Aunt Rae: Help with Titles

For those of you having trouble finding a fiction book by a foreign author, the following link is to a great booklist of authors around the world:

http://www.st-charles.lib.il.us/arl/booklists/multifict.shtml

If you are googling try "multicultural" rather than foreign as it's more p.c.

Remember that the author can live in the States (so you could read The Kite Runner or anything by Isabel Allende, for instance) but they need to have been born in another country.

I will be reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon,who was born in Barcelona Spain. The book is translated from Spanish.

Happy reading!

Abby: I need some book ideas for November

K, so I liked Rae/Lulu's suggestion to put our names in the Post Title but rather than having a title within my post, I thought I'd just combine the two.

Aunt Rae, do you have some book suggestions for this month? I've thought of Les Mis and Hunchback of Notre Dame. I've also looked at several different authors, but not narrowed it down to anything specific by them (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, a few other Russian authors too but I don't have their names handy). I've even thought about reading Imperial Woman again but I'd rather do something new.

LULU

Lynness's words & November books

If you're curious about how I've headed this post, I just had an idea I wanted to ask everyone about. I've been starting to read our posts, then having to quickly scroll down to clarify whose post I'm reading. So I was thinking that maybe we could head the post with our names, and then put your post title in the actual post itself? It's really just something that would make it easier for me, but if no one else wants to do that, I don't mind! Just a small matter of convenience.

Like Abby & probably everybody else, I've been mulling over Lynness's words since I finished reading them. It started an interesting discussion with Phill, who, as odd as it may seem to us bookworms, does not read for pleasure. We were talking about why he doesn't care to read, and he was saying that [aside from his having something akin to dyslexia--he often gets ahead of himself and switches words or letters around] he has a very hard time visualizing (and retaining) what he's reading. For him, it really is a chore. When he does read, he likes to read self-help or church books. So for him, reading is very practical. He has to feel that it's productive for him, in other ways than imagination. An interesting thing to note, though, is that he really likes for me to read to him. And, like Aunt Rae, I love to read aloud....the sound of well-written words is as beautiful to me as the sound of well-written music. (If not more.) And when I'm reading to Phill, he's hardly picky at all regarding the genre. He doesn't actually care for mysteries, because he figures them out on the second page. And he can't stand so-called "chick lit". (Which is fine, because, generally speaking, neither can I.) I have read aloud to him The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Rae, I'm jealous that you met her. I read her books slowly because I dread the moment when I've read all of them, and there are no more left.), Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, and portions of a few others. It's something we both really enjoy! He seems to be visualizing just fine when he's hearing the words, as opposed to looking at them. I tend to be mostly an auditory and visual learner--I remember best the words I've read when I read them out loud to myself. Kate and Maddie used to walk into the room and just stand at the door and listen as I read to myself (for school studying purposes) in various voices and personalities, and then they would burst out laughing when I paused, which always startled me. On the same note, but in a different measure (sorry, that was cheesy....couldn't resist), I know that I subvocalize when I read. But when I get really into the book, I either stop subvocalizing, or I just don't notice that I'm doing it anymore. I read fast when I like what I'm reading. *By the way, Lynness, I really enjoyed your post, especially when you wrote about reading the scriptures as a family, and how that has benefited all of you! I'm happy you're "here".*

I have picked a book for November already. I found a book award for foreign fiction authors, the name of which I don't know. But I'm sure you can find what I'm talking about if you google "foreign authors of fiction". My book choice is Vienna by Eva Menasse (translated from German by Anthea Bell). Its description was short, since it was listed amongst a few other awarded books: "a part-Jewish family's adventures during the second world war and its aftermath in Vienna and England." There was also a book listed that is a fictional account of Marie Curie--if anyone is interested, its name and author are: The Story of Blanche and Marie by Per Olov Enquist (translated from Swedish by Tina Nunnally). Now, since I've listed all I know about these two books, if anyone has anything to say about them--be it good or bad--feel free to let me know!

