Tag Archives: reading

The Bible, Mockingbird, and the Books That Keep Finding Me

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Bible is the honest answer. But teaching has a way of making you return to certain books again and again, until they become part of your life. Continue reading →

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The Childhood Books That Made Me a Reader

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I’m not sure I can name the first book I ever finished. But I remember the books that made me a reader: Judy Bolton, the Hardy Boys, The Ghost of Dibble Hollow and, eventually, A Wrinkle in Time. Continue reading →

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The One Book I Still Miss Teaching Every Year

Posted on May 16, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I thought Flowers for Algernon would be an interesting science-fiction story. I didn’t expect it to become one of the books I most looked forward to teaching — or one I would miss so much after I had to stop. Continue reading →

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The Whale Was Not the Problem: When Classic Books Become Endurance Tests

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some classic books have undeniable themes, powerful messages, and lasting importance. That does not always make them enjoyable to read. Sometimes the whale is not the problem. Sometimes the problem is everything around the whale. Continue reading →

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Childhood Obsessions and Other Undiagnosed Hobbies

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

As a kid, I wasn’t obsessed with one thing. I had rotating departments of obsession — baseball games, sci-fi shows, TV crushes, books, music, teams, teachers and anything else that could completely take over my imagination by Tuesday. Continue reading →

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Some Books Tell Their Story Once. Others Keep Talking.

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Most novels lose some of their pull once I know what’s coming. But a few books — because of depth, meaning, or sheer craft — still reveal something new every time I return to them. Continue reading →

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More Room for What Matters

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some of the best parts of life happen in slower spaces — conversations that last longer than expected, time with family, a book left open, a page half-written, and nobody in a hurry. Continue reading →

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The Perfect Reading and Writing Space, Tucked Away in the Mountains

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

If I could build the perfect space for reading and writing, it wouldn’t be flashy. It would be intentional—and it would be tucked away in the mountains, far enough from the noise to think clearly, but close enough to a small town to remember the world is still there. Continue reading →

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From Maycomb to Mount Olympus to Old Kentucky: What I’m Reading Now

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

I’m reading three books right now—two with my students and one just for myself. My 8th graders are deep in To Kill a Mockingbird, my 9th graders are journeying through The Odyssey, and at home I’m finally returning to The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, a book my mother once read aloud to me as a child. Each of these stories is speaking to me in a different way this season. Continue reading →

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Where I Wander Online

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

I’m not sure I have favorite websites in the way I had favorite hangout spots growing up, but there are definitely places I return to day after day — for news, for work, for curiosity, and sometimes just to get my head clear. Continue reading →

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