A lot has happened since re-starting the ol' blog. There have been two deaths in the family. There has been a slight change in the band. The kids are going through lots of changes with their school and Tessa and Melody are both needing work on their teeth and eyes respectively. I have also been going through a period of self analysis and introspection.
But I don't want to talk about any of that. I want to talk about books.
Books. There is nothing else quite like a good book. Whether one reads non fiction historical studies, biographies or fantastical fiction books are vitally important. Opening a book, turning the pages and losing ones self in the pages is not only a way to increase the mind and spirit, but also feel connected to mankind in a way that is both universal and personal all at once in a way that no other medium can provide. Not to sound like a miserable old fart, but audio books and e-books just aren't the same as far as I'm concerned. I feel that part of the commitment level disappears and the power of the written word is lessened when one is just being read to or staring at a back lit screen. (And yes. I am fully aware of the massive amount of irony involved in stating this opinion on a blog.) You can have those options if you desire, certainly its better than not reading at all but I will stick to the old fashioned paper kind, thank you very much.
Which, in a roundabout way, brings me to the point of this post. I have been a life long reader, but have never been an avid one. I read regularly throughout the year but I read in short bursts. It is not uncommon for me to read about two thirds of a book, and put it down for some time only to finish it a month or more later. Sometimes I will even start and finish another newer book in between. In my youth I read almost exclusively fiction, but as an adult I read more biographies than anything else. I have been told this is common among males, but in my case it is a fascination with how other (real) people have moved through the challenges of their lives and come out the other side. I never completely gave up on fiction, but it has been secondary in my reading for some time.
In an effort to remedy this (or at least give equal time), I began to seek out some newer fiction in the past year or two. But I wound up only reading new books by established authors, and then re read some old favorites. By the time I finished my fourth visit with Tom Sawyer and his friends Becky and Huck, I began to think about classic literature. Both modern classics and those from an earlier century. I was surprised and a bit embarrassed by how many I have never actually read. With most classics I know enough to understand references to them in modern culture and have a basic idea of what the book is about. Or at least I've seen the movie! But I haven't sat down and read any classic works (apart from a few favorites that I have revisited) since my early twenties.
This is unacceptable.
So I have dubbed 2013 as "The Year of Reading Classically". The challenge is to read as many classic works as I can in a year. I don't have a goal of how many, it's not about the number so much as actually reading and digesting as much as I can while keeping anything new to an absolute minimum. The tricky part is that I am not allowing myself to go back and read old favorites like "The Scarlet Letter" or "Moby Dick", "Animal Farm ", or even "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" trilogy of (five) books. Also no Lovecraft come Halloween. No sir, only books I have not read before so each one is a new experience.
I am two books in so far, having just read both "Fahrenheit 451" and "Catcher In The Rye" but this is getting longer than I intended for a mere intro piece, so I will save discussing my new old finds for another post. In the meantime, if you are not reading anything currently, start a new book. Or join me in reading a classic you have not yet encountered. Leave me a comment if you do. Until next time, happy reading!
