Tuesday, September 12, 2017

September Reading List


September already!  That means the year will be 3/4 of the way over in just a few weeks!  I always feel like a year is such a long time, and have all these plans for change and how different my life will look after another trip around the sun, but it seems to stay mundanely the same.  Maybe it's just that it's hard to notice change when we're still so close to it.  Maybe there's not much to notice.  But, anyways, there's still plenty of books I want to read before the year comes to a close, so let's get on to that.

In September, I'm aiming to get through some books that have been on my shelf for a while:
  • The Passenger by Lisa Lutz had been on wish list, and I received it for a birthday present back in February.  I honestly can't remember which blog reviewed it, that made me want to add it to my wishlist, but it's languished on my shelf for over half a year now, and it seemed like it was time to give it a read.  I'm actually reading this one right now, and am enjoying it.
  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri has been on my shelf for years!  Years! It's time to either read it or pass it on.
  • In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore is a nonfiction read.  I listened to a TED Talk Honore did on slowing down, after I had found this book at the thrift store.  I found it intriguing, but never got around to reading it. 
  • Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes is by the same author as The Shining Girls.  I'm hoping for a little less gore, but I'm not holding my breath.  I see someone on Goodreads describe Beukes still as paranormal crime noir, and while that sounds like a mouthful, it also seems accurate.  I don't know how I'm going to feel about this one.  The Shining Girls definitely held my interest, and I read it fast, but if I hadn't bought this one before I read the other, I'm not sure I would have brought it home with me.  That seems contrary, but it makes sense in my head.

So, that's what I'm hoping to get through this month.  What's on your reading list?  Or do you have any insight to offer into any of the books on my list?  Let me know.

Monday, September 11, 2017

August Book Recap


August was a pretty slow reading month due to all the podcast listening.  I don't know why I didn't consider that this would happen when I set my podcast goal, but oh well.  I did manage to get a couple books read.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie was definitely not my favorite of her books, and I had no qualms tossing this one into the book destined for the thrift store when I was done.  It's a Miss Marple mystery, but it was just missing something.  The characters where ho hum, and the mystery just seemed far fetched and unbelievable.

God Speaks Tenderly by Marie Shropshire was much better than I expected.  I went into it not expecting much, but I really came away with some applicable insights.  My job gets under my skin a lot.  I've had more headaches, insomnia, and nausea than I can remember with any job, but there's perks too- I like the people I work with, I like the residents, I don't mind most of the work, so what do you do?  Sometimes I feel like God puts you someplace to work on something in your life.  Maybe it's patience, or empathy, or even your courage.  I know there's plenty I need to work on, and you can't just quit something because it's hard, but sometimes growing feels like an impossible task.

Walking in This World by Julie Cameron is a companion book to The Artist's Way.  It stresses the importance of walking for getting the creative juices flowing, as well as giving insights into nurturing your work.  It was a good read, although I will admit, it did take me a while to get into it, and actually a while to finish it.  But, I am keeping it on my finished book shelf because I feel I may want to read it again in the future.

And as far as what I added to my book piles?  Nothing.  I didn't buy a single book last month.  That makes my totals at 25 books read this year and 22 added to my shelves.  I'm aiming for at least five books read in September, because I really need to step up my game if I'm going to make my yearly goal of 48 reads.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Podcast Challenge 37-50


Well, I didn't make my goal of 62 podcasts.  I got to 50, and ran out of month.  But, I still think that's a decent chunk of listening.  I found some gems, so clunkers, and some interesting ones I probably wouldn't have tried without the challenge, but I must admit, I'm relieved that I'm back to listening only for fun, and not scouring the interwebs for new listens.  Here's a recap of the last batch.
 
37. Hold On with Eugene Mirman
38. Reveal
39. Stuff They Don't Want You to Know
40. Twenty Percent True
41. You Must Remember This
42. I Guess We're Grown-Ups Now
43. The Practical Minimalists
44. How Stuff Works
45. Young House Love
46. It's Been a Minute
47. Lif-e.af/ter
48. That's So Maven
49. For the Love with Jen Hatmaker
50. Radiolab

Favorite of this Batch: Reveal
Best Surprise: Twenty Percent True
Definitely Going to Continue Listening to: Radiolab

Five Favorites of 1-50:

  • Write Now
  • Stuff You Missed in History Class
  • Annotated
  • Reveal
  • Levar Burton Reads

And that folks, is a wrap for my August podcast challenge.  While I enjoyed it, it really did cut into my reading time.  But, I definitely found plenty of listening material for my walks and housework tasks.  And if you still haven't tried podcasts, what are you waiting for?  Just click a link and listen to one.  You can do it right from you phone or computer.  It's better than television, and easier than holding a book.  And if you have a favorite that I didn't listen to in August, please leave me the title in the comments and I'll check it out.