I have a dirty little secret. It's shocking. I mean really scandalous. Ready?!?! I am not a great reader. Don't mistake this sentence. Contrary to Matthew's taunts, I can read ( I have a masters in education, people) I just am not good at it. I read for speed, not comprehension. See, I was THAT kid. You know, the one in your class that had to finish first and have a 100. I needed to finish, I had to use the time other kids took retaining information to practice my tap routine under my desk.
But I love books. Truly I do. I get sucked into stories, I think about them when I wake up, and I wonder what the characters are doing while I should be teaching. And I love non fiction too! History especially. So enrolled at audible.com this past summer. And I LOVE it!!! It's perfect for me.
1. I am in the car for approximately an hour a day
2. I listen to lots of music all day for a living and I need a break when I'm alone in the car
3. I am an audible learner, I retain info I hear not info I see
4. I generally like to "wing it" while driving and enjoy zoning out
OK 4, is untrue, I'm a super safe driver. But you get my point. Audiobooks aren't just for Gramma anymore. They pretty much rock. I have gone from reading 1 pop fiction book a summer to finishing a novel per month, and sometimes two. For me that is awesome. And since my amazing (mocking) husband got me a kindle I can easily read anywhere now so at any given time I'm usually in the middle of 2-3 books.
So since June...here is what I have enjoyed and highly recommend. I will not review them, as my husband abhors when people give everything about a good book or movie away when suggesting them.
The Help: If you haven't heard of this book you are living under a rock. It is amazing, worth every bit of hype. Historical Fiction
Water for Elephants: Coming to theaters in April. An enchanting, fast moving love triangle with circus animals.
Historical Fiction, Romance
Looking for non fiction? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks:A fascinating true story of a working class black women in the age of civil rights that diagnoses her own cervical cancer, dies, and subsequently has her tumor stolen from her in the name of medicine and science.
If you want to get addicted, I suggest the Hunger games trilogy. I finished all three in less than three weeks. AH-MA-ZING. I will give no more away.
A good old fashioned murder mystery? I cannot recommend Faithful Place enough. I found every spare second in my day to listen to this story. It is set in Ireland and the audio of the Irish narrator made it especially riveting.
I followed Faithful place with one of the authors early novels hoping for the same feeling, and was let down. In the woods, French's debut novel was good, but if you are going to read both, read this one first. It will be a fun story and then Faithful Place will blow you away.
So those are my picks for now. On the kindle I finished Chealsea Handler's comedies and they were great bedtime reading! Hilarious short story chapters perfect way to relax into sleep.
I am currently in the middle of Cutting for Stone and loving it. I'll let you know how it turns out!
What are you reading or listening too? Maybe I'll add it to my queue!
4 comments:
I've had a series of disappointments recently in terms of reading for pleasure. I got about halfway through "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" and it bogged down. Or maybe I was the bogger. Then the same thing happened with "The Abstinence Teacher". Both were books I really expected to enjoy based on others' reviews and the synopses I'd read. Maybe I'll try them again sometime.
I know the Henrietta Lacks story from NPR and everyone I know who's read the book raves about it. Needs to go on my list.
Do you like Craig Ferguson? If you do, you'd almost certainly love his "American on Purpose". The story (his true story) is good, but it's exponentially better because he's the one who reads it and he's great. If you'd like to read/listen to it, I've got it on CD and would be glad to send it to you! OTOH, if you're not a Ferguson fan, it'd probably leave you cold.
I think we have the same taste in books. I loved most of those too. I just finished Room and loved it. You should add it to your list.
Laura I did also read Room. I did it on the kindle, b/c the audio is read by a 5 yr old...literally....and I listen to them for work, couldn't do it for fun. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. We'll discuss.
We are almost the same person...or we just have the same taste in books and music. I liked Tana French's The Likeness better than In the Woods. Haven't gotten to Faithful Place yet. I recommend The Help and Water for Elephants to everyone.
I'm stuck in Pillars of the Earth. I want to finish it, but I can't make myself pick it back up.
I haven't read much of anything except board books and What to Expect the First Year lately, but I've heard that Three Cups of Tea is excellent. My librarian mother sends me recommendation lists now and again. : )
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