I decided to read a book a day
For the next year. I figured
It wouldn’t finish my stacks of unread works,
But it would make a dent.
Four weeks in, I have read forty.
I realize now that I didn’t necessarily need
To read them all, but rather needed some feeling of order
Among my hundreds of unreads.
And I achieved that.
I have one book that I look forward to reading for fun. One.
Most of the rest of my books are not escapist pleasantry.
They are classics, with death and despair,
Or historical fiction, set during war and deprivation.
I have a goodly number of self-help,
More aptly titled, “How you’re doing it wrong,”
And a goodly number of Christian books (more of the same).
So I started to separate those that I intend to read
From those that I am not sure I ever want to get to.
And this was incredibly freeing.
I have shelves now, where I can pull one at will
And read it through.
And a single shelf with books that I am not committed to,
But will look at briefly and decide: be rid of? Or read?
But they are divided: the somedays from the maybe nots.
They have been organized.
All boys who entered the storage space
Were amazed at the difference.
And I am simply
Grateful.
Any recommendations would be welcomed!!
ReplyDeleteGive me a genre and an age (or plural), and I'll give you some suggestions.
ReplyDeletegood adult reads. Not mysteries.
ReplyDeleteIn my file, I have separated out all the "Classics" from the "High School and Up" category. So assume works like The Odyssey, or any of the SL high school programs. All stellar, and all worth reading. And all Jane Austen, though I actually wonder if the Audible versions (some under $5) are actually better, because the slight acting brings out the meaning of the words more. And I used to like P.G. Wodehouse, the British humorist. Incredibly intricate plots. Leave It To Psmith is my favorite, though I have about twenty others, all ranked, if you really get a Wodehouse bug.
ReplyDeleteThe remaining are my other favorites.
Gilead--Marilynne Robinson
The Thief and the three sequels (the first is the worst--the next three are mind-blowingly good)
Dicey's Song and the six sequels
Jackaroo and none of the sequels
The Blue Sword--Robin McKinley (and Beauty and Outlaws of Sherwood, but none of her others; well, maybe Hero and the Crown, but a distant fourth)
Treason--Orson Scott Card
The Squire's Tales--the full series of 10 by Gerald Morris (not strictly adult, but up in the top five of favorite series ever)
Egg and Spoon (again, not strictly adult, but I read it twice in a row)
My Name Is Asher Lev--Chaim Potok
Holy the Firm--Annie Dillard
Forgot to mention--all of these are books that avoid sex (though Treason maybe would get to PG-13 for "adult situations," but my older boys have read it; maybe Asher Lev does, too) and I don't remember any language in any. I think this is a pretty clean set of books.
ReplyDeleteMost adult stuff is too risque for my taste, and hence my recommendations run towards the young adult lit.
Great, thanks. I have read some that you mention, need to look up others. Wodehouse is great. I am a UK expat. so the humor is especially lovely!!
ReplyDelete