The Endless To Be Read List

At what point do you start thinking about what you’ll read next? 

I'm usually thinking about what I'll read, after I read the book I am going to read after the book I will read after the book I am currently reading! 

Confused?

Truth is - I never stop thinking about what I am going to read next.  Or after that, or after that!  My TBR (to be read) list is a mile long.  And never seems to get any shorter.

I often find myself thinking about a book I want to read and have to remind myself that I have 2 or 3 (or more!) books stacked up on the nightstand or waiting in my Kindle which need attention before I can get to the book I was thinking about.  So the TBR pile gets even bigger. 

I can spend hours at the library or the book store just wandering the stacks, picking out books I want to read.  Or on the the digital library or Amazon checking out the latest offerings for my Kindle.  Money constraints usually limit my pile from the bookstore or for the Kindle from getting out of hand.  But at the library I have to cut myself off at a certain point because I know I'll never get around to reading all the books I want to take home before they have to be returned.  And the TBR list grows longer.

It's a self feeding, never ending, circle of a cycle.  But I can't complain.  I love to read.  I have since I was a little kid.  I actually can say I have a fear of suddenly having nothing to read - and I plan to make sure I never have to realize that nightmare.  By keeping the endless TBR pile fed and growing.

So, tell me - when do you start thinking about what you’ll read next? 

Am I as strange as I think I am?  Or do others think that far ahead in their reading lists?

What I'm Reading Wednesday: The Nature of Fragile Things

I featured this book last Wednesday on my Instagram, but I didn't get around to writing a blog post for it, so... here ya go!:  The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner 

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops a deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.  

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear. (Description courtesy GoodReads)

This was a good story. Well written. Set against an interesting historical event.  I know that so many people really love this book.  And while I enjoyed it, overall it fell a little flat for me.  My problem is that I can't quite put my finger on why exactly that is the case. With the exception of Sophie, none of the other characters ever really came to life in my imagination, feeling more like bland stereotypical background characters.  Perhaps it's because I was hoping for more from the scenes involving the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and it's aftermath.  Maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace to fully enjoy the novel.  (shrug)

Please, don't get me wrong... It's a very good novel.  A nice distraction. And I don't regret reading it.  But, it just fell a little short of expectations for me.  

What I'm Reading Wednesday: When the Stars Go Dark

 Honestly, if you asked me - I would probably say that I don't care for thrillers.  Yet, I always read a few each year and almost always end up enjoying them.  So... take that for what it is.   One fine example of this is my most recent read:  When The Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain.  

Anna Hart is a missing persons detective in San Francisco. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna's childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever.

As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives--and our faith in one another. (Description from GoodReads)

I have very much enjoyed Paula McLain's novels of historical fiction that I read but was a little hesitant to read this mystery/suspense novel. 

After personal tragedy shakes up the life of Anna Hart, a detective who specializes in finding missing children,  she flees to the small town where she found comfort from her troubled childhood with her loving and supportive (and now deceased) foster parents.  When she arrives, she finds that a young girl has recently disappeared and quickly becomes tangled up in the investigation.

When the Stars Go Dark expertly combines the fictional tale of the search for a missing girl in northern California with references to real-life missing person cases from the same time period, such as the disappearance of Polly Klaas.

I founded the story a little slow to start.  It took me a while to get through about the first third of the book.  But once it got rolling, I didn't want to put it down.

My one warning about this book is that if you are sensitive to books that contain child abuse/neglect, murder and/or violence, or sexual assault - give this one a pass.  

What I'm Reading Wednesday: Hour of the Witch

I've been a fan of Chris Bohjalian for years. My favorites among his works include Midwives  (which was my introduction to this author),  The Sandcastle Girls, and The Night Strangers. So, when I saw that he was releasing a new novel of historical fiction, I couldn't wait to read it! 

Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four years old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England, she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life. But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary--a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony--soon finds herself the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage but also the gallows. A twisting tightly plotted thriller from one of our greatest storytellers, Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying novel of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt. (description  via GoodReads )

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian | Goodreads

After the first part of the book seemed to really drag, I found myself wondering if I was going to be disappointed in this novel.  Fortunately, it started picking up after that; and eventually led to a few nights of staying up too late reading to see what would happen next.  Even thought I sort of figured out what might be going on behind the scenes, there were plenty of  twists and turns that kept me guessing The ending was something less than I had hoped for, it felt a little too convenient - but that didn't distract from my overall enjoyment of the story. 

What are you reading this week?

What I'm Reading Wednesday: Transforming Your Thought Life

If I had to guess, I would think that most (all?) of us probably feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts from time to time.  Guilt, anxiety, fear, guilt, regret, anger... the list goes on and on.  What's a person to do?

Perhaps the answer can be found in the book I  finished reading this week:  Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation In Focus by Sarah Geringer. 

Thousands of thoughts fly through our minds every day, many of them negative. And Satan knows how susceptible we are to these negative thoughts that leave us frustrated and feeling defeated. However, the time-honored practice of Christian meditation can help us find victory in these spiritual battles.

Transforming Your Thought Life offers guided meditations and personal examples that will help you train your mind to stay grounded in God’s Word. Each chapter examines a particular kind of negative thought pattern and provides key Bible verses and prayers for standing strong against it. Day by day, as you hide God’s Word in your heart and mind, you will move closer to the heart and mind of God. (Description via Goodreads.com)

I've spoken before about how as we have repeated thoughts, it creates and strengthens neural connections in the brain, making it easier and easier to have those thoughts in the future. (See HERE) The Bible says much the same thing in Romans 12:2 when it tells us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind".

In Transforming Your Thought Life, Ms. Geringer divides many common types of negative thought into individual chapters and discusses ways to meditate on the truths found in Scripture in order to transform our mind - spiritually and physiologically. Along with practical tips, advice, and personal stories - She also provides a list of passages from Scripture which relate to each topic that can then be used to meditate throughout your day. 

Whether you choose to read the entire text or select chapters relating to which negative thoughts you are struggling with, this book is a good read for the Christian wanting to overcome negative thought patterns.

What are you reading this week?  

What I'm Reading Wednesday: The Lost Apothecary

At the end of last week I was able to pickup two books I had on hold at the library.  The timing was perfect because I had just finished The Four Winds.  And I was excited to get these books, since they were two I expected to be waiting on for a while!

This week I am reading The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.  Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive . (Description from Goodreads.com)

This is the debut novel by Ms Penner.  

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, and so far this novel is no exception. I usually know I've picked a winner when I find myself wanting to learn more about the historical period, events, or people referenced in the story.  I'm only about a third of the way into The Lost Apothecary, and I've already googled about a dozen things I wanted to know more about! That's a good sign.

The story switches back and forth between 1790s London to the current day.  I know some people don't care for multiple points of view, but in most cases it doesn't bother me. Especially since the narratives are divided by chapter.

What are you reading this week?

What I'm Reading Wednesday: The Four Winds

 A couple of weeks ago, I started doing "What I'm Reading Wednesdays" on my Instagram.  I had originally planned it as a new feature for the blog, but, well - what can I say? - I'm a little slow to get that ball rolling.  But its time has finally arrived! 

This week I'm reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.  

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.  (Description from Goodreads.com)

I have previously read The Nightingale, Winter Garden, and The Great Alone by the same author and enjoyed each one.  Ms. Hannah has become one of the authors that I want to auto-add to my 'To Be Read' list as soon as I see that she has a new book being published.

Ms. Hannah writes beautiful stories- especially her historical fiction.  They are meticulously researched, and she creates characters that you learn to love (or admire, or hate) So far, this book is just as wonderful as the others I have read.  I hope it continues to live up to my expectations. 

I saw a few reviews that took issue with how sad the story is and how much tragedy the main character must endure.  The timeline for this novel is the Great Depression!  Why do they think it was called that?  The suffering and tragedy is what thousands - if not millions of Americans lived through every single day of that time period.  To sugar-coat it or cheer it up a bit wouldn't be true to the era.  

