What I Read. What I am Reading. What I will Read Next

By Katie

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Its costs you nothing but we get a little something. 

Part of my capacity at Three Teas and a Coffee is Official Reader.  This is a hard won and very coveted title.  I will try to do it justice.  But, because we (and by we, I mean the Teas) don’t want to become a book-only blog, I am going to try to limit myself to 1 or 2 monthly posts about books.

My reading life can be summed up by William Styron who said,

“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” 

(This clearly shows that people who are out living YOLO are just illiterate.)

Books open up the world to you.  They allow you to walk in someone else’s (or some other species!) shoes.  They teach compassion, discernment.  They educate.  They allow you to live!

If you don’t like to read….What on earth is wrong with you?!?!

Just kidding.  Kind of. OK, I wasn’t really kidding at all. (Just kidding.)

I know I read a lot, most likely more than the average person.  I read about 130 books last year and over 140 the year before (this year will be less because I have been reading some behemoths).   When I mention how much I read, often people say “I couldn’t do that.  I don’t have time.”  But then I hear from everybody about the latest Survivor, Game of Thrones, or How I met your Big Bang Modern Office.  It’s a matter of priorities, people!

If you enjoy reading, or want to read more I am going to post what I have read, what I am reading and what I plan on reading next.  The last one is hard because I don’t plan my reading months in advance, and I don’t do book-reading lists or challenges.  I choose my next book based on what catches my eye at the moment I finish the last page of my current book.

I just finished The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon.  It was a really quick read which I finished in less than 36 hours (and that includes volunteering at VBC and painting our bathroom!)(and some parenting…)   It is a story of 2 army wives in Jordan during the Arab Spring in 2011.  It left me wanting more, and not only a more in depth look at the political climate and culture, but also into the motives and ambitions of all the characters.  I felt that Fallon skimmed over everything and ended up with a rushed novel, though she has a lot of praise for the novel on the back cover, so maybe I missed something.

                                                                                                                              I am currently reading Hourglass by Dani Shapiro. This is a 2017 release, but I didn’t have to wait too long on my library’s hold list.  I just started it, but so far, I think I am going to love it.  It is the sort of memoir I love: a mix of story-telling, musing, and essay with lots of thought-provoking lines in it.  I love good writing, and I love poignant passages.  This book promises to deliver both.

 

I am going to read The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas) next.  I found it in my library and, having heard references to it in the book-o-sphere, I took it home (after checking it out of course.) (Which can be harder than you may think because I have a book-a-holic son who thinks the couple books I take home take room away from the 30 books he takes home.)   It is a fantasy/sci-fi novel following Holly, who has mystic abilities, and a war between two immortal factions.    I picked it up because the title The Bone Clocks refers to humans as our bones count down our  mortal days.  I like the poetic sound of that!

And because I know you want to know, I will tell you I also listen to audio books.   Audio books are a great way to increase the amount you read because you can read while doing mundane chores.

Or mundane parenting….(not that I would ever turn on my audio book on days where my kids are whining and being difficult.  Nope.  Never.)

And if you are one of those crazies that thinks audio books are cheating, Forbes details here how, though there isn’t a lot of research done on the topic, current research shows that listening is as good as or better than reading.  And if you like pictures, here are some cool infographics that show the benefit of audio books.

If you still aren’t convinced, think of all studies that show reading aloud to children increases their literacy rates.   You are the audio book to your kid, and there are long-term benefits.  Growing up doesn’t erase your access to those benefits. (On another note, get audio books for your kids – very entertaining way to eliminate TV time!)

So, what am I listening to?  Glad you asked!

                                                                                                                                I am just finishing up The 100 year old man who Climbed out a Window and Disappeared.  It is a humorous tale of Allan’s life and his touch in all major political events in the 21^st century.  I love tales of journeys, both emotional and physical, and this one has both.

 

 

I listen to most of my audio books via Overdrive and borrow them from my library.  You can also sign up for Audible where you get your first month free.

What are you reading?

What have you just finished?

How big is your TBR pile?

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Its costs you nothing but we get a little something.