Reading is the one thing I absolutely cannot do every day. Writing, exercise? I love both, but if my day is busy--those slip away. Reading? Never. And there is nothing better than discussing books with other people! Love those conversations.
I admire that you've built a syllabus of books by a select group of authors to dive into -- I don't know that I could do that--I'm too attracted to reading what's getting the latest buzz. That said, I am intentional about what I read because the older I get the fewer years/books I have left.
One of the best inventions is the Kindle 😊 because it has allowed me to never be without a book wherever I am. Although I terribly miss reading physical books.
I remember Rory Gilmore saying once on The Gilmore Girls, "So many books, so little time!" and she was a teenager when she said that. LOL Cheers Kaarin!
Books build minds that connect to other minds, stranger’s minds, and find aspects of the self. I have no idea where I’d be without books and wide reading. Slobbering over Tik Toks I guess. Instead I’m on Substack. And all the better for it.
What a lovely post to wake up to on a lazy Sunday morning. I fully endorse Edith Wharton for the Gilded Age, and I would add Henry James to the list. I’ve never been able to stick to a formal reading plan — one book always leads me to the next. I found James after reading The Marriage Plot, where the characters were obsessed with him, and suddenly I was in a Henry James phase. The same thing happens with historical novels: one detail sends me down a rabbit hole of nonfiction about the era or the people behind it. Discovery is one of the many joys of reading for me.
I've never read Henry James, and now feel like there's a HUGE GAP in my reading. 🤦🏻♀️ But I'm totally with you re the many rabbit holes I've fallen into chasing after something I've read in a book. Oh, the many things we discover because of reading, right? Cheers, Celeste!
I always plan to read 100 books and read over 150 books last year (I am 71 and mostly retired). Having a son at age 30 stopped me for a bit. That first year I could barely get through Sunday comics. By year 2 I was back to reading! I love mysteries, contemplatives, a couple of classics each year, and historical fiction. My book club takes me into realms of fiction I would not go to on my own and I am grateful. I also read mostly on Kindle, although my current reading includes two hard covers — one about Julian of Norwich and one about Hildegard of Bingen.
What a rich reading life you've got Shana! I've never been part of a book club but I can see how that could broaden your reading horizon. I'm a much slower reader than you, and usually finish about 50 books a year - although I do start a ton but don't finish them all. I've given myself permission to leave a book if it doesn't hold my interest. :)
Hi Lou: I've been trying to be more intentional about my reading as well. I found that during the pandemic years, my book reading fell off for awhile in favor of articles and essays and shorter form writing. I think that was a common phenomenon during those dark days. Many people complained to me that they had more time to read, but were having difficulty focusing so were actually reading less. So, beginning in 2023, I started creating a list of books I wanted to read during the year. I'm a notoriously slow reader so I never get through the list, but it has helped me read more and be a bit more discerning. At any given time, I've got about five books on the go at once. Probably why it takes me so long to finish them😜.
I do that too! Read multiple books at the same time, especially when I'm reading non-fiction. I can't read multiple fiction books at the same time, though. 😂
Lou, Like you, I loved reading as a child and Nancy Drew was on the top of my list. I was an avid reader for a good part of my life, but I've never felt the same draw for fiction as I do non-fiction. These days, I barely read anymore. I consume information in other way, which is likely due to the advent of the internet. I don't feel bad about that. At the same time, I can appreciate your love of reading and your desire to be intentional about reading. I love the quotes you've shared.
Yup. I spent hours as a child reading many of the books you mention. It was my ‘great escape’ into a different world. Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew, Laura Engals Wilder, Louisa May Alcott and many more. I loved going to the library and coming home with stacks of books. Now, like you I have ‘stacks’ of books on my Kindle. Reading is good food for the mind and soul. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Reading has been a mentor of sorts throughout my life. Books line several of my walls and give me a sense of hope and potential. I intentionally read books across a variety of genres, and recently have begun a portion of my annual reading to read new works and revisit works by the same author. Last year, it was Barbara Kingsolver. This year, it is Barry Lopez.
