About 15 years ago, I said goodbye to my personal reading life. Consumed by middle-grade fiction and professional teaching books, there just wasn’t any time. The teaching texts became my best friends, holding my hand through lessons. The satisfaction of reading a middle-grade fiction in a day filled my need for story. I came to believe I was doing my best thinking work in the UVW band of text complexity.
I was busy and happy in my new reading space.
This summer, my old reading life snuck up on me with one short read. I didn’t plan for it to stay. I thought it just came for the summer and would go back to where it came from once the school year began. But just this week, I’ve noticed it’s put down roots on my nightstand, in my book bag and in the back seat of my car. Tugging at me to give it just a little more time. Pulling me away from what I should be doing. Saying, take a break, just a few pages. Distracting me from the papers I need to grade, the phone calls I need to make, the dishes I need to load, the sleep I need to get.
It’s got me in its clutches. As I finish one book, the next Amazon box appears on the porch. The beautiful covers suck me in and pull me under another’s spell, speaking just to me. Tailor-made, refusing to let go.
It’s luscious.
Thank you, Two Writing Teacher Blog for Slice of Life Tuesdays. A day to write and share the bits of our lives. Read more slices here.
To Read To Write To Be 
Thanks for sharing your readerly life-book love has wrapped you in it’s arms and you’re experiencing its joy!
Yeah for reading in all its forms! All reading helps us be better people and feeds us. I am glad reading has you in its thrall. It’s nice to have a mix of books on the go.
It’s so interesting because I feel exactly the same way! I’ve done more “grown-up” reading lately than anything. I think it’s important to do that too, but I feel the guilt like I hear in your slice. Oh there aren’t enough hours in the day! Happy Reading!!!
Me too! Me too! It’s so amazing how I thought I didn’t need adult books anymore–why does that sound pornographic? Big magic and Lucy Barton are on my side table too. I hardly want to go to school. I want to pour a cup of coffee and get back into bed with them. I’ve missed that!
Laughing right now! That desire to stay home and read… doing nothing else was one of the reasons I’ve held “adult fiction” at bay. Good thing I love my job!
I am reading Lucy Barton so fast, but I don’t want it to ever end. I forget to nurture this adult person. Thanks for sharing your book love.
One great thing about retiring was moving to my own reading life. I never looked back although I still do read ed books and a YA book I can’t put down. Right now I’m reading The Lightning Thief with an 11 year old who’s in love with the Greek gods. Fun to see him race home to read.
Love your stack Julianne,
Bonnie
It has been so long since I have read adult fiction. I am sure I would miss it more if I did sneak one back into my reading life. I am reading Big Magic too, but that is the extent of my adult reading…for now. Enjoy!
It is hard to find time for the adult books too, but they are treasures to share with students who will see how much you value reading just for you, too, along with all those books you read for them. I won’t get to it soon, but just got Lucy Barton, know it will be good.
Oh, Linda. Move Lucy up on the list. It’s a treat!
I was on an ALA committee last year and read almost nothing “off list”. I am almost overwhelmed by the options I have as a free range reader. Big Magic has come up in a couple of places, so I might have to add it to my ever expanding “to read” list.
Laughing at your “free range reader” description. I strongly recommend Big Magic my friend. You need it!
When books sneak up and we notice and turn around well, that is certainly worth celebrating. I love when I am sick – too sick to get out of bed but not too sick to read for hours. It feels like I have escaped the world!
I love the way you have personified reading! Hmmm, seems to me it clutches at one because of choice. Choice is more powerful than anyone realizes. Reading has grabbed hold of you and won’t let go. Enjoy your books, a page at a time.
JulieAnne, my personal reading life is finding it’s way back to me as well! It is beautiful. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it. 🙂
I love this slice so much! Your first paragraph beautifully describes exactly what I feel has happened to my personal reading life over the last few years. In some ways, there’s a lot of overlap in what I would choose for my personal reading life and my work reading life, which makes it confusing. But it had gotten to the point where I just ignored recommendations and reviews of grown-up books because I “shouldn’t” spend my reading time on books that don’t benefit my classroom and my students. My one focus for 2016 is making more time for grown-up just-for-me reading. I feel actually guilty buying books for myself that I know I can’t use in my classes! Trying to get over that. Loved seeing your stack too!
Smiling that Daring a Greatly is on my nightstand too! Happy Reading!!
Can’t wait to start talking about Lucy Barton with our group, and so glad to be back to reading grown up stuff again, too!
Julieanne, I love the idea of your personal reading life reappearing. Lean in! It is right. 🙂
Finding time for “adult reading” is always a challenge, but it’s something I’ve always done. I read Brooklyn years ago and loved it, and My Name is Lucy Barton is amazing. Are you discussing these on Voxer? I’d love to join you. Happy reading!
Your slice made me smile. I love seeing book stacks and noticing books I have read (Big Magic, Daring Greatly) and picking new titles to my TBR pile. Lucy Barton has been on my radar, Brooklyn is a new title for me. Happy Reading!