My wife and I watch one Netflix show an evening for about an hour and spend the rest of the evening reading. I also read on my trips to and from my lifelong learning class in NYC. I recommend you read the fictional account of Maggie Hope, written by Susan Elia Macneal about the Special Operations Executive, a female spy organization in WWII Britian. The first book in the series Is Mr. Churchill's Secretary.
I also loved the Judy Blume books when I was younger! For a book recommendation I have just finished Frankie by Graham Norton, a fabulous book spanning the 1950s to the present day, and set in Ireland, London and New York. It is the kind of book where you always have to read just one more chapter and you never actually want to get to the end!
Judy Blume was / is the best! And thank you for that recommendation - your endorsement of always having to read just one more chapter is EXACTLY what I'm looking for!
Some of earliest happy memories are of my mother reading to me. I learned to read as fast as I could and have been reading ever since. At the age of 83 I still read every day, historical fiction, fiction, science fiction, fantasy, science, history, and some other non fiction. My husband and I both take our Kindles to bed every night, and we read until somebody’s Kindle falls over. That is the signal to sleep! I even read every day when I had a concussion, but unfortunately I found that later I couldn’t remember a thing about that book!
As I often tell my students - reading to your kids is a great way to establish reading as a habit, and I love that you have those wonderful childhood memories AND that you still read every day! I also love the idea of reading until someone's Kindle falls over - that is indeed a great signal (my husband and I have a similar pattern with the old-fashioned kind of books)!
I started doing it years ago - and just found it a very easy way to help students feel more comfortable talking with me! Seeing my house, meeting my dogs, chatting over cookies, etc. has a very different feel than sitting in my office!!!
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid too! I thought I would be a detective too 😉 last year I read more than 60 books. I still like lighthearted mysteries like the Stephanie plum series by Janet Evanovich but also those that have female heroines of historical fiction by Lisa See or Remarkably Bright Creatures with an octopus hero. I try to read a little every day but do more on vacation and over a weekend.
That is an impressive record of reading - congratulations! Those are great recommendations - I remember loving the Sue Grafton mystery series (A is for Alibi, etc.) - and I've heard great things about Remarkably Bright Creatures (and the very unusual hero)!
We are opposites. I wasn’t much of a reader as a kid; but I read a great deal now. Especially since retirement. I have also discovered audiobooks- great for exercise, long drives, and working around the house.
Several years ago, I started keeping a list of books I enjoyed, so I’ll share that list with you.
It doesn’t include old favorites ( like The Man from Moscow, A Towls; Lessons in Chemistry for example) as they were read before my list…to much work to reach back. Hope you find a few to your liking.
This is a much belated thank you for this great list! I am now on summer break and setting a goal of 2 books a month! And I actually read After Annie this spring and loved it!
Let me know when you need an updated list! If you ever do history, read “Spell Freedom” by E. Weiss - her other book “The Woman’s Hour” (about women getting the vote) is also excellent.
Catherine: I so look forward to Thursdays and READING your comments. I never thought of so many of the reading benefits that you mention. I recently started reading at least 15 minutes before bed---I switch between the 1619 Project(which I can only read in small sections because of the content intnsity), Chris Hayes' new book the Sirens' Call (about the role and significance of attention in our society) and a good gay sex memoir.
I'm so glad you are enjoying my weekly newsletter - and love that you have adopted a reading before bed practice! I completely resonate with your sentiment about reading particular material in small doses - and appreciate the reading recommendations (which I'm finally turning to now that the academic year is finally over)!
I recommend strongly THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, by Elif Shafak. This historical novel is one of my top five books of all time. Starting in the 1840’s and spanning centuries up until 2014, this book fictionalizes the real main character and adds two more throughout the years. It’s about the memory of water, of Assyria and Mesopotamia and Iraq. Astounding!
I can’t imagine a day without reading! Some of my fondest memories are of me learning to read (thank you family members who spent time listening to me sound out words!) and the hours my Mom spent reading to me are precious. Whether I want to take a little escape trip while still enjoying my home reading spots or learn something new, books are the gateway to everything. I lean towards historical fiction and love anything related to Paris. Lately I’ve ventured into the autobiographies of people I enjoy or admire. The possibilities are endless and whether it’s indulging in a few hours or a short period before bed, I read every day. Now for some favorite authors- Anne Rivers Siddons, Ann Patchett, Isabel Allende, Liane Moriarty, Anita Shreve, Fiona Davis, Tatiana de Rosney……the list goes on😊. I know you’ll find your next read, with so many good choices it would be hard not to. Happy reading all!
