Month: June 2026

I’ve made it a habit to read multiple books at once, and have found a rule to keep myself from not losing interest in one book or another. As a rule, I will read one book for a few minutes a day, while in the other book, I will read at great length (the main book), which I plan to finish sooner than the other. In the past, I would read one book at a time, but there were books that did not hold my interest, and as a result, I would read less and less until I slowly quit reading altogether.

Because I had lost interest in that book, I lost the habit of reading (consistently, that is), and when I picked up reading again, it would take me awhile to build up my concentrative stamina again. Not only that, but there were times when other things would come up, impacting the time I had to read. But by setting aside one book to read for just a few minutes a day (i.e. 5 – 10 minutes), while having another book to read at leisure (i.e. 30 minutes or longer), it has helped me to develop a good habit of reading each day, regardless of the day’s events.

Of course, the more you read, the easier it will be to immerse yourself into the story–quicker, that is. There have been times where other things were on my mind and it would take a few pages before I could fully concentrate on the book. But with practice, this delay of immersion started to reduce–to the point where I was already wondering what would happen next (in the story) before I read.

Warriors 4: Rising Storm (The Prophecies Begin), by Erin Hunter, published in 2004, is a fun and thrilling adventure into the world of cats who survive in the wild. Book one followed the journey of a house cat named Rusty, who meets cats in the wild, organized into clans. Now his name is Fireheart, and he has taken on the role of deputy of ThunderClan, ever since Tigerclaw has been ousted (as told in book 3).

In Rising Storm, the first act of the book takes us through the lives of the cats in ThunderClan ever since Tigerclaw’s betrayal was uncovered. Bluestar, the head of ThunderClan, is morose and sullen after her trusted deputy was found to be untrustworthy. Cloudpaw, Fireheart’s nephew, has become his apprentice, though he is discovered venturing back into twolegs (humans) territory, which is against the rules. Yellowfang, the head medicine cat, is training Cinderpelt (Fireheart’s last apprentice before she injured her leg on Thunderpath–the road where cars and trucks are driven). And then there is Darkstripe, who is ever so suspicious of Fireheart ever since he has taken Tigerclaw’s place as deputy.

And with Tigerclaw on the prowl with other rogue cats, Fireheart must stay vigilant at all times, with the other cats on alert. He also wants to check on Graystripe–his best friend who is now living with RiverClan–but the risk of venturing there will leave the clan at risk. And when a pair of ShadowClan cats arrive to their territory sick, helped by none other than Cinderpelt (the apprentice medicine cat), Fireheart must weigh the consequences of helping them or betraying his clan.

Without revealing what happens in the last act, a catastrophic event changes everything for ThunderClan, including the fate of some characters. Warriors 4: Rising Storm is a gripping story that takes the series in a new direction. As the characters evolve, Fireheart must learn to be a leader, while balancing the safety of the other cats with the warrior codes.

Pax, written by Sara Pennypacker, published in 2016, is a heartwarming story about a boy who is searching for his pet fox amidst the outbreak of war. The story begins with Peter riding in the car with his father when the latter pulls over to the side of the road. With a green army toy in his hand, Peter throws it into the woods, and his pet fox, Pax, chases after it. But unbeknownst to Pax, the car drives off, leaving him stranded in the woods.

Since Pax had been raised by Peter ever since he was a pup, he doesn’t know how to survive in the wild on his own. Soon after, Peter’s father joins the army, leaving Peter to stay with his grandfather some 300 miles away from where Pax was released. But Peter begins to worry, and he sets off on his own to find Pax at the place where he had last seen him. During his hike, he injures his foot, and unable to travel much farther, he is helped by a woman named Vola, who lives on a farm.

A veteran of the army, Vola survives off grid and without electricity–teaching Peter lessons about perseverance and how to survive with the resources he has. Meanwhile, Pax meets a pair of sibling foxes: Bristle and Runt, who are both cautious of humans after losing their parents to them. Pax struggles to catch food, but with the siblings’ help, he manages to survive in the wilderness. An older wolf named Gray decides to join Pax to find Peter, and so they set off on a journey across the wilderness into army territory.

