Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello wonderseekers!
It’s October, and everything autumnal is having its moment. The temperature is dipping, the leaves are changing, and everything is pumpkin-spiced (the latter of which I am not a fan but I appear to be in the minority, as Americans spend half a billion dollars on the trend every year!) For me, autumn also means the quintessential book-reading time. I know some folks love a summer read, which is typically meant to be a bit frothy and easy on the noggin, but October reads invite the anthologies, the tomes, the chonky, meaty sorts of books that take a season to get through.
There was a rather saddening and surprising article out recently that bemoaned the fact that Ivy League attendees struggle to read a whole book, end to end. Why? They weren’t expected to in middle or high school. This not only leads to those kids having “a narrower vocabulary and less understanding of language,” but they are missing out on “a sophisticated form of empathy” that books help cultivate. It also potentially stymies their future professional prospects.
I don’t know about you, but I used to devour the summer reading list! Our local library had a little board where children’s names and the books they read would be listed, and I beamed when I saw my collection up there each year. But the statistics on reading are pretty grim. Last year, almost 50% of Americans didn’t read an entire book, and 11% haven’t read a full book in the last 10 years.
I recall when a reader of The Power of Wonder contacted me to share that my book was the first she had read cover to cover. I burst into tears! What a gift she gave me to share that mine had been the book to open her eyes to the wonder of reading! (And not an easy read, so I was doubly impressed!)
So many of our reading habits come down to how our parents present reading to us. One of my gifts every Christmas growing up was a gift card to the bookstore. I would spend it all in one go, leaving with a stack to keep me occupied for days. I also remember the stories my father told me about how much the library meant to him as a young boy. It was a respite from hot New Orleans summers (and a rather chaotic home environment) that was cool, peaceful, and full of wonder.
I LOVED hearing all of your book recs — thank you! — so allow me to share a few below!
Julie recommends A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman
Barbara loved Pearl of China by Anchee Min
Dennis suggests Somehow by Anne Lamott
Please let me know if you decide to read any of these and what you think of them!
Below, the neurochemistry behind why we love stories.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
The seasons are arriving at different times than they used to. Could ‘Season Creep’ affect human behavior?
Long read: The Gifts of Reading by Robert Macfarlane
Read and listen: Just One Thing with Michael Mosley: Could reading stories help you live longer?
Keep those book recommendations coming, and I’ll share another few closer to the holiday gift-giving season!
With wonder,
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