November Read

I don't know about where you live, but here in Utah we are knee-deep in fall with hints of winter peeking through. The multi-colored leaves are falling off the trees, there's a chill in the air in the mornings, and we even had a couple of inches of snow last Sunday. It's truly beautiful--such a nice change for us from the SoCal desert. Wherever you are, take time to appreciate the beauty around you and the seasons as they change.

This month we will be reading fiction. Any genre. Just make sure that the author is foreign-born. They can live here in America as long as they were born outside the United States. And lets lump Great Britain and Canada in with America too as far as not being "foreign-born". The idea is to find an author with a completely different heritage or culture than yours and to learn to appreciate their point of view.

Please let us know the nationality (or country of origin) of your author when you post your title. When you finish the book, it would be interesting to "hear" any reflections you have had while reading that pertain to the differences in culture or nationality.

Happy reading!

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

Quite a technical read, but well worth it if you are interested in the subjects of neurology and music. Sacks uses several case studies to illustrate how music interacts with the brain and disease for good and bad. He discusses seizure disorders (sometimes music can cause a seizure), "brainworms" or sticky tunes (that song you just can't get our of your head), amusia, dysharmonia, perfect pitch, savants, blindness, synesthesia, amnesia, aphasia, dyskinesia, phantom limbs, dystonia, Tourette's syndrome, Parkinsonian disorders, sleep disorders, depression, and dementia. I love this stuff!

I had several thoughts while reading the book:

1. Our brains are phenomenally complex and the fact that they work as well as they do is a testament to me that there is a loving God. I was fascinated by the many times a "broken" brain would adapt itself to bring about "proper" function.

2. There are measurable (and visible by MRIs etc.) changes that take place in our brains when we listen to or experience music. These changes do not show up when we use just verbal language. This fact intrigues me. Obviously, there is a power in music that we don't understand. I believe music is eternal and that it somehow has a divine spark within. When combined with the Spirit, it has great potential and power for good.

3. Most of the music referred to in this book and, indeed, used in music therapy is classical music rather than the more common ilk (not to say that both are not enjoyable). It's almost as if some forms of music are better--especially when used in the healing or therapeutic process. (Although some types of music--or rhythms--can make patients worse rather than better).

4. I was deeply touched by one woman who was described as becoming a widow "inch by inch" as she watched her husband slip gradually deeper into dementia. It made me think of Dad/Grandpa. It must be difficult for him at times to watch Mom/Grandma gradually slip away (although, FYI, he is saying things like, "When she goes," or "When she's gone, I'll do thus and such" -- I think he's mentally prepared now for her to go when the Lord decides her time has come).

5. I was really intrigued with one case study that Sacks talked about that involved a SEVERE amnesia patient and his wife (Clive and Deborah Wearing). She wrote a book about the experience called Forever Today and I have ordered it through Amazon. Mim, if you were as interested in their story as I was, I will hang on to the book for you.

Subvocalizing & Whole Language

I've been thinking about Lynness' post about words and reading too! Eric and I have talked about this a lot lately. In January he read a book about speed reading and is now very good at it. Like Matt, Eric uses it all the time for school but he also speed reads when he's reading for pleasure.

I haven't felt the need to change how I read, yet. I read fast and I know I subvocalize, just not all the time. Like Rae, I don't mouth the words. Quite often I notice when I'm subvocalizing. But I've found that it doesn't happen when I'm really drawn into a book (that is to say, I don't notice if I'm subvocalizing...although I'm probably still doing it). If I'm reading something that takes more effort, then I'm more likely to notice it. The other day I was noticing that when I read a line of text, I subvocalized the first half and then the second half was taken in at a glance. I think my brain gets tired of waiting and moves on. Sometimes I notice that as I read my mind will skip ahead and try to read a few lines if I'm subvocalizing a different line and then those two parts of my brain meet halfway. It's kind of strange and sometimes disconcerting.

