It's been awhile. But, it's been for a good cause. I went back to school so that I can some day soon be a school librarian. There, I hope to pass on my love of reading and libraries to the next generation. So, I'm transitioning from reading nothing but professional articles and books on librarianship back to the real world.
For instance, I'm starting to go to bookstores again. The first time in quite a while that I visited my local bookstore, I was amazed at the very first table of books in the middle aisle of the store showcasing how many books have already been written about our new president! There was an entire table with something like 15 titles ranging from his own books like Art of the Deal and Crippled America to Orwell's 1984, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and The Case Against Trump by Kevin D. Williamson. Now, I'm not going to go into the crazy realm of politics. I only bring this up because I would have never thought that a big chain would put all those titles together in such a prominent way. I thought the store did a good job of putting all these radically different viewpoints on the country's current state of division on display.
Made me think about what we would lose if our freedom of speech and expression is obstructed. That's why we need to remember to not only consume the information that comes from people who have the same beliefs, same culture, same values, same lifestyles. In fact, to really understand, we should be consulting as many diverse opinions as possible.
The same goes for reading for pleasure. If you are a die-hard fantasy reader, pick up a Malcolm Gladwell book this summer. If you read only nonfiction, try Kate Morton or indulge in a Sookie Stackhouse. The point is try something out of your comfort zone and you may be pleasantly surprised!
If you need a boost, here's a link to a blog post that gives the Master List of 2017 Reading Challenges.
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