December Wrap Up Pt. 1

I have actually read some books this month! Enough to even require a mid-month wrap up.

Why Read? by Mark Edmundson - The only thing this book had going for it is that it was short. It is basically a rant about how students today stay distanced from the literature they read instead of really engaging with it and getting into the author's head. He wants students to adopt the author's philosophy and use it to learn to live. However, they would have to change their way of living with each new author. I think I get what he is saying, but I'm glad I am no longer in academia and don't have to worry about it.

The Great Nijinsky: God of Dance by Lynn Curlee - This was interesting and had great illustrations. I had heard of Nijinsky, of course, but I didn't really know anything about him. After reading this book, I know enough to know that this book written for teens Is holding back on the juiciest bits of his life. I will have to go look for a good biography of him, now.

At Home with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson - I enjoyed reading this. It didn't really have anything new to say about Jane Austen or the places she lives, but it had beautiful pictures and paintings and drawings from the time she lived. The author has some other books: Tea with Jane Austen, and In the Garden with Jane Austen. Neither of those things really interest me, so I am not in a hurry to get them.

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - This was not what I expected. I feel like I am pretty good at time management. I am almost never late getting somewhere or turning something in. The book isn't really about how to manage your time. It's about how to decide what is important enough to spend your time on. Four thousand weeks is the average lifespan of a human these days. No matter how much time we have, humans have always felt like there wasn't enough. No that's not true. That started with the industrial revolution. When we started trying to get as much work as possible done in the usual 24 hours. This book helped me put in words the conclusion I have recently been coming to: Yes, I need rest, but I also need connection. So when I am dancing with my girls, or ringing with my bell choirs, I am connecting. I have a list of things that make me feel good. Some things are done with others, and some are things I do on my own. Realizing that I don't HAVE to spend all my time off sitting on my butt and still feel rested, was a big relief. I say that, but when I spent all Sunday doing things that make me feel good, I promptly got sick, so maybe I'm wrong.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - The atmosphere in this book was great. I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight in my head, but I read it when I was sick, so that could be it. I liked the bits of magic in it and I will be reading the next books in the loose series.

This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell - This is a YA nonfiction book about racism. In the beginning, it says it's for every reader. It feels like it is for every non-white reader. It asks the reader to figure out what their identities are and gives support to kids with non-white identities. A couple of times it said what to do if you're white, but mostly it was aimed at kids dealing with issues related to their race and cultural identities. I think that's a good thing, but more support for white readers trying to be an ally would have been appreciated.

I wrote this while freezing and with a sore throat. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and have been up ever since. I caught a few typos in this post, but if you find any more, we'll just blame it on my delirium. Now I'm going to try to take a nap.