What are you reading this week?

What To Read This Summer

If you know anything at all about me, it's probably that I am a reader.  My "to be read" list is... well, hopeless.  It never ever ever gets any smaller, no matter how much I read.  Because there are always so many more books to discover and read. 

If we're being honest - my idea of heaven may just be a huge library filled with all the books I never got around to reading in life and with a never ending supply of new books and a comfy chair.  And maybe a bottomless coffee cup sitting on the little table right next to that chair.

What's all this leading to, you make be asking yourself?  Well, when I realized that everyone and their sister seems to be creating a summer reading list, I thought "Sure... why not?"  (yep, that's me putting my awesome creative thinking skills to work.  You're welcome. Ha!)  It just made sense.

I am in the middle of a personal reading challenge for the year.  Reading in alphabetical order by author's last name.  Which you may notice as you take a look at my personal summer reading list. Although there are a few "out of order" books in there as well.  Just because, that book needs to be read.  Like, NOW.

So here you have it -  What I'll be reading this summer:

1)  A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin
I just started this one last night.  The most recent book in the Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire and Ice series.  And when I say "most recent" this book came out in 2011.  We're still waiting for the next.  And waiting... and waiting...

2)  Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.”  The first line is an attention grabber.  The reviews convinced me to make this my book to fill the N spot in my author alphabet. 

3) Once Upon A Summer by Janette Oke
 I needed a book for the O spot in my author alphabet.  This was a freebie that has been sitting in my Nook library for a while.  There ya have it.  

4) A Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson
Another free Nook Book.  Which I have been wanting to read because a) I'm a sucker for historical fiction and b) all the reviews on GoodReads either 5 star loved it or 1 star hated it.  I'm curious to see where I end up in my opinion of it.  

5) The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice
"'What is one sister without the other? Is it even possible to imagine?' New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice explores the complex emotional equations of love and loyalty that hold together three pairs of remarkable sisters"
They had me at "sisters".  Seriously.  As the oldest of 3, I adore books that explore the complexities of the sister bond.

6) Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbot
I have had this on hold at the digital library since the beginning of the year when I was back on "A".  I'm finally at #11, so hopefully I'll be reading it before the summer is out.  The true stories of 4 female spies during the Civil War.

And last, but certainly NOT least - 

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my very favorite books of all time.  So, yes - I am almost giddy with the idea of a new book by the same author based on the same group of characters. Welcome back old friends - how I have missed you!  I just hope it lives up to the hype.

I'm also still on the look out for a good book to fill my "Q" author spot.  So, if you have any suggestion - PLEASE share them in the comments!

Happy Reading!

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Three Things: I WIll Never Do

You know the old saying right?  About never saying never.  (if you're not familiar - that's about it... "Never say never") 

And there are some things that is very true about.  In parenting for example.  NEVER day "I will never let my kids..."  or "As a mother I will never..."  Because sure as the sun rises - you'll find yourself doing it at some point! 

However, there are a few things I feel pretty confident saying "Never" about.  For example:

1) I will NEVER willingly jump out of an airplane.  Never.  If you ever hear that I did jump out of an airplane, you can be pretty sure that plane was going down at the time and that was my only possible chance of survival.

photo: publicdomainpictures.net

2) I will NEVER own a pet spider.  Just won't.  Don't like spiders.  They creep me out with their long skinny legs and they way they lurk in corners, watching and waiting.   We've had too many of the nasty things in our house recently.  BIG ones.  No way I would ever invite one in to live!  Ugh... I'm feeling all creepy crawly just thinking about spiders.  I mean, if you have a pet spider - that's great.  For you.  It's just that I hope you'll understand if I turn down any invitations to visit you.

photo: publicdomainpictures.net

3)  I will NEVER stop reading.  If something ever happens to my eyesight, I'll resort to audio books. But I can never give up reading.  It's just too much of who I am!

