I Have A Reading Problem: I Read Five Books At A Time
There’s nothing wrong with a little diversity in reading. No, I’m not talking about Jamaican settings or Hindu protagonists (although those are fun, too). I’m talking about diversity of genre. I like to shake it up, because I’m not always in the right mood for the same book day after day. Call it literary ADD, I’d rather call it well-rounded.
So, here are a few of my favorite genres. I like to keep at least one book in each rotation. So, as you might have guessed, I have bookmarks in more reads than I’d like to admit … but at least it keep things interesting!
1. CLASSIC CHILDREN’S LIT: Obviously! This is the genre to begin all genres – the meta-genre, if you will (and I will). To me, there is no joy like reading a favorite from those early years when chapter books were no longer a challenge and epic fantasies were an entire summer’s pastime (have I said too much?).
current pick – THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame
2. CURRENT YA: This one is tough for me, because I feel that nothing compares to the classic lit of my youth. But, if I wants to be a big (author) star, I gots to know the industry! Over the past year, I have gotten a little better at weeding out the stupid from the enjoyable. It requires a lot more research than just picking things up off the shelf at B&N. Also, thank God for the “sample” feature on Amazon Kindle. Would have wasted a whole lotta money otherwise. Two titles I would recommend are PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale and BLACKBIRD FLY by Erin Entrada Kelly. One is fantasy and one is realistic fiction. Can you guess which is which?
current pick – DOUBLEBORN by Toby Forward.
3. SPIRITUAL LIFE: My prayer life is rotten bananas without a companion book. I have found that meditation is extremely beneficial, but only if there is some text to supplement it. Learning from other people's wisdom catapults the spiritual life in a way that isolated rambling cannot. In the past year especially, I have found so many wonderful devotionals and enlightening reads. The one I am reading right now was given to me by my wise and thoughtful grandmother, and it is seriously changing my life.
current pick – INTERIOR FREEDOM by Jacques Philippe
4. 1920’s BRITISH: Enter the mommy influence. My mother is obsessed with writers from this era: Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, G.K. Chesterton (duh), Rex Stout (not British but he counts), and P.G. Wodehouse (pronounced wood-house). Wodehouse, as my mother has said, plays with language like a juggler or a professional soccer player. Can’t get enough of how Wooster’s butler, Jeeves, is described as “shimmering” into a room. It’s just … it’s like … you just have to read Wodehouse.
current pick – RIGHT HO, JEEVES by P.G. Wodehouse
I’m reading some theology as well ( JESUS OF NAZARETH, Pope Benedict XVI and the NAVARRE BIBLE commentary on REVELATION). Got to keep the old brain cells sharp! It takes me a lifetime to get through some of the denser reads. For example, I’ve been picking through Chesterton’s ORTHODOXY for what seems like a million years. Every sentence is just so astonishingly inspired! I have to think about it for days.
I hope my reading list has inspired you to expand your genre horizons! Don’t be afraid to try out a new bookmark or three, even if the first one is still in use! Hey, it's better than a drinking problem.
If you’d like a more comprehensive list of what I’m reading, check out my account on LibraryThing.
Also, THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG! Don’t forget to follow my progress with TESS AND THE TRINKET on my Updates Page. This week, you will find a little taste of what it is like to have your husband do some editing for you :)
Au revoir!