I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
Category: reading
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A Fun Ride
Why do I read aloud from 19th Century American books by and about black people? Because this list from Barnes and Noble of 45 (45!) 19th Century books that modern people should read only contains one (1!) book by a black author (and I won’t even get into how few American authors are on the list). Now, if you haven’t read Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (the black author I mentioned), you most definitely should. It’s long and complex and compelling and intriguing. It’s absolute genius!
I’ve read many but not all of the books on that list, so I have some work to do myself, but I guarantee you there are works by 19th Century black Americans that should be on that list. I think everyone should read more 19th Century American texts, but if you’re a historical fiction fan who enjoys reading books about the 19th Century, your next logical step is to read books written in the 19th Century.
I’m here to help.
Check out my membership site, Roshaunda’s Reading Room, where I read aloud from 19th Century American texts and add my commentary. I also post questions with each reading, a weekly writing prompt to help you connect the reading to your life, and I host a monthly book club meeting to discuss the readings. So far, everything I’ve read has been by and/or about black people, and I think I’ll stick with that for the foreseeable future. No matter where the texts take us, however, it will be a fun ride.
Check out Roshaunda’s Reading Room for more information and join today!
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House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt, Ch 2c
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
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House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt, Ch 2b
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
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House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt, Ch 2a
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
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Connect, Read, & Write at LELA House
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House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt, Ch 1b
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
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Why You Should Read Daily
I googled “Why you should read daily” and got 3.5 billion hits in .99 seconds. I recognize you don’t need me to tell you why you should read every day, but I feel like I have a little something to add to the discussion.
You’ll have fun. If you read what you enjoy, you will enjoy reading. Often we think we should read this thing or that thing, and that’s when reading becomes a chore. Sometimes we are pressed to read things we don’t like, but just because you’re reading something you don’t like doesn’t mean you can’t find something you do like.
You’ll discover what you like to read. The more you read, the wider your reading selections become. And in broadening your reading diet, you’ll learn you enjoy more genres and styles than you previously imagined.
You’ll learn about yourself. Reading puts you in the middle of situations you may have never encountered in your real life. Through these opportunities, you learn how you feel about certain topics, how you believe you would react in certain situations, and how much stress you can take before hurling a book across a room.
You’ll learn about others. Reading puts you in the middle of situations you may have never encountered in your real life. Yep, I just said it, but I’m saying it again. Through these opportunities, you’ll learn about perspectives that differ from your own, about mores and value systems you didn’t know existed, and how to empathize with people who aren’t like you.
You’ll become critically engaged. Reading forces you to examine writing patterns and styles. You may not recognize you’re doing so, but the more you read, the more you recognize what works and what doesn’t work in writing. You learn what persuasive arguments look like, how to describe a beautiful sunset, and how to keep an audience engaged. And as you learn these things, you begin applying them to your own writing. Additionally, you learn more about topics that matter to you and about the world more broadly. Reading makes you an informed citizen of the world, all without leaving your comfy chair.
You’ll change the world. Reading helps you learn, and learning changes you. Once you’ve learned something, you live differently based on the knowledge you’ve acquired. The new way you show up in the world affects those around you and around them and so on and so on, until your circle of influence reaches infinity.
Do you want to learn your unique design, become critically engaged and change the world? Read a book. Who knows where it will take you.
If you’re interested in learning how LELA House can enrich your reading, sign up for LELA House emails HERE.
And comment below with what you’re reading currently. My current reads are in the comments, too.
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House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt, Ch 1a
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.
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“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin
I have a Youtube playlist where I read aloud from 19th Century American literary texts, and I thought I’d share those here. In addition to reading the texts, I add my own commentary and analysis. I hope you enjoy them.