So, I've been doing a lot of reading lately... and a lot of very good reading, but unfortunately I've been doing so much reading that I haven't had much time to write about it (and since I seriously doubt that anyone actually reads this as a way to find good books I can't really justify spending much time updating this). That being said... I just finished a book that changed my life... seriously. Readicide by Kelly Gallagher should be required reading for anyone dealing with children and teenagers and education. As a college student planning on being a school librarian, I found many things in there to help me help teachers cultivate more avid readers.
At the same time that it made me think about the future and store away this knowledge, it also made me think about my reading habits right now. In the last 5 weeks I've read approximately 5,000 pages. While I love everything I've been reading, I don't have time to do anything but read. I spend every minute when I can't be reading thinking about how I'm going to squeeze in a few more minutes of reading so that maybe, just maybe, I can get ahead. Because of this, I rarely remember the details of what I read. When it comes to class discussions, I contribute a lot less than I have in the past. I don't even have the time I need to write the papers I will ultimately be graded on.
This book made me realize that there are some fundamentally simple things I could do to increase my reading comprehension. 1)Take notes in the text. Underline or highlight passages that move me. Stick flags next to these passages so that in class when we're talking about things I can point to specific instances instead of just talking about generalities. 2) Read slow enough to think about what I'm reading or take a few minutes at the end of a chapter or reading section to stop and think about what I've read instead of just rushing off to the next assignment. In these two things, any type of reading experience can be improved--scripture study, reading a text book, reading a newspaper. Any type of reading you do will be improved by thinking it through and working at it.
Often in psychology you are required to look back at your life to identify what has led you to act/feel/behave the way you currently do. If you are one of the countless human beings who does not classify himself as a reader, you should read this book. Think about whether or not the problems Gallagher defines are what has turned you off to reading. And then take a step towards becoming a reader and an informed citizen. Read a book. Read a newspaper or a blog. It doesn't matter what you read, just read something--and then tomorrow read a little more.
P.S. In case you're wondering what other books I've been reading lately I'll give you a quick list of the must reads: The March, Plot Against America, The Book Thief, Chalice, Deerskin, and Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Start of School Revisited
So... in my last post I said I would probably read about 5,000 pages this semester. Well, I was really bored, so I decided to do the math really quick. I've already read 2,140 pages this semester!! That doesn't include essays, articles, or text books. That's 2,140 of creative literature. So, I'm revising my estimate to 15,000 pages by Dec. 18.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Start of School
While for some people, the start of school may mean that they suddenly have no time to read, for me it means that I have no time to do anything but read. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it does get draining to intelligently read approximately 150 pages a night... and write papers on said reading. This semester is by far my most intense reading load. By December 18, I will have read at least 45 books and countless articles. I'm putting the estimate in at 5,000 pages of reading and about 100 pages of writing for the semester. Luckily I'm really excited about it all.
That being said, I probably won't have much time to update this blog. I'm taking The Bible as Literature (Great class! Take it from Steve Walker if you can!), American Literature from 1960-Present, 21st Century American Literature, and Literature for Adolescents. If you want to hear more about what I'm reading for my Literature for Adolescents class, you'll have to join Goodreads. I'm required to write reviews of the books I read for that class on there, so I mostly likely won't write about them here (especially since I have to read 2 books a week for that class!!). I'll try to update though when I finish a book for one of my American Lit. classes though.
I just finished The March, by E.L. Doctorow for my 21st Century American Lit. class. The best thing about this book, is that I didn't feel like I was reading a required book. Although I might not have picked this up off the shelf, there's a reason my professor chose it. He wants to expose us to books that will become classics (or at least that he hopes will become classics) and give us a chance to do some of the first writing on these texts. This was a very interesting look at Sherman's march through the South during the Civil War. One of the things that stuck me the most throughout this book was the question of morals.
Written after 9/11, this book talks a lot about the ethics of total war. Is it fair to kill civilians and destroy their property in order to beat your enemy? Everyone would say "absolutely not" if they were asked this in relation to terrorists. Most Americans believe that terrorism is wrong--even to the point of being cowardly. But how do you feel when you think about that question in terms of Sherman's march or the atomic bombs? They ended wars, but at what cost? Tens of thousands of civilians were killed and made homeless during these events... was winning a war worth the cost? Can it ever be worth the cost? I'm not saying that I condemn the United States for using either of these tactics in order to bring wars to a close. In fact, I have the utmost faith that the Presidents who ordered these things or allowed them to happen made the right choice and save the country and the world a lot of misery. It's just something to think about as our world gets more and more embroiled in wars and conflicts and as we get involved in the world around us.
That being said, I probably won't have much time to update this blog. I'm taking The Bible as Literature (Great class! Take it from Steve Walker if you can!), American Literature from 1960-Present, 21st Century American Literature, and Literature for Adolescents. If you want to hear more about what I'm reading for my Literature for Adolescents class, you'll have to join Goodreads. I'm required to write reviews of the books I read for that class on there, so I mostly likely won't write about them here (especially since I have to read 2 books a week for that class!!). I'll try to update though when I finish a book for one of my American Lit. classes though.
I just finished The March, by E.L. Doctorow for my 21st Century American Lit. class. The best thing about this book, is that I didn't feel like I was reading a required book. Although I might not have picked this up off the shelf, there's a reason my professor chose it. He wants to expose us to books that will become classics (or at least that he hopes will become classics) and give us a chance to do some of the first writing on these texts. This was a very interesting look at Sherman's march through the South during the Civil War. One of the things that stuck me the most throughout this book was the question of morals.
Written after 9/11, this book talks a lot about the ethics of total war. Is it fair to kill civilians and destroy their property in order to beat your enemy? Everyone would say "absolutely not" if they were asked this in relation to terrorists. Most Americans believe that terrorism is wrong--even to the point of being cowardly. But how do you feel when you think about that question in terms of Sherman's march or the atomic bombs? They ended wars, but at what cost? Tens of thousands of civilians were killed and made homeless during these events... was winning a war worth the cost? Can it ever be worth the cost? I'm not saying that I condemn the United States for using either of these tactics in order to bring wars to a close. In fact, I have the utmost faith that the Presidents who ordered these things or allowed them to happen made the right choice and save the country and the world a lot of misery. It's just something to think about as our world gets more and more embroiled in wars and conflicts and as we get involved in the world around us.
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