reading – Snopes

Read it Again, Sam

Griffin Cook

Looking through my bookshelf is effectively viewing a timeline of my life thus far as a reader. Some of the “chapter books” I began savoring as a first grader sit, collecting dust, not reread since I discovered Harry Potter. Then there is, of course, the Harry Potter series, all seven books, the companion books written by JK Rowling, and an extra copy of the third one, because it was my favorite book for at least five years. There are Babysitters Club novels, Agatha Christie mysteries, and Lee Child thrillers. Among the middle and high school-assigned readings are the ones I read the obligatory time, if even that, and the ones that became instant favorites on my shelf. The ones that I loved but haven’t touched since and the ones with pages falling out from use. Two books have severe water damage—a young adult novel that a friend borrowed and then returned after dropping it in the bathtub, and one that I’ve cried while reading so many times over the years that it may as well also been plunged into a full body of water.

Dedicated readers have a few books on the shelf that they just know: exact scenes, chapters, pages, even lines that have stuck with them for years. They can select a familiar spine, feel its familiar weight in their hand, and flip almost effortlessly to their pages of choice. Rereading may be a guilty pleasure of sorts, but it also offers a lot of novelty and value. Just ask any English teacher.

My parents used to hate that I reread books. They wanted for me to keep expanding my library and literary education. I distinctly remember being “caught” rereading a book and receiving a bizarre chastisement from my mother. She argued that there was no merit, no growth, from reading a book more than once. Fast forward to high school English classes, where standard procedure involves reading a book twice, annotating, highlighting, bookmarking key passages, skimming notes for themes and motifs, and close reading certain pages.

Clearly, this exhibits that there is value in rereading; it is simply not expected that someone will glean all the information a book has to offer from just one go through. An article published on bustle.com illustrates a similar mindset to mine—the author is in love with second and third and tenth readings of her favorite books, and with a mother who simply “can’t” do it. She links to a bbc.com article that deems rereading a “guilty pleasure” and a “security blanket.” Revisiting a childhood library probably corresponds more with this idea. You probably will not discover a profound literary statement reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Rereading a novel assigned in middle or high school though, with added years and a broader vocabulary and just a different perspective, can totally change a person’s perceptions of a book. In some ways, rereading a book is also more challenging because the surprise and novelty is gone. While a second read offers the comfort of familiarity, it also grants the reader a chance, even a dare, to look further and think more deeply.

I have read each of my favorite books time and time again, with new interpretations and observations and life experiences coloring the way they are read. Just like children like to hear their favorite bedtime stories, I will always love flipping through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The plot, the characters, and the magical setting are of course, captivating for young readers, but only in a more mature rereading do themes and motifs, even hidden meanings, begin to surface. For example, Prisoner of Azkaban draws strongly on themes of innocence and justice among many different plot lines. It is also wrought with symbolism in character names and animals. Until the book is experienced through the lens of a reader who knows to think more deeply and critically, it’s just about a bunch of kids on brooms and an escaped murderer. Just like a film enjoyed by people of all ages, or a work of abstract art, many of the more intricate nuances go unnoticed by a young or unfamiliar viewer. A second impression reveals a deeper look, guided by the knowledge that comes from age and learned approaches to viewing and reading. Would you debate the merits of listening to a piece of music more than once, or seeing a famous Van Gogh more than once? Would anyone question the merits of rereading, say, the Bible?

Revisiting a piece of writing certainly provides a different experience then the first read-through and creates an exciting mix of familiarity and new discoveries. So the question is, how many times have you read your favorite?

— Emily Danzig

Importance of Bookstores

Grace Haynes

After reading a New Yorker article that questions the dwindling presence of bookstores, I began to reminisce on my childhood bookstore. I begged my mother every day to take me to the bookstore. Buying a book was much more satisfying to me than checking a book out at my school library—I got to keep the treasured story on my bedside table instead of returning it to the librarian and had the ability to reread the intriguing plotline whenever I wanted.