Lynness, does Nathan speed-read when he's reading for leisure? I'd be interested in knowing if he feels like it's changed how he reads. I am curious and sometimes think about learning to speed read just to turn off that "subvocalizing monitor" in my head. But I wonder what things it might change.

I can relate to Rae & Lynness in many of the things they've said about when and how they read. I read everywhere too. I read a large-print version of The Daughter of Time a couple of weeks ago because it was all they had at the library and accidentally discovered that large-print books work great for reading while doing dishes! Lately I've even been reading while singing bedtime songs to Heidi. I wonder if that's an exercise in not subvocalizing? Can you subvocalize if you're singing at the same time? Sometimes it feels like I still am and other times I can tell I'm not.

I love shutting out the world when I read but I rarely do it. I did it all the time before having kids. Now I don't do it simply out of necessity. On occasion I'm able to indulge and really escape into a book when they're with Eric or asleep.

As I've been thinking about this, I've been thinking about how so many of us feel driven to read. It's so compelling that at times I struggle to balance my priorities. Any thoughts on how all of you balance this out, or attempt to?

Thots on "Words on Words"

I have been thinking for a couple of days now about Lynness' post re words and reading. I've even chatted with Ivan and Bill re the mechanics of our reading. I think that Lynness and my reading mechanics must be very different as I pretty much do everything she does not.

I realized, when I thought about it, that I do subvocalize a lot, depending on what I am reading. I almost always do it with nonfiction and in descriptive fiction. But in narrative fiction, I have a sort of "play" in my head and the words are instantaneously spoken by the characters. In spite of this, I am a fast reader. I never mouth the words and really don't think I subvocalize every word. I think I have been more aware of it since her post...almost annoyingly so!

I rarely shut out the world when I read and, in fact, love to multi-task when reading i.e. listen to music or television (news mostly or sports). I am always aware of my surroundings. Ivan, on the other hand, needs to shut himself out in order to hear the "narrator" in his mind. Bill can completely tune the world out for long periods of time.

I love to read nonfiction aloud and often do when no one else is in the house. I love to hear the words roll off my tongue. I rarely read fiction out loud. I especially love to read the scriptures out loud. I find it helps me to comprehend and remember what I have read. Again, I think it's the words that I love more than the actual reading process.

I learned to read partly in Preston, Idaho (I don't remember phonics there) and in Buffalo, New York. In NY the focus was entirely on phonics and dipthongs. I have been told that I read well because of that teaching focus. I have never had difficulty with spelling, although I still have some troublesome words that always plague me. Bill learned without phonics in California and often guesses at words when we read the scriptures out loud as a family. He wasn't encouraged apparently (I wasn't there...) to sound out any words, and so as he learns a new word, he simply memorizes it and adds it to his repertoire. He does comprehend quite well, but sometimes has to slow down and really pay attention to read aloud. Ivan is pretty much the same way...a fast reader when he is interested in something but not necessarily a confident reader out loud. He loves words, however, and enjoys using odd or old ones in conversation. His mind is like a steel trap and he remembers most of what he reads. I have to write things down to remember them. I visually remember where particular words or quotes are on a page and can tell you the basic plot or point of what I have read, but not necessarily all of the details...unless I was enthralled with the book.

Sometimes I feel the pressure to read. Because I list and annotate every book I read (annually), I start to pay more attention to the numbers than the material. Over a lifetime of reading, I average a book a week. However, the last six years or so, it has been two books a week, usually one nonfiction and one fiction. I am always reading five or six books at a time. When I feel the pressure to read, I settle my mind down and find something that I really want to savor. I purposely slow myself down and enjoy the process of reading itself.

I never wanted to take speed reading because I always felt I read fast enough already and if I read any faster it would change my whole purpose in reading...the focus would be on the speed rather than on the reading. I know that Matt took a class in college and used the technique for reading his textbooks. He rarely used it for anything else though.

I really think this is interesting. I don't know that I have ever examined my own reading mechanics before. Thank, Lynness, for opening the topic. I would be interested to know how the rest of you read and why you think that is.

Happy reading!