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Life of Meg: Monday Mingle
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
A Proverbs 31 Wife: Living Proverbs 31
A Life in Balance: Motivation Monday
The WellSpring: Playdates with God 
Tell Me A Story: True Stories
The Beauty In His Grip: Sharing His Beauty 
Salt & Light: Beautiful Ashes

Hold It!

How is it that all my library holds always seem to become available at once?

It doesn't seem to matter if I start out as second in line, fifth in line, or twenty-something in line. Whether some are paper copies at the local branch or electronic copies from the digital library. I wait patiently and then BAM! - All of a sudden I have a huge pile of books waiting for me.

And all those books must be read within two to three weeks, because there are more hold requests waiting behind me - meaning no renewals, sorry!

So, if you will please excuse me, I've got a lot of reading to do!

Reality Rewind: Long Overdue

Revisiting a favorite post from the past... Enjoy!

Long Overdue

I'm pretty sure the local library hates me.  They probably cringe when they see me heading toward the checkout desk, or see that a book I requested if available for me to take home. 

This is because it is a rare occurrence that I get books returned to them by the actual due date.  Usually I'm at least a few days late getting them back.  It's not even a rare occurrence for the items to be a week or two overdue before I get around to returning them. 

I'm not proud of this.  It's just a fact. 

If I could limit myself in the number of books I allow myself to check out at one time - that might help.  Or if I remembered to keep track of the little receipt they give letting you know when each book is due.  Or if I took advantage of the email or text alerts they provide to remind you that the due date is approaching.  Heck... there's no real good reason why I should be so late all the time.

On second thought - maybe they don't hate me.  It's entirely possible that all my overdue fines have helped keep the library up and running for all these years.  I've certainly paid plenty of them.  I think there was one time I may have been able to buy the paperback copy of the book for less than I paid in late fees.  Probably more than once.  Come to think of it, at this point there should maybe be a new wing named after me!  (Or at the very least, a shelf!)

Originally posted June 26, 2012:  http://reallyreallyrealhousewives.blogspot.com/2012/06/long-overdue.html

Reality Rewind: Literary Love

Revisiting one of my favorite blog posts from the past.... Enjoy!

Literary Love

 The first book I ever loved...

When I saw this writing prompt, my first instinct was to break out into hives.  That's my usual response to questions which concern my favorite book or anything along those lines.  I love books.  I have many books I love.  And many authors I enjoy reading.  I don't think I could ever pick just one "favorite". 

As far back as I can remember I have loved books.

I learned to write my own name for the sole purpose of being able to get my very own library card.  The librarian told me I had to be able to write my name on the card before I could have my own.  So I went home and harassed my parents into teaching how to print those two words would would entitle me to the treasure I wanted so badly.

In the days when kindergarten was optional and learning didn't really start until first grade, I begged and pleaded with my kindergarten teacher to teach me to read.  Finally, she consented and sent home first readers for me to master.  I still remember feeling quite pleased with myself over learning to read the word "straw" in the Three Little Pigs.  Hey... it's a hard word when you are 5 and just learning!

My mind wandered back over my years of reading love.  The initial knee-jerk reaction to the prompt began to fade and I realized that it wasn't as bad as the ol' "what's your favorite" question.  This wasn't a matter of choosing one book over another.  I had only to wander down my memory lane of literary enjoyment and find the book that first captured my imagination.

I think of hours spent with Nancy Drew solving mysteries.

Days in covered wagons, settling the open prairies with Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Escapades and antics lived vicariously through Ramona Quimby.

Tears shed over a little runt pig... "some pig"... and the loss of a loving barn spider who lived in the corner of his doorway.

Through all the stories and all the fictional friends - one keeps pushing to the front of the line.  The first book I remember completely enthralling me.  The first story that made me want to crawl into the pages and be with the character.  The first book to take me completely outside anything I knew and introduce me to a world very very different from my own.  The first book I read over and over and over again.

The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. 

I must have been in about 4th grade when I first came across this book.  Even after all these years; just seeing the name written and thinking about the story, makes me want to pick the book up and read it again. 