Thank you, Robin, for sharing the wonderful memories about reading from childhood - and the wonderful recommendations of your favorite authors! I recently read Ann Patchett's Tom Lake (loved it!) and my daughter actually just finished Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife (also loved it - although she read it as "historical fiction" since it was set in that old ancient time pre-cell phones)! Now that the academic year is finally over, I have a pile of books on my nightside table and I can't wait to get started!
Let me know when you need an updated list! If you ever do history, read “Spell Freedom” by E. Weiss - her other book “The Woman’s Hour” (about women getting the vote) is also excellent.
My wife and I watch one Netflix show an evening for about an hour and spend the rest of the evening reading. I also read on my trips to and from my lifelong learning class in NYC. I recommend you read the fictional account of Maggie Hope, written by Susan Elia Macneal about the Special Operations Executive, a female spy organization in WWII Britian. The first book in the series Is Mr. Churchill's Secretary.
Thank you for the book recommendations - and I love the intentionality of the one show and then reading ... I may try to adopt a similar pattern!
I also loved the Judy Blume books when I was younger! For a book recommendation I have just finished Frankie by Graham Norton, a fabulous book spanning the 1950s to the present day, and set in Ireland, London and New York. It is the kind of book where you always have to read just one more chapter and you never actually want to get to the end!
Judy Blume was / is the best! And thank you for that recommendation - your endorsement of always having to read just one more chapter is EXACTLY what I'm looking for!
Love your posts, particularly this one about the power and gifts of reading!
I wrote this one largely to remind myself to read more! And it motivated me to request two new books from the library that I'm excited to dig into!
Some of earliest happy memories are of my mother reading to me. I learned to read as fast as I could and have been reading ever since. At the age of 83 I still read every day, historical fiction, fiction, science fiction, fantasy, science, history, and some other non fiction. My husband and I both take our Kindles to bed every night, and we read until somebody’s Kindle falls over. That is the signal to sleep! I even read every day when I had a concussion, but unfortunately I found that later I couldn’t remember a thing about that book!
Texas Grandma
As I often tell my students - reading to your kids is a great way to establish reading as a habit, and I love that you have those wonderful childhood memories AND that you still read every day! I also love the idea of reading until someone's Kindle falls over - that is indeed a great signal (my husband and I have a similar pattern with the old-fashioned kind of books)!
I shared your article with our Book Club and they also found it interesting. Nice to know we are doing something right!,
Enjoy your pleasure reading, Summer break is the perfect opportunity as is retirement 😊
Your students are very lucky to have you as their professor. I do not know of any other professor who invites her students to her home.
I started doing it years ago - and just found it a very easy way to help students feel more comfortable talking with me! Seeing my house, meeting my dogs, chatting over cookies, etc. has a very different feel than sitting in my office!!!
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid too! I thought I would be a detective too 😉 last year I read more than 60 books. I still like lighthearted mysteries like the Stephanie plum series by Janet Evanovich but also those that have female heroines of historical fiction by Lisa See or Remarkably Bright Creatures with an octopus hero. I try to read a little every day but do more on vacation and over a weekend.
That is an impressive record of reading - congratulations! Those are great recommendations - I remember loving the Sue Grafton mystery series (A is for Alibi, etc.) - and I've heard great things about Remarkably Bright Creatures (and the very unusual hero)!
We are opposites. I wasn’t much of a reader as a kid; but I read a great deal now. Especially since retirement. I have also discovered audiobooks- great for exercise, long drives, and working around the house.
Several years ago, I started keeping a list of books I enjoyed, so I’ll share that list with you.
It doesn’t include old favorites ( like The Man from Moscow, A Towls; Lessons in Chemistry for example) as they were read before my list…to much work to reach back. Hope you find a few to your liking.
Books I liked….
