wickeds" by Gayle Forman. I purchased all five stories before their release and am looking forward to finishing the series in the next few weeks. So far I like the innovative twists on tales many of us know well.
• Ready Player Two (library audiobook) by Ernest Cline. Like many others, I LOVED Ready Player One, which I listened to early in my re-discovery of audiobooks after a year or two hiatus. Wil Wheaton, King of the Nerds, was well chosen to read both books and a primary reason I chose to wait for the audiobook from the library. Having just finished listening to this over the weekend, I am still not sure how I feel about it. It was slow to get going with lots of review. I needed it, having read the book when it was released in 2011 and have not seen the movie, but this means it took almost 4 hours into the book before the inciting incident. The action section of the novel was the strongest for me. The ending is where I just cannot decide. I don't think I liked it, but that does not mean it wasn't an appropriate end. 
• Fangirl Manga volume 1 - by Rainbow Rowell, adapted by Sam Maggs, illustrated by Gabi Nam - This is the 1^st of 4 planned volumes and so far I am enjoying the visual adaptation, which I wasn't sure would work...but it does. The story line and dialogue align with the novel so unless a reader is a big fan as I am, there is no need to read both. 
• The Good, The Bad, and the Dumped by Jenny Colgan (elibrary book) - This was an early book by Colgan that seems to have been re-released. I finished the read, but was tempted more than once to stop. This is an example of an author growing and improving with each book. If you are interested in Colgan's work I would recommend staring with the Little Beach Street books or the Scottish Bookshop books.
• Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor. I am just finishing this while I am polishing up this post. I started listening on the drive to FL a few weeks ago and have continued both in the car and at home. I was attracted to Kastor's story after listening to What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. I ran my first 5K in October of 2019 in Baltimore after taking up running more seriously at the beginning of 2019 to support a friend who was planning a 10K for her 60^th birthday. The 10K was meant to take place in Richmond in April 2020, which happened only as a virtual event. I chose to defer my registration to the April 2021 event, but depending on vaccine distribution, it may be October 2021 before I participate in another race. Whatever happens I have found inspiration in listening to others talk about their running lives. I doubt I will move past a 10K, but who knows what my running future holds.

 

 

Reading:

• I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow when I was in Florida in April. I think many of the books I read back when I naively believed the COVID isolation period would be short will stick with me because they were of comfort or engagement when we were trying to figure out how to modify our lives to be safe. I began reading Harrow's recently published The Once and Future Witches (egalley) a few weeks ago, but took a break to read other books from the library. I have not gone back yet because it did not draw me in strongly. I am intrigued enough that I will try again before I forget the part I have already read.
• After resisting the call of a book I had decided NOT to read for any good reason at all, I started Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. There's no reason to dwell on regrets for having not picked it up sooner. But I am glad to be reading now. The banter between Gideon and her life-long enemy Harrow is a perfect mix of snarky and mean. Rich with detail the descriptions still fly by as Muir builds this world. 
• Angel Mage (library ebook) by Garth Nix - This is the second of Nix's stand alone novels I am reading after loving The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. The first was Newt's Emerald. I have his The Old Kingdom series on deck for later in the winter, which begins with Sabriel.

 

Listening:

• Since I just finished my previous listen, I have not started another yet. I will need to decide soon for my planned afternoon walk. I am wavering between two. 1. Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith. I saw her live when this book was released. I have listened to her read both Just Kids and M Train finding that I love her laid back style. This one is a short 4.5 hour listen. Might be perfect for a week of walking. 2. The Best of Me by David Sedaris. His work is always hilarious and also read by him but hard to listen to at the gym with other people around since it is only ever a matter of time before I snort laugh aloud. 

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

My Self - Imposed Reading Pressures

Last week I explored the ways reading is good for mental health, both mine and that of others. Today I want to explore the corresponding stresses I sometimes feel around reading. 

 

The Pressure to Read

Like many avid readers I feel the self-imposed pressure to read many, many books. I am under no obligation to read at all if I do not want to. As a librarian, I can choose what to buy based on professional reviews and recommendations. As a blogger, I can write about whatever strikes my fancy. I am not obligated to read in either of these situations. But my desire to read ALL the books is an intrinsic pressure whether or not it makes sense.

I set a Goodreads goal for myself every year, but I set a realistic goal based on the number of books I read the previous year. I do not think this contributes to the pressure to read more. For the past few years I have bumped up the goal as the year progresses because I am reading more than anticipated. I think I can say that this number is not significant to me outside of helping me to track what I have read. 

(Goodreads is the only place I record EVERYTHING I read so I can refer back and check on whether or not I have read something. A  few years ago I accidentally deleted my account and lost all my records. I was bereft because I knew I would not be able to remember everything I had read over the previous five years. Now, as books pop up that others are reading or I randomly remember having read a book I add it back.)

 

The Avoidance of Reading 

Conversely, when I find myself in a situation where I am expected to read a book, I employ avoidance tactics and read anything but the book in question. This happened when I served on the Virginia Reader's Choice committee. I would come home from our biannual meetings with a stack of books I had agreed to read as part of my role as a committee member. I would look at that stack of books for 5.5 months before jumping in to be able to speak to whether or not we should consider the books for the high school list.

This also happens to me when in a book club, which is even more ludicrous because I love being in a book club. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss books while socializing with other readers, but even so, I often put off reading the chosen book until the last possible minute.  

