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Reading that Resonates
In Search of In Search of READING THAT RESONATES READING THAT RESONATES
A Few Things to Know About Crappy Books, Audiobooks, and Banned Books
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BY HAILEY MINTON
Let me set the stage: you’ve invested a few hours into a book. It didn’t grab you initially, but you held out hoping it would get better. Each time you pick it up, you’re still hoping…but it’s not getting better. A good book can give you a visceral reaction as a scene plays out. Your heart starts beating faster as you eagerly wait to see what they stumble across in the damp tunnel with stagnant air. It takes a substantial amount of self control to keep your eyes from jumping to the paragraph on the next page. You care for the characters, and you can feel their wins and losses. You find yourself thinking about what you’ve read, even when the book isn’t in front of you. The ideas printed in the book spark conversation with family and friends. You can hone in on what you really think about a topic and figure out if you agree or disagree with the author or character and why. But what happens when a book isn’t giving you that experience? What do you do next? Do you feel like you need to finish your book with the same level of obligation of finishing food off your plate?L
BREAKING UP WITH A BOOK
“I've only quit two books that I can remember,” said Craig Corless from North Ogden. “The first was a Stephen King book. After reading everything he wrote for a couple of decades, halfway through one, I suddenly grew tired of the fiction and the excess metaphor filler. It just no longer excited me, and I found nothing fulfilling about reading any more of it. The second was Thoreau, when I had enough of the pretentious, long-winded irony about simplifying that should have been done in less than a hundred pages instead of several hundred. I finally just asked myself: Why would I continue wading through this while cringing, when it's just a book that is supposed to be for my own enjoyment? I then quickly grabbed some John Muir and Edward Abbey to get that bad taste out of my eyes.” Linden Puzey Kendall from North Ogden said, “I try to at least read the first chapter of the book. If it does not bring me joy, I will Marie Kondo the thing and never touch it again… The events in the first chapter of a book really set things in motion and need to capture the reader's attention by foreshadowing main characters and what events bind them together.” Personally, I’ve realized life is too short to spend it reading books that don’t engage me. After recently trudging through a book I didn’t enjoy, I’ve discovered my own litmus test for when I read in the future: Am I looking forward to reading the book, or am I looking forward to finishing it so I don’t feel obligated to read it any more?
Many love how audiobooks give them the ability to multitask. As a mom and housekeeper, there are a lot of
tasks that are mindless but need doing. I love when a good audiobook can keep me mentally engaged through monotony. Shasta Burton, a Roy resident, said she enjoys reading but doesn’t have the time. However, she drives a lot, which makes books more accessible to her. “I also like that I can change the pace of the reader, so I can ensure I finish the book by the end of a road trip,” she said. I agree with Shasta, I usually listen to books at 1.5 speed or 1.75 if the story starts to drag. Glenda Moore, also a resident “I have students listen of Roy, likes the “being read to” factor, so she has a lot of audiobooks for the car. to the audiobook while following along with the However, she admitted that hard copy text before listening to audiobooks almost we read aloud together. got her arrested once! “I had This helps students gone to the store late at night and was listening to a Harry Potter book on the way home. learn to track what they are reading I wanted to reach the end of and introduces the chapter, so I kept driving them to words they around the neighborhood. might not have Apparently, my repeated drive-bys at 2 a.m. spooked heard before." a vigilant resident, who called the police. The bags of groceries on the passenger seat helped persuade the officer that I was not a nefarious criminal, just an older woman driving while listening to a book.” Several teachers in our communities use audiobooks to help their younger readers, especially ones who might have a harder time reading. Devon Crivello Lees, a teacher at Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary in Ogden, said, “I have students listen to the audiobook while following along with the hard copy text before we read aloud together. This helps students learn to track what they are reading and introduces them to words they might not have heard before. They hear someone else reading it correctly before trying themselves.” Jennilee Hyde, who taught third and fourth grades at Clinton Elementary, explained that it also teaches kids to read with expression. “Instead of not letting struggling readers read books that my good readers were reading, I would have them listen as they followed.” She explained this helped them learn to like stories and read more, which often led their ability to read to skyrocket. Diann Mair is a private reading tutor who specializes in kids with dyslexia. “I strongly encourage audio books (ear reading) while we work on eye reading skills.” She said this increases their exposure to language. On the flip side, several people mentioned that listening to audiobooks makes it hard to go back and review parts of the story from earlier. Some struggle to pay attention, and even a moment of distraction can cost a key detail lost in the story. Stacey Haynes is a local author from Roy. She said, “I have one book that is on audio. The lady did a great job in telling the story; however, it's not completely how I had it playing out in my head as I wrote it…I feel that reading a book keeps you actively engaged. Listening is great, too, but you could miss something.” When Kathy Diehl Sutherland reads a hard copy of a book, she occasionally jumps ahead and skips paragraphs. “Sometimes, authors are verbose and I get bored. I can't do this with audio. Once I get bored, I'm done with a book.” Darrin Hardman said, ”I’m a huge fan of audiobooks… That being said, nothing replaces the intimacy of reading a book. I’m better able to appreciate the author’s craft, word choice, and reread to savor every moment. Listening to a book is linear; you start and stop with little time to reflect.”
