I very much love and hate reading. It seems like an odd statement to say but I will find myself deeply engrossed in a book. I’ll stop and noticed I’ve already read a hundred plus pages. My eyes are twitching, begging me to stop. I’ll get up for a walk for a few minutes. I return and pick up the book, my eyes and dreams be damned. There are a few books which I will just throw caution to the wind and read them in an entire day. Most recently, those books were Dan Rather’s What Unites Us and Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.
Reading is important because to me, it opens us up to a whole new world. Starting reading at a young age helps develop vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills. Reading exposes us to a wide range of different worlds inhabited by a plethora of different characters who are have different economic status, different genders, orientations, habits, likes, dislikes, and looks than us. Reading makes us a better person and a better member of society.
I don’t remember many of the childhood books I read or had read to me. I do remember my parents reading biblical stories but outside of nostalgic looks of my childhood, religion has not carried into my adult life. Until recently, I was horrible at keeping track of what books I had read, mostly because I bought books. About 90 percent of what I read is available at my local library, thus I keep an accurate list of what I’ve read. I’m lucky that my primary source of income provides me ample time to read and write. I always have a book on my desk at work.
I often get questions if the book is interesting and more people than not have a jesting tone in their voices when asking. I remember in 7th and 8th grade getting quite a few snide comments from classmates about books I was reading at the time: William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I did read a few other books at the time, but most were either required in school or names lost in my faded memory.
There is nothing I really don’t read, though I certainly do love my reading non-fiction, mostly historical or political books. My 2017 reading list can certainly attest to this, though I did devour the Expanse series at the end of the year. Why do I tend to stay towards historical or political books? I truly enjoy reading these subjects not just because I studied political science and love history, but believe there is a lot more going on. History is important and it provides clues into why certain cultures and countries act the way they. It provides context to actions and reactions.
Political works because, I believe no matter how hard we try to bury our heads into the sand, we cannot ignore the ramifications of the political world which goes on around us. It’s important to understand how the system of government works, how it can be manipulated and to me it further helps develop critical thinking when casting a ballot for local, state, and federal elections.
The blog title mentions what I watch. I’m pretty sure most people can guess what I watch based off what I read. The Expanse, House of Cards, Designated Survivor are certainly all in my list. I can include The Walking Dead, American Crime Story, Babylon 5, Stargate SG1, Atlantis, Universe and a plethora of other shows which escape my mind at the moment. Though I do enjoy a good action film where the hero saves the day (plot holes be damned), it is a rarity. I rarely watch reality television like housewives, keeping up with the whoever and so forth. I like my television and movies to be intellectually engaging and sometimes require a re-watch to fully grasp everything.
Jeremy Andersen 