I’ve decided to join another read-along and this time the book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

Not that I love Steinbeck. He is an author that has been hit and miss with me, yet I feel compelled to read his work. 

You see, my mother’s family came to the Central Valley of California during the depression era. Many of the places Steinbeck describes, as well as some of the circumstances his characters experience, I know a bit about on a personal level.

Salinas, Monterey Bay, King City, Moss Landing are all places I can still picture in my head. Especially King City. It’s where I would cut over if driving down the 101 to get to Coalinga.

When I lived just outside Half Moon Bay, I would sometimes drive down Highway 1 and cut in from Castroville, and stop in King City to eat before continuing. It was a longer drive, but cooler in the summer and it smelled much better than using the I-5. If you’re wondering what I mean by that, two words for you: Harris Ranch.

But I digress. If you’re interested in joining in, here is the schedule:

• Tuesday, February 1: Kick-off!
  (Perhaps a meditation on Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck and our previous associations/experiences with him?)
• Tuesday, February 8: pages 1-80
• Tuesday, February 15: pages 81-160
• Tuesday, February 22: pages 161-240
• Tuesday, March 1: pages 241-320
• Tuesday, March 8: pages 321-400
• Tuesday, March 15: pages 401-480, and perhaps a pre-St Paddy’s Day and/or pagan shindig (just thinking out loud here; don’t you guys feel like we’ll need a mid-book reward?)
• Tuesday, March 22: pages 480-540
• Tuesday, March 29: pages 540-end, fabulous catharsis of relief and accomplishment.

Eighty pages isn’t a whole lot per week, so this is very doable.

I’m looking forward to next week and seeing if this particular novel by Steinbeck will be a hit or miss. Time will tell.