I've often been told that senior year is supposed to be spent at a slightly slower pace compared to the years before, and that one must embrace the (now less than 100) days left until graduation. Well, that sounds nice and all, but I’ve never been good at relaxing, and having too much free time gives me panic attacks. In any case, a disdain for boredom, over-enthusiasm for the English department, and perhaps a little bit of stupidity caused me to sign up for a staggering four English courses in my final Stonehill semester. Needless to say, my leisure time reading is a bit lacking currently. But not to worry—I have always found time to fit in a few pages of a new book when I can. I now spend my Sunday afternoon shift at the library almost exclusively reading Bill Bryson’s newest addition: At Home: A Short History of Private Life. I have yet to encounter a Bryson book that I do not like, and this one is no exception. Bryson takes us through his Yorkshire rectory-made-home, one room at a time, using a bit of his typical hilarity as well as fascinating historical anecdotes. Bryson writes non-fiction with a charisma that I admire. He is, perhaps, my favorite modern day writer for his ability to be insightful, witty, cutting, comical, endearing, and probably most importantly—his ability to have run-ins with the most overwhelming specimens of human beings. To quote my first Bill Bryson love (A Walk in the Woods): “I have long known that it is part of God's plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth."
By Ashley Savard
