Reading with Wilbur

A huge passion of mine is reading, and in my attempt to drive this passion to the next level, I am going to write about my passion. I am interested in many different genres including: historical fiction, historical non-fiction, science fiction, human and overall science. There are many more to the list but that is what I am into right now. My passion is driven by the love for knowledge, I always want to know more. That is where YA and many fictional genres lack, I am getting a great story, but I feel as if I am getting nothing from it. This is where historical fiction and some science fiction come in. I am getting the fictional fix I need, all while being immersed in a somewhat realistic scene.

So now that you know where my passion comes from, I also hope to interest others more in their passion for books, reading, and most important, knowledge. On this page I hope to cover many parts of the reading experience. That is, the to read lists, upcoming books and thoughts, general reading, reviews, and recommendations. If that seems like something you would be interested in, then I hope you stick around for much more to come!

I don't know about you guys, but I have stayed in my comfort zone all my life when it comes to reading. Granted, my reading habits only began a few years back.

This year I plan to really stretch out and read books that I would not normally consider. I have begun the year very slow. (My excuse is a full load of engineering classes.) But the first book I read was, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Being a white male from a white majority area, this is not a part of life that I have experienced. Unfortunately, the media has been the main outlet for my information about the things that have been happening recently. I felt it was super important for me to get that experience through a very different lens. Through a lens that I have never had the chance to experience. I felt that Between the World and Me gave me a fresh start and opened my mind to an entire world of new knowledge that I had never even thought about. I would love to start reading more about racial issues and the history of it, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Also, if you would like a review of Between the Worls and Me, let me know as well.

To relieve my fiction fix, I am currently reading Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. This is the second book of the Ender series, depending on how you list them. I plan on reading all of the Ender related books in chronological order, and trust me, I have done my research. There are so many theories on how the books were supposed to be read and how Card wanted it to be. I think experiencing the books how Card thought of them and got the inspiration for the books gives the best, and most full experience. I understand I am only in the second book, but reading Card's forward in the beginning of Speaker for the Dead made the decision for me. He had a purpose for writing this book when he did, and I want to experience it in exactly that way. I loved the first book, Ender's Game. But it was a book that I read in 15 minute intervals because I was busy at the time. So I was not able to get fully immersed into the book. Only being able to read in intervals really left me wanting more, and I am glad to finally be back on the Card train.

I am not sure where I am headed for my next read, I am either thinking a fantasy of historical fiction book. I struggle with getting into fantasy and magic type books, but I hope that over time I will find a style that I enjoy. I am also considering reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I have heard nothing but great things about this book, and I would love to see where Whitehead's imagination takes us.