"Don't Let Reading Get In The Way Of Living Your Life"

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Hey there!

Yes, someone actually said that. They noticed that I was going to the library once a week instead of once a month. They noticed that I'd read before bed and lose track of time and therefore be a bit sleepy in the morning. They were pretty certain that "once you start going out more, won't have so much time to read".

First things first. I love reading. I began reading "Where The Wild Things Are" at 7 years old. I've always read more than other people that I know. Embarrassingly, it's only been in the last 5 years that I've found other readers like me and book conferences and book clubs that focused on various types of books that I like. Once I found these things, I was off and running. 

Night time reading. I'm a single gal. There is no particular Mr. ItWasBoundToHappen right now. There are a few folks vying for the spot but it's a tough race to win.  I've never been one for staying out late "on a school night" and I like that. I have no plans to change that any time soon. At night, I snuggle with a pillow or two. And you know, at 9 o'clock at night, my pillow doesn't care if I'm resting a large book across its non-feather, hypoallergenic stuffing. My comfy covers aren't bothered by the odd paperback sleeping with us. Reading at night soothes me. 

Which leads me to point three. On Saturday and Sunday or random off days, I wake up naturally (without the aid of an alarm clock) about 8am or 8:30am and usually feel pretty darn refreshed. On a typical work day my alarm clock (jarringly) goes off at 5:40am. I normally get out of bed no later than 5:55. I'm out the door by 6:40 and at my desk by 7:30.  So if I'm sleepy, it's probably because it's so darn early in the day. I could get 8 hours of sleep and at 6am I'm going to yawn. 

I know. I've done it. I've gone to bed way too early, gotten up way too early (8 hours later) and still yawned. I've also gone to sleep at 3am and gotten up at 9am and didn't yawn once!

And me, going out more -- I'm not a hermit that goes to work, comes home, waits on my delivery dinner, orders my groceries online and never sees the light of day. I don't hunker down in my hovel Friday night and crack the door open again Monday morning for work.

I might go out for drinks after work or I might meet friends for dinner. The kiddo and I might get our nails done or have a spa day. I might run to the mall or local shops (if you know me you know that that is HIGHLY likely! I love a good sale!). I'm far from a recluse and not close to a hermit. I have a wonderful social life that suits me very well. I love it! 

And my friends? Well, the like books too! I am a member of 2 live book clubs and 2 web book clubs (sighhh, I added a new live book club a few weeks ago). I am happy to say that I am friends with many of the librarians that I deal with on a weekly or monthly basis. I just made friends with a librarian in training today (you did great by the way, Tracy!). When you have friends that read, it's easier to fit reading into your day. No, not all of my friends read like I do but my closest friends -- yeah, they read. It may not be the novels that I read. I have a good friend that loves to read about photography. I have a friend that loves fashion magazines - she devours them like a good meal! I have several friend that keep socially conscience books in rotation all the time. And, I have friends that like smut books a lot (and I like those friends a lot). Your friends are a reflection of you. My friends read.

I'm able to read a lot in a short amount of time. One huge advantage that I have is that I take public transportation to work. I drive a few miles to the train station and spend the next 22 minutes engrossed in a book. Same thing on the way home. 44 minutes may not seem like a long time to some but you can knock out quite a few pages in that time. And, I have a very short commute to the train station. So, while some folks have a 1 - 2 hour commute each way, I have about a 30 - 35 minute commute each way. I'm normally hit my front door before 5pm.

My hobby is that I read. Some people golf. Others collect things (besides books). Some people hike and rock climb. Some people shop (Ok. I do that too). Some folk's hobby is socializing. 

I. Read. Books. 

I love it. I love talking about it. I love thinking about it. I love deciding which book I'm going to read next. I love writing and reading reviews about books. Just like others make time for their hobbies, I make time to read, not every day but most days. And it doesn't get in the way of my life. 

Reading is a part of my life. 

It's a major part. 

And I love it!

