My mind seems to dwell on these two basic B’s in my life.
What shall I read?
What shall I make/eat?
Last week, I realized my mind is all ajumble with titles of books read:
my niece asked me if I had read “The Poisonwood Bible” and I said no.
Then as she started to describe it to my husband, I blurted out-“Wait! Sorry, I mis-spoke- I have read it.”
Of course I have.
I read whatever I can get my hands on for free or cheap. I read constantly.
I read every moment I have free.
And I re- read.
So, if I’ve only read a book once, I discard the title. I don’t plan to revisit it. 🙂
My son asked me lately what I would recommend for a reading list for non-readers.
WHO?
I don’t think I’m the person to ask.
I am taken aback. Non-readers?
WHY?
I started rattling off a short list of essential books- and he stopped me.
“Wait- they must meet a certain criteria- and you have to substantiate their worth according to the following standards…”
Okay- he didn’t say exactly those words, and he went on to give me some reasonable(?) requirements ( which I didn’t hear, being totally turned off to the assignment by this time.) But that was the gist of the conversation.
So with those two recent incidents in my mind, I’m thinking of a summer reading list for me. Because, NO one has given me any grocery bags full of books lately.
And I’m thinking I will do a summer of re-reads and visit familiar and comfortable friends and places this summer.
So far, I’m just deciding on authors.
L’Engle, Madeliene
Williams, Charles
Sayers, D.L.
Davies, Robertson
Cookson, Catherine
Burke, James Lee
Herbert, George
Austen, Jane
Godden, Rumer
Buechner, Frederick
Well- that’s a start>
Any suggestions?
What are you reading this summer.
( As for the Bread- I couldn’t make up my mind, so I’m making French, Sourdough Rye , and Honey Whole Wheat. Being indecisive can be a LOT of extra work!)
Reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See for book club, Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut with Taylor for his AP English summer reading, and one of my favorites…Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge. Just reread Poisonwood Bible and liked it better the second time. But I really liked it because I got to talk it all out with Taylor for a response paper he was writing.
I’m going to look up a few of your authors.
And I’m making crepes/polachinkas for dinner!
Elizabeth-
I used to love Vonnegut- maybe I’ll go take another look at him- just re read Sacred Romance-in a skipping along fashion- and don’t think I want to reread Atwood at ALL this summer. Maybe if I had a good reason like yours- but otherwise- no.
Crepes sound good- are you doing a savory filling?
Ah reading…I love it, and if there were another 5 hours in the day, I would be able to get a lot more reading done. Not nearly enough of it happening at the moment.
Your breads sound lovely. Sourdough rye is always a favourite here too.
I could use those 5 extra hours!
Sourdough is a hard taskmaster- it only gives you a couple of days leeway and then- you HAVE to use it.
I’m reading The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane at the moment. There is a group of English nature writers of which he is one, Richard Mabey, Roger Deakin; all wonderful writers. The american nature writers I like are Annie Dillard and Barry Lopez. And I love ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ ! I had that book when I was 8 years old, and it started a whole journey in sci fi and fantasy literature that is still on-going….though I don’t read as much of that as I did at one time. I am a big Le Guin fan amongst other writers.What else? There is a fascinating non fiction book called ‘The Child that Books Built’ by Francis Spufford – do you know that one? It was really interesting.
L’Engle totally changed my life around the same age!
She introduced me to a kinder, gentler brand of Christianity than my parents were involved with- I grew up on her fiction and graduated to her non-fiction- I seriously mourned her when she died not long ago. And Le Guin? I used to buy multiple copies of ‘ The Lathe of Heaven” so I could give them away to friends and interested parties!
I haven’t read the Spufford book- but I’m going to look for it. Thanks for sharing!