I want to apply to be a reviewer for Booklist and School Library Journal, but I fear that as soon as books arrive that I "have" to read, I will freeze up and dread reading them even if they are books I WANT to read. This makes me hesitate to apply.

 

Do I Really Need to Have All These Books?

When I was a child and teen I would wait until I was ready for a new book to read before perusing the family shelves or visiting a bookstore or the library. But then, for no reason that I can identify, I started wanting/needing to have shelves of books I had not read available at all times. As soon as I discovered a book I wanted to read I would buy it or get it from the library. Then it would sit there while I read other books. Sometimes I would end up returning the book to the library or getting rid of one I owned without having ever read it because my enthusiasm waned or other books would come along that I wanted to read immediately. I have mainly reined in this tendency by creating lists of books I want to read on Goodreads or Amazon, list are much easier to weed than shelves of books. This need to have lots of unread books around has also been curbed by moving. When I had to pack up all the books I own, both read and unread, I culled my collection significantly. I discuss how I made the decision about what to keep and what to let go in this post. I also had to accept that I was wasting money buying books that I would eventually give away or sell for much less than I paid without having read them which also helped me to stop. 

 

I Didn't Bring Anything to Read! 

My last reading concern goes hand in hand with my addiction to reading. Whenever I am somewhere waiting, I get antsy if I do not have anything to read. This does not happen very often. If I know I am going to an appointment I bring a book. If I am riding the Metro I bring my Kindle. If I am driving I have an audiobook ready to go. It seems therefore that I have almost no times when I do not have anything with me to read, but it does occasionally happen. The reason any of this is an issue is because I think it is bad that I get anxious when I have to sit without reading material. I worry I cannot just sit and be. I have tried recently to sit mindfully, observing my surroundings rather than separating myself. 

 

What pressures do you association with reading?

The Connection Between Reading and Mental Health - Confessions of a Reading Addict

Without question, reading is beneficial to my mental health, especially in 2020 when there are so many unexpected challenges. I find that reading almost anything from fantasy and sci-fi to murder mysteries to informative non-fiction is helpful to me. (While my need to be informed about local and national news compels me to read or listen to some news, I do not find my mental state is buoyed by this type of intake. I hope this will change after Tuesday's Presidential election.)

 

 

 

 

The Research

A 2008 study in the UK showed "Healthy reading has a place in stepped care models for improving mental health at both community and primary care levels. As well as being used as an adjunct therapy it could, in some cases, be an alternative to antidepressant prescribing and help reduce waiting lists for more staff-intensive psychological therapies." Their definition of "healthy reading" refers to texts of various types that help the patient understand and develop techniques for coping with mild to moderate mental health concerns.

Another study conducted at the University of Liverpool in 2012 explored the benefits of all types of reading on the mental health of the subjects. These studies, conducted at the highest levels of research, illustrate what many readers already know, but may not be able to verbalize: Reading is a pathway to improved mental health. 

If personal anecdotes and professional studies aren't convincing enough, Psychology Today touts the positive impact reading has on mental health. In his article, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Rob Whitley concludes, "books are an invaluable but underutilized resource that can increase empathy, enhance recovery and inspire those with mental health difficulties. As such, reading should be encouraged for everybody, but particularly those with mental illness—whether through formal bibliotherapy groups or individual prompting from family, friends or clinicians." The article, like the University of Liverpool study explores all types of reading as a form of therapy. 

 

My Experience

Reading is my primary hobby. Like any hobby I derive a great deal of pleasure from the endeavor and it is a pursuit I have honed and developed ever since I learned to read. Rarely does a day go by that I do not sit on the couch or in my comfy chair to read for at least 30 minutes. 

Each evening, I try to carve out up to two hours to immerse myself in one of the books I am currently reading. I find I get the most out of sustained reading during which I can interact deeply with the text while separating myself from the worries of the real world, both mine and society in general. At this time I eschew social media (which I can find agitating before it is time to sleep), as well as interaction with others. This means I avoid texting and phone calls when possible.

Even during a hectic vacation I like to read at the end of an exciting day. My most rejuvenating vacations are those in which site-seeing is minimal and reading on the beach or in front of a fire are the primary activities.

I usually have two books I am reading in paper form - one fiction, one non-fiction; one I am reading on my Kindle; and one or two I am listening to (one in the car, one while exercising).

When I sit down to read, sometimes I read a bit from each book and other times I jump in for as long as I am able to whichever one best fits what I need that day. Some days I need escapist fantasy or romance, others I want to connect to the real world through a memoir or a historical tome or social commentary, and on others I seek YA or middle grade stories. Whichever the choice, in I go, only to resurface when I have sufficiently fed my mind and soul.

Believe it or not, for me the same feeling I get after a good yoga session or invigorating walk or run also comes when I finish a book or come out of a long reading session. I can feel the release of endorphins during a physical workout in my chest. I am able to breath more easily and deeply when I have used my body. The use of my mind while reading gives me a similar rush followed by deep calming breaths that I know are making their way into my brain healing me from the day's stresses. (This may not be a scientifically supportable concept, but I feel it.) When life prevents me from immersive reading over a number of days I know I am less patient with a shorter temper, so I try not to let this happen.

I know I am healthier when I make time to read. Both the studies and my own experiences show me how important it is for me to include reading time every day.

 

Next week I am planning to write about the angst I sometimes associate with reading. 

