It's the last day of June - midpoint in the year.
In the last few days, I finished three books: How the Scots
Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman, The Confessions by Saint Augustine, and The Adventures of
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
Herman's book was fun as I explore my Scottish roots. He found every possible connection to Scotland that he could; sometimes it seems as if he was stretching things to make those connections, but it was still enjoyable and informative.
The Confessions was actually a reread - though it's been 47 years since I read it. I was actually reading it in installments as spiritual reading every time I volunteered at the St. Padre Pio Chapel, but I got close to the end so I finished it off. When I read it back in 1974/75 it was one of the books that helped me rediscover my faith. It is still a powerful book, spiritually enriching and mentally stimulating.
The Pinocchio book was actually due to an article in the June issue of Smithsonian about a new translation of the original Italian tales by Collodi. I was familiar with the Disney version, not the original, so I got an earlier translation from the library. An enjoyable read, and much needed lighter fare after St. Augustine! It was interesting comparing the original to the more sanitized treatment Disney gave the story.
Those three works bring me to 33 for the year so far. I am not trying to best my record for last year (95). Heck, at this point last year I had 53 works under my belt! I'll just keep plodding along reading whatever catches my attention.
After hearing about a Jeopardy contestant who had been keeping records of pages read since the 1990's, I decided to start that this year. My current count is 6,775 pages.
I have other reading that I do. I subscribe to a number of magazines: Smithsonian, The Saturday Evening Post, Gilbert (G. K. Chesterton), Star: Saint Austin Review, Scifaikuest (science fiction poetry) Frogpond (haiku). I generally read them all cover to cover.
In terms of writing for this blog, this is my 128th post. Last year by this point I had 169! I have been involved with some writing projects that have kept me busier this year. Plus, I resurrected a Chesterton-related blog for which I had been a team member. We each agreed to try to contribute a post a week, with each of us taking a day. I was Thursday - which amused me because Chesterton's most famous novel was The Man Who Was Thursday. The other members all drifted away, and I stopped posting too. Last August, I decided to begin posting more regularly to keep it alive. I've done 20 posts on that blog so far this year; last year at this point, I had done ... 0.
Onward to more reading and writing!
Pax et bonum
5 comments:
My reading of good books is down, partly because my bookshelves are so overflowing but also looking in the Catholic bookstore I find few books which seem of interest to me (I often take down one of my favorites from the shelf and read my underlined parts).
A friend recently gave me her copy of a book titled: Joy, Meditations on the joyful heritage of Christianity, by Louis Evely. I found it very joyous reading indeed, and meditate on the thoughts in the chapel each evening (along with other books in my night reading bag). Out of print, my copy of the Evely book is used but I was able to get another used copy for Fr. Riccardo on his recent birthday (An avid reader also, I always gift him the best of my reads). His thank you card noted that he also very much enjoyed Evely's book titled: That Man is You, which I just ordered.
I'll have to look for the Evely books.
I generally read several books at the same time. On will be spiritual in nature - such as the recently completed "The Confession." I've now started "Ignatius of Antioch & Polycarp of Smyrna" from the Early Christian Fathers series. I'm also reading "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" by Edmund Morris.
Have been a journalist and a teacher for most of my adult life, I've read so many books that I often find myself rereading books that I first read some 40 years ago! I don't find most contemporary novels very interesting - so one of the things I'm doing is going back to read literary and spiritual classics I haven't read before.
I smiled at your comment; I've read those books, and the early Church Fathers helped anchor my beliefs as I saw they were the same since the time of Christ. I read some books as a young man, Catholic, classic books, which at the time my faith did not let me understand. Reading them many years later, I could not believe what wonderful, insightful classics they were --- it was me, in my youth (despite thoughts that I knew everything), who was so not insightful. One thing that has not changed much over the years is my pride, and I still have much work to do at checking it.
One of my vices is the reading of mystery novels, and I buy used ones 30 at a time from a local bookstore. It is a waste of time, but a better alternative, I think, than social media or television, which I rarely turn to as a time-filler. I am 75, and participate in a number of Christian ministries as I am led, and in which I try VERY hard to not take a leadership role anymore.
I again enjoy reading your blog thoughts; they are worth your taking the time to type.
I am a fan of mysteries, too. They are not "great" literature, but they do give pleasure, so I mix them in. Have you read Hillerman's Navajo mysteries or the Brother Cadfael mysteries?
No, but they seem of the type I'd read. That used book store I shop has the mystery section sorted by author, and I'm up to the T's. I usually don't buy unless they have written at least 4 books, to show they are interesting to the public (and me). I'll check out to see if they have books by Hillerman or Peters when I visit later this week. Like the local Catholic book store, they know me by name, AND their computer tracks my purchases so I don't buy one I have read even years ago (unless I want to).
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