Reading In Review
“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” – Mason Cooley
Early in the year I started to keep a list of books I read to help me better see my reading pattern. Who knows, maybe I will discover something I didn’t know about myself. Thus far I have read 27 books this year.
Six novels read. I think this is many more novels than I usually read in a year, but I can’t be certain since I don’t have a written record of previous years’ readings.
Five audio books. I usually like to switch between audio and text versions of books but with these I didn’t, I only read the audio form.
Four were re-reads. As C.S Lewis said “An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only.” Besides, my memory isn’t that good so I have to re-read.
Three were in Spanish. I can’t just rely on watching Mexican dramas to keep up with my Spanish.
Two were “finally-reads”. I finally got round to reading The Count Of Monte Cristo and The Idiot. Am I glad I did! The depth and breadth and universality of the stories made me wonder if it is possible to write books of this calibre in modern day?
Another two readings were by Anthony Bourdain because I missed his voice.
One book I couldn’t finish. Not because it was tedious, on the contrary, it was quite enthralling. But, I could no longer stomach the brutally honest descriptions of the death and destruction caused by the European and American imperial powers in their quest to conquer the Middle East that Robert Fisk masterfully depicted in The Great War For Civilisation. I will go back to finish it because I think it provides a very insightful historical context of current events in the Middle East including Afghanistan and Algeria.
A first read in Portuguese. I have read The Alchemist many times in English. To be able to read The Alchemist in the original Portuguese has been one of the surprising rewards of learning the language.
Spreading Light
There is a spot in my neighbourhood where even on the darkest and stormiest of days you will always find light glowing away. Invariably you will make your way towards it. When you arrive at this spot you will discover it is just a regular garage of an apartment building with the door left ajar. You will soon realise that it is no ordinary garage when you see an elderly woman of about age 70, Dona Fernanda, surrounded by a band of stray cats, some eating, while some are playing or just relaxing nearby.
The first time I noticed Dona Fernanda, or rather when she noticed me, was about a year and half ago. I was on my evening walk and she caught my eye. I smiled and said good evening. She smiled back then said “You are walking normally now. I’m happy to see that your leg is fine now.” I stirred blankly at her. She continued “I had seen you limping and struggling to walk. Thank God you are much better now.” Then I realised that she was talking about when I injured my knee. I hadn’t realised that she had seen me walking around. I thanked her for noticing and for caring. Since that day I have found myself habitually drawn to that place where she will be. I’m not alone. I soon started meeting neighbours there: some stop by before and after walking their dogs; some bring their cats; some take their grandchildren to play with the kitties while they chat with Dona Fernanda; some popped down to drop off a tin or two of cat food. We all know, as do the stray cats, that she will be there every day at the same time regardless of how cold or hot or rainy it gets. Not even when she injured her lower back did she stay away. When last winter brought weeks of heavy rain and record-breaking storms, Dona Fernanda moved from feeding the cats in the small park at the bottom of her street to the garage of her building.
May every neighborhood have such light.