 

How do you benefit from reading?

 

 

What is Magical Realism?

I have just finished reading The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (2020) by Josie Silver, which prompted me to think about magical realism as a genre and revisit other books I have read in the genre. I found this book after reading and enjoying One Day in December (2018), which is not magical realism. I did not know this was magical realism until I started reading. Magical realism is not a genre I seek, but always like.

While I could describe what magical realism is well enough for you to understand, I found a satisfying definition and a discussion of the types of magical realism in this article in O Magazine from 2019. I particularly like this description offered by Ramona Ausubel, an award winning author:

"In other words, magical realism can be defined as stories rooted in reality—with a touch of, well, magic. They are fictional tales probable enough that they could actually happen, with a bit of whimsy.."

 

 

The first I read was Beloved by Toni Morrison as a junior in college. Sethe, the main character, escaped from slavery 18 years before, but has not escaped the horrors of that life. She is haunted by the ghost of her unnamed daughter and also by the memories of her past. The novel's realistic elements are a window to the experiences of someone formerly enslaved, while the magical elements ask the reader to accept that we cannot know or understand all the mental, emotional, and physical repercussions for someone who has suffered and lived on as Sethe has. The book is both painful and beautiful.

Another from college is The Metamorphosis (1915), a novella by Franz Kafka in which Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find he has turned into an insect. There is no explanation for why or how this has happened. Samsa goes about his business to find there are professional and personal repercussions to his transformation. 

I also seem to remember having read The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, but cannot remember much of the story. (This will need to go on a list of novels to re-read.) The book appeared on all the lists of magical realism I looked at to jog my memory of what I have read. 

Joanne Harris is an author who seems to specialize in magical realism as seen in Chocolat (2000), which is also an excellent movie, The Girl with No Shadow (US title) (2009), Peaches for Monsieur le Curé (2013), and The Strawberry Thief (2019). I have read the first two, while the other two are on my extensive TBR list. The stories take place in a small French village, Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and Paris and feature Vianne Rocher a chocolate maker with a talent for guessing every patron's favorite. 

I have read three novels in which the emotions of cooking are a significant element. In Like Water for Chocolate (1989), by Laura Esquivel, the emotions Tita is feeling as she cooks a dish are then transferred to those who eat the dish. The opposite is the case for Rose in The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (2011), by Aimee Bender, who can taste the feelings of the cook. This is also true of Lumi in A Taste of Sage (2020), a romance by Yaffa S. Santos.

A.S. King is that rare case of author who I seek out because of the magical elements. I have read, in the order I read them:

• Ask the Passengers (2012) - Astrid sends thoughts and questions up to passing airplanes, in which a passenger hears and is prompted to their own introspection. 
• Reality Boy (2013) - This one is not magical realism, but an excellent book.
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz (2010) - This one is also just regular realism, but also highly recommended. 
• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future (2014) - Over night Glory gains the power to see a person's past and future in a glance.
• Dig (2019) - This one is my favorite. The story is told from the point of view of 5 teens and follows a twisty path all connected to the Hemmings family potato farm. This one is difficult to sum up in a few sentences. It is well worth keeping up with the twists and turns. 
• The Year we Fell From Space (2019) - This is a middle grade novel while the others are YA. (I was never prevented from reading any book I chose, and have adopted this philosophy as well, so if you want to know the age range for any book for young people there are resources like Common Sense Media to help guide you.)

And as I mentioned here, I recently acquired a copy of Still Life With Tornado (2016) that I am looking forward to reading soon. 

 

Other titles I have read and remember reading are:

• Belzhar (2014) - Meg Wolitzer - At a therapeutic boarding school, journal writing takes students to the alternate world of Belzhar.
• In Five Years (2020) - Rebecca Serle - One night Dannie skips ahead five years to a life she is not expecting, then wakes back in her time with mysteries she spends the next five years figuring out.
• Long Way Down (2019) - Jason Reynolds - As Will takes the elevator down toward a life changing act he is visited by ghosts of friends and family who help him to see what might come of his decision. This really does not do this novel in verse justice. I highly recommend just reading this one to feel the full power of the story. 
• Paris on Repeat (2020) - Amy Bearce - This is a Groundhog Day story in which Eve relives the same day of her 8th grade trip to Paris until she is able to fix some mistakes and take some risks to make the day "perfect."
• Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) - Zora Neale Hurston - Hurston is one of the authors from the past I would most like to meet. When I was looking at lists of magical realism novels, this one was a surprise, especially since I used to teach it and read it numerous times in the 15 years I was an English teacher. But in thinking about it, I realized the influence of nature on Janie brings in magical elements.  

 

While I don't care for the click-baity nature of this title, "11 questions you're too embarrassed to ask about magical realism," the content is well research and informative about the origins and progression of magical realism as a separate genre.

 

What are your favorite works of magical realism?

Who are the Top Authors I Would Like to See in Person?

A few weeks ago I wrote about the authors I have seen in person (or virtually).  

Today I want to share some authors I would like to see if given the opportunity and others who are long gone, but who I think would have been great in person.

