I even keep my preferred screen reader pinned for swifter, repetitive access. Thereafter, grab some shut-eye while processing the content being read aloud.

My mother, who can’t read and write, is one of my literary influences. I was 3 or 4 when she left our Sudanese refugee camp for Saudi Arabia, leaving me in the care of my maternal grandmother.

I’ve read nearly 100 books this year. My favorites include: “Train Dreams” by Denis Johnson, “A Garden of Earthly Delights” by Joyce Carol Oates, “August: Osage County” by Tracy ...