Reasons I Retired And What's Happening Now.

Reason 46: Books to Read

I am a voracious reader, but I am not a monogamous reader. I tend to read several books a once. There is a fiction book next to my chair by the fireplace, a Biblical story on my bedside table, and at least one or two writing reference books by my desk. My daughter always asks me if I get the stories mixed up, but God wired my brain in such a way that the plotlines are not tangled.

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Reason 46 for my retirement from thirty years of teaching was more time to read.

And I am enjoying that time! I spend a lot of time at my computer, editing or writing,

but at 4PM, I wander downstairs and pick up a book. In the last few months, I’ve read a lot of books by Jodi Picoult, Angela Hunt, and Pam Jenoff. Now I’m working on a science fantasy series by Karen McQuestion. And for a short read that doesn’t require a lot of brain power, I turn to Freda McFadden. But I’ve also delved into Allen Arnold’s The Story of With, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, and Wiser by Nicki Koziarz.

I’ll admit that I don’t get people who don’t read books. According to the Pew Research Institute, 23% of Americans say they haven’t read a book in the last year, but that’s still 77% who have!

One of my favorite poems about books comes from Julia Donaldson.

I Opened a Book

“I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me.
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.”

Once you’ve read the book, the story still stays inside you.

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

How many books did you recognize in Julia’s poem?

Hi, Readers, I’d like to ask a quick favor. If you’ve enjoyed this post, maybe even learned something from it, would you consider sharing it on your own social media or email or even restacking it here on Substack? I’d appreciate it as I try to spread the realities of adult autism and widowhood!