I read a lot. It's my favorite pastime. I don't have a lot of time to read, so I squeeze it in whenever possible - in 3 fifteen minute pumping sessions while I'm at work, sitting in endless lines of traffic at redlights, after the kids are in bed, you get the idea. I read non-fiction and fiction, but I tend to only write about the non-fiction I'm reading. That's because I'm usually learning something I can apply to my life immediately, and I feel like I should share some of what I'm learning with others who might be in similar situations with their children, pregnancies, or whatever. And, I'll admit, it's also because I have an English degree and I feel like I should only write about fiction if it's A Great Work of Literature. I confess, I don't read too many of those these days - not the classical ones, anyway. I've read several novels lately that I loved and do think they are great works of literature, but their authors aren't dead yet so I don't know if they count.
Also, I just read a lot more non-fiction these days. There are a couple of reasons for that.
1. When I was pregnant with Ella, it quickly became apparent that my psyche was very sensitive (Doesn't that sound all gypsy/hippy/crunchy/feel-good?). Seriously, there wasn't much fiction I could read that didn't disturb my gestating mind. I had the saddest, most disturbing dream I've ever had while I was pregnant with her, and it was directly related to the novel I was reading at the time. I put the book down, right in the middle of it, and never picked it up again. In fact, I think she was several months old, maybe even nearing a year, before I picked up another novel. I just couldn't do it. After that experience, I've been very careful to protect my mind when picking a book to read. Non-fiction is the safest.
2. When I'm reading fiction, I am a fool. When the story grabs me, I cannot put it down. Case in point, I just finished Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, last night. At midnight. I get up at 5:15 every morning. I have a baby who still wakes up to eat at night. That's not enough sleep. Especially when I do it two nighs in a row - as I did, the last two nights. For that reason, I limit myself to when I read what.
So, what fiction have I read lately?
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen - I loved it. It's about a 90 year old man reliving his days working with a circus during the Depression (in case you are one of the rare people who haven't heard about it, like me). Jan gave me this one last weekend, and I'd only heard of it a couple of days before that.
The Confession, by John Grisham - It's about the death penalty. It was a very thought provoking read, though I thought he dragged the ending out a little too long. Dave and I generally read whatever Grisham writes, so he passed this on to me when he finished it (after he placed his own book order on Amazon!). Actually, we made a deal, I would read The Confession if he would read The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - I sped through these books; they were very entertaining and thought-provoking. Also, in case you live under a rock, like me, it's a trilogy set in the future after the fall of the United States. It reminded me a lot of that short story, The Lottery, we read in school. A fellow reading friend sent these to me just as I was getting ready to find them for myself.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Annie Barrows - Set in post-WWII England and the Channel Islands, it's a collection of letters that tell the story of the German occupation of Guernsey. I loved this book. Rebecca gave me this one to read in the postpartum days after Luke was born. I put it on hold (see reason #1 above) until recently.
Shoot the Moon, by Billie Letts - This is author of Where the Heart Is, so when I saw the book lying in the freebie box at work, I took it. Dave read it in a weekend, and since he's usually a page-counter (He reports his progress in a story by page number.), I knew it was good. It didn't let me down. It's a fast read about a cold case murder, told from the perspective of the long-lost child.
Dead Reckoning, Charlaine Harris - I love Sookie Stackhouse and her world full of supernatural creatures. This is the latest in that series. It was entertaining but seemed a bit slower that the previous books. Dave gave me this one for Mother's Day (courtesy of reading friend mentioned above).
Those are the novels I've read since January-ish, I think, but there are several authors and books that I read over and over again.
- The Harry Potter series - This is a modern Great Work of Literature; J. K. Rowling is a genius. I've never seen the movies and don't intend to because I'm afraid they will ruin the books for me.
- Pat Conroy - My favorites are The Prince of Tides, Lords of Discipline, and Beach Music. He is deep, dark, and funny all at once and he makes me feel like I'm in the story with him.
- Nicholas Sparks - Who doesn't love a good love story occasionally?
- The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells - I don't know how many times I've read this and it's way better than the movie.
- Toni Morrison - I love her; I think my favorites are Sula and Song of Solomon.
- Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown for sheer entertainment - but not the ones that are straight romance novels, I like the mystery/thriller/suspense they write.
There you have it. Happy reading!
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