What I'm Reading: Personal and Professional

It is Wednesday, so it is time to talk a bit about what I am reading these days.

To start, it is easier to talk about my personal reading than my professional reading because I have not been doing much professional reading lately. I will start with the professional reading, though, because there is not much to talk about.

This morning, I walked into my library where I have currently stashed all of my professional textbooks. I selected one from the shelves that I have purchased but not even opened yet. The book that drew my attention was Group Analytic Music Therapy by Heidi Ahonen-Eerikainen (sorry that I cannot figure out how to do the umlaut over the a on this program).This book was published by Barcelona Publishers in 2007, and it was part of a sale order that I made a couple of years ago. I picked it because it is part of analytical music therapy, a form of music therapy that confuses and intrigues me, but also because it concerns group music therapy which is my primary service model at my current job. We will see if it is something that teaches me.

I tend to want to take notes and perform my own analysis when I am reading for my professional development. I am going to try not to do that this time around. I want to just read the book rather than try to use this as a professional development exercise. I do not need the continuing education, so let's see if I can just read this book without stressing myself out. If I find things that are relevant, I can go back to take notes and then do the professional development thing for credit. If not, then I am enriched by the material without having to write and annotate.

Now, for my personal reading...

I went to the library last Friday and actually checked out some books. One of them has been abandoned because I am not all that into Born-again Christian teen romance. The other five have been interesting, to say the least. I will go back to the library during my break this next week as soon as the other books are done. I have three of the five finished and the fourth is well on its way to being finished.

Since it was my first visit to the library, I did one of my favorite things - I browsed the stacks and selected books in a random manner. I picked one book because it was part of the Star Wars universe - it was an interesting book, and I will get the second installment of the series, mainly because I want to know more about the High Republic. I also chose two other first books in series that I will revisit. I like it when I find new authors to read, and this trip has given me a couple of them.

I am not sure if I am going to keep reading the book that I have right now. It is a post apocalyptic story with a protagonist who is written in a way that directly challenges some of the scientific and moral standards that I hold. I am only about five chapters in, but I am not really enjoying it yet. The cover does not match the story - hot pink and modern with killer kids and post nuclear story. I am hesitant about proceeding.

I do not usually give up on books, but I have not really selected books that work with my interests this time around. I need to explore the fiction stacks more in my next visit so I know where things are and what is available to me. I also want to write down the name of the author for the books that I have enjoyed so I can find the stories again.

Reading is my first form of self-care, and it always has been, so it is a good thing to be back at the library. It will also keep me from spending as much money on books. Well, that's the theory behind renewing my long-expired library card and actually going to the library. The other part is the access to digital resources through my library as well. I am currently enjoying some BBC shows through my library account.

I am looking forward to going back to the library. I now know where things are a bit better than I did last Friday. I will add a small book to the pocket of my library bag so I can keep track of the authors that I want to keep reading and the authors that I want to avoid. (Yay for the use of another small book!!) I also need to put in a pair of my cheap reading glasses so I can read the backs of the books - that was a fatal flaw in my library trip last week - I could not focus my eyes to see what was going on on the book covers. The last thing that I need is a pen so I can write things down while I am in the library. There you go - a library visit kit!

Time to start a new professional text and keep on reading the fun stuff that I have around me.