Anyone who is even remotely serious about being a writer knows that one of the most important things that a person can do is read. As an educator I appreciate the great help a book gives in helping a person understand a time or culture that is not his/her own.
Sometimes I have a lot of time for reading and others I'm lucky to have time to read a few news articles here and there. Luckily I've been able to read quite a bit thus far.
Intrigued by the trial and interested in perhaps seeing the movie I read American Sniper by Chris Kyle. This book will most likely never be considered literature. Kyle's style is simple and straightforward, but its that brutal honesty that makes it such a great read. Kyle was an American hero and our world is a better place because of his service and the service of men like him. Did I see eye to eye with him, no, I did not. My worldview is a lot more complex than his was, but I have nothing but respect for him and what he did. I hope that many of his quotes and explanations will make it into the history books of the future as a primary source.
The second book I read this year was also recently made into a film and it is also a movie I have yet to see. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the biography of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian who served in the Pacific during WWII. The book chronicles his ordeal in trying to survive after his plane crashed and the nightmare of the Japanese POW camps. More important than that was his efforts after the war to make a difference in the lives of wayward young men and in his forgiveness to his tormentors. Zamperini's story was truly inspiring.
This book was splendidly written with an incredible amount of research to back up the author's claims. Well worth looking into.
Since I have been reading so much lately I decided to pick up a book I have been setting aside. It was loaned to me a few years ago and I felt like it was about time for me to finally read it. California Gold by John Jakes has been a good read thus far. John Jakes novel centers on a poor man from the East struggling to get rich in California. Having spent a lot of time in both Northern and Southern California it has been fun reading about places that are familiar and yet very different from what they are today.
A good reading year is one in which you can read an average of a book a month. So far 2015 looks like a good year for me. These authors have all been very good in different ways. I had never read a book from any of them before and now I am interested to read other works. Chris Kyle only wrote one other book, American Gun, which sounds fascinating. Laura Hillenbrand likewise has only published one other book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, and John Jakes has published many best sellers including the North and South series.
As of now I am not sure when my next project will be published. Between being a Daddy and husband, teaching many different classes, taking time for reading and physical fitness, and many other obligations I am lucky to have time to write at all. Be on the lookout though I am developing a promising story.
