I wish I knew the answer to that question. I’ve been sheltering in place for nine weeks. I’ve had plenty of time on my hands to read, but I’ve found it a challenge to concentrate. When we started to stay home, I was in the midst of reading The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea. It’s an outstanding nonfiction book about the tragic deaths of many in a group of immigrants who crossed the border from Mexico to the U.S. in the early 2000s. I read the first half quickly but struggled with the second half despite my interest in the topic. I couldn’t concentrate. My mind wandered, and I’d have to get up and do something, anything—cook a meal, clean the oven, do laundry, whatever kept me from sitting and dwelling on the pandemic.

Now, nine weeks later, I’ve relaxed a bit, and I’m finding it easier to sit and read for at least a half hour at a time, if not longer. It could be that I’m less anxious about the pandemic, or perhaps I’ve accommodated to the new normal. Or, could it be because I’m reading novels that don’t require a lot of deep thinking? It’s easier to bury my mind in that type of book. The past three weeks I’ve read a thriller, a YA novel, and a chick lit romance. The YA novel, The Summer of Jordi Perez , was especially easy to read because it’s a feel-good story. Hmmm…I think I just answered my question.