This summer I’ve been reading a book that I have started to describe as a labor of love. It’s not an easy book to read; last week it took me over 3 hours to read 22 pages. I have to have two bookmarks when I read it, one to mark the page I am reading, and one to mark the endnotes that explain the obscure historical and biblical allusions that are all over the place. I’ve been reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky (even pronouncing the author’s last name is a challenge for me and I sound stupid when I do it…and I practiced). I like to read challenging books though because it’s like lifting weights. If I keep lifting with lighter books all the time, I won’t get any stronger (smarter), but the more I lift with heavier books, the stronger my muscles get. And since I spend ten out of twelve months doing reps with the same books I’ve been reading for years, I worry that I’m not growing as much as I could, so summer is a time for strength training so to speak. And if I keep read