Spring Reading Thing Update

I have been reading lots more than normal in order to try and get through the books I chose for the Spring Reading Thing (click the button on my sidebar for the whole story). So far, I have completed 2 books and am working on 3 more. It may seem strange to some for me to be reading more than one at a time, but I have always done that. I'm not sure exactly why, but it is probably the same thing that makes me unable to finish any task without getting distracted. If I was in school right now they would probably be treating me for ADD.


With that said, let me tell you where I am.


I have finished Chuck Norris' autobiography ~ Against All Odds - My Story. This book was not on my original list, but I was looking for a biography of some sort and when I saw this one in the library last week, I decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed reading it. It is an extremely fast read, it took me barely 24 hours to read it. While I can't say that it inspired me to go out and take some sort of martial arts lessons, I did find it very interesting to see where he had come from. If you have ever watched his television show, you have seen many things about his real life reflected there. I admire his passion for his beliefs and found it refreshing to see someone in the television/movie industry who gives more than lip service to making a positive change in their world. And, while he is a Christian, that is not the whole focus of the book. He doesn't shy away from the mistakes he made, nor does he try to explain them away because of his alcoholic father and the fact that his family was extremely poor as he was growing up. Neither does he apologize for his faith or his political views either. All in all, I enjoyed the book. It wasn't life changing for me or anything like that, but it satisfied my desire to get a glimpse into the life of someone I'll never meet and for me, that is enough.


I should also add The Pearl by John Steinbeck to my list. I will be re-reading it tonight in preparation for my literature class in the morning. I have read it several times and I like the book, though it always makes me sad. I am looking forward to hearing what my students thought about the book.


I am still working on Anne of Green Gables and Mere Christianity and I have just started Pilgrim's Progress (the real version). We have been busy with school activities this week, so I haven't had too much time for reading. I can only read Mere Christianity in small sections because I have to work to digest what I am reading before moving on. It is NOT what I would call a fast read, at least not for me.


I am also working on the kids' reading list. LB is reading Sarah, Plain and Tall as I type. This is another late addition she picked out at the library last week. As soon as I finish this post, she and I will be reading From the Mixed Up Files .... When we finish, I might let her write a guest post and review the book since she likes it so much.


I am enjoying getting back into reading. It has been a long time since I spent this much time thinking about books and making lists of books I would like to read. So, with that in mind, l'd like thank Katrina again for hosting this.

Happy Reading everyone!