"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Taking a breather...a nonreview review

Today I finished reading a book which I considered a frilly read, not really worthy, in my eyes, of a review. The book, The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street, is the Pride and Prejudice story from Mr. Darcy's point-of-view.  I knew the plot and conclusion from the outset so there were no surprises. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was like I took a breather. Typically I select books with heft. Books that have a message about political, social, ethical, or moral issues. The books often are nonfiction, yet sometimes they are fiction selections, but they usually have a message. This book had none. I was purely reading for the enjoyment of reading and I confess, I liked it. Why don't I do this more often?

As I was contemplating aspects of writing this blog post, I looked ahead and backward for a minute, just to make a comparison. These are the titles I'm reading now or have recently finished:

  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates---a letter from a black father to his teenage son about what it like living in America as a black person. It was so heavy and dispiriting I had to read it in small doses. (Finished 4/23/19)
  • A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets by James Bowen---though it is a cute cat-rescue story, James is a recovering drug addict with all kinds of related problems. (Finished 4/19/19)
  • Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield---a book about poetry, with few actual examples. (Started 4/10/19)
  • Small Wonder: Essays by Barbara Kingsolver---the author of this essay collection began it on September 12, 2001, the day after 9-11. (Started 4/24/19)
  • The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai---a novel about the AIDS epidemic from its beginnings to present day. (Started 4/24/19)
These five books are my most recent selections. I tend to read heavy stuff. I doubt that will change. But after finishing today's book I've decided to be more purposeful about taking a breather more often. How about you? How do you balance your reading selections?


9 comments:

  1. I have had Coates' next book, We Were Eight Years in Power, for almost two years now on my shelf and I have yet to bring myself to read it. I used to read a lot of heavy crime fiction, but over the last six months I've been making my way through James Herriot's series on his being a vet in England and I'm enjoying the break. With changes at my workplace and dealing with a badly bruised knee, I'm dealing with enough IRL (in real life) that I don't need any "heavy stuff". Plus I'm turning 50 in June and I'm trying to keep my spirits up as I head into the next phase of my life. :)

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    1. I love James Herriot books. I remember going through a phase where I read them all the time, then I got picture books of his stories to read to my children when they were young. He has such a gentle sense of humor. I am sorry to hear that your knee is bad. Did you fall? I've started walking with a walking stick when I take the dog out because I fell once and don't want to do that again. 50 will feel like 49. You'll love it.

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    2. Bumped my knee about a month ago. But it's finally getting treated with prednisone and exercise and I just started wearing a knee brace while at work. I already feel like 49.😉

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  2. I'm much more inclined to NOT read the heavy stuff. Only occasionally. Maybe if you recommend it....;)

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    1. When I read too much lightweight stuff I get impatient because I am not learning anything. But obviously I need to mix it up more.

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  3. Funny that you've taken a breather as I had to the do the same this past weekend. I was sick and couldn't remember the last "fluff" book I'd read so I read two in a row, both YA, and it felt good!

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    1. I'm sick, too. What did you read? You didn't consider the book about the German students who stood up to Hitler as light stuff, did you?

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  4. Fluff and frill are fun every once in awhile. :D

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  5. The James Herriot books, Harry Potter, and some of my mysteries are brain candy for me. I love the literary reads, but they can often be dense and depressing.

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