Black Angels
M. Smilios
Daughter of mine
M. Miranda
The Counterfeit Countess
EB White, J. Silva
The House of Doors
TT Eng
Listen for the Lie
A Tinterra
The Prospectors
A Djankian
We must not think of ourselves
L Grodstein
Dust Child
N. Mai
Last House
Jessica Shattuck
The Evolution of Annabelle Craig
L. Grunwald
The Safekeeping
Y. Van der Wouden
A Death at the Party
A. Stuart
Swift River
E. Chambers
Mother daughter murder night
N. Simon
Murder in the family
C. Hunter
Happiness falls
A. Kim
The Mystery Guest
N. Prose
Master, slave; husband, wife
I. Wood
First lie wins
A. Elston
Five bad deeds
C. Frear
The Heiress
R. Hawkins
Life after power
J. Cohen
The Frozen River
A. Lahon
The Storm we Made
V. Chan
The Teacher
F. McFadden
Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame
O. Ford
The Fury
A. Michaelaids
Lion women of Tehran
M. Kamali
The Wedding People
A. Espach
Notes on your sudden disappearance
A. Espach
My Last Innocent Year
D. Florin
Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
K. Miller
After Annie
A. Quinlen
I Hope This Finds You Well
N. Sue
Tell Me Everything
E. Strout
Unbecoming a Lady
T. O Neill
Blue Sisters
C. Mellors
Margo’s got money troubles
R. Thorpe
The God of the Woods
L. Moore
Small Mercies
D. Lehane
Madwoman
C. Bieker
The Last One at the Wedding
J. Rekulak
The Stationary Shop
M. Kamali
The Faculty Lounge
J Mathieu
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
J. Satow
Five Star Stranger
K. Tang
Brooklyn
C. Tolbin
This is a much belated thank you for this great list! I am now on summer break and setting a goal of 2 books a month! And I actually read After Annie this spring and loved it!
Let me know when you need an updated list! If you ever do history, read “Spell Freedom” by E. Weiss - her other book “The Woman’s Hour” (about women getting the vote) is also excellent.
Will do - and thank you!!!
Catherine: I so look forward to Thursdays and READING your comments. I never thought of so many of the reading benefits that you mention. I recently started reading at least 15 minutes before bed---I switch between the 1619 Project(which I can only read in small sections because of the content intnsity), Chris Hayes' new book the Sirens' Call (about the role and significance of attention in our society) and a good gay sex memoir.
I'm so glad you are enjoying my weekly newsletter - and love that you have adopted a reading before bed practice! I completely resonate with your sentiment about reading particular material in small doses - and appreciate the reading recommendations (which I'm finally turning to now that the academic year is finally over)!
I recommend strongly THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, by Elif Shafak. This historical novel is one of my top five books of all time. Starting in the 1840’s and spanning centuries up until 2014, this book fictionalizes the real main character and adds two more throughout the years. It’s about the memory of water, of Assyria and Mesopotamia and Iraq. Astounding!
Thank you for this fabulous recommendation! I'm adding it to my summer reading list right now!
I can’t imagine a day without reading! Some of my fondest memories are of me learning to read (thank you family members who spent time listening to me sound out words!) and the hours my Mom spent reading to me are precious. Whether I want to take a little escape trip while still enjoying my home reading spots or learn something new, books are the gateway to everything. I lean towards historical fiction and love anything related to Paris. Lately I’ve ventured into the autobiographies of people I enjoy or admire. The possibilities are endless and whether it’s indulging in a few hours or a short period before bed, I read every day. Now for some favorite authors- Anne Rivers Siddons, Ann Patchett, Isabel Allende, Liane Moriarty, Anita Shreve, Fiona Davis, Tatiana de Rosney……the list goes on😊. I know you’ll find your next read, with so many good choices it would be hard not to. Happy reading all!
Thank you, Robin, for sharing the wonderful memories about reading from childhood - and the wonderful recommendations of your favorite authors! I recently read Ann Patchett's Tom Lake (loved it!) and my daughter actually just finished Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife (also loved it - although she read it as "historical fiction" since it was set in that old ancient time pre-cell phones)! Now that the academic year is finally over, I have a pile of books on my nightside table and I can't wait to get started!
Let me know when you need an updated list! If you ever do history, read “Spell Freedom” by E. Weiss - her other book “The Woman’s Hour” (about women getting the vote) is also excellent.