My Reading Life – Laura DeNooyer
by Laura DeNooyer
My book adventure as an adult is the opposite of how I began it as a child. Nowadays, I read books without pictures, featuring small versus large print. I tackle stories that make me cry, not just laugh. My scope includes Christian fiction, not just general market, embracing a Kindle rather than just paperbacks. Additionally, I read for a purpose, not merely for pleasure.
Even though the writing bug bit me in second grade, as a kid I only picked up thin books with pictures. Since I was a slow, meticulous reader, a book with too many tiny words per page was daunting. I gravitated to fairy tales, plus Pippi Longstocking’s and Ramona Quimby’s humorous antics accompanied by plenty of illustrations. Later, I embraced Nancy Drew and her sleuthing. Little Women via Jo March enticed me into the throes of drama, igniting all the emotions. Satisfying enough to not need pictures.
In my twenties, I played catch-up with all the classics I’d avoided during high school and college. (Again, too many words, too many pages.) I wasn’t reading any faster, but I learned how to savor a story with depth. To Kill a Mockingbird became my all-time favorite, encapsulating everything I love in a story: complex characters and relationships, challenging themes, a true-to-life setting, a plot that builds to a dramatic and rewarding finish, and food for thought.
Books became a springboard to writing. Harper Lee’s classic aided my teaching the elements of fiction to high school creative writing classes. While facilitating a middle school Literature Circle, conversations about The Bronze Bow and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry sparked thoughtful student essays and innovative book reports. I started reading comparable titles for the genres I wanted to write in, and numerous books on the writing craft.
When my kids were growing up, I relived childhood while reading them my favorite childhood classics as well as contemporary ones. Stories became a springboard to art projects, from Caps for Sale to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. After devouring all the Little House books, I took my daughters on a Little House trip from Wisconsin to South Dakota. Later, my sons and I laughed till we cried through The Phantom Tollbooth.
Our mother-daughter book groups introduced a plethora of young adult fiction, old and new. For my own book group, Tracy Chevalier’s The Last Runaway, Seabiscuit, Devil in the White City, Barbara Kingsolver titles, and others spawned provocative discussions. Though I primarily read books selected by group vote, I learned that discussions enhanced appreciation of any book, even if it wasn’t a title I’d have chosen myself.
Besides a few Biblical fiction titles by Francine Rivers and Angela Hunt, I mainly read general market novels until recently. But shortly after joining American Christian Fiction Writers, I switched gears. I launched a blog that spotlights authors and their novels. Thus, I currently read to find books that will potentially be a good fit for my blog audience. And each book represents a boatload of work as I prepare each review and post. It’s work I enjoy, but work nonetheless. And time-consuming.
Though I’ve delighted in hundreds of books from multiple genres over the decades, much of my reading has been a means to an end. I’d like to come full circle, though, and return to those childhood days when I chose a book just because I wanted to—without regard for teaching students, creating art, discussing at book group, or featuring on a blog. And without succumbing to the clamor of public opinion about what’s worthwhile. Despite time constraints, I’d like to read whatever I choose without considering it a guilty pleasure. For above all, reading for the pure joy of it has no substitute.
Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she has decades of experience teaching art and writing to middle school and high school students. She and her husband raised four kids. An award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction, she is president of her American Christian Fiction Writers chapter. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip. Visit Laura at https://lauradenooyer-author.com. For a FREE prequel, join her monthly newsletter: www.StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com.
The Conversation
Great article. Enjoyed hearing about your reading journey. Did you read the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird? If so did you enjoy it.
No, Toni, I did not read the 2nd book. After hearing so many opinions about it, I chose not to. I guess I’m afraid of being disappointed! I want “To Kill A Mockingbird” to be my main impression of Harper Lee’s work.