I am reading!

One of my new year's resolutions is to read more. Something about living in D.C. prevents me from picking up a book from the piles on my floor and tuning out everything else to focus on it. I keep buying books and planning to read them, but they just get dusty. I only read when I'm on a plane or at home visiting family. When I'm in D.C., I always have drawings to do, yoga class to attend, movies to watch, Lily to play with, and whatever else to distract me.

I just got around to starting my reading resolution this week. Even if I only read 10 pages a night, I tell myself, I'll at least be chipping away. I added an "I am reading..." section to my blog sidebar. I figure posting it here will remind me to keep going.

The first book I picked up from my floor selection is Paul and Me: 53 Years of Adventures and Misadventures with my Pal, Paul Newman by A.E. Hotchner. I was crushed when Paul Newman, one of my most favorite people on the planet, died in 2008. (The Kitties were too, see?) He was somebody I was always happy to see anywhere, anytime. I miss his thoughtfulness and wisdom, his charm and class, and his jokes. I ran out to buy this book as soon as it was published last year, but I resisted starting it: Written by one of his best friends, I thought I should savor what I was sure would be an honest account of the man. And, I also dreaded the imminent sad ending.

After spending the holidays in Ohio, I came back to D.C. and returned to my routines. I nearly tripped whipping around the corner from the kitchen when I heard a snippet of Paul Newman being interviewed on PBS Newshour. The report was about Newman's Own food company, which just celebrated hitting the $300 million mark in proceeds given to charity, proving that Paul's philanthropic efforts have outlasted him.

Robert Redford said that the world was a better place with Paul Newman in it, and I think he's right.

So, a year after I bought it, I'm finally ready to open the book. It might take a while to finish, but I'll let you know how it is when I do.

Look for a new book every once in a while if I can keep this up! What are you reading?