RAE’S READS

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This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books. Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish. This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”

SUNDAY (EVENING) POST

The Sunday Post was originally started at Caffeinated Blogger, a fine blog I follow. Many participants post a catch-up on their week’s activities, focusing on what they read during the past week.  I thought it would be an excellent way for PWR to catch up with each other and stay abreast of what we were all reading.  There were so many participants, however, that I altered the meme, inserting (Evening) in honor of the old magazine, Saturday Evening Post. This is a call for readers to post their own comments, catching PWR members and others up to date with their reading (and other) activities.  That said, here is my Sunday (Evening) Post:

What I finished this past week: Who Said I Was Up for Adoption by blogging friend, Colin Chappell, a fine blogger and a fine author. I reviewed it this Saturday here. Also I enjoyed Cat and Dog, a children’s book written by David Lloyd and illustrated by Clive Scruton.

What I am continuing to read: Big Magic, a non-fiction book about creativity; Beyond Human Nature: How Culture and Experience Shape the Human Mind, both in an effort to stretch and challenge my thinking processes.

What I started this week: Last night I read the first three chapters of a close friend, Gary Pegoda’s book, Who Is Human?  It is a sci-fi novel that reads like poetry but carries the reader along in page-turning prose. Also, I began a book I have heard about and wanted to read for a long time (I made it a quarterly selection for PWR, so I’d be sure to get to it soon.), Memories of a Geisha.

What I watched this past week: Three movies–Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer; Lion; and The Dressmaker. All were creative, all were well done, but my favorite was The Dressmaker.

Generally, it was not an exciting week, except for Easter Sunday, for “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” as the New Testament greeting goes.  It was a quiet, yet busy week as we begin the big count-down to the end of the semester. I hope to MAKE time for more reading this coming week, but we shall see…

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6 responses to “SUNDAY (EVENING) POST”

  1. readerbuzz Avatar
    readerbuzz

    I had the book fair all last week. Nothing finished last week, but I’m working on some long books including Alexander Hamilton. I’m headed to San Antonio this week. I should return (fingers crossed) with oodles and oodles of free books for our Little Libraries.

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    1. Rae Longest Avatar
      Rae Longest

      Thank you for the update!! I love it when people participate. Nancy Nelson, a PWR member was reading Alexander Hamilton. We’ll have to ask her at our next get together if she finished it. Good luck in San Antonio–will pray for good weather and travel safety.

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  2. sjhigbee Avatar
    sjhigbee

    I really do love the sound of Big Magic – I’m definitely going to track it down:). I’m fascinated by the sci fi novel, as well. Do you start back teaching this coming week? I return to college and teaching Tim next Monday.

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    1. Rae Longest Avatar
      Rae Longest

      I am finishing Spring semester (14 weeks and a finals week). Should be completely done (grading, posting grades, handling any questions about grades, etc.) by the end of the first week in May. I don’t do summers, dahling, but already have 24 signed on for Fall semester (starts Aug. 20 something), the max I’m allowed. Now I have to turn all the begging e-mails away from now through Aug. That’s always hard. Twenty-four at a time is about what I can handle, but I’d love to take on a developmental English class locally at the community college level as well, IF they’d hire a 72 year old…what harm can it do to ask? My kid’s class just hasn’t worked out, and I need more work! The science fi novel reads like poetry practically. It’s available on Kindle.

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      1. sjhigbee Avatar
        sjhigbee

        I thought the kid’s class sounded a tough gig… And as you say – you can but ask regarding the development English class. I’m just VERY relieved that our Adult Learning department is still hanging in there for another year. Your academic year starts a lot earlier than ours and so there ends earlier. Our schools start back during the first week of September and finish the third week of July. I will be finishing at the end of June and restarting again during the third week of September. This, the summer term, is only 8 weeks long. I’ll have a look at the sci fi novel, but we were rather naughty over Easter and bought too many books – before the the water leak started and washed away our savings…

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  3. Rae Longest Avatar
    Rae Longest

    And yesterday I celebrated my husband’s day off by asking him to take me to Half Priced Books where I spent far more than I should have, not on books for my LFL, but on books for ME, two of which, a start of a series, he immediately confiscated and began on the first book. We had a glorious afternoon, reading up a storm, and the storm started for real around two this morning. We are encountering flooding down here in Brazoria county, TX. Several people changed plans, cancelled classes or didn’t go in to work, etc. Our subdivision is not flooding except in the back this time (The city cleaned out storm drains and culverts.), but people have curtailed activities. More reading today, a good rainy day!

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