Reading

Unlike my husband, who reads “The Summa of the Summa” for a little light bed-time reading, I tend to read mostly fluff. I will occasionally read something that is meant to improve my heart or brain (almost always my heart). But my primary reason for reading is to get lost in a good story. Aquinas just isn’t so good for that.

I am pretty picky about what I read. If it doesn’t draw me in, I very rarely finish it. I have too much to do to plod through books that don’t whisper to me in the night to get back up and read one more chapter. When I was a kid I used to hide under my covers with a flashlight so I could keep reading after lights out. (Of course, that is the ONLY infraction I ever committed as a child.)

When it comes to fiction, I’ll read almost anything except for westerns, bodice rippers and science fiction. I’m up for almost anything else. There are some old familiar friends that I read almost every year (usually over Christmas vacation) like The Little House on the Prairie series, and the Narnia series.

I especially love the fact that Meg has gotten into reading. I fully expect to find her under the covers with a flashlight one of these days.

1. And I quote from my Facebook profile: "I'm reading thru Summa of the Summa one question at a time. This contains significant portions of Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas with annotated notes by Peter Kreeft. It's incredible."

Overheard in our bed one night…

Heather: Whatchya readin’ hon?

Troy:“Whether Sacred Doctrine Is Nobler Than Other Sciences?”

Heather: (yawns, turns over and kicks me in the leg).

2. Last night I had a few minutes free, so I picked up a volume entitled Library of World Poetry. This book was given me by my high school drama teacher, whom we referred to as Dann. With two n’s.

Anyhoo… I haphazardly opened it up and read at the top of the page: “POEMS OF SORROW AND ADVERSITY”.

I thought: “Hm. Sounds neat.”

And proceeded to devour about ten of ‘em, one of which was entitled “THE DIRGE.”

3. I love reading playscripts, preferably tragedies. Last spring I introduced my 10 year old to Oedipus Rex. My colleague commented: “Troy, when I was ten my dad taught me how to milk a cow.”

4. Recently, I mentioned to some friends that I’m reading Letters to Olga by Vaclav Havel. They rolled their eyes and said, “Oh, come on!” Later, I dashed to the office to look up something in my Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology on the difference between biblical inerrancy and biblical infallibility. There is a difference and it’s quite an interesting one, methinks.