Years ago, I stumbled on an idea that has greatly enriched my reading: thematic reading. That is, each year I’ll choose a handful of books to read that are related in some way (topic, character, setting, etc.).
One year, I read two classic novels back-to-back, which were fascinating to compare and contrast: Jane Eyre (Bronte) and Rebecca (du Maurier).
Another time, I re-read a personal favorite, Robinson Crusoe, and followed it with two other books: the nonfiction In Search of Robinson Crusoe (Severin) and the imaginative novel Foe (Coetzee).
That same year, I read three books relating to Islam: The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Hamid), Infidel (Ali), and I Dared to Call Him Father (Sheikh).
Other thematic pairings (or triplings) were:
- Two books on Nazi Germany: the nonfiction The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (Shirer) and the novel Fatherland (Harris)
- Three books whose relationship should be obvious: Psalms for Praying (Merrill), Praying the Psalms (Brueggemann), and Psalms of My Life (Bayly)
- Two books dealing with hostage situations: A Rope and a Prayer (Rohde/Mulvihill) and In the Presence of My Enemies (Burnham)
- Flaubert’s Parrot (Barnes) and Madame Bovary (Flaubert)
- Martin Luther King Jr. (Frady) and Hellhound on his Trail (Sides)
- Something Rotten (Fforde) and Gertrude & Claudius (Updike)
- Arthur & George (Barnes) and The Sherlockian (Moore)
I’ve also planned my reading to coincide with places I visit. So, on a long cruise to and around Hawaii, I read Mark Twain’s Letters from Hawaii, Jack London’s The House of Pride, and two other books related to those islands. In Monterey (CA) I read John Steinbeck. In Kentucky, Wendell Berry. In Arches National Park (UT), Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.
Of course, many people read thematically as a matter of course because they concentrate their reading on a particular field or topic: leadership, perhaps, or church planting, and so on. But I’ve derived so much fun—and sometimes insight—from this practice of intentionally choosing books that relate to each other (by topic, location, plot, character, etc.), that it’s become a regular part of my reading every year.
How about you? Do you do something like this? Or even better?
Don’t Rely on Memories
I misread the title of the post as Therapeutic Reading. That, for me, fits.
Therapeutic Reading
is something I count on;
last few days I’ve been bleeding,
so I read the Book of John,
and of how God loved me,
that He sent His Son to die
so that I would one day be
with Him in the sky.
Now, I have been a sinful man,
running wild and chasing skirts,
but today I’m like a child,
and He’s bent to kiss my hurts
in response to tearful plea,
holding me upon His knee.
Thank you Andrew! Thank you!
Praying for you today.
Cindy, thank YOU.
Andrew, I don’t think your misreading of the title had anything to do with coincidence. Thank you for sharing your transformation with us so we can lift you in prayer toward the sky.
I appreciate this idea of thematic pairings or triplings. It adds another layer of analysis to the joy of reading.
Jenny, I am so grateful for this lack-of-coincidence affirmation, and for your prayers.
Yes, I have a lot of location novels–Florida, New Orleans, Paris, Israel. They show up in my WIP.
BTW, I heard Madame Sheikh speak in person when her wonderful book came out. I’m still affected by her dismay in seeing all the Sunday morning traffic not headed to church
i read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to my children while we were camping beside the Mississippi River and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow during a vacation in the Hudson Valley. The night after we read about the thunderstorm on pirates island, God conveniently sent a wild thunderstorm our way, sending us to our car for refuge–bringing the book to life.
Interesting idea! My husband and I are preparing for our upcoming trip to Israel by mapping our tour stops, (Sea of Galilee, Jericho, Engedi, etc.) and taking a deeper dive into the Scriptures that actually occurred in those locations. Thrilling! Also I have to share that I twinkled at the mention of Jane Eyre—my favorite book.
This is a great idea! I have experienced a similar but different pattern. My reading has always sparked a desire to connect deeper to the setting, characters, and author. My favorite books as a young reader were the Marguerite Henry books about Misty the wild pony and the Beebe children. I read the books to my daughter then took her to Chincoteague where we watched the pony round up and met the characters of the storyworld I so love. I have travelled to Minneapolis to walk in the footsteps of Brenda Ueland, and my husband and I are planning a trip to England to explore the land of Herriot, Potter and the Brontë sisters!
One of my favorite pairings is When the Soldiers Were Gone by Vera W. Propp (for ages 8-12) and Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian (for YA). Both are set at the time of the evacuation of children from London during the bombings of the city. Don’t be off put by the fact that these are novels for youth. They represent two very plausible and poignant scenarios.
I love this idea!
By comparison, I see I’m far from a prolific reader. Neither have I kept a list of the books I’ve read. You’ve opened my world. With what God yet allows me, I shall carve more time for reading. To date, I mostly read by author, or Favorite Categories.
Well written books that reference God with candor and honor are distilling. This includes sharp non-cliché devotionals; currently reading My Lord and I, by Harry Tippett, 1948 out of print. Also, non fiction Biblical reference books, to help teach the Bible. More God genre: Bible character stories, even fictional that send me researching. Lynn Austin’s Wings of Refuge is an example of well written fiction, the story of archaeologists in Israel and culture of Palestine. The Girl Who Wrote in Silk, by promising first time author Kelli Estes has promise, was absent of reference of a caring, loving God in a NW town of the 18th century. Bible Topic books: as Philip Yancey’s Prayer, Does it Make a Difference? is compelling.
Other Categories: Historic Fiction, as The book Woman of Troublesome Creek-Kim M. Richardson, about pack librarians in Kentucky. Non Fiction, as Michael Morpurgo’s An Elephant in my Garden/WW II and The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck. Coming of Age stories: Jacob Have I loved by Katherine Paterson. Biographies: Eleanor by David Michaelis. Being a burgeoning author, I profit from reading How to Write books. Stephen King’s On Writing is wise, and I study King’s style of writing in his Misery–my one permitted observation in his insatiable appetite for evil showing how God is NOT. Authors I love, to name only four: C. S. Lewis, Madeline Le’Engle, Lynn Austin and Jane Kirkpatrick. Is there such a thing as Lists of Most Enjoyed Books for Serious Readers?
Yes. I just returned from vacation and read two books back to back on domestic abuse … Jodi Picoult’s Picture Perfect and Carmen Peone’s Broken Bondage. Each unique in terms of writing style, place and characterization, but alike in portraying the horrors of domestic abuse.