Would I still feel the same about this story based on the real life "Lost Woman of San Nicolas" if I read the book today?  Would I still be amazed at her strength, courage, and self-sufficiency?  Would the love still be there?   I like to think so.  I may even put it to the test.

So tell me, what was the first book you ever loved?

Originally posted on September 8, 2012:  http://reallyreallyrealhousewives.blogspot.com/2012/09/literary-love.html

Who Are You Calling "Dummies"?

We seem to have quite a lot of these "for Dummies" books around the house. 

Not sure what that's saying about us...

Literary Love

The first book I ever loved...

When I saw this writing prompt, my first instinct was to break out into hives.  That's my usual response to questions which concern my favorite book or anything along those lines.  I love books.  I have many books I love.  And many authors I enjoy reading.  I don't think I could ever pick just one "favorite". 

As far back as I can remember I have loved books.

I learned to write my own name for the sole purpose of being able to get my very own library card.  The librarian told me I had to be able to write my name on the card before I could have my own.  So I went home and harassed my parents into teaching how to print those two words would would entitle me to the treasure I wanted so badly.

In the days when kindergarten was optional and learning didn't really start until first grade, I begged and pleaded with my kindergarten teacher to teach me to read.  Finally, she consented and sent home first readers for me to master.  I still remember feeling quite pleased with myself over learning to read the word "straw" in the Three Little Pigs.  Hey... it's a hard word when you are 5 and just learning!

My mind wandered back over my years of reading love.  The initial knee-jerk reaction to the prompt began to fade and I realized that it wasn't as bad as the ol' "what's your favorite" question.  This wasn't a matter of choosing one book over another.  I had only to wander down my memory lane of literary enjoyment and find the book that first captured my imagination.

I think of hours spent with Nancy Drew solving mysteries.

Days in covered wagons, settling the open prairies with Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Escapades and antics lived vicariously through Ramona Quimby.

Tears shed over a little runt pig... "some pig"... and the loss of a loving barn spider who lived in the corner of his doorway.

Through all the stories and all the fictional friends - one keeps pushing to the front of the line.  The first book I remember completely enthralling me.  The first story that made me want to crawl into the pages and be with the character.  The first book to take me completely outside anything I knew and introduce me to a world very very different from my own.  The first book I read over and over and over again.

The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. 

I must have been in about 4th grade when I first came across this book.  Even after all these years; just seeing the name written and thinking about the story, makes me want to pick the book up and read it again. 

Would I still feel the same about this story based on the real life "Lost Woman of San Nicolas" if I read the book today?  Would I still be amazed at her strength, courage, and self-sufficiency?  Would the love still be there?   I like to think so.  I may even put it to the test.

So tell me, what was the first book you ever loved?

A New Week, A New List

Weekly Goals for July 15 - 20:

• Write Everyday
• Catch Up On Laundry
• Finish Reading 2 Books Before Wednesday
• Go To Library
• Bake Cake for Princess's Birthday

Sleeping In Vs. Staying Up Late

 It's that time of week again when Feeling Beachie gives us four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs.

Want to be featured as a Co-Host to the hop? Come up with four fill in’s of your own and email them to her at feelingbeachie@gmail.com. If she uses them, you get a nice little mention in that weeks hop! Please help her out and email some statements! This week’s co-host is Annie from the Lemon Drop (She came up with the last two statements)
You've known since kindergarten (if not before) that you should always share. So be sure to tweet, facebook, etc about the Follow Friday blog hop. And add the little linky tool there at the bottom to your own blog if you participate!

This Week's Statements:
1.My day always starts by ____
2.I prefer ___ to ____
3.I never thought I’d __________ until I __________
4. I wish I could ________ for ________________

My Answers:

1.My day always starts by getting a cup of coffee and reading my bible.

2.I prefer sleeping in  to staying up late.

3.I never thought I’d want to have kids until I was pregnant with the Princess

4. I wish I could put one of the many stories in my brain onto paper for a book

Long Overdue

I'm pretty sure the local library hates me.  They probably cringe when they see me heading toward the checkout desk, or see that a book I requested if available for me to take home. 