REFLECT ON THE BOOK
Taking moments to reflect and discuss what you’re reading with someone really helps it sink in. I was so excited to talk to other fans of the Count of Monte Cristo while I was engaged with it. What do you learn about the character? What strengths or flaws can you relate with? What has made the book enjoyable for you? Whatever the genre, I hope you can find a book that thrills you, whether you listen to it or read it in print. If you find yourself dragging through a story, I give you permission to never touch it again (shhhh OCD, it’s ok [pat pat] it’s ok…)
Did you know some books are deliberately not available at certain places because of their content?
Usually, the process of having a book removed from a public institution starts when someone, usually a parent, challenges a book in a formal challenge written to a government entity. There are many reasons for why a book is challenged, which can include profanity, sexual content, disrespect for authority figures, and unsuitability for the age group. Phoebe Carter, Assistant Library Director at the Weber County Library, said, “Reasons change with the times and tend to echo the social issues of the day. Ten years ago, most of the challenges were in response to sexual content in books for teens. Now, the trend is towards LGBTQ characters or content and messages of anti-racism.” Banned Books Week is celebrated to shine a spotlight on books that may be less accessible. According to bannedbooks.org, “Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information.” There have been times while reading when I come across something and think, “Yikes! I could’ve done without reading that part.” For movies, I have really appreciated IMDB’s parent’s guide to find out what is shown explicitly in a movie I want to watch. The website tells you what to expect as far as gore, horror, sex, nudity, or other categories that some might not be comfortable with. I appreciate film ratings, but I find they are too general. I want to understand why a film is rated a certain way and then weigh it against the story and message. I wish there was something like IMDB for books so I could make reading decisions in a similar way I do for movies. CommonSenseMedia.com comes the closest to what I want, but there are some books that haven’t been reviewed. Another resource is booktriggerwarnings. com, but it tends to be more vague than what I had hoped. The site was created as a wiki, so anyone can add to it. For our sake, and our children’s, please add to it! I can understand why some want to ban books in an effort to protect children who haven’t learned how to think critically yet or to stop reading a book if it conflicts with their values. Carter said, “Sometimes, a book that represents a value system or topic that doesn’t match one’s own values affords an opportunity for discussion between parent and child.” Although these discussions can be harder to have and more complex than simply limiting access, I think discussions are more powerful in the long run than trying to control others.
Banned Books Week is September 18 - 24 this year
Books are banned when a library or classroom removes a book at the instruction of an administrator or school board. Public institutions, such as public schools and libraries, are obligated to protect free speech. Carter said, “Schools and libraries have a policy in place stating their selection and de-selection criteria for all materials and outlining the due process for challenges and the ultimate removal of a book from a collection.” The first amendment protects our freedom of speech, and a public institution’s failure to follow their policy in banning a book would infringe on our freedom. In essence, Banned Books Week helps us recognize the value of our freedom and that it’s up to the individual to choose what to read, believe, and become.