• Phillip Pullman - I have been reading Pullman since the His Dark Materials series in the 90s. As far as I have seen, he does not do book tours or festivals. I respect this if it is his preference, but I would enjoy hearing him talk about his work. Especially now that he has been writing another trilogy (The Book of Dust) set in Lyra's London. I have also read his Sally Lockhart mystery series.
• Connie Willis - Given my feelings about her time travel books, Willis is an author I want to have tea and a good chat with. I'd also like to see her talk about her work. 
• Erin Morgenstern - I rarely read books more than once, but I have both read and listened to The Night Circus. I haven't yet read her second novel, The Starless Sea, though I have owned it since it was released in the spring. I know I will be sorry to have waited, but there isn't a bad time to read a good book.
• Jason Reynolds - In reality I have seen Reynolds speak, but it was in his capacity as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, not in connection with his own writing. This is a goal.
• Tana French - The more mysteries I read, the more I am intrigued by mystery writing. 
• Ann Patchett - The first of her books I read was Bel Canto, the most recent was The Dutch House. In between I have never been disappointed. She is one of this generation's greats. AND she owns an independent bookstore!
• Glennon Doyle - I so enjoyed listening to her book Untamed recently. I am on the wait list for Love Warrior. I connect to her real voice because she sounds like a friend and to her written voice. She says things that make sense and encourage me to look inward.

I could probably write all day about authors I would like to hear talk about their work, the world, philosophy, life, but these are a few of the top who I will seek when there is again an opportunity for in person events. Until then I will look for virtual events, like the National Book Festival, which begins tomorrow.

 

 

I also made a list of authors who are no longer living who I would like to have had the opportunity to see and hear in person as well. They mainly include authors whose work I have taught, but in most cases I chose works I loved or found merit in so the authors are those I respect and whose work I would love to hear more about.

• Oscar Wilde - I love his satire from The Importance of Being Earnest to The Picture of Dorian Gray. I visited his resting place in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. It is a beautiful memorial to a favorite writer.
• Edgar Allan Poe - Poe's work is attractive to students and therefore fun to teach. The short stories are masterful examples of the power of brevity. Despite his final resting place being in Baltimore, I have not visited, an oversight I hope to rectify soon. 
• The Transcendentalists and their friends - After visiting Concord, Massachusetts last summer for a National Endowment for the Humanities educator workshop I came to know this remarkable group of writers and philosophers more deeply than I had from only their writing. Seeing the places they wrote and spent their time offered insights that have made their work more meaningful to me. The writers I include are:
  • Henry David Thoreau
  • Louisa May Alcott
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Margaret Fuller
• The poets Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson - 2019 was the 100^th anniversary of Whitman's birth. The Library of Congress had a special open house during which were displayed rare works and special publications. The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City had an exhibition as did the main branch of the New York public library. I was able to see all three.
  • I consider Dickinson and Whitman to be parallel poets, whose words resonate with me in similar ways. I have participated in an all day reading of Dickinson's poems to commemorate her birthday and visited her home in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
  • I think a walk in the park with the two of them and some time on a bench in conversation would be intellectually stimulating  and nourishment for my creative soul.
• Zora Neal Hurston - Because she was a groundbreaking writer, a talented folklorist, and Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the most gratifying novels I have ever taught because of the ways in which almost all students find a point of connection with Janie Crawford's story.

There are certainly far more authors I could add to this list as well.

 

What authors do you want to see in person? Who are you sorry to have missed?

 

 

 

 

Favorite Reads about a Minimalist Life

Despite the number of books I own, I have been working toward a minimalist lifestyle for almost 5 years. It started when I moved from southeastern Virginia to Washington, DC. This was a move from a large suburban home I had filled with "stuff" to first a studio, then one bedroom apartment. Now, since I have moved into a bigger place with two bedrooms and more living space I need to revisit my most inspiring minimalist reads to keep me on track to continuing to remove possessions without adding more. More living space does not mean I need to bring anything in to "fill" it. Instead, I want to enjoy the mental rest an uncluttered space offers. I look forward to doing yoga in the living room without having to move furniture or other clutter. I anticipate the satisfaction of passing possessions along to someone who will find them more useful, beautiful, or needed than I did. 

I first discovered minimalist through the Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus and their book Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists (2013). The book is a series of essays they published on line, then collected into a book. I continue to read their blog and saw their documentary Minimalism when it was released on Netflix. Their work is inspiring because they are open about how each came to minimalism: one through personal loss and the other because he saw how much happier his friend was with fewer possessions. I will continue to follow their work. 

The next book I read was about minimizing the stresses of work life and personal life rather than possessions. Greg McKeown's Essentialism (2014) is a philosophy and guide to wading through the things we THINK we must do and getting to what is essential. He presents a simple concept with straightforward advice couched in the science and psychology behind why our work and personal lives can be streamlined for productivity and contentment. I go back to this one regularly.

Once you find the world of minimalism, you discover there are as many approaches as there are proponents. But that is one of the strengths of the pursuit - there is no one RIGHT way to declutter. If you stick around in the minimalist world for a bit you will run across a quote attributed to William Morris that asserts you should "have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." (If you are interested, wikipedia will tell you all about designer and activist William Morris who was a multi-talented person.) Many of the approaches will use this quotation which is as much as they have in common in their advice for how to begin removing excess from your home. 

Some minimalists I like - mainly in the order in which I discovered them.

1. Joshua Becker: the founder of Becoming Minimalist who changed his life after too much time cleaning out the garage instead of spending it with his family. I have read The More of Less (2016) and The Minimalist Home (2018) both of which are predominantly practical, while also exploring the benefits of owning less. His approach is especially good if you are traveling the path with a partner and children. He is also co-founder of two online magazines Simplify Magazine and Simple Money, both of which are regular reminders of why and how to minimize. 