Upon entering my bookstore, I entered a haven—a comforting atmosphere surrounded by thrilling tales of adventure that captivated my adolescent minds. The employees greeted me with welcoming smiles, and I bee-lined for the children’s section, selecting as many books that I could fit in my arms, plopping down in the middle of the bookshelves on the carpeted floor, spreading out the books, admiring the eye-catching covers. The fresh stories dawned beautiful pictures on crisp pages; I buried my nose into the binding to inhale that fresh new bookstore smell (everyone knows and loves that smell—there’s no denying it). I had an allegiance to my bookstore—feeling guilty if I visited another location to buy a book. The New Yorker article states, “Those of us who cherish our local bookstores do so not simply because they are convenient—how great to be able to run out for milk and also pick up the new Karl Ove Knausgaard!—but also because we feel a duty to support them, because we believe in their mission.” It was about more than just the book—it was about the whole experience. The bookstore fostered my love for literature at an early age. The nurturing environment encouraged reading, which made me feel comfortable among the books. From there I jumped into stories that kept me interested in books. From E.B. White to Judy Blume to J.K. Rowling—my passion for literature grew with each visit.

Today’s diminishing presence of bookstores makes me nervous. My childhood bookstore went out of business eight years ago. The vacant building broadcasts a dusty “For Rent” sign collecting dust on the milky, dirty windowpanes. The market for books is changing. The rise of the Internet and online shopping carves a convenient path for delivering books directly to my front door. But where is the experience in that? The bookstore environment encourages a love for the text, for the characters, for the author. The experience is irreplaceable—strolling through the shelves, observing colorful book covers, searching for the desired author. It’s lugging an armful of books to the counter. It’s carrying a new story out of the store. It’s bending the corners of pages. It’s inhaling the unique smell. The welcoming atmosphere encourages reading; the bookstores foster a love for literature within the minds of children.

I believe in the mission of bookstores. I believe in creating a pleasant domain where children feel comfortable diving into a book, expanding their imaginations through exciting plotlines. I believe in promoting the importance of children’s literature, for it stands as the platform from which children cultivate a greater love for reading, expanding their palate through adult literature that spans from different centuries and continents. Instilling a love for literature at an early age fosters a lifelong love for it within our children. Despite society’s technological advances in the book world, there is still a need for bookstores.

Where do you stand? What cultivated your love for literature? What happened to your childhood bookstore?

Grace Haynes is the Submissions Editor for Shenandoah. She is a junior English major and Creative Writing minor from Montgomery, Alabama.

Best Book of the Year

Nick Smith

by Bella Zuroski

This Christmas, my family all packed into the car and ventured three hours east through heavy Western New York snows to spend the day with my dad’s side of the family. After dinner, I curled up in front of the woodstove with Mona, my Aunt Ellen’s sleepy pit bull. After about an hour or so of typical after-dinner conversation, my cousin Gena’s husband Derek asked me if I had my pick for Best Book of the Year yet. I had no idea what he was talking about, and experienced a slight panic – was this a thing I should know about? Gena looked at me expectantly. She is an English professor, so I was sure she expected her English major cousin, a senior in college, to know about it.

Best Book of the Year was not the big, official “thing” I had imagined. It was a tradition started by my Uncle Greg (Gena’s dad), who passed away last spring. It’s simple: at the end of each year, he and his friends would all get together to discuss the best book they had each read that year. This was the first year that would come to a close without Greg at the helm, and I could sense that Best Book of the Year had gained extra significance because of that.

When I tried to come up with my pick, I felt embarrassed. Sure, I could name a heap of books I had read for class. But had I read anything else on my own outside of the brick walls of Payne Hall, Washington & Lee’s English building?

I will never forget the rainy afternoon when Greg handed me my first copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, or the bright summer day when he sat down next to me on the old concrete stoop by the front door and gave me Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I read those books day and night with no regard for sleep or any other apparent priorities. I had no cell phone buzzing in my pocket or plans to make – just the pure, unbridled delight of more pages to turn. As I struggled to come up with a Best Book of the Year that hadn’t been assigned on a syllabus, I realized how much I missed the little girl who used to get lost for hours, days, even whole summers at a time in the pages of a book.

