In Search of the Bookworm

Hello, my name is Kennith and I am a book-a-holic. I consume the written word daily and find refuge in works of fiction of all kinds. At least, this used to feel like a true statement. These days, I’m feeling a little more like an illiterate sloth who would rather waddle in oblivion than someone who enjoys the written word. I am desperately searching for my inner bookworm again.

Every reader goes through dry spells where they are struggling to find just the right book for a particular season in life. When I experience an unexpected dry patch, I don’t normally worry about it too much because I know that I will ultimately find a new friend in the pages of a book. My current situation feels more like a drought than a passing dry spell. 2021 has not been a kind year for any of us. We have faced new levels of stress in ways we never imagined. Typically, I go into the summer vacation with roughly 25 books under by belt during the first part of the year. This year, I have managed to read barely half that number and have not completed a book in the past six weeks. This is not territory that I am familiar with at all….and I don’t like it one little bit.

I have consistently used all of my best approaches that have been successful in the past to getting back into a reading routine during an unexpected slump. I have surrounded myself with books of differing types. I have not made a commitment to any single book that might place undue pressure on my subconscious. There are no minimum page numbers that I have to read before I can toss a book aside. I am just searching for something to grab my attention.

I’ve varied my reading material. Typically, I enjoy contemporary literary fiction. I’ve picked up a few easy beach reads that couldn’t hold my attention. I shifted to interesting non-fiction. I would read for a few days and quickly find myself longing for a good story to follow. Maybe biography was the ticket? While intriguing, these books felt like too much work. I returned to a classic American novel that has been in my TBR for years. The writing was beautiful, but the page could not hold my attention. Audio books just led to daydreaming and more feelings of irritation because I could not concentrate.

I’ve adjusted my reading time and tried diving into a book during the late morning and early afternoon hours since my normal nighttime reading time is not doing the trick at the moment. I have changed locations of my reading nook with no success. I even made the shift to e-books in a desperate effort to combat the dry patch! It has really become an incredibly frustrating situation. I know that the act of reading is a balm to my mental and emotional being — which I desperately need right now. I feel like an irritable child. I know that the act will make me feel better, but I simply don’t like the packaging that contains the nutrients at the moment.

Some of you, dear readers, think I am being far too hard on myself and that I just need to let myself relax. I appreciate your thought and understand where you are coming from. However, I also know myself and the relaxation that I do experience when reading a good novel that cannot be found anywhere else. As I am writing this post on Tuesday evening, I am thinking about two books stuffed in the bottom of a book bag in my bedroom that I have not cracked open yet. One is a large novel by Jeffrey Archer; the other is a biography of American author, John Steinbeck. Since my thoughts are being drawn there, I will probably pull out those large works tomorrow and see if I can fall into a trance in the first few pages of either book. I just know that I will feel much better when this drought finally comes to an end.

On Thursday, I’m heading to Oklahoma for a music conference for the rest of the week. If I haven’t discovered the book that will hold my attention by then, I’ll just have to take some time during the trip to stop at several bookstores along the way and see if an unfamiliar setting can trigger my next love affair with the written word.

Before-Year’s-End Reading List

Really? This morning’s prompt may be extremely problematic. I love to read, so to ask me to identify the one book I’m hoping to read in the next two months might be a major challenge. Escaping into the pages of a book is one of my primary ways of dealing with stress — and as you saw in my earlier post from this week, there’s a lot of stress in my life at the moment.

So what do I hope to read in the coming months? I have to admit that I am just trying to get through my current read, The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Please don’t misunderstand. I like the writing. It’s an interesting story. Because it is so far out of my comfort zone, however, I find myself having to read very slowly to make sure I am grasping the plot line. It is also true that I started reading it during an extremely busy time, so I have little time to devote to reading. When I’m done with the book, it will signal to me that things are slowing down a bit and I have survived. I’m ready to finish this book!

The only other book that is currently on my radar is my next read — simply because it’s sitting in the chair next to me. Generosity by Richard Powers sounds like it’s going to be very enjoyable. I know little about the story line, but the basic premise is that scientist find the generosity gene and are exploring ways of exploiting it. Intriguing, huh? Beyond that, I’m hoping to fall into the couch at the Geriatric Ward with a lazy read for a few days and just let my mind and spirit rest and relax in the pages of a good book.

What Did You Do Yesterday?

Clearly, I took a break (again) from daily blogging. Last weekend, I began to feel very bad and headed to the doctor on Monday morning. The diagnosis was just as I expected — my annual upper respiratory infection has arrived. A round of antibiotics, a shot, and lots of intentional rest has helped, but I am still not 100% recovered. But I’m starting to feel well enough that I actually care about writing again. Let’s see if I can get this daily habit going again.

Yesterday was quite a productive day. It’s was day 2 of WBU’s four-day weekend that is Fall Break. However, yesterday was not entirely devoted to rest and relaxation. It began with a mad dash down to the Talkington School in Lubbock for a couple of piano lessons. As the girls are preparing for UIL auditions, Richard and I are trying to offer coaching sessions to as many of the students as possible. Yesterday, I worked with the Scarlatti Sonata, K. 208 and Chopin’s Waltz in Ab major. Even though it came the morning after a Singing Men performance, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Talkington girls.

Then it was time to head back to Plainview after a quick stop at Chik-fil-A. Richard and I met to read through some two piano repertoire in the event that we are called upon to play a program for donors in the near future. We settled on the Brahms variations, Mozart sonata, and Liszt’s Les Preludes. Unfortunately, this is in addition to the program we are already prepping for January. It just seems as though the work never ends.