Hi Sue. Yes, books as a kind of mentor certainly resonates with me as well. I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the works of the same author. I've never done that before (other than following or completing a series). I'm curious, what's been the best part for you about working through Barbara Kingsolver's books last year?
I had read most of Kingsolver's books as they were published, and read them as a reader, absorbed in the storytelling. Last year, I reread her books as a writer, observing her style, the construction of her stories, and how her skills had developed. I was never able to perform literary analysis in literature classes because I had to be in the story, feeling the emotions. My project this year may be more challenging because most of Barry Lopez's writing is non-fiction and at times dense.
Thanks for this excursion into your reading life, Lou. I grew up with reading as an escape too, but with a librarian mom, I didn't have to hide my pleasure reading! I wonder sometimes if I would be the person I am with the wide-ranging curiosity about the world and the strong social and environmental conscience if I hadn't grown up reading. May your reading plan bring you to unexpected books and places. Blessings to you.
A librarian mom! Wow! I can just imagine what conversations you used to have about books and reading and such! I'm always so grateful that I've become a reader because, as you said, I don't know that I'd have become this person that I am, with this set of values, if I hadn't grown up reading. (I suppose it was also the kind of reading we were doing, LOL) Cheers, Susan!
The kind of reading we do does make a big difference! Having a librarian mom meant I was introduced to a lot of books might never have discovered and read as a kid, and it also meant that I never lacked for editorial advice (whether solicited or not!) on anything I wrote. She read 12 of my 13 books, and I think every single of the hundreds of feature articles, essays, newspaper columns and radio scripts I wrote before she died. And the miracle is that usually I appreciated her feedback. ;)
What a wonderfully unique relationship that must have been. If you ever write about that side of your relationship with your mom (or have written about it), please let me know. I would so love to read it. 🤗
Thanks, Lou. There's a lot about my relationship with my mom and our shared research in my memoir Walking Nature Home (my 12th book!), but it's not specifically about writing and her editing my work.
Lou, Thank you for sharing the value of reading in your life. Your experience mirrors my own in many ways and I am excited to see where this new intentionality will take you. I am grateful that my experience was able to impact you in some small way. Create the plan but also leave room for serendipity. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you go through this reading journey. Le Carre is on my list of authors to explore as well.
You have inspired me so much, Matthew. In addition to what I've already said in this piece, it is through you that I've discovered Simon Haissel and Petya Grady and Sam Rinko, among others. I feel my reading experience has been enriched simply by me stumbling into your Substack a couple of years ago! Thank you!
What an awesome Sunday morning read this was, Lou. I relate so much to this! I added Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (in my mind) as I read along. I love the idea of a reading season. A plan of sorts. I allow myself a fantasy book over the Christmas holiday. I fell in love with this kind of thing reading all the Potter books to my son. Which, I also related to as I passed my love of reading on to him, one 30 minute bedtime read at a time. Have you read John Irving?
Don't tell anyone, but I'm so "intimidated" to read Tolkien! I think I've put a kind of mental block in my mind that I'm not "deep enough" to read him. I honestly don't know where that block comes from. One day, I'm going to be brave enough and put that insane fear to rest. 😂 I think I had The World According to Garp on my TBR pile for a while but never got 'round to it, and then all the books got donated to the local library. But you've inspired me to pick one of his books. Is that the book you'd recommend I read or something else from Irving?
LOTR is 4 books. The first one is The Hobbit. It's a fun little book (or not) that sets the others up. If you get into it and don't like it, you're in luck.. you won't have to read the others! :) But if you get hooked like I did, you just keep reading them one at a time when time allows. Easy Peasy. For Irving, I would start with 'A Prayer for Owen Meany." Its the first book I ever read where I actually realized about a week after I finished it, that I was grieving the loss of the characters a little...
Reading is the one thing I absolutely cannot do every day. Writing, exercise? I love both, but if my day is busy--those slip away. Reading? Never. And there is nothing better than discussing books with other people! Love those conversations.
