While The Reading Journals Volume One explores the development of self through the act of reading and what it means to be a reader, Volume Two is a different book altogether. The focuses still engage the self as a reader yet move into the realm of literary criticism, cultural analyses, and philosophy.

Continuing her quest to be truly well-read beyond what might be encountered in college, Newark discusses writers such as Wolfe, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Kerouac, and Steinbeck (and many more). Here there is no review-wrangling or professor-pleasing diatribes but rather refreshing and sometimes humorous analyses that encourage (and may even shock) the reader into viewing these classic American authors in new ways. A bonus is that even someone who has not read the books in question can enjoy the discussions.

Aside from the inherent literary criticism, the text is also highly focused on cultural analyses relevant to changes in society encompassing everything from hippies to survivalists, from stress disorders to utopia, from homeschooling to college teaching, from sex to politics, from flu shots to Facebook—all of which are inspired by and intertwined with discussions of books (and occasionally films).
 
The result is a work of philosophy for the modern age, of critical thinking, of speculation about the depths of the human brain, and of undaunted liberality—a work that anyone who appreciates informed reading will understand. (341 Pages)
 
For Kindle ebook, use this link:
Amazon.com : reading journals volume two susan newark