His Reaction to my Reading Aloud

JD walked into our bedroom around 10pm on Saturday, returning from being away for four or five hours. I reached the last page of East of Eden and I still had no clue how John Steinbeck was going to end the book. JD plopped on the bed and Polo jumped up to join us–always remaining firmly tucked between us for fear of being left out–and within moments, I was crying. Hot, wet tears rolled down my face as I closed the book. I had been reading the book for a couple months now and it had become a part of my life. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I finished the book and sobbed because my heart was so tangled in human emotion, tragedy, and hope. The book was THAT good. It's part fiction, part social commentary, part amazingness that is Steinbeck. I can't wait to read it again.

I finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls before delving into East of Eden, and it's truly remarkable. My good friends, Mella, Amy, and many blog readers recommended this book…and, really? They couldn't have been more spot on. I finished the book in a single day. I sat on my couch and couldn't put it down. I became a permanent fixture in my living room and JD even tried dusting and waxing me. It's a true life story of a woman who grew up with her homeless family and later learned to love them in deep and powerful ways. Such a fantastic read.

And you might be sitting there thinking, Could she be ANY MORE BORING?! And guess what? I'd likely ignore you because I'm used to it. The boys in my life think I'm quite boring and this is their usual reaction to my reading…

Happy Thursday!