As we move into a new decade, I have taken some time to review my reading life.

As in every area of life, I have changed quite a bit as a reader over the last 2 or 3 years. While my reading interests remain largely the same, my approach to books has evolved. A few years ago, if I started a book, I had to finish it. Since I’ve started teaching, however, I’ve realized that I don’t have time to waste on books I don’t love, or at least like.

I recently finished reading Sarah Clarkson’s Book Girl. I found myself thinking about reading from many new avenues as I read Sarah’s reflections on the purpose reading plays in a woman’s life. One point that stood out to me in this book was the emphasis on quality over quantity in reading.

Hmm. Interesting.

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I finished my first year of teaching at the beginning of June this year. It was undoubtedly the hardest task I have ever undertaken, and by the grace of God, I made it through successfully.

When I decided to become a teacher, I was filled with so many high ideals. I would set the minds of my students on fire with a love for literature. I would teach them all to analyze fiction like college students. I would teach them to compose essays with eloquence and style. I would be the “fun” teacher – the one every kid loves.

Fast forward to September 2018, and I’m doing my best to maintain grape soda can explosions and paper wad fights and collect missing work from 3 weeks ago.

And so began my rude awakening.

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Do you ever find yourself in a reading funk? You know those horrible seasons of your literary life in which you find that no matter what book title or what genre you pick up, the plot is cliche, the characters stereotypical, and the setting so perfect you want to puke?

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Originally published on November 24, 2019.

When I was 15, I made a goal to read 50 classic texts by my 21st birthday. The day came and went, and I fell just 10 books shy of my goal. Today, I have still only made it to 44 of the 50. But, I have learned a lot about myself as a reader in the process.

Now, I will admit, of the 40 novels I read, I can only recall in great detail about half. Several, I forced my way through.

Because, you see, I am a numbers person. Not a mathematical, algebraic, geometric kind of girl. No, ma’am. I’m a goal-setting, number-counting, OCD kind of a woman.

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Originally published on November 16, 2019.

I had 2 days off last week. This was a lovely surprise! On the preceding Friday, I was watching the morning announcements with my students when I heard that we would have no school on Monday, in addition to Tuesday (election day).

That Friday got about 95% happier at that point.

And so began the lovely problem – how to spend my spare time in such a way as to maximize the fun?

Not surprisingly, I hit up my favorite thrift shoppe’s book section.

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Originally published on December 27, 2018.

I’m in the cleaning mood.

I’m not talking about dusting, mopping, and vacuuming. Most of the time, I loathe tasks that involve confronting the dirt in my living space.

I’m talking about purging my environment of junk, clutter, and other oddities that I’ve been hanging on to for eons.

In the process of said purge, I came across a score sheet I received for a poem I entered in a contest 3 years ago. One of the comments the judge left for me encouraged me to continue to use all my good words as I created more poems and other written pieces.

Reading those words got  me to thinking. How have I been using my “good words” lately?

After college graduation, there really was

no urgent need to write – no more research papers, discussion boards, resumes. Just emails to colleagues, grocery lists, and a thought or musing every now and again.

And I began to wonder why I shouldn’t at least try to change that.

Thus begins my attempt to change my writing habits.

I hope you enjoy my efforts!