2. Cait Flanders: Cait is younger than others I have read, which makes her voice unique for me. Her first book is, The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store. The sub-title isn't subtle. What you see is what the book is about. Her personal motivations and reflections differ from mine, but I appreciated her take and found much inspiration in her journey. Her second book, Adventures in Opting Out was released on Tuesday (September 15, 2020) and while I pre-ordered it to take advantage of some extras she offered, I have not done more than flip through it yet. 

3. Courtney Carver: Carver is the creator of the minimalist fashion challenge Project 333. The challenge has existed online for years, but the book Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really is So Much More was released in 2020. Her previous book Soulful Simplicity (2017) wasn't for me. I am much more drawn to the fashion specific part of her approach. 

4. Others I have read and enjoyed include:

• Gretchen Rubin - Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness (2019). Rubin's focus in much of her work is on happiness and a variety of ways to increase it in your life. She also includes organization which other minimalists avoid, instead arguing that really it is better to get rid of things than to organize them. But I like all of her work and this added another layer.
• Erin Boyle - her book, Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More (2016) is special because it is a companion to her blog which chronicles her life with a partner and 3 small children in a tiny Brooklyn apartment. While practical, the book is also beautiful because Boyle is a photographer. Her blog is ongoing and also features lovely photography as well as insights in to daily small living.
• Cal Newport - he writes on a variety of topics only one of which pertains to minimalism, Digital Minimalism (2019). This work is a guide to simplifying our digital lives in order to be more productive at work and less distracted in our personal lives. 
• Elizabeth Willard Thames - Thames, is best know as Mrs. Frugalwoods from her blog, hence the title of her book, Meet the Frugalwoods (2019). She and her husband gave up hectic lives in big cities to buy a homestead in rural Vermont where they are frugally raising their two daughters. While not strictly minimalists as she says both on her blog and in the book, they did simplify their lives in order to save to make the lifestyle change. 
• Manoush Zomorodi - Her work, Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self  (2018) is a departure from the others, but one I think pairs well with Digital Minimalism. The book is about the ways in which we try to occupy every moment of our time and that of our partners and children, rather than allowing for boredom which in turn allows the mind to wander, often onto unexplored paths. I find that my mind really gets going when I am lying in bed and have let the concerns of the day go. For this reason I keep a pen and notepad on the bedside table to record these ideas so I can drift off knowing they will not be lost. 

 

 

Have you discovered minimalism? Is it a lifestyle you embrace or reject?

 

 

 

What I've Read - What I am Reading - September 14, 2020

A week and three quarters after the move, the apartment looks like a home and just about everything has found a place or been given away or donated, which does include some books. This means I was able to spend more time reading than I did last week. 

On Saturday I made a trip to Politics & Prose on Connecticut Ave. to pick up the latest Louise Penny mystery All The Devils are Here that was part of our ticket to the Zoom conversation between she and Hillary Clinton. 

 

 

 

 

Read:

Last week I began reading Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, which I finished this week. I enjoyed it and thought it was sassy, smart, and swoony. I liked both Annabelle and her love interest Montgomery. Each was layered and flawed as well as believably attracted to each other based on backstory and events in the novel. I appreciated the strong friendships between the women working for women's suffrage in the Victorian age in England. This was a slice of history I knew little about which prompted me to do some research to discover how the movement in England compared to that here in the United States the centenary of which is this year. I intend to read the next in the "A League of Extraordinary Women" series A Rogue of One's Own.

Over the week I also started and finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read Daisy Jones & the Six in November, which prompted me to seek another novel by Reid. The story of Evelyn Hugo is framed around her seven marriages, but the larger frame is that Evelyn commissions a talented but struggling writer, Monique Grant to interview her then write her biography after she passes away. The layers of both women's stories drew me into all the twists and turns of their lives.

I picked up two books in addition to the Louise Penny when I visited the bookstore. The first was the graphic novel, Wonder Woman Tempest Tossed, by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Leila Del Duca. It came with a signed book plate which was a surprise. I read it on Saturday evening. I want to read it again, but I think my 10 year old niece will like it too. 

I also bought Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King, which was also unexpectedly signed. I have read many of her works, each of which I have found surprising and mind-sparking. This one will go near the top of my TBR. 

 

Reading:

I am continuing to read The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty because I want to savor this last book in the trilogy. Since it is a library ebook due this week, I started The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai. I will finish it early in the week. 

 

Listening:

I finished The King of Crows by Libba Bray, just in time for the digital audiobook to go back to the library today. The series ended satisfyingly. I am thinking of grabbing the book from my library so I can reread the last few chapters. One of the reasons Bray is one of my favorite YA authors is because she writes a variety of genres. I think my first Bray read was the Gemma Doyle trilogy, which I have read AND listened to and still ranks as my favorite of her work. 

In the car today I started Dreams from My Father, written and read by Barack Obama. 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

How I started reading mysteries, or much love to the somewhat controversial Nancy Drew

In my previous post, I introduced the queens of my favorite sub-genre of science fiction - time travel. 

This time, I'd like to explore my second most read genre: mystery.