What’s fascinating about the book is how these two storylines parallel each other until they coincide toward the end. In Peter’s case, he learns to walk on crutches as his foot heals, while Pax is met with obstacles when he finds a camp of soldiers laying wires in the ground in the forest, which poses a threat to anyone or anything that crosses it.

The juxtaposition of the two storylines becomes more tense as the distance between them closes. In both cases, Peter and Pax begin to grow in ways that are unique: Pax becomes more adapted to living in the wild, and Peter becomes wiser about the realities of life. Toward the end, Peter and Pax are no longer the same, and as they’ve impacted and helped those around them, the novel leaves us with this question: are they better off on their separate paths?

Ethan Frome, written by Edith Wharton, published in 1911, tells the story of a man named Ethan Frome, who works on his family’s farm (which was passed on to him) in a village called Starkfield, New England. One day, when his wife’s cousin, Mattie, arrives to help around the house, given his wife’s poor health (Zeena), the dynamics in the household slowly begin to change.

Ethan becomes smitten by Mattie, who is full of life and enthusiasm, whereas Zeena, who at one point took care of his ailing mother (before they became married), is now ailing herself. The story is told in hindsight, some twenty years later, through the eyes of a visitor who visits Starkfield. The story slowly unfolds through quiet moments, for example, when Ethan and Mattie are walking through snowy roads, when they are having dinner, when they are riding on the wagon, or when he is working on the farm with the help of a worker named Jotham.

After Zeena returns home one day after seeing a doctor about her health, she reveals that she has hired someone new to take care of things around the house. But on this note, her cousin, Mattie, must leave before the new person arrives. This comes as a shock to both Ethan and Mattie, and he feels embittered by it. As a result, he begins to draw up plans to leave (i.e. finding a place to go, what to do with the farm, etc.), but given the impoverishment of his circumstance, he begins to question if this is even possible.

In the final act, while Ethan is still figuring out what to do, we, the reader, are left wondering what his decision will be. And this makes the ending all the more gripping as he becomes more certain of his decision. Will the outcome be hopeful or tragic, I will not reveal. Ultimately, Ethan Frome is a story that uncovers the depths of the heart, and how, in a tragic sense, the circumstances of reality can often shake its dreams.

The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1894, is a collection of stories, though its primary focus is on the life of Mowgli (the boy raised by wolves). The first half of the book explores Mowgli as he befriends various animals, include Bagheera, the panther, and Baloo, the bear, who teaches him the ropes of the jungle (namely, the Law(s) of the Jungle). We learn of their nemesis, Shere Khan, the tiger, in which, toward the end of the story, there is a tense scene where Mowgli, who now lives with humans in a village, mobilizes a herd of buffaloes against Shere Khan.

The story has a surreal yet fantastical tone to it, since Mowgli can understand and speak with the other animals, who can speak with each other (i.e. the bear with the panther, and both to the wolves, etc.). The plot and pace is quick as well, with the scenes flying by as Mowgli starts to wonder where his place is in the world, either in the jungle or with civilization.

The other stories in this book are great as well. My favorite is the story The White Seal, in which we follow the journey of Kotick who searches for a place uninhabited by humans where he can lead the other seals there to safety. He travels far and wide until he meets a whale that shows him the way to an island where boats and ships cannot cross. The other stories include a mongoose who defends a family against snakes after they (the family) rescues him, the life of an elephant who is ridden through the jungle to catch other elephants, and a conversation amongst animals (a mule, a horse, an elephant, etc.) who discuss their roles in the army–led by soldiers.

Altogether, the stories draw upon the imagination of the reader to see the world through the eyes of animals and their relationship to humans. Though the story with Mowgli is one of nature vs. society, the others put us into the minds of animals as they partake in different adventures, either seeking coexistence with humans, or a retreat back into nature.