Monday, September 7, 2009

Extraordinary-ness of Sept. 7

I am a self-admitted Late Bloomer. Coming into the home-stretch just a little bit later than most people I know, but getting there nonetheless.

My late-bloomer-ness is in the area of reading. Shamefully, I have never been a reader. I mean, of actual grown-up books. Bedtime stories, no problem. Blogs and magazines, no problem. Articles where I can read start to finish and get closure in one sitting, no problem. But a real book. Yeah, um, that's been a problem. I have tried. Seriously I've tried really hard. I have stacks of books with dog-eared pages about 3 chapters in. But that's where it has stopped.

Until recently. Okay, don't laugh -- it started with Twilight. I picked up the first book at Becca's house about a month ago and read it between Austin and Dallas on our way home from a visit. And instead of going home, I made Chris drive straight to Borders to get the rest of the series, which, like most of you, I finished in a week.

Then, keeping with Stephanie Meyer, I read The Host. And then Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. And then The Help by Kathryn Stockett. And tonight I just finished The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. I have Shelter Me, Pillars of the Earth and The Time Traveler's Wife sitting by my bed, ready to start.

I love this new world I've found -- it has been extraordinary to soak in these amazing stories. What book have you read recently that you would recommend?

11 comments:

  1. I miss reading. I have been reading parenting books and some non-fiction Christian books but I have finished a fiction book recently. Hopefully you have inspired me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield

    "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

    "Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer

    Those are a few of my favorites. You'll LOVE Time Traveler's Wife and Pillars of the Earth. Haven't read the others on your list.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am so glad you are reading! I love to read and need to make more time for it. I have read a few biographys the past few weeks that were unremarkable, so not worth recommending. But I did enjoy "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

    ~Becca

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so loving this posting every day thing you got going on!

    Welcome to the wonderful world of getting totally and helplessly lost in a good book. I am LOVING the book I'm reading right now.....in fact, I'm wondering how I'm going to sneak in a couple of chapters today. I completely love and enjoy how well it is written....

    The Moment Between
    by Nicole Baart

    Highly, highly, highly recommend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love to read...so relaxing and insightful. I will have to read Twilight one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love reading so much! Just read Crazy Love by Francis Chan and that rocked my world, but it's non-fiction. For fiction, my fave of all time is Pride and Prejudice. It's