So what are you reading lately? My most recent novel is Jodi Piccult's House Rules. I picked it up on a whim while shopping one day and red the entire book by the next day. It's an interesting quick read despite the fact that it's pretty thick. Not that I'm scared of a thick book--I am, after all, a librarian who's read Anna Karenina, Captains and the Kings, and several other 1000+ page books. So, little ole House Rules wasn't so scary. It was good and I found that the more I read, the more I became invested in Jacob's story. Piccult's story is about a teenager with Asperger's Syndrome who is accused of murdering his social tutor. Piccult gives great insight into living with Asperger's Snydrome and does so from the point of view of Jacob, his brother and single mother, and the police officer investigating the case. After only a few pages, I found Jacob's character both sympathetic and confusing. He is very likable but it's difficult to follow his line of thinking. Like many with Asperger's Jacob answers questions literally and in his stream-of-conscious thoughts, he alludes to knowing more but doesn't actually give that information. I recommend it highly to students who are mature readers and not afraid of the length of the novel.
Reading for me is an ongoing interest and part of my job. Since I'm teaching a class, I've been reading several short stories with a new purpose. I read with a pen and highlighter so that I can highlight important passages and jot notes in the margins to easily point them out when lecturing in class. I've found it more helpful to have the story and my notes on the same page.
So what are you reading now? Share your favorite short story or most recent novel in your comments.
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