I Almost Made It

Just over a year ago, after reading The Book Whisperer, I set a goal to read 40 books within one year. I made it to 37 and feel very proud because my year included having five children at 5 different schools and a wedding. However, I have been putting off this blog post because I feel obligated to write a book review on the last few books I read but haven't yet written about. Nevermind the book review - there are plenty of professional ones out there. I usually feel rushed anyway and write far less than what I actually feel or think about a book. Here are my very short summaries on the last four books that I read.

My Antonia by Willa Cather - I love, love this author and so enjoyed this book. I actually had read it over twenty years ago when mom gave it to me in college and I don't remember enjoying it then as much as I did this time. I do think that having some "life experiences" can help you appreciate so much more the message of an author and can help you relate to or feel compassion for the characters in the story. I felt as if Antonia were my own friend, I'm sure the word "My" in the title is put there just for that reason; not only does Antonia belong to Jim but also to every reader. This book definitely gives you a nostalgic feeling for childhood - not for your own but for the one that Jim and Antonia lived. I also loved the ending. I know why Jim stayed away from Antonia for so many years, it is the same for all of us, when we remember friends from our childhood we remember them the way we want to and when we sometimes renew a friendship years later it is never the same and somehow the tender childhood feelings are lost. So, I loved that Jim finally did return to his hometown to visit her and that things didn't change so much. And best of all, even with all that was hard in life, Antonia found happiness.

To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck is one of my most favorite authors. This book haunted me and left me with such a feeling that I couldn't pick up anything else to read for a few days. It seems obvious that it is one of his early books, especially if you've read any of his later work. It is rough around the edges and heavy on the emotions.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
OK, this one is interesting to anyone who has ever taken a biology class or worked in a lab. An incredible amount of time and research went into this book. But it took a LONG time to tell the story.

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman
I always try to tell myself this stuff isn't real but stories about spirits and underworlds and kachina's who signal your death always creep me out.



So what did I learn about trying to read 40 books in a year?

Well, first I learned that it's a choice. If you want to do it, you can find ways to fit reading into your day. I remember mom telling me the following experience. A number of years ago, she fell and injured her knee. After surgery she went to physical therapy and became friends with the therapist Dave Rakita. Dave was into marathon running and during their sessions she learned about his running regimen and races and he learned about how much mom likes to read. She said that years later after physical therapy was finished she happened to run into him in the grocery store and she asked him about his running and then made a comment about how much she would like to run. He then learned looked at her and said, "Karen, I haven't read a book in years."
So basically we all have choices and yes choosing to do something usually means you have to give up doing something else. I remember after I read the book The Book Whisperer, I thought about how the teacher had her students reading everywhere they went and during every spare minute of the day. And I thought, if I were a PE teacher I would want them to be doing something physical or if I were a school counselor I would want them to be socially interacting. My only point is, that reading is great but there are lots of other wonderful things to do as well.

I learned that if I do this again, I'll count pages instead of books. I had a couple of books I wanted to read this year and I avoided them completely because they were so long and would take up so much time and would keep me from reaching my goal of 40 books. I'd rather read what I want and not worry about how many books I check off the list. I think reading 10,000 to 12,000 pages would be the same as 40 books.

I also learned how easy it is to forget what you have read. It seems like I can only remember some of the details on most of the books I've read through the years. Perhaps if I took the time to write a good book review, it would help me remember each book. But so many books are only mediocre and I don't want to spend a lot of time with them. CS Lewis said, "The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers"I've read it already" to be a conclusive argument against reading a work...Those who read great works, on the other hand , will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life". I think I agree with that and so I have my own list of "must read again books".

It is very satisfying to get lost in a book. Unfortunately the emotions usually stay with me. Matt has often asked me why I am mad at him, or why I am so happy or so down. He has figured it out - it has nothing to do with him, it's all about the book I'm reading. I have heard people say that they don't read because once they start, they can't put the book down. I found that when I read consistently everyday, I can put most books down just because I know it won't be too long before I find out what happens.

Finally, I love carrying a book with me. I spend a lot of time waiting for kids, watching games, and standing in lines and it's great to have a book to read everywhere I go.