The Reading Life of... Kim Ourada

This letter will introduce you to one of my favorite readers — KIM OURADA!!!

Kim O — taught math in Chicago for many years, until she recently retired. When she shared her news a few months ago during one of our Community Zooms1, we all wanted to know what her retirement plans were and we all screamed when she said “books and yoga”… because, isn’t that the dream life that so many of us around here share?! So well deserved after 20+ yeas spent in the company of high-schoolers. I hope this conversation inspires you to commit to a lifelong pursuit of learning and the humility and simple daily discipline that pursuit requires.

I also hope that the conversation inspires you to join a literary community or conversation — Kim shares her favorite spaces below. Kim isn’t a creator or a critic but she is a beloved and respected member of a half-dozen reading communities across Substack and Instagram, showing up to other people’s Zoom calls and Discords month after month. In fact, I know that many of you will recognize her not only from her thoughtful comments to my posts and our Reading Life Community Zoom but from other communities you belong to as well. Please wave if that is the case! 👋

There’s something about this moment we live in that makes so many of us determined to stake a claim, do our own thing, be the one with the opinion. It’s an ego-driven impulse that I am not proud of and absolutely recognize in myself as well. I am personally so inspired by Kim who seems to have the opposite instinct: a discerning eye, real taste, and no compulsion to plant a flag. How very cool.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. What role do books and reading play in your personal and your professional life?

To answer this, I want to share a bit about my background. My first career was as an interior designer in Denver and Chicago. While I loved the creativity of the profession, I felt something was missing. Taking advantage of my husband’s tuition benefits at DePaul University, I returned to school. I fully embraced a liberal arts education, double majoring in mathematics and cultural anthropology with a minor in French. I completed my Master’s Degree and taught mathematics for 29 years (just retired). For me, it was never just about the teaching of math—it was about sharing with my students the value of being curious every day.

Reading reflects my love of an interdisciplinary life. It fuels my natural curiosity, broadens my worldview, and is a tool for self-discovery and personal growth.

On an average week, how much do you read and when?

I thrive on routine, but I don’t closely track my habits. During my time as a teacher, I built a regimented daily reading habit. Living just a mile from work meant I could spend 15 minutes reading before arriving at school at 7:00 a.m. After school, I carved out 15 to 30 minutes of transition time. In the evenings, I closed the day with a book in bed (typically around 8 pm). And…there are always those interstitial moments.

Retirement gives me the free time I need to build new routines. However, mornings will always be my most productive reading time. I can tap into the mental reset that exists after sleep, before decision fatigue has entered the day.

What do you like to read? How has your taste changed over the years?

I don’t know that my taste has changed more than it has expanded. I have a natural craving for novelty and broadening my worldview. Translated fiction isn’t something I read years ago, but it is now an important part of my reading life. Also, when I read broadly, I give myself the opportunity for “aha!” moments—those instances where seemingly disconnected ideas result in an interesting connection. That is one of the most exciting feelings in my reading life!

The literary blind spot I have is romance, and I frequently struggle with non-fiction.

What’s a reading ritual or habit you’ve developed that’s unique to you?

Nothing unique.

PKG: This is absolutely NOT true. There are two very specific reading habits that I have picked up on Kim’s direct advice. No. 1, when I book starts to feel inaccessible — if possible — pop it on in audio format AND listen to the narration while you follow along on the page. That is brilliant advice for mastering your attention in distracted times. No. 2, if book journaling feels inaccessible, simply copy the first and last line of the book in your notebook. AMAZINGLY HELPFUL AND SATISFYING. I bet by the time I publish this post, I will think of a few more!

Do you take notes while you read? If yes, are you particular about your materials - notebooks, pens, highlighters vs. pencils, etc?

I am a fan of paperbacks and never hesitate to annotate, and dog-ear, my books. My favorite tools are Blackwing pencils, which I stock up on during Independent Bookstore Day.

There is a sensory experience of reading with them—from the smell of the California incense-cedar to the intentional pause required to sharpen the lead. I use a ruler to underline passages because it slows down my mind so I can re-absorb the line.

PKG: Blackwing pencils are A Reading Life community favorite! Michael Rance also mentioned them in his interview last year and I have been using // loving them ever since, too. In fact, Blackwing pencils have become my de facto bookmarks of choice.

How do you keep track of what you want to read?

I am a StoryGraph fan but my journals are my memory keepers. I have two journals, one of which is a reading log, which is a new habit for me. Instead of restarting my book count every year, I just keep a continuous count. (See image above).

My second journal contains the first sentence, last sentence, and narrative voice, plus whatever else I am drawn to. Those three things really trigger my memories about the book.

Where do you get ideas about what to read?

