Redemption

I don't know if you've noticed, but I added my reading list over there on the right. I used to read at least one book a week; now it tends to take me a couple weeks to get through a book just because I'm not reading as much at one time as I used to.

When I was a pre-teen, I would take my book EVERYwhere, including to restaurants, where I'd read while we waited for our food. My parents let me read at those times because, well, what parents want to STOP their kid from reading? However... If I were 12 in 2009, I'd be playing video games or texting my friends while we waited for our food. I supposed the result is essentially the same: missing time with family. That's something I never really thought about before.

I just finished my second James Patterson book of the year, and I am so happy that he redeemed himself with a typical Alex Cross book. The earlier novel, You've Been Warned, was a departure from his usual stuff and I really didn't enjoy it at all. I finished it just to get an explanation and once I got that, I was happy to shelve the book.

Now I'm reading about a library in Iowa that adopts a cat and names him Dewey. (Everyone knows what he's named after, right?) Grandma Grace and Papa, I think I'll send the book your way when I'm done with it, it's right up your alley.

I don't know how many real readers peruse my blog, but I hope most of you enjoy picking up a book or even a magazine once in a while. I'm not going to be the one who tells you that you should only read stuff that enriches your lives and makes you really think about the world. That's not the kind of stuff I like to read.

Reading should be fun. If you choose to read Benjamin Franklin's biography, I hope it's because you WANT to read it. But if you'd rather lose yourself among Harry Potter and his friends, believe me, I won't judge.

How can I? I've read all the books (most of them twice) myself. And I couldn't even tell you for sure when Ben Franklin was alive, although I'm pretty sure he's the one who did the key-kite-lightning experiment.

Okay, maybe I should spend a little less time at Hogwarts and a little more time with a book about general history.