My love of mysteries began with the gift of a box of Nancy Drew books that had belonged to my mom. I am not entirely sure how they came to be mine, but I believe that during a trip to Michigan one summer or at Christmas, I was presented with this box that contained a wealth of reading material, not just Nancy Drew. 

As I recall, I started reading immediately. And by immediately, I mean I read the entire 13 hours home in the car. This was when I could read in the car without becoming nauseated. Since then I have switched to audiobooks or sleeping to get me through long car rides. 

I re-read all the Nancy Drew books and would also check others out of the library or ask someone to buy new ones for me. First published in 1930, Nancy Drew's stories were still being written in the 1980s and beyond. In 2018, Smithsonian Magazine  explored the beginnings and history of these popular tales that were not ever written by anyone named Carolyn Keene.

 

 

My favorites were: 

• The Clue of the Broken Locket (1934)
• The Secret of the Wooden Lady (1950) 
• The Scarlet Slipper Mystery (1954)

but while looking through a list on line, many of the titles struck a chord. I don't think there were any I did not like, just some I liked a bit better and re-read more often. 

My first school librarian job was in a middle school. A group of students asked to start a Nancy Drew book club. I agreed to read the first choice along with the club members - this was a mistake. Whichever book we read was not well written or anywhere near as exciting or engaging as it had been when I was a tween. This is not a surprise, since many books written for young people do not transfer well to adult readers. While not a part of the mystery we read, the original version of at least one Nancy Drew story contained overt racism and others contained characters who were negative stereotypes. If schools still have these versions, many of which have been revised to remove these elements I think parents, teachers, or librarians should find a way to engage readers with conversations about the problematic elements. The end of the story is that the students loved the book and had an intense conversation during lunchtime book club, then promptly lost interest and moved on to a Rick Riordan book club. 

When I was ready to move on from Nancy Drew, my father gave me a copy of Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie, this means my first Christie detective was Hercule Poirot, not a bad place to start. I really enjoyed moving to "adult" mysteries and Christie was a good choice since her stories are low gore and horror and high intrigue.

Now, my favorite mysteries are those in series that feature a crime solver I can get to know. The two queens of mystery writing for me are Louise Penny and Elizabeth George. Penny's books often take place in the town Three Pines in Québec. Her sleuth is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Sûreté du Québec. I am drawn to these novels because every character, including all the towns people and Gamache's family and co-workers are complex characters who each take a central role in one or more books and a smaller role in others.

Elizabeth George's books feature Inspector Thomas Lynley of New Scotland Yard. The stories themselves take place both in London and around the UK. Lynley's partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers features prominently while other characters come in and out regularly. 

Even after having read 14 by Penny and 6 by George I have not yet felt them to be repetitive or possible to figure out until the characters do or only just before. Both series work best if read in order, because the events build from book to book. I started to read the Lynley series because I was going to run out of Penny books, so now I have one more Penny to read before her next is released in September. 

Honorable Mentions go to:

• Tana French - these take place in Ireland and feature various members of the Dublin Murder Squad. My favorite has been The Secret Place. 
• Charles Finch - in these, British gentleman Charles Lennox, a member of Parliament, moves around Victorian London solving murders. There are 13 books in the series currently. I have read the first five and particularly liked A Burial at Sea which takes place on a ship making it a little like And Then There Were None since everyone is trapped with a murderer. 
• Alan Bradley - Flavia de Luce is the 11-year-old sleuth with an expertise in chemistry. The 10 novels, all of which I have read, take place in Bishop's Lacey, a small town somewhere in rural England. My favorite so far is As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust in which Flavia is sent to the same boarding school in Canada her mother once attended. 
• Laurie R. King - Of all the honorable mentions, I may be fondest of these because they feature the husband and wife team of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell with a focus on Mary. The books sometimes take place in parts of England but there is also some exciting case-based travel. I have read 14 of the 16 in the series. My favorites are The Language of Bees and The God of the Hive which work together more closely than the rest in the series. 
• Jaqueline Winspear - The Maisie Dobbs series begins just after the end of World War I during which Maisie served as a field nurse. She is now back in London solving murders and other crimes as a private investigator. There are 15 books in the series; I am caught up and looking forward to 16. A favorite is A Dangerous Place which takes place primarily in Gibraltar in 1937. 

 

Who are your favorite mystery authors and sleuths?

Can I love books AND be a minimalist?

When I moved to Washington, DC, it was not going to be permanent; after seven years it seems to be permanent. In that time, I have significantly reduced my possessions through necessity and a change in mindset - I have become a minimalist. I am not a hardcore minimalist like The Minimalists or Joshua Becker, but I have moved in that direction and prefer living with fewer possessions. 

I still struggle with books. In both of my DC apartments I have lived within walking distance of a library branch where I can have anything from the entire system delivered for pick-up, which means accessing books for free and returning them so they do not need to be stored in my living space. But, as I said in this post, COVID-19 has changed my relationship with reading and affected my book purchasing habits. 

My questions are: Can I call myself a minimalist if I still buy books? AND Can I keep the books I already have and those I have bought recently?

I think the answer to both of these is YES!

I have read the work of the minimalists mentioned above as well as Marie Kondo (she is less a minimalist and more of a clean up and clean out guru) but all agree that minimalism does not require one to rid oneself of ALL possessions, and definately not those that bring joy. Additionally, they also discuss that minimalism does not look the same for everyone.