I admire that you've built a syllabus of books by a select group of authors to dive into -- I don't know that I could do that--I'm too attracted to reading what's getting the latest buzz. That said, I am intentional about what I read because the older I get the fewer years/books I have left.
One of the best inventions is the Kindle 😊 because it has allowed me to never be without a book wherever I am. Although I terribly miss reading physical books.
I remember Rory Gilmore saying once on The Gilmore Girls, "So many books, so little time!" and she was a teenager when she said that. LOL Cheers Kaarin!
Books build minds that connect to other minds, stranger’s minds, and find aspects of the self. I have no idea where I’d be without books and wide reading. Slobbering over Tik Toks I guess. Instead I’m on Substack. And all the better for it.
"Slobbering over TikToks" 😂 What a ghastly alternative that would be! We are so lucky
What a lovely post to wake up to on a lazy Sunday morning. I fully endorse Edith Wharton for the Gilded Age, and I would add Henry James to the list. I’ve never been able to stick to a formal reading plan — one book always leads me to the next. I found James after reading The Marriage Plot, where the characters were obsessed with him, and suddenly I was in a Henry James phase. The same thing happens with historical novels: one detail sends me down a rabbit hole of nonfiction about the era or the people behind it. Discovery is one of the many joys of reading for me.
I've never read Henry James, and now feel like there's a HUGE GAP in my reading. 🤦🏻♀️ But I'm totally with you re the many rabbit holes I've fallen into chasing after something I've read in a book. Oh, the many things we discover because of reading, right? Cheers, Celeste!
I always plan to read 100 books and read over 150 books last year (I am 71 and mostly retired). Having a son at age 30 stopped me for a bit. That first year I could barely get through Sunday comics. By year 2 I was back to reading! I love mysteries, contemplatives, a couple of classics each year, and historical fiction. My book club takes me into realms of fiction I would not go to on my own and I am grateful. I also read mostly on Kindle, although my current reading includes two hard covers — one about Julian of Norwich and one about Hildegard of Bingen.
What a rich reading life you've got Shana! I've never been part of a book club but I can see how that could broaden your reading horizon. I'm a much slower reader than you, and usually finish about 50 books a year - although I do start a ton but don't finish them all. I've given myself permission to leave a book if it doesn't hold my interest. :)
Hi Lou: I've been trying to be more intentional about my reading as well. I found that during the pandemic years, my book reading fell off for awhile in favor of articles and essays and shorter form writing. I think that was a common phenomenon during those dark days. Many people complained to me that they had more time to read, but were having difficulty focusing so were actually reading less. So, beginning in 2023, I started creating a list of books I wanted to read during the year. I'm a notoriously slow reader so I never get through the list, but it has helped me read more and be a bit more discerning. At any given time, I've got about five books on the go at once. Probably why it takes me so long to finish them😜.
I do that too! Read multiple books at the same time, especially when I'm reading non-fiction. I can't read multiple fiction books at the same time, though. 😂
Funny, same here. Only one book of fiction at a time... plus four non-fiction books.
Lou, Like you, I loved reading as a child and Nancy Drew was on the top of my list. I was an avid reader for a good part of my life, but I've never felt the same draw for fiction as I do non-fiction. These days, I barely read anymore. I consume information in other way, which is likely due to the advent of the internet. I don't feel bad about that. At the same time, I can appreciate your love of reading and your desire to be intentional about reading. I love the quotes you've shared.
Yup. I spent hours as a child reading many of the books you mention. It was my ‘great escape’ into a different world. Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew, Laura Engals Wilder, Louisa May Alcott and many more. I loved going to the library and coming home with stacks of books. Now, like you I have ‘stacks’ of books on my Kindle. Reading is good food for the mind and soul. Thank you for sharing your journey.
"Reading is good food for the mind and soul." Amen to that, Susan! Cheers.
Reading has been a mentor of sorts throughout my life. Books line several of my walls and give me a sense of hope and potential. I intentionally read books across a variety of genres, and recently have begun a portion of my annual reading to read new works and revisit works by the same author. Last year, it was Barbara Kingsolver. This year, it is Barry Lopez.