Local residents give book recommendations they consider worth reading. Having difficulty finding new books to read? Do you want to read something good? Nothing outdoes an intriguing recommendation from someone else who gets you in a book lover's life. Finding those people, however, can be difficult! We went on our own search and asked some local book-loving folks to assist us. Here's what they said.
Marsha Lilley Kiehl: Where the
Crawdads Sing; it is very interesting. Tiffany Hansen Harmon: When
Crickets Cry, American Dirt, The Thirteenth Tale, and The Nightingale Hedder Swanson: “Anything by Kristin Hanna. And…The Kitchen House, Queen Bee (the one by Dorthea Frank), American Dirt, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You, She’s Sorry, and anything by Liane Moriarty. I like the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn, and I also like W.E.B Griffin - he has multiple series that deal with military/spy/special ops, and they all have some history weaved in. Nora Roberts has two series that are outside her typical romance novels that I really liked: Chronicles of The One Trilogy and The Dragon Heart Legacy.” Heather Parry: I will always and forever recommend Defending Jacob. Pretty Girls is good if you don’t mind dark and disturbing. Also, The Killing Kind is very good! Erin Chilson Behm: The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller. It’s about a therapist with a patient who won’t speak. Ronald Clay: Ireland by Frank Delaney. “It is a somewhat historical look at Ireland through the eyes of a boy and a storyteller. Very good book if you are looking for something historical.” Megan Higgins: “Bean Blossom Dreams. Haven't met anyone yet that read it and didn't fall in love with it.”
Boone Weston: Love and Try. “More people need to know about the life of the Rodeo Cowboy!! Just sayin.” Amber Thompson: “I love pretty much anything by Alice Hoffman. The Dove Keeper is one of her most famous, but I've read several, and they're all good…The Dove Keeper is about a group of people who take care of doves in a city in Old Testament times, and it has some magic element but only a little. I wouldn't call it fantasy or Sci-Fi, and it has a little romance but not a ton...All her books are a good mix of a lot of things...If that makes sense.” Mayloni Minchew: Smoke Gets in
Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty Heidi Wilson: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. “It's a dog's ‘autobiography” Annaliese Allen Romine: We just
finished listening to The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd, and it was great! Dystini Weaklend: Anything by Maria V Snyder. She's spectacular! Melody G. Barnes: The Keep,
a novel by F. Paul Wilson Cindy Stewart: We Were the Lucky Ones. “An amazing historical story of the author’s family during WWII. The Bone Garden is a fictional story of a woman who finds a skeleton in her yard. It’s written by Tess Garrison, but don’t worry, it’s not creepy! The Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Tragiani (and really anything by her). Also, anything written by Liane Moriarty.” Vicky Walters Veazie: “I stumbled onto
a book by Chatona Havig a few years ago…Now I have read almost everything she has written…simple, fun books.” Chris Leavitt: “I hear great things about Trail of Swords, if you're into fantasy. Written by a local author! Personally, I'm into Tom Clancy and John Grisham. I haven't ever been disappointed by any of their books.” Toni Hosford: Brad Taylor, Brad Thor, and Jack Carr. They’re spy novels and always interesting, like the Vince Flynn books. I have read all of his as well and liked all of them. Adam Cosentino: “I loved the whole clan of The Cave Bear series.” Brittany Fowers: My all-time favorite books as an adult are I Love It Here by Clint Pulver, and Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Hailey Minton: The Count of Monte Cristo captured me completely. I also really enjoyed These is My Words which is a historical fiction my aunt recommended to me.
Peery's Egyptian BOOK AND LYRICS BY DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE MUSIC BY JEANINE TESORI AD ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON BROADWAY BY DREAMWORKS THEATRICALS AND NEAL STREET PRODUCTIONS DIRECTED BY ANDREW BARRATT LEWIS MUSICAL DIRECTION BY KENNETH PLAIN CHOREOGRAPHY BY jo blake.
JULY 29TH - AUGUST 13TH
SHREK THE MUSICAL is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All Authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.Mtishows.com