When I first moved, I brought books I had not yet read and some of my favorites. At the time I had two tall IKEA Billy bookcases in white with 5 shelves on each. I like the white because they make the colorful covers pop. (I do not arrange my books by color, but by genre and then alphabetically by author. I am a librarian after all.) I bought the skinny bookcases because I thought they would be more flexible for arranging in small apartments. I was right and now have 4 book cases. Soon, I am moving to a slightly bigger apartment and am thinking about getting a fifth shelf.

Currently, the shelves hold books I have not yet read, some decorative items, and beloved books, such as my fifteen copies of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (I like to collect copies from different years and publishers. Some are illustrated, others have beautiful covers. They make me smile.) With a fifth shelf I will be able to bring more of my most favorite books out of storage. 

When I initially moved I was able to leave my books in place where I had been living. When the move turned from temporary to permanent I invited over a few friends, poured some wine, ordered pizza, and hosted a packing party. At that time I thought it made sense to separate the books into categories:

• Keep
• Try to sell
• Give to friends
• Donate

I made sure to invite friends who are also book people so they would be supportive and not too critical about my book decisions. I reduced the number of books to keep to a few hundred rather than the many hundreds I started with. MANY were donated to the local public library. One of the helpful friends took quite a few to read and has been passing them along when finished. 

When deciding what to keep I asked myself 3 questions:

1. Will I want to refer back to this title enough times to justify keeping it?
2. Will this book be valuable to others, to whom I can lend it, but then get back (hopefully)?
3. Is this a book by an author I love, whose books I buy before or soon after publication and will keep in my collection?

This situation aside, I try to be discerning about the books I buy, asking the same three questions I used for deciding the fate of my formerly large collection. But sometimes I mis-judge and buy a book I then decide not to keep. In those cases, I:

1. try to sell them online to Powell's, which earns me credit for buying other books. Yes, ironic I know.
2. give them to someone who may want to read a specific title and ask them to pass it on to someone else.
3. donate to the public library for their monthly sale (currently on hold).
4. place them in a nearby Little Free Library.

I know my methods won't work for everyone, minimalist or not, but you might find my philosophy helpful.

I am looking forward to the day I live someplace big enough, hopefully with some built in bookcases, to hold all my books. 

How do you decide if a book should become part of your collection?

 

The Joys of the Independent Bookstore

I did not know until I couldn't how much I enjoy roaming a bookstore.

I do not go to bookstores without some idea of what I want to take home with me. Except for when I travel and visit at least one independent bookstore wherever I go (just like one of my baseball heroes Sean Doolittle), I rarely visit bookstores without a title in mind. But, I said that so I can say this -  I also do not walk in, grab my intended book from the shelf, pay, and walk out. (I almost forgot to put in the part about paying; I have never stolen a book.)

Instead, I peruse the displays. I am draw almost without exception to the shelf of books recommended by the booksellers. I read a number of book review magazines and blogs in order to make well-considered purchases for my library. But I always find a book I do not already know about on these shelves. I also like to look at new releases, both hardcover and paperback. In part for the art exhibition that a shelf full of face outs is. I have a deep regard for cover artists. Another section in many independent bookstores is a shelf or shelves devote to authors who live in or are from the area. These are also intriguing to me. 

I also appreciate the special displays or promotions. One of my favorites is a "Blind date with a book," for which the books are wrapped up in brown paper with just a brief description to draw you in. I also appreciate clever pop culture references such as books related, often indirectly or in a humorous way to movies, music or TV shows. 

Note: Most of my visuals come from the Library of Congress. If you want to see publication details, just click on the image to go to its home on the Library's site.

In case you travel or want to plan a trip to some excellent bookstores - 

Independent Bookstores I LOVE:

1. In my neighborhood - East City Bookshop
2. A bit farther afield in Virginia - One More Page Books and Hooray for Books!
3. Quite far away - RJ Julia in Madison, Connecticut - A bookstore I found serendipitously and fell for immediately.

Other independents near and dear (all of which I have visited and purchased from):

1. Politics and Prose in Washington, DC
2. Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC - They have an interesting story.
3. Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, NC - It has been a few years since I have been here and am eager to return.
4. Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN - My life dream, become an author and then open my own bookshop.
5. Square Books in Oxford, MI  - This one was a quick pass through because I was with hungry non-readers.
6. Raven Books in Northampton, Massachusetts - This is the only used bookstore on the list, but both Second Story Books and Capitol Hill Books are two others I love and visit regularly in DC. 
7. Borderlands Books in San Francisco, CA - This is a specialty store focusing on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery - oh my!
8. The Shop Around the Corner in New York City - A fictional bookstore I have only been to through the movie You've Got Mail, but what a delightful place it is.

I have also been fortunate enough to visit two meccas to books and reading:

1. Strand Books in New York City
   
2. Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon
   

*These are places where you want to spend the day, then camp out, and explore more with a hot tea and cozy sweatshirt in the morning.

Places to visit that are on a literal list in my phone for when I travel:

1. The Drama Book Shop in New York City - This one is not quite open yet, but SOON!
2. Loyalty Bookstore in Washington, DC
3. Philly Aids Thrift @Giovanni's Room in Philadelphia, PA - This one has a long history.
4. The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore, MD

If you do not have proximity to an independent bookstore think about reaching out to one of these, most of whom will gladly ship books directly to you.

