I'm Addicted to Books

I have a confession to make:

I’m a binge reader.

I am all in or not at all. Granted, there are some books that I work through slowly. Some books necessitate that. I’d say Dickens’ Bleak House is definitely a qualifier. 

For school preparations, I am currently reading A History of Western Music. It is entirely interesting, but quite long (near 1000 pages!) and detailed. It is the text for my Music History placement exam. I am trying to work my way through steadily, while taking notes, so that I have time to review it a second time before my exam in August.

I am also slowly working through Nancy Pearcy’s Saving Leonardo just on my own time. Every page is so rich that I don’t want to speed through it. If you’re at all interested in culture, philosophy, or apologetics, I highly recommend this read. (Her Total Truth is another good one, but it’s even more dense.)

We don’t watch TV. Our friends were teasing us that our TV can’t even be considered a large computer monitor. In actuality, I think it’s twenty-two inches. We currently don’t have wifi at home, so we don’t even have access to iTunes rental downloads. We have, however, discovered a video rental (yes, you read that correctly) store just down the street. This place is retro. Their computer is from the 1980s. Given the fact that rentals from the store require planning (wow, what a novelty!), my go-to entertainment is found in the pages of book.

When I’m stressed, I read. One example of this is the fact that I began reading the Harry Potter series for the first time during my college finals. Two other prime reading times where when I was battling anxiety about school decisions and then again when overwhelmed by packing.

While waiting to hear from SMU in late March, I read all three Hunger Games books back-to-back. During the third book, I only got out of bed for necessities. Brooklyn is a good napper, so we didn’t have any issues there. The house, on the other hand? Let's just leave it at that.

During our moving preparations, I read all three Divergent books in less than a week. (I was waiting to borrow books from a friend. It was definitely good for the well-being of my family that I had to wait twelve hours before getting my hands on the next book.) I’m sure you’ve heard of these books; the first one was recently released in the movie theatre. While dystopian young adult literature is not my go-to, I was really intrigued by these books. The first one was published in 2011 by a girl my age! This is Veronica Roth’s first book series, and it hit the New York Times Bestseller list instantly. And they’re already being made into movies! Crazy! Unlike The Hunger Games series, these books were much less political in nature and primarily about the character development of the protagonist, Tris. The themes in these books provide great conversation starters and discussion platforms. Everyone I’ve talked with likes each of the three books progressively less; for me, it was the opposite! While I thought book one started slowly, I flew through books two and three.

(I took a short reading hiatus after these books so that our family could actually make the move to Dallas. A cross-country move just would not have happened if I had been in a good book.)

After the family returned to Orlando, I picked up The Flames of Rome and re-read it in a few short days. This was a required book for Sonlight Curriculum in the eighth grade. My mom and I have since gone back and purchased our favorites from the years we did Sonlight together. (Side note: I loved this curriculum!) This is a spectacular book on the reign of Nero and the growth of the early Christian church, as told through the eyes of one close to Caesar. Based on the author’s detailed notes, I believe this to be historically accurate. It’s a novel, yes, but all the characters are real-life persons who experienced historical events. All the places that are quasi-speculated are noted by the author. I love Roman history, and it was a treat enjoying this all over again.

Next I re-read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. This is a fictional novel about the underground church in China. I read it once many years ago. I enjoyed this book for the hard questions it forces you to ask yourself. While the style and dialogue are not my favorite, Alcorn definitely has a tale worth telling...and reading.

Yesterday I picked up a much thinner book with the title, A Walk to Remember. Talk about middle school flashbacks! I have read several of Sparks’ novels, and while I do love his easy-going, down-to-earth, Southern style, I can only handle so much sentiment. It was a perfect late-afternoon and bedtime read. I especially love the note Tali Rose inscribed when she gifted this book to me for my seventeenth birthday: “I hope your life turns out this romantically (without the death at the end…)” Oops, should I have placed a spoiler alert? Come on, you lived through the early 2000s; surely you at least saw the movie. You know, the one with the Switchfoot soundtrack?

So now I need a new binge book. I was considering picking up some more old favorites. This made me think, “What are my favorite books?”

That may be one of the hardest questions ever.

To help me decide, I consulted Lewis. C.S., of course. I feel like we’re old friends.

His advice:

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally - and often far more - worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”

Well, I’m not fifty or beyond yet, but I do know that my favorite books are those I have read at different stages and still loved. I’ll tell you about the fifty thing in a few (long) years.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

I’d insert coffee, though I do enjoy tea on occasion. I have found that when I love a book, I don’t notice its length. The story is all that matters. In some cases, I dread the final pages because I want to stay immersed in the story as long as possible. 

“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.”

Especially if one is eating ice cream or chocolate. Or both. Together. Just sayin’.

“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”

Ah. This may be the tell-tale sign. The books I keep coming back to. Over and over again. The ones that seem to change me each time I read them, even though the text remains the same.

So what are they?
In no particular order, I’d have to say:
A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

A few runners-up: Jane Eyre, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Pride and Prejudice

What are your favorite reads - recent or old faithfuls?

I do need a new book!

Actually, what I need to do is have a long date with A History of Western Music before “Strategy Games with Seminary Students” (aka Game Night at Snyder’s) tonight!