Check Out Your Library - Books and Groups

Hey there!

I had to get three teeth pulled Friday but I made sure I stopped by my local library beforehand. One, I stopped by to pick up 5 books that they were holding for me and two, I wanted to attend my first "Sassenach Stories; An Outlander Gathering". 

Last things first - My library has a gathering of folks that like Outlander, the books and the television series. It's headed by one of our librarians (are we allowed to call them that? To me, that's a very reverent title and is perfect for them!) and was attended by 11 very nice people.

I had a really enjoyable time with my new Outlander friends. We talked about the books and the television series - similarities and differences. We swooned over Jamie, because why not? We got a reading list with the order that you should read Diana Gabaldon's books in (the ones pertaining to the Outlander series). We had Scottish shortbread cookies. And, we just had a fun time. 

We talked about online Outlander bookclubs, facebook groups, and live groups that meet around town. This particular group gathers once a month at the library and while I'm not an Outlander fanatic, I do plan on joining them anytime I can. 

First things last, I picked up 5 books. I'm lazy in that I let the library pull my books for me. I order them online and then wait a few days and pick them all up. 

I picked up Ms. Marvel which is the very first graphic novel I have ever read. I'm not sure why it's called a graphic novel instead of comic book but whateves. 

I picked up The Queen of The Tearling. I've, of course, heard a lot about it so I thought I'd check it out. I don't know specifically what it's about but I do that from time to time. I'll read according to pretty covers or everyone else's reviews. 

Throne of Glass is the first book in the series with the same name. I finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and loved it. I figure this series should be just as good. 

Off The Page was a book that someone on BookTube hauled. It's supposed to be a cute YA romance. I thought after all the paranormal and adult books, this should be a nice change of pace. 

Magonia had a pretty cover. It also had an interesting topic. To my knowledge it's about a girl with a breathing disorder that sees a ship in the sky. Her family thinks that she sees this ship because of all of the medicines that she takes for her breathing disorder. I think she goes on the ship and is able to breathe normally. And so the dilemma  begins. 

I don't have to tell you how wonderful the library is. You get to read all of these great books for free. I even borrowed Alice In Zombieland for my kindle! Happy days!

When was the last time you checked out your library? What services do you enjoy best? If your library card isn't up to date, you are missing out on some fantastic adventures!

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Letting Go - BOOK REVIEW - I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl by Alexis Jones

 

Hey there!

I finally gave myself permission to put this book down. I've been trying to read it for 3 months. Yep, 3 months. One of my online book clubs planned on reading it and I wanted to be able to join in on the monthly chat.

I didn't join in.

This was a hard read because I didn't find it interesting. It is a book of "cheers", as I like to call them. It's a bunch of uplifting quotes and motivational stories that didn't quite motivate me. 

The quotes were ones that you find within any Google search. Some are accurately cited and some are not. They are all intended to be peppy and make you excited to "do something"! I've seen most of them hundreds of times so they didn't exactly inspire me to do anything. 

The stories of determination and grit were written by people I had never hear of. Most of them ventured out to do their own thing, risk it all, take a chance and make it work! Except, I didn't find that they inspired me to do the same thing. They didn't make me look at my world any differently. 

Maybe if I had read this in my late teens or early 20's it would have had a different effect on me (or some effect at all). Unfortunately (for this book) I am quite a bit older than that and I didn't really need it.

I will keep it though. It's pretty.

BOOK REVIEW - Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Hey there!

I am in a book club (or three). That's not a secret. Two of my book clubs are virtual and one is live, with people that I see almost every day. My "live" book club picks three books to read each quarter and then we have a dinner meeting and talk about them. This past quarter we had to read Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler.

Calling Me Home is almost 2 books in one. Dorrie Curtis is the hairdresser and more importantly, friend to Isabelle McAllister. Isabelle is 89, Dorrie is either in her late 30s or early 40s. Isabelle asks Dorrie to drive her home to a funeral. She doesn't explain why but Dorrie feels that she can do this favor for Isabelle and take a break from things going on in her own life as well.

