Tag Archives: Reading

Indecision

Posted on by
8

Last night I stood in the middle of the living room, holding a precarious stack of books and despairing over what to read next.

I was paralyzed with indecision.

Have you ever struggled in this way when faced with too many choices?

I consistently struggle in three main areas:

  1. Books
  2. Getting rid of things that I might need someday
  3. Choosing a travel destination

When it comes to books, there literally are too many interesting books being released every year on top of all the things written in the past to ever feel like there’s enough time.

Issues with letting go of things seem to be genetic and related to my Appalachian roots where holding on to stuff has been an economic decision. My ancestors knew the value of a dollar, of a thing, and of having a stash of stuff for when you need it. Packrattery is a survival mechanism.

And travel decisions are hard because, like books, there are finite resources (time + money) and an infinite amount of places to go. How do we begin to choose?

These areas have felt like an uphill battle for some time now.

When it comes to travel, I typically take longer trips with adventure pals and shorter trips with my fella. Life circumstances for my adventure pals have made it harder for them to go on those longer journeys. And honestly, I’ve just been lazy about getting some shorter trips on the calendar. I used to have adventure ideas in my back pocket every week. I need to get back to those roots but am often torn by the multitude of places to visit and other life things to do.

But I digress.

Back to that stack of books last night,

I am not an especially fast reader but I am a devoted one. I watch little tv and carry a book nearly everywhere including to the dentist’s office yesterday. Most nights I fall asleep with a book in my hands and wake up to the thunk of it falling on me.

How my face isn’t black and blue is beyond me.

When I finish a book, I pick up another, switching genres to keep things interesting and prevent any ruts from forming.

I like the feel of a physical book in my hands and the smell of a book is one of my very favorite things. If you ever see me smelling a book, keep moving. There’s nothing to see here.

I did finally choose something and I have high hopes for it. All the same, I had reservations when walking away from that stack I had pulled. By itself, that stack represents about a month of reading. We are already about a third of the way through the year. When will I get to them and all the others?

Clearly, there needs to be more reading hours in my day along with more time to travel. And perhaps some time for therapy because I do sound like something of a basket case.

This I know.

We are the culmination of our habits. If we want to do more of something we need to prioritize it and build our habits around that thing.

What do you wish to do more of? Does indecision ever interfere? Please tell me not the only one!

Fall Bucket List

Posted on by
11

Have you started your fall bucket list? What are you waiting for? Here’s the start of mine.

Decorate for fall.

Bake some pumpkiny goodness.

Unplug from my phone.

Catch up on my reading.

Hike!

Take my meals outside when possible.

Rewatch Stranger Things season one

Try some new soup recipes.

Go to bed early. Rest is restorative.

Make homemade trail mix.

Buy flannel sheets to match my new blue bedroom.

Go somewhere I’ve never been.

That’s not a bad start!

Public Schools, Patriotism And Mary Steenburgen

Posted on by
4

I spent the last two days at the Ohio School Boards Association’s annual conference. As a board member for my local Educational Service Center, I was there to learn and to congratulate two fellow board members who have served for 25 years and another who has served for 20 years.

The opening event defined the entire trip for me. Many people were recognized for their service to Ohio’s schools and it was inspiring to think of how many people have given so many years of their lives and so much of themselves to supporting Ohio’s public schools. But first we opened with a tribute to veterans, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a performance of the National Anthem.

Let me just say that all of this hit a little differently for me than it normally would. In a world where public education is under attack, where veterans get neither the respect nor the care they deserve, and where people with disabilities are mocked, it was amazing to see all this unfold. 

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by two of the cutest little brothers you’ve ever seen and the National Anthem was performed by a young man with a disability who flawlessly sang one of the most difficult to perform songs in the world. To hear the anthems played for every branch of the American military and to see veterans and military family members stand was chilling. 

What a beautiful start!

We also heard from the actress Mary Steenbergen who was as delightful, smart and down-to-earth as you would hope. While she’s a famous actress, known for her work in Hollywood and for her marriage to actor Ted Danson, she didn’t fit the Hollywood stereotype at all. 

She spoke passionately about her family of teachers beginning with an aunt who, at the age of 16, taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Arkansas. She spoke of her mother and sister, both of whom are teachers. She spoke passionately about her love of reading, books and lifelong learning. 

She talked about visiting far off places and becoming different people through reading and what it meant to her to have this form of escape. She was a shy kid as well and I could absolutely relate to her stories of immersion in books when the world gets too hard.

She credits her public education and all the people who looked out for her along the way for helping her throughout her lifetime. It was inspiring to hear her talk about the teachers, colleagues and family who made a difference in her life. 

Public schools are vital to our society. I’m a proud product of a public school and a proud advocate for the future of public schools. An educated nation is a more prosperous, happier and more enlightened nation. I hope you also are a friend to public schools wherever you live.

Cincinnati Tour Of Bookstores

Posted on by
6

It’s unclear how many bookstores are actually located in the greater Cincinnati area but we did our darndest to hit as many as possible between Tuesday and Friday.

In case you’re wondering, we made it to fourteen bookstores and a Half Price Books warehouse sale in the Cincinnati area as well as another small store in Lebanon on the way home. That’s a new record for us both.