Thank goodness for all the pearls of wisdom that now exist in the online space. I have found trusted curators on Instagram and Substack. I get so bubbly talking about the creators I love! Here are my tried-and-tested favorites — the ones that actually feed my literary life:

• Fiction Matters by Sara Hildreth — Instagram/Substack/Discord, with Zoom book discussions. She originally also ran Novel Pairings: Classic Books, Modern Readers; I joined both because of how masterfully curated her selections are. Sara hosts a monthly Buzzy Book meeting, a monthly Book Club (literary and classic fiction), and runs a very active “reading among friends” Discord.

• A Reading Life by moi 2— Instagram/Substack, with Zoom “reading life” discussions and thoughtful monthly reading posts. There’s a weekly community space where followers share their Last Read, Current Read, and Next Up — some great conversations and finds have come out of that. Petya also opens up her journaling life in a way that’s been a constantly evolving source of inspiration for me. When I read her about page — “This is a space for anybody who wants to live an intellectually inspired life” — I knew it was a good fit. She’s genuinely one of the most personable creators in the book space.

• Martha’s Monthly by Martha Adams — Instagram/Substack/Discord, with bi-monthly Zoom discussions. Martha’s knowledge of translated fiction is rich, and she’s a fantastic guide if you want to read differently. Her monthly reviews — with a Buy/Borrow/Bust verdict — surface gems I’d never find on my own, and her Zoom discussions have grown into a genuinely thoughtful community.

• Footnotes and Tangents by Simon Haisell — mostly Substack, some Instagram. Simon describes it as writing “guides for the books I love” and running read-alongs at a gentle pace — and honestly, it’s a gift of adult education. I never would have gotten the depth I did on the Wolf Hall trilogy without his weekly guides (true to the name — footnotes and tangents). The comments section is not to be missed; Simon often adds as much depth there as in the post itself.

• Read the Classics by Henry Eliot — Substack. Henry filled the gap when Novel Pairings closed, and I subscribed immediately — every month I found myself saying “oh, I want to read that.” He runs a year-long slow read of a classic; this month it’s Bonjour Tristesse, and between his translation recommendation, video post (where I nod along more than I’d like to admit), and community discussion, he’s scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. In August we’re reading Their Eyes Were Watching God — a book I’ll admit I’ve been a little intimidated to read on my own.

• Booker of the Month by Deedi Brown — Instagram, also on Substack. We read and meet monthly to discuss a Booker-nominated title (some months we double up with two books). Great discussions, but also a lot of laughs — a genuinely fun-loving community.

Each of these creators has its own niche in my reading life. It sounds like a lot, but I always pick and choose so it never subverts my own reading goals.

Finally, I am super lucky that my local library is about a mile away. Walking out of the library with a load of books is the best way to sample or to follow something tangential to a current read.

How do you decide what to read next? Are you a mood-reader or a planner?

I am both. Because I have honed in on curators who fit my broad reading tastes, it's easy to participate in read-alongs while honoring my reading preferences. But I also grant myself the space to follow my own reading plan or mood.

When people ask me how come I read as much as I do, I frequently just give them a list of things that I don’t do as regularly as I probably should: exercise, clean house, spend time with friends. What do you choose NOT to do in favour of reading?

Yoga and daily walks are essential to my routine. I’ve discovered that listening to audiobooks makes my walking time fly by, even though I have mixed feelings about how the format affects my reading experience. That said, I find that audio works perfectly for a re-read.

Social time in limited amounts. I have always enjoyed my alone time.

Cleaning, yuk, 15 minute chunks in various places daily. I can’t think when there is clutter so clearing surfaces is a mental must!

My husband and I have created a collection of easy, nutritious meals. While he puts a vinyl record on to cook dinner, I retreat to enjoy a few quiet moments of reading.

PKG: Here to co-sign on audiobooks for re-reads AND as cleaning companions. Yuk is right.

Do you have any tips or advice for people who wish they were reading more?

It seems counter-intuitive, but reading multiple books at once actually helps me read more. It keeps things fresh allowing me to shift my focus depending on my mood. That said, if a book completely captivates me, I’ll happily abandon the multi-book approach and stick with it until the end.

What books do you find yourself recommending over and over again?

Because my interests are eclectic, I can never single out just one favorite book. From the breadth and depth of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, to celebrated Booker Prize nominations, to translated fiction and Foundry Editions releases, I would like to think of my shelves as a collection of diverse experiences. I don’t love one book over another; instead, I value each for the unique ways it has shaped my mind.

Maybe I should have talked about my reading snack/obsession of hot air popcorn that I spray with avocado oil and sprinkle on pink sea salt…

PKG: 😂

• Which of Kim’s tips and practices most resonated with you?

• Are you community joiner, a quiet lurker or do you like to do your own thing?

• What other literary communities do you enjoy being part of?