Hi Sue. Yes, books as a kind of mentor certainly resonates with me as well. I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the works of the same author. I've never done that before (other than following or completing a series). I'm curious, what's been the best part for you about working through Barbara Kingsolver's books last year?
I had read most of Kingsolver's books as they were published, and read them as a reader, absorbed in the storytelling. Last year, I reread her books as a writer, observing her style, the construction of her stories, and how her skills had developed. I was never able to perform literary analysis in literature classes because I had to be in the story, feeling the emotions. My project this year may be more challenging because most of Barry Lopez's writing is non-fiction and at times dense.
Thanks for this excursion into your reading life, Lou. I grew up with reading as an escape too, but with a librarian mom, I didn't have to hide my pleasure reading! I wonder sometimes if I would be the person I am with the wide-ranging curiosity about the world and the strong social and environmental conscience if I hadn't grown up reading. May your reading plan bring you to unexpected books and places. Blessings to you.
A librarian mom! Wow! I can just imagine what conversations you used to have about books and reading and such! I'm always so grateful that I've become a reader because, as you said, I don't know that I'd have become this person that I am, with this set of values, if I hadn't grown up reading. (I suppose it was also the kind of reading we were doing, LOL) Cheers, Susan!
The kind of reading we do does make a big difference! Having a librarian mom meant I was introduced to a lot of books might never have discovered and read as a kid, and it also meant that I never lacked for editorial advice (whether solicited or not!) on anything I wrote. She read 12 of my 13 books, and I think every single of the hundreds of feature articles, essays, newspaper columns and radio scripts I wrote before she died. And the miracle is that usually I appreciated her feedback. ;)
What a wonderfully unique relationship that must have been. If you ever write about that side of your relationship with your mom (or have written about it), please let me know. I would so love to read it. 🤗
Thanks, Lou. There's a lot about my relationship with my mom and our shared research in my memoir Walking Nature Home (my 12th book!), but it's not specifically about writing and her editing my work.
10,000 Maniacs!!! That took me back. So good for these terrible times ❤️
We all need to cling on to something, right? 🤗
So accurate! 🔥
Lou, Thank you for sharing the value of reading in your life. Your experience mirrors my own in many ways and I am excited to see where this new intentionality will take you. I am grateful that my experience was able to impact you in some small way. Create the plan but also leave room for serendipity. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you go through this reading journey. Le Carre is on my list of authors to explore as well.
You have inspired me so much, Matthew. In addition to what I've already said in this piece, it is through you that I've discovered Simon Haissel and Petya Grady and Sam Rinko, among others. I feel my reading experience has been enriched simply by me stumbling into your Substack a couple of years ago! Thank you!
What an awesome Sunday morning read this was, Lou. I relate so much to this! I added Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (in my mind) as I read along. I love the idea of a reading season. A plan of sorts. I allow myself a fantasy book over the Christmas holiday. I fell in love with this kind of thing reading all the Potter books to my son. Which, I also related to as I passed my love of reading on to him, one 30 minute bedtime read at a time. Have you read John Irving?
Don't tell anyone, but I'm so "intimidated" to read Tolkien! I think I've put a kind of mental block in my mind that I'm not "deep enough" to read him. I honestly don't know where that block comes from. One day, I'm going to be brave enough and put that insane fear to rest. 😂 I think I had The World According to Garp on my TBR pile for a while but never got 'round to it, and then all the books got donated to the local library. But you've inspired me to pick one of his books. Is that the book you'd recommend I read or something else from Irving?
LOTR is 4 books. The first one is The Hobbit. It's a fun little book (or not) that sets the others up. If you get into it and don't like it, you're in luck.. you won't have to read the others! :) But if you get hooked like I did, you just keep reading them one at a time when time allows. Easy Peasy. For Irving, I would start with 'A Prayer for Owen Meany." Its the first book I ever read where I actually realized about a week after I finished it, that I was grieving the loss of the characters a little...
Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to check out "a prayer..." and get it on the Kindle stack! (and thanks for the tip on how to start LOTR!)
My pleasure! Have fun with it.