I suggested we also stop at Wheatberry in Chillicothe Friday but Adam said that might be excessive. We had to draw the line somewhere, he said. Since he’s often the grownup in the relationship and since there was no more room for books in the backseat, we agreed to save Wheatberry for someday when we’ve forgotten how many books were acquired this week. 

Every bookstore has its own vibe. A personality, if you will. While chain locations may look basically the same in terms of branding and display techniques, even they are different from location to location. 

Locally owned book shops are my favorite. The Bookery is located on a quiet street near a beautiful old church. It’s family owned, quaint and charming. We both found books we didn’t know existed and didn’t know we had to have. The owner commented on the books we bought and it was clear that she knew her stuff. It’s amazing talking to someone who is truly invested in the product they sell.  Another local store we both favored was Joseph Beth. They have locations in Cincinnati and Lexington, Ky. It’s a large store with the warmth and welcome of a home library. Again, we found things we didn’t know we couldn’t live without. I received excellent customer service from a young woman who both helped me find what I needed and seemed pleased to chat about reading and books for a few minutes after we found my book. 

There were other local shops as well as a few Half Price Books and Barnes and Noble locations in the mix. Every Barnes and Noble feels drastically different in how they choose to organize their books and some are quite odd. Yet, they always have this lovely and relaxing smell that makes you want to slow down. Half Price pays literal pennies for the books they buy back and then sell for much higher prices and this irritates me to no end. 

Yet, I will always value brick and mortar bookstores over buying from online superstores. I read both fiction and nonfiction. Adam is more of a nonfiction reader but a lot of local bookshops either have no nonfiction or a limited selection. So the larger stores are often more pleasant for us both and places like The Bookery seem even more special. 

The Half Price Books Warehouse sale was just Friday and Saturday. We were stopping in on our way out of town and ended up arriving about twenty minutes early. Just before we arrived Adam joked that there may be a line to get in. We laughed until the store came into view and found at least twenty people lined up outside the door. So we joined the line, claiming our titles of bookstore groupies, and waited our turn to join the madness. 

We both came home with a rather large collection of literary treasures so we are stocked up for a while. Not that this will stop us from braking the next time we see a bookstore!

Book Lovers Day

Posted on by
8

Of all the made up holidays, National Book Lovers Day is my very favorite. Sadly, I almost missed it this year. It was yesterday but I didn’t find out till the day was nearly over.

If you are a reader, odds are good that you read for a variety of reasons. It could be for the escapism that comes from getting lost in a story. It could be for learning and enrichment or for the pure joy that comes with a truly great book. 

There are as many types of readers as there are people in this world too. Some read multiple books of varying genres all at one time. Others read from a narrow catalog of one specific genre. Some prefer extremely long books. Others do audiobooks rather than traditional ones. 

Personally, I read just one book at a time. I read fiction and non-fiction in various genres and covering an array of topics. I prefer books of average length and have little patience for those that are long for the sake of being long. 

I once was an avid library supporter but found that purchasing the books I wanted to read was preferable to visiting my local library. Not to mention, it gives me an opportunity to support authors and that’s important to me. 

I did celebrate National Book Lovers Day – mainly because I live as though every day is best used to celebrate books. I read some from Patrick Dewitt’s The Librarianist and researched a bookstore I want to visit on our next foray into Dayton. I also took a few minutes to consider books I want to read this fall including a couple of Alice Hoffman novels and one about winter in the forest that I’m holding onto until January. Not to mention, I got to hear my fella talk about a biography of Leonardo Davinci that he is reading!

There are so many incredible books out there, most of which I will never have time to read. My To Be Read pile is growing seemingly by the minute and there are books I would like to revisit soon including some classics like Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird which I revisit every few years and George Orwell’s 1984 which I haven’t read in ages.

Whether you’re a bookworm or a book dragon, I hope you remember that every day is Book Lovers Day and that there’s always room for one more book. Also remember that it isn’t hoarding if it’s books and that there are worse addictions!

If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.

Ronald Dahl

Thanks For The Good Reads, Francine Pascal

Posted on by
6

If you were a young girl in the eighties or nineties, odds are pretty good you read at least one book from the Sweet Valley High Series. This series followed teenage twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. The two girls lived in a fictional town in California called Sweet Valley and the books follow them and their friends through all kinds of drama and fun.

These books have been on my mind since reading about author Francine Pascal who died Sunday at the age of 92. She created the series and authored the first twelve books before going on to oversee ghost writers who stretched the series to a total of 181 books over twenty years.

I was already a reader when I discovered the series in the late eighties and was quickly hooked. I collected many and borrowed some from the library. Somewhere in this house there is a tote filled with these once treasures paperbacks.

The series inspired some spin offs as well as a tv show that ran for four seasons in the late nineties. I don’t recall reading any of the others and the tv show was awful but the kids at Sweet Valley High entertained me for several years before I discovered other authors and deeper stories.

I can’t be the only one who can say that these books kept me reading at an age when a lot of kids stop reading at all. I wonder if Francine Pascal had any idea what sort of influence her books would have on an entire generation of young readers. It may seem like a silly little series but what Francine Pascal achieved is so much more than the sum of 181 paperback books.

I bet there are a lot of readers out there who can thank Francine Pascal for their love of books and storytelling. I know I can.