This is because it is a rare occurrence that I get books returned to them by the actual due date.  Usually I'm at least a few days late getting them back.  It's not even a rare occurrence for the items to be a week or two overdue before I get around to returning them. 

I'm not proud of this.  It's just a fact. 

If I could limit myself in the number of books I allow myself to check out at one time - that might help.  Or if I remembered to keep track of the little receipt they give letting you know when each book is due.  Or if I took advantage of the email or text alerts they provide to remind you that the due date is approaching.  Heck... there's no real good reason why I should be so late all the time.

On second thought - maybe they don't hate me.  It's entirely possible that all my overdue fines have helped keep the library up and running for all these years.  I've certainly paid plenty of them.  I think there was one time I may have been able to buy the paperback copy of the book for less than I paid in late fees.  Probably more than once.  Come to think of it, at this point there should maybe be a new wing named after me!  (Or at the very least, a shelf!)

Stick To The List

It was probably bound to happen sooner or later. 

The other night I went online to the North Carolina Digital Library to see what I could find to download onto the nook.  I had my trusty Endless TBR list pulled up on GoodReads and I was ready to go.  The frustrating thing about the digital library is trying to find something you want to read which is A) available on the NCDL and B) doesn't have a mile long wait list.

One of the books I found myself looking for was The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.  Mile long wait list.  But as I searched her name, I saw a few other books that looked interesting.  I selected and downloaded The Third Angel.  Why not?

I'll tell you why not!  As I started reading the book that night, it kept nagging at me.  I felt like I knew this story.  It was very familiar.  Some parts more than others.  Something wasn't right here...

The next morning I pulled up GoodReads again and searched The Third Angel.  Sure enough!  Suspicion confirmed!!  I had read this book back in 2009!  Good grief!  Is this what it's come to?  I've read so many books in my life, I can't remember what I have read and what I haven't?  (sigh) 

This is why I need the TBR pile/list!  Just to keep track of what I want to read and not get confused.  To avoid reading the same books over and over. 

From now on - I'll stick to the list!

One Book At A Time

The Man of the House is completely befuddled.  He can not seem to understand why someone would read more than one book at a time.  While to me, it seems perfectly logical. 

I think perhaps it started back in school.  There would be one book that I had to read for English class.  And one I wanted to read.  So, I would simply read both books, alternating back and forth between one and the other. 

Now, I will admit that I haven't done this sort of reading in a while.  I usually stick to one book at a time these days.  Until very recently.  The Endless To-Be-Read Pile has grown to a dizzying height, at times teasing the 100 books mark.  And I made the mistake of putting several books on request at the library thinking it would take quite a while before most of them came available.  Which it did not.  Leading to having several books sitting on the nightstand which will be due in 2 to 3 weeks. 

All this caused me to take up the multiple book reading habit again.  And confused the poor Man of the House to no end.  He insists that the only logical way to handle it is to read one - complete it - and then start the next.  It's not as if reading them both at the same time will help me finish either or both any quicker, so why bother?  It just doesn't make sense to him.

Unfortunately, it's not something I can really explain in a way that will sound logical to anyone else.  It does make sense in my own mind.  It's just something I want to do.  Even if it seems odd to someone else.

Do you ever read more than one book at a time?  Or do you always finish one before starting the next?

Featuring... ME!!

YIPPEE!!  WOWZA!  (Yeh, I said "wowza".  Sue me.) 

I received a most exciting email today!  My "The Endless To Be Read Pile" post is  is being added as a featured member post in the Books topic on Blogher.com today!! 

I'm a featured blogger!!  Who ever would have thought it? 

My little pointless ramblings might be featured somewhere, someday.  This is HUGE for me!  Oh sure - for some a simple feature post on a blogging website might not be that big of a deal.  Maybe for some published writers it's just a thing.  But for me, this is a big, big ego boost!  I feel like some one took notice and felt one of my posts was good enough to feature. 

I love this feeling!!  Thanks blogher.com !!  :)