Reading!

A knight on a white horse. An intense battle scene. The wondering thoughts behind a child's wide eyes. What do all of these have in common?...No, not the latest Netflix show. Books!

Some of my readers might have fallen away from the task of reading, especially if it is fiction and has nothing to do with their job or how to raise intelligent kids. Scrolling through a blog is one thing. Allowing yourself to be immersed in a book for a week at a time is another beast altogether. Let me tell you something: teaching kids to use their imagination by venturing into Narnia, getting lost in a maze of numbers, or cleaning up using animals reciting poetry are some of the most useful tools to have in that "parent tool belt"! Then you can also snatch a chance to investigate the latest penguin colony in Antarctica or study up on a lone hiker's journey on the Appalachian Trail. Believe me, from one bookworm to another (or at least by the end of this article you should be, anyway!), much can be learned by listening to others, even if that wisdom comes from an unknown author in the pages of a book. You never know what they can teach you!

Let's dive in!

Mounds of Books!

I have two walls in my living room stuffed to the brim with books. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, and I am definitely not the organized type who sorts by color! My bookshelves hold a smattering of themes, displayed by order of importance: what needs to be read, favorites that I have devoured multiple times, gifts from friends, and books from random genres. To me, stacks of books give my apartment a homey feel and at the same time reminds me of the world out there that I haven’t even experienced yet! It's like some of the characters speak directly to me. I love it when stories can make me laugh out loud, shed a tear, or make me think hours after I've finished a book. There are people with different experiences from my own and there are people who have some of the same thoughts as myself. All varieties of stories lie between the covers of these books.

Favorites

Not all of my literature loves are from my physical bookshelves. I most often listen to audiobooks that I rent from my local library which I can tune into while driving to work, jogging in the early morning, or stacking dishes in the dishwasher. Also, Kindle books are a new obsession of mine because they are so portable. I can use my ebook at night or pull out my phone app while I’m waiting in line at the grocery store. My favorite genre overall is historical fiction, followed closely by mystery and thrillers. Those authors who know how to develop a twist I didn’t see coming are some of my personal faves, such as The Silent Patient (A. Michaelides), Station Eleven (E. St. John Mendel), The Mountain Between Us (C. Martin). I enjoy reading how characters change throughout the course of a story and tackle problems in unusual ways. Sometimes they encounter something that challenges them, causing them to make some sort of drastic decision. Examples are Ship of Theseus (J.J. Abrams, D. Dorst), A Man Called Ove (F. Backman), The Art of Racing in the Rain (G. Stein), and From Scratch: A Memior of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home (T. Locke). These types of characters teach me to be aware of the encounters that I notice every day in real life, realizing that the decisions that I make will most likely impact my own personal story.

Languages

Many of the books on my shelves are written in different languages. This is not because I am fluent in each one, but because I am curious as to the cultures that future insights can bring. I realize that my own perspectives might be different from those in other countries, so I like to attempt reading from authors in their native languages. Two of my most recent Spanish-speaking favorites are Isabel Allende (Zorro, A Long Petal of the Sea) and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Love in the Time of Cholera, One Hundred Years of Solitude). I am also studying American Sign Language, French, and Mandarin Chinese, though not all as thoroughly as I would like. In the last few years I have learned that deliberately creating areas of frustration, such as reading in a foreign language, pushes my brain into overdrive and subtly teaches me that I don't know as much as I thought. It's an exciting, yet humbling, experience!

The Hard Questions

While I do attempt to choose authors who are well-reputed among my friends, I have started branching out to authors who believe differently than I do. This is part of learning more about others and studying a variety of backgrounds and cultural diversity, which I hold as extremely important. Reading opens up opportunities for conversations and figuring out my stance on tough topics, such as deaf culture: Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World (L. H. Cohen); family issues: The Last Story of Mina Lee (N. J. Kim); friendship: The Kite Runner (K. Hosseini); or courage: Cilka's Journey (H. Morris). I can use the literature for expanding empathy, diving into new research, and discovering details to questions that have plagued me. I do read certain books for more information or insight into other perspectives; however, there are books that I choose not to read based on what I believe. I think it is good to find books that challenge me and that even make me uncomfortable, but I also think it necessary to hold boundaries in my life.

Writing Books

I use a lot of the books I read, especially if I have found several on a particular topic, for my writing inspiration. These little nuggets of knowledge are indispensable when I'm attempting to discover new points of view or vital information for a subject. I write short stories like the ones displayed on this blog, but I also have novels in progress that I squeeze in between my full-time job and the books that I consume :) I have sections in my bookshelves specifically for books that have helped inspire or give me more information on character development or story genre. Even when writing fiction I find it extremely important that everything remains as accurate as possible.

Conversations

So much information can be gleaned from talking in a bookstore, coffee shop, or even while running errands. Not only can you catch quotes from books that are thrown around, but you develop a concept of the world that can be imaginative. I read a lot of fiction books, but have also delved into non-fiction, particularly biographies or narrative non-fiction. It teaches me to see things around me from a new point of view and to develop a mindset that creates solutions to my problems instead of causing me to get frustrated. Those who have read Divergent (V. Roth) can’t help but see grackles as the enemy of nightmares, though I’m sure that might have started in high school when “The Raven” (E. A. Poe) was required reading!

Overall, books hold a treasure trove of learning and entertainment. I love to peruse other book-lover's lists because each one is a snapshot of their own personality!

What are you going to read in this week?