The book goes back and forth between present day about 1930's Kentucky. Current day deals with Dorrie's problems with her children (well, her son child) and her new boyfriend (and the demons of her ex). 1930's Kentucky is about Isabelle, a white teen, and how she falls in love with Robert, a black young man in her town.

The 1930's portion of the book pulls as your heart strings and leaves you unwilling to put the book down. You feel for Isabelle and the things that happen when a white girl falls for a black boy in the 1930s. The current day for Dorrie left me wanting to slap Dorrie. I had no sympathy for her at all.

That doesn't mean that any of the characters in this book were bad. No, they were all very well written. They were written so well that you fell in love with Isabelle and her naiveté and you were upset with Dorrie and her indecisiveness. The sub characters REALLY pushed your buttons. I mean each character was so fantastic, even if you are meant to hate (or really dislike) them.

The pace of the book was great. Even though there is some back and forth between the drive to get to the funeral and the romance between Isabelle and Robert, you can keep track of everything. Julie Kibler does a great job keeping you clear. Honestly, I would have been ok without Dorrie's story. It was nice to read but it would have been ok by me if it was left out.

I can tell you that I finished this book in a McDonalds parking lot, crying. Yes, I cried at the end. Was it because I was unhappy or happy? You have to read the book to find out.

I beyond loved this book. I didn't expect to but I really did. I totally recommend that everyone read it. If you have a book club, pick it. If you have a free 4 or 5 hours, read it!

I give this book 5 stars. Yes! 5 stars. I loved it, recommend it and plan on reading other books by Julie.

Bookshelves!

Hey there!

I bought new bookshelves! You have to understand what an undertaking this has been. I have researched and tested and watched videos and I've really taken this way too seriously. But, can a reader really take their bookshelves too seriously? I mean bookshelves are homes for your babies! I can't imagine that a true book reader wouldn't take their time in getting new bookshelves.

So I ended up with these.

First, let's back up a little bit. I moved a few months ago and ended up with a large bedroom. My bedroom is large enough that I created a reading space near the window. When I was creating this space, I had to think of what type of bookshelves would work for me. I decided that these work for me.

I know, I know. I could fit more books on a tall bookshelf. I thought about that but decided that I wanted to keep my room lighter and airier and therefore cut the bookshelves in half and leave the top of my walls open.

I'm also 5'4 1/2" and I don't want my bookshelves to tower over me. It's a thing.

I chose white shelves because of the crisp, clean look of white furniture. Most of the furniture in my home is white so this keeps with the theme.

You see three bookshelves here. These are the new ones that I purchased. There are two more older ones on the other side of the room. I also have a smaller shelf near my bed and that holds my spiritual books.

I am super happy with my new bookshelves. No, I haven't put my books on the shelves yet because my plan is to catalogue the books as I put them on the shelf.

Sighhh. I am too much.

I plan on doing this little by little so that I get it right.

And in a year I'll probably reorganize.

That's okay too.

BOOK REVIEW - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Hey there!

Several folks have been reviewing this book on booktube and have been recommending it on Goodreads. I thought about purchasing it but there are so many books that I want to purchase and my paycheck only goes so far. I just decided to check it out from my local library instead.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is a Beauty and the Beast fantasy type novel. Because her family falls on hard times, Feyre (a 19 year old human) hunts to help support her family. During one of her hunts she kills a huge wolf. But, the wolf isn't just any old wolf. In true B&TB fashion, because of what she does, the beast (Tamlin, an immortal faerie) takes her from her family and makes her live with him at his estate.

Feyre isn't truly a prisoner and of course, as she gets to know Tamlin (and the rest of the faeries on his estate) she falls in love with him. And, Tamlin, because he has to deal with Feyre every day, falls in love with her. Tamlin shows her that many of the ideas that she had about Faeries aren't true and shows her the beauties (and dangers) of the Faerie world. Of course, just as Feyre realizes that she loves Tamlin, danger ensues.

