As part of the reading challenge, I committed to reading a book each week. I used to read Grisham books as they were written, then for years switched to only reading nonfiction. But for our wedding anniversary cruise earlier this year, I bought two of his books to bring along because they were:
- paperback (so if I lost in on a plane or something, I would not care)
- not heavy mentally (vacation)
- easy reading but engaging
I read one of the two books there, but this one I did not read:
Sycamore Row is the book I read this week. It was a nice pace change, but it also made me aware of the fact that I do not usually stay on one book and read it straight through. I had no idea how difficult it would be to finish 637 pages in one week. I think I read a lot, but around Wednesday I had to go calculate how much I needed to read each day to finish on time. At that point, I needed to read 7 chapters a day to finish. In some books that would be a breeze, but these are relatively large chapters and lots of details I did not want to miss.
So, my super brief review: I love this book. There was a great plot, an engaging story, no sex or foul language. I would recommend it if you enjoy dramas. I was reading it at bedtime and if got mixed up in my dreams a little. THAT was confusing.
Another thing I realized in the course of these week is how much I miss reading fiction books. For awhile, I stopped reading fiction because it was hard to find books that did not lead me to get engrossed in ungodly stories or behaviors (in my younger days, I liked Steven King and Anne Rice). I needed to get those out of my life and stop filling up my mind with them. And Christian fiction often seemed very contrived and predictable. I’d rather skip it than read something of low quality. I’m glad for the reading challenge, bringing me back full circle to appreciate reading for pleasure once again, but without the negative baggage.
What books are you reading right now? Have you found any fiction authors that you love?