As our lives get hectic, it is easy to forget how to take the time to get lost in a book. It starts to feel like there is no time for anything outside of our daily routine. Are you a college student, tired parent, professional, and/or someone who has to read a lot for your job or in your daily life? If you are, I am sure you know how flipping on the TV or playing another round of Candy Crush often seems easier than opening a book.

There is magic in language that cannot be found anywhere else. In the hustle and bustle of life, this magic can be easily forgotten. Greg was the person who really showed me what it means to be a reader. I think we all have our own Greg – not necessarily the person who taught us how to read the letters on the page, but the person who helped us to see the magic. Recently, I saw a post on his Facebook page that said, “Book of the year just isn’t the same without you.” When I clicked on this woman’s profile, Facebook told me that she lived in Seattle, Washington. Missing Greg, my heart swelled in bittersweet happiness when I thought that somewhere, somehow, he had crossed paths with this woman and shared that same magic with her. This Christmas, I received a very well timed reminder to never let that magic go.

Next year, I promise to have my pick for Best Book of the Year ready. Will you?

Nick Smith is a senior English and History Major and Creative Writing minor from Alexandria, Virginia. Nick loves all flavors of literature, but he has always had a fondness for science fiction and fantasy, especially when paired with comedy.

How Fast Do You Read?

Christian Kennedy

Something that many avid readers may not be very familiar with is the speed at which they read. My interest in this subject was initially brought on when a friend directed me towards the article, “14 books you could read in the time it takes to watch the Super Bowl” This article points out that in the time spent sitting on the couch watching a football game, you could also be reading a number of works of great literature. The author cites F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea as examples. I was not confident in my abilities in completing some of these books during this amount of time, and I began to question my speed-reading ability.

Coincidentally, I later stumbled upon a speed-reading test created by Staples as part of an e-book promotion. This test measures the time it takes for the reader to complete a short passage, and asks three short comprehension questions after. The test demonstrated that my speed-reading skills are equivalent to the average high school junior, but surprisingly enough, still 30% above the national average. Although I cannot speak for the accuracy of the test, I was a little disappointed that the average college student was reading 150 more words per minute than I was. My disappointment motivated me to research this subject further.

According to the Forbes article, “Do You Read Fast Enough To Be Successful?”, the national average for reading is 300 words per minute. The author of this article points out that at this rate, the average adult spends two hours reading basic material throughout a typical day. A high level executive reads closer to 600 words per minute, twice as fast as the regular adult. I began to question how I could improve my reading speed. After finding some entirely unhelpful guides, I was able to come up with a rough list of some accepted practices that enhance how fast you can read.

Eliminating sub vocalization is supposed to help you read faster because your brain can actually register words much quicker without having to wait for you to talk to yourself.

Eliminating re-reading by reading at a pace where you are not skipping over sentences can help you to stay focused. It is estimated that about 30% of what people read is re-read.

Meta-guiding is the practice of using a pencil or a notecard to keep pace and smooth direction while one is reading

Utilize peripheral vision by taking in groups of four or five words at a time instead of reading linearly from left to right. This method takes practice to get the reader used to using a different part of their vision, but can greatly increase the speed at which you can read.

Although Staples’ unsettling reading test did make me question my ability, I was glad to be able to find some tips that I had never thought about when reading. I recognize that there is much more to being a skilled reader than just the sheer speed at which you can inhale words. To view many other methods to become a proficient and successful reader, check out Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren’s book How to Read a Book. This is a valuable guide to perfecting many of the other aspects of reading and comprehension. Although reading quickly is far from the most important aspect of reading, I would say that speed-reading is an often-overlooked skill that can have great benefits for the reader if improved. Do you know any helpful hints for increasing reading speed? Or is this an aspect of reading that is not important enough to spend time improving?

Christian Kennedy is an English and Accounting and Business Administration double major at Washington and Lee. He enjoys writing music and loves spending time outdoors exploring the Shenandoah Valley.