I enjoyed the characters. Feyre is a strong young woman. She's had to take care of her family for so long, that she is much older than her 19 years. Tamlin is a strong as well but I wish we had seen a bit more into his thoughts. We had to guess how he felt about Feyre.

The other characters in this book are well thought out and fit along nicely with the story. They are used to tell Tamlin's story as well as the history of the faeries and other mythical creatures that are in danger.

The pace of the book is nice. I don't like books that go from slow to super fast. This one kept a great a good pace except for maybe 2 places where it goes a bit fast.

I started reading the book on the train to work, so I read about an hour's worth for 2 days. Then, I began reading Chapter 4 and flew through the rest of the book in about 5 hours. I couldn't put this book down. A lot was going on so I had to make sure I read (almost) every word.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hoping that I would. I haven't read much Young Adult because I have problems with teens that have very adult adventures. This one is considered to be New Adult. That made me feel a bit better about love scenes -- not a lot better, just a bit better.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It was that good. I have to wait until 2016 for the next book. I'll make sure when I pick it up, I have a free Saturday and Sunday to read this.

What I Bought - July 2015

Hey there!

I bought quite a few books in July. I've been getting back into the swing of the reading thing. I spent a few months packing and moving so I didn't get to read like I wanted to. Now, I'm all moved and ready to get back in action. 

In the month of July, all of my book purchases came from the thrift store. Yep! I picked up all of them from Goodwill and Value Village and other thrift stores. I don't like paying full price for anything so it makes since that I'd go cheap on books too.

Let's begin with my girlie girl/chick lit books. I picked up Hope In a Jar by Beth Harbison, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin and The Debutante Divorcée by Plum Sykes. I don't know anything about Beth Harbison but the cover looked good and the topic of going to your high school reunion seemed interesting. I had no desire to go to mine, but you know! I just finished another book by Emily Giffin so it was just reflex that made me pick up Something Borrowed. And, The Debutante Divorcée looked good because I've read the Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes and enjoyed it.

I always have to look at one or two non-fiction books. Gotta expand the mind, you know. I settled on Three Black Skirts by Anna Johnson, Incense, The Complete Book of Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham, The One Year Book of Inspiration for Girlfriends by Ellen Miller and I Dare You by Joyce Meyer. Three Black Skirts is one that I will read straight through and of course The One Year Book of Inspiration for Girlfriends and I Dare You are books that I will read during my morning inspirational reading time. So, those books may take several months to finish. The Complete Book of Oils & Brews will be a reference book, so I don't have to read it in one sitting.

A lady in the Goodwill store told me I just had to read Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I don't really know what it's about but I thought I'd pick it up and try it out. She looked nice and like she read a lot. What better reason to pick up a book, huh?

But Mama Always Put Vodka In The Sangria by Julia Reed looked fun. It's one of those story plus cookbooks. I love cookbooks so one that adds a nice story is a plus.

The fact that I picked up Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig doesn't surprise anyone that knows me. I loooooove Gone With The Wind -- yes the book. I own the movie and watch it at least twice a year but I have also read the book and love it very much. More than I enjoy the GWTW book itself, I enjoy the parodies. I enjoy parodies and the books that spin off of the original book in general. I like that they try to tell us what happened before, after and alongside the original book (authorized books are fine but unauthorized books are great!). That's why you see Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan. It's a book about what happens after the wedding. It will either be really good or really bad. Wither by Lauren DeStefano just looked interesting. The cover looked good and the description make it sound like something I'd enjoy reading.

Yep! Twelve books purchased in the month of July. Yeah, that's a lot. No, I won't read them all within the next month or two but I will make a very concerted effort to read them soon. Do I plan on reading any of them in August? Two of them look like they will make the cut (and of course three of them aren't for reading all at one time).

What did you buy last month and how many of those books are you planning on reading soon?