Read If I were to choose a one word summary of my life, it would be “read”. I’ve been thinking of altering those letters and putting them up in the living room, above the drawing I was given last year titled “She Who Loves to Read”. It’s actually a pretty accurate portrayal, the woman has wild and curly hair, sitting in a comfy chair with a mug full of something wonderful and curled up with a cat and a book.

This weekend was a luxurious weekend of enjoying words (it was also busy with a birthday party, scrapbooking, church and church school, a yummy focaccia bread with our squash soup, and the World Series) but I also finished Of Water and the Spirit by Father Alexander which I’ve been reading for Church Book Club; from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, I read my Book Club selection, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri ; and yesterday began Pompeii: A Novel by Robert Harris which I’d borrowed from my mom.

While I was beginning Pompeii on the couch during the game, with Eddie and his book snuggled up beside us, Xavier (9) came wandering into the room. He’s been working on a book project for school – a poster to sell the book he read in class. Now, when I sit down to do a book project describing main events, climaxes and characters, I tend to have actually finished the book in question (in this case, "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke). Not my Xavy, however. Apparently it gets a bit slow towards the end, and he feels he’s slogged through enough. While I can agree with the sentiment, and do believe that books that don’t capture you don’t need to be finished (like, oh say “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” for me) I do believe that the rule does not apply for books one is reading for school. So, we told him to curl up and read. Much whining and tears ensued. If he’d spent half as much energy reading as he did complaining, he’d be nearly finished. But, alas, that isn’t how he used his time.

I felt almost guilty, as Pompeii is quite a quick read – I didn’t pick it up until the midst of the game, and I’m already more than 100 pages into it. I wish I could take some of the reading enjoyment that is as natural to me as breathing and give them to poor Xavy. But, sadly, he has to be the non-reader in a family of readers. This leads me to believe, ultimately, he’ll be a reader after all.

On another note, an update on the ever reclusive Bill Watterson. He’s published a complete Calvin and Hobbes collection. We’ll have to wait until it shows up in the used book stores, but it looks grand!