The joy of reading ...

for pleasure

One of the joys of summer: sunflowers! I took this photo.

Reading is always an activity I enjoy. For some reason, this summer is especially good for me. Usually (that is to say always), I read at night when I go to bed. There is always a stack of books on my nightstand, my lamp is adjusted especially for reading in bed, and I look forward to reading before I go to sleep.

Right now I'm reading Andrea Carlisle's new book, there was an old woman, and I don't want it to end. If you click on the link, you can read all about it (even buy it for yourself if you like). As an old woman myself, I feel completely seen by Andrea's words. If you don't already know her work, I recommend Riverhouse Stories, and The River Runs Under It, as well as her new book.

Full disclosure: Andrea Carlisle was the writing teacher who inspired me to being my daily writing practice. When I won my first writer’s residency, she said "This is the universe acknowledging your work," or words to that effect. I remember perfectly that she said writers write, and if you write you are a writer. No more did I say I wanted to be a writer. I declared myself a writer.

I believe writers should also be readers, and we should read aspirationally as well as for pleasure. As a reading writer, I try to stretch myself, read "hard" books/articles/newsletters.

But this summer, I've lucked into delightful books. Lessons in Chemistry, which I finished a few days ago, made me wish I had studied the sciences instead of economics and business. I felt I faced enough pushback for my choices as it was. A person can dream though.

Here I am in my chair hammock, reading Lessons in Chemistry.

Lessons in Chemistry is the story of Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist in the 1950s facing all the misogyny, sexual harassment, and discrimination we women expected and survived back then. After she fails her academic career, she finds unlikely success as the host of a TV cooking show. How she goes about it not only support her, it uplifts her audiences in unexpected ways. I could not put this book down. I was certain author Bonnie Garmus must actually be a chemist turned writer, but no. She's a copy writer turned best-selling author.

Other books I've read this summer that I recommend: Smile by playwright Sarah Ruhl; A Certain Time by comedian Kate Kasten; and Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Because I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, I'm reading Shiloh and Other Stories by Bobbie Ann Mason. You know Kingsolver won the Pulitzer for Demon Copperhead, right? Deserved. Kingsolver credits Mason for inspiring her to write in her Appalachian voice.

In a New York Times article, Barbara Kingsolver recommends several books to read if you're interested in learning more about Appalachia. One of them is Appalachian Elegy by bell hooks. It is waiting for me to pick it up at the library. I am excited to read it.

Here is a poem from Appalachian Elegy:

Please tell me what you're reading right now, or share one of you all-time favorite books, or share your own books here (we have a few authors among us).

Here in Portland, Oregon we are having a week of triple digits. Tell me your favorite ways to stay cool, if you're willing.

Finally, here’s a picture of the view from my writing chair.