How my Relationship with Reading has been Different since COVID-19

I access books three ways:

1. Through my awesome public library system.
2. Through my own HS library collection.
3. Through NetGalley, which gives me access to books before they are published because of my work as a librarian.

I also find books in the three Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood. And sometimes I purchase books, both from big retailers as well as my in-walking-distance local bookshops. Book purchasing decisions are made based on a few questions I ask myself:

1. Will I want to refer back to this title enough times to justify purchase?
2. Will this book be valuable to others, to whom I can lend it.
3. Is this a book by an author I love, whose books I buy before or soon after publication and will keep in my collection?

I want to reflect on how I have changed my book buying habits since going into isolation in March 2020.

As life was changing and I no longer needed to commute to school each day, we decided to head to Florida where the weather would be nicer and we could isolate ourselves with a change of scenery. This was a good decision.

• The weather was far nicer than here in Washington, DC, which meant frequent walks, runs, and bike rides.
• Not knowing anyone in the area meant no temptation to behave unsafely by socializing.

I also began a daily yoga habit that I have kept up since returning home. Each day the morning sunshine invigorated me, an experience that taught me a few important things about how I interact with the change of season.

Since we traveled to Florida by car and did not anticipate staying as long as we did (8 weeks) I packed only a milk crate of books to take, along with my Kindle. (This might be an affiliate link, which means I would make a small amount of money if you click and buy this product in this way. - I am new to this part of blogging, and am not sure if it will work, AND I am not 100% sure I want a relationship of this type with Amazon, but I own a Kindle, which I love, and use it to borrow books from the library and make purchases.)

I chose my crate of books from the unread items on my shelves. I did not bring any previously read books. I chose from a variety of genres: fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and non-fiction all in both adult and YA titles. What I did not anticipate was how my preferences would change as the number of COVID cases rose, more and more of life was cancelled, and my anxiety levels rose.

I found that I did not want to read about murder OR intergalactic battle OR intense angst. I wanted to read, more than usual, as an escape from what I was reading online and seeing in the news. I know I am not alone in this shift. Reality was enough for me, I wanted little reality in my reading. I turned instead to fantasy, which can be troublesome, but I made sure to thoroughly vet titles before settling in to read. I also found comfort in reading romance.

One of my favorites was The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. The inside of this book turned out to be as charming and delightful as the cover. I also found great comfort in Buzz Saw by Jesse Dougherty, which chronicled the 2019 season of my beloved World Series Champion Washington Nationals. Two romances I read back-to-back were Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Take a Hint, Dani Brown, both by Talia Hibbert.

What this means though, is that I purchased more books than usual. Because I am not a resident of the town we were staying in, I could not get a library card, and via my hometown library, ebooks were on a long waiting list. Even now I am still on the list for books I put on hold in March. (I am ecstatic that so many people are reading, I just wish they would read faster.) The local Barnes & Noble did no contact pick ups for almost all the time we were there, and I was able to order from some of my local stores and have books shipped to me. (I think my next post will be an ode to bookstores and the tactile pleasure I get from roaming around a store.)

I am adjusting to our different world. I am taking in the news in smaller doses, choosing my outlets more carefully, and educating myself about how I can be a force for good as an anti-racist. I have re-introduced mystery and science fiction to my regular reading. I am not sure when I will be fully ready to embrace some of the titles I have waiting on my shelves, but I am grateful to have had the means and knowledge to seek works that would offer solace.

 

 

Getting Back to Blogging

When I began back in 2011 I thought I would review books. And I did, I tried, but I lost momentum because what I really want is to write about books, about what they mean to me, and what each has given me.

In addition to writing my own reviews, I read the reviews of others. It was this that caused me to accept that reviews are more subjective than I had known. This should not have been a revelation to me. I had read plenty of reviews of books I had read and loved when the reviewer did not and vice versa. I kept up with my reviews and commentary, but lost my enthusiasm to write as regularly as I would have liked and would be needed to attract readers. 

This is the first post in what I hope will be a new direction, leading toward more engaging writing about the books I am reading, the ones I am avoiding, and the experiences I have had related to reading and books. 

Look for my next post on Monday about how isolation and more free time because of COVID-19 have changed what and how I am reading.

Christmas Break Reflections

Because I am lucky enough to work in education, my time off at Christmas is longer than for those in other professions.  I do not take this for granted.  I use my time to be with family, visit with friends, and read.  I went to my parents' house in NJ for Christmas and was able to see six different high school friends, three of whom I have not seen in two years or more.  While Facebook has put me in touch with many friends I had not stayed in close contact with, I find it also substitutes for "real" contact.  We feel like we know what is going on in each other's lives because we read the posts and see the pictures, but those are only a small, edited part of someone's life.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to stay in much closer touch with people I do not want to disappear from my life.  Sadly, some of these thoughts have been prompted by the recent death of someone who was once a close friend.  After I moved away from NJ we lost touch.  I had a rough two years after I moved and allowed too many friendships to fall away.  I have regretted this, but was not sure how to repair the damage.  For the past two days, memories have been swirling around my brain about my time at MTHS and the friends I have there.  I do not want to lose that part of my life, as I had life-defining experiences at that school, with those friends. 

Friday I will travel to NJ knowing I am seeing people in their lowest moments, and even if they ignore me completely, I want to be there to offer any support I can.  I want to begin to repair the friendships in the hopes that next time we are together it will be for happier reasons. 

RIP Tara Sullivan Gardner