Before meeting Bobby for a run of the arias that he will be presenting next week for the Singer of the Year auditions at NATS, I headed to the local library to select a new shelf for My Library Shelf project. If you’ve been with me for very long, you know that I select a single shelf in the library and read my way through it in order to discover some authors I’m not familiar with and read some things I wouldn’t read otherwise. I’ve been working on a shelf since my arrival in Plainview five years ago. I’m nearing the end of that project, but getting into some works that I have avoided because they simply do not interest me. I’ve tried reading them before with no success. I’m not sure that I will actually finish reading that shelf.

My new shelf is quite exciting….even if I did bend my own rules a bit. This new incarnation of the project contains 29 works by 14 different authors. One author is represented by a few more books than I had hoped; 12 of the books are by Terry Pratchett (although 5 of them are The Long Earth series, so that doesn’t disturb me as much). The classics on the shelf are two old friends that I am looking forward to rereading: Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev and The Gift of Asher Lev. I took photos of the shelf (since its contents can change daily based on library circulation and new acquisitions) and headed to campus to rehearse with Bobby.

After rehearsal, I dashed home and began reading the first book from my new shelf, The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. It is definitely something different from my normal reads, but the writing has immediately pulled me in and I am intrigued. I decided to head out for dinner with my book. When I arrived at Mio’s, I ran into my colleagues and our guest pianist for the week, John Hord. I was invited to join them and enjoy the dinner conversation. The fun and the company was wonderful. Unfortunately, the medication that I am currently on did not mix with my dinner well and I had to make a rather abrupt exit. I hope that I exited with at least some grace — those situations are always so awkward!

Once home, I nursed my upset tummy while curling up with my book and watching a little television before turning in for an early evening. What’s the plan for today? Other than doing a little laundry, I hope to take the day off from anything too productive since I return to the real world tomorrow afternoon with the beginning of opera scenes’ production week.

Book Clubs

Today was filled with lots of activity and appointments that simply had to be kept. Since I knew the day was going to be crazy, I got an early start, knowing that I needed to knock a few things off my to-do list before leaving the house for the morning. I decided I needed some incentive to get things done, so I made a deal with myself. Once I finished the first three things on my list, I could spend the rest of the morning reading until I had to leave. I didn’t even get to pick up a book. That made me very sad…..

And my sadness grew as I heard a radio announcer wishing everyone “Happy Read a Book Day” (honestly….it’s celebrated on September 6). On September 8, we’ll also celebrate International Literacy Day. I have been desperate to dive into a book all day long, but didn’t have the time to spare. I have been thinking about how much I love books and how I desperately desire to be a part of a book club.

One of the primary reasons that I have been a student for so long is that I really enjoy getting to interact with books. It’s not just reading the book that is so enthralling though. I love the conversation that ensues when a group of people come together and bring their various experiences and opinions to the table as they consider the implications of the written word. I couldn’t imagine not having time to read while I was in my undergraduate program. So what did I do? I declared a second major in English literature. I knew I wasn’t the best student in the program, but I knew that I was passionate about the material.

The social activity I would most enjoy participating in on a regular basis would be a reading group. I’ve had no luck finding one though. I’ve joined groups at the local library and area bookstores, but have always been disappointed because the members either didn’t commit to participate regularly or the group only dove into a single genre of literature. When I participated in an office reading group, things never got off the ground. We tried to meet during our lunch break, but the demands of work kept calling us back. We were all too exhausted to consider committing to an additional night during the week.

Some have suggested that I start my own reading group. I’ll admit that I have tried, but it still didn’t provide what I was looking for. A church book club limited material that could be included due to language and topics that might offend some members. A group of performing artists is a rehearsal (read social party) waiting to happen….and there was little discussion of the material read.

Oprah’s Book Club was the closest thing I’ve ever found. I enjoyed the wide variety of books selected and appreciated the passionate discussion that would normally occur. I missed the human interaction and building relationships though. Oprah has now reorganized her book club as version 2.0 which all occurs online. Everyone has the opportunity to communicate via Twitter and other social media, but the intimacy is lost.

I was intrigued by one of Oprah’s latest suggestions for starting a book club. She suggested reading as a family and discussing the book as part of your family get-togethers. I see how this could be really fun in many families. Probably won’t work for my situation though….while many in my family enjoy reading (and others do it just to keep their brain active), we’re not reading for insight as much as we are for the entertainment value. There’s only so much I can say about why I enjoyed a book without wanting to consider the moral, political, and philosophical implications.

So what is it that I’m really looking for? Ideally, I would find a group of 8-12 other readers who come from different backgrounds, professions, spiritual journeys, and education levels. I envision men and women who share a love for reading, a desire to think deeply about issues, and a willingness to listen and speak honestly without constantly being offended when/if they disagree. I don’t want to be forced to be politically correct….especially if my opinions are not PC! We might share food together….but the focus is really on the book.

And, oh the books!  How wonderful would it be to read a self-help book followed by the latest best-seller. Then we dive into the heart of a classic American novel. Throw in a little philosophical writing and maybe even some religious (possibly non-Christian?) texts and you have a recipe for exciting and intellectually invigorating conversation.

If any of you have suggestions about where I can find a book club in the area, I’d love to hear from you! Until I find what I’m looking for, I’ll keep dreaming about the day I’m able to participate on a regular basis and keep reading for my own pleasure and intellectual stimulation.  Now I suppose it’s time I give in and spend some quiet time with my book.  Scarlett and Rhett, I’m coming to Tara for a visit now!