What Are You Reading?

Recently, I came upon my housekeeper leaning against my bookcase with one of my books in her hand, reading away. She is Guatemalan and self-educated in English. I asked if she would like to have the book to take home and read at her leisure, and her response was an enthusiastic “yes.” This exchange brought to mind the most important question frequently asked by my friends in conversation: “What are you reading now?” My friend Ger, my college roommate and longtivme buddy, loves mysteries. My friend Mel enjoys espionage tales of World War II. My daughter Brooke recently read The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, which she borrowed from me and cannot stop talking about. I had breakfast this morning with my friend Paul, who talked about one of his favorite authors, Joyce Carol Oates.

Reading is a joy and a mind opener. In today’s political environment, reading about history helps us to better understand the forces that have led to our current state of affairs. Today, many of us read our books in snippets on our phones or Kindles, and our newspapers in apps. Does reading with a bound book in hand transmit the information and the author’s intent more deeply and authentically? I would say it does. These days, I find myself jotting notes in the margins of some of my reading with the thought of incorporating an idea into a column or a future book. Reading is also a connection to my closest friends. Sharing books and discussing what moved us about them is part of staying in touch. This morning, I picked up a new Philip Roth biography. I can hardly wait to wrap up work so I can go indulge myself.