As it is written, or Me and Books

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I am an admitted bibliophile - mayhap more of an addict. When I was young, if my parents needed to leave me unattended but safe, they would leave me at the library and know that I would not stray. Books R us, yet lately I have had a really rough time reading. It has been humbling to me. I used to be able to read 1000 words a minute with 95% comprehension but lately I think that I am down to closer to 700 WPM. And I have less 'free' time to read now than I have in a long while.

Still, I am dangerous in a bookstore with a gift card or credit card. For example, I had a $100 gift card for Barnes and Noble and it was gone within a 20 minute shopping trip. Borders keeps sending me emails with coupons and reminding me that I have a personal shopping day. Amazon.com sends me teasers, and I have the occasional publisher who has found me via the blog, asking me to read and review something. I'm not getting the level of "read me"s that Julie D does, but there are a few here and there.

Listening to Relevant Radio (another plus of moving here, Catholic radio in the car!), I learned that there is a fairly new Catholic bookstore in the area - well more or less in the area. We take a trip every few weeks to the nearest CostCo and Trader Joes, which happen to be a mile from each other in Algonquin/Crystal Lake. The bookstore mentioned happens to be just between the two of them, so of course we had to check it out.

The store, As It Is Written is tucked away in a strip mall. Both google and mapquest gave wrong directions to find it! But we did the homework to find their under construction website, which at least had accurate directions. If you live in the area, you might want to check it out. Faithful to the Magisterium, with a limited selection of very good books, CDs, DVDs, and devotional items. Also good for adding to the pile of books. I did mention the pile of books?

Since we moved to a place with a very small master bedroom, the computers are no longer in the bedroom. We converted what is probably meant to be a formal dining room into our office, and put bookshelves on 3 walls. We don't have bookshelves in our bedroom at all - a first in our nearly 33 years of married life. But that doesn't mean that there aren't books in the bedroom. For one thing, the headboard is technically a bookshelf. And of course, there is the dressertop next to each side of the bed. I just inventoried the pile on my side.

Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace by Scott Hahn

More Than a Hobby by David Green
The Thrill of the Chaste by Dawn Eden
Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich
Variable Star by Robert Heinlein/Spider Robinson
Why is that in Tradition? by Patrick Madrid
The Kinsey Corruption by Susan Brinkman
How to do Everything with your Palm Powered Device
Curious Notions by Harry Turtledove
Catholicism: Now I get it by Claire Smith
JP II for Dummies by Fr.John Trigilio
Don't know much about Catholic History by Diane Moczar
Catholic Matters by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus
and floating around the house and in my purse
The Apostle of Common Sense by Dale Ahlquist
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
And on my desk, a review copy of Confessions of an Amateur Believer by Patty Kirk I've been told that, as I like Kathleen Norris, I would also like Patty Kirk's writing. But I admit that, on first glance, her faith journey still seems terribly incomplete, and I haven't been able to get very far in her book either.

I've dipped into a few of the books on the pile. I'm actually making the effort to read Ordinary Work, The Apostle of Common Sense, and Thud!. But what books have I actually finished since the first of the year? Do you really want to know? I'm almost ashamed to admit that here is it the 26nd and I have only read 2 books - and I don't think that they really count. And the main reason that they have both been read is so that I could send them on to the children who would like them.
I confess - the two books were
The Machine's Child by Kage Baker
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun

So what does that say about me?
I guess it's that I'm only human, and that I make choices. Some days, I am so tired that I would rather just play Scrabble online or on my Palm, and not exercise my brain cells to read anything of depth and substance. Somedays, I choose to read blogs rather than print.

I chose to move here to a job that takes almost twice as much time in the office and hospital (but 5 % of the time on the road!) as my previous jobs. And to be someplace where my faith is respected rather than rejected, where I am valued not just for what I do but for who I am. I've caught, so far, 23 babies since I came here. Not bad for just a few months. And I've taught more than a few patients the basics of NFP in the office. I've been able to challenge some teens about their choices - while they can choose to ignore my advice at least they can hear the other side of the story from what the popular culture tells them. So I guess it isn't all bad that I haven't been reading all that much.

And of course, I have been able to listen to my dear husband reading to me from what he has been going through - a wonderful book that is chock full of nuggets of wisdom and insight.
Moral Darwinism by Benjamin Wiker. He has really been working through the books, as well as reading from the liturgy of the hours on a daily basis. I love it that he reads to me even when I am not paying real close attention.

I have coworkers who swear by books on CD - but I find that the ones I want to listen to don't exist! And with a 5 minute commute.......

4 Comments

I didn't know that when you left NH that you were moving back towards my roots. I thought you were going to the left coast. Then I saw you mention Algonquin and Crystal Lake. I was just in the Chicago 'burbs earlier this month (funeral). I visited relatives nearer the city but also out near Kildeer and Long Grove. I used to make deliveries out near Crystal Lake. Drop me an email and give me the scoop on the move and new job.

Alicia, I am so impressed that you have read two books so far this year. I also love to read and I would be embarrassed to actually calculate how frequently I finish a book. I think you're doing great!
I also think it sounds like you do great work. "I've caught 23 babies so far.." I love midwives. Never had one at my births but they sure look at childbirth right.

Oooh, great list! Wow. I could also spend 100 at a bookstore in less than 20 minutes!

I'll post the Nutloaf recipe in the next few days.

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This page contains a single entry by alicia published on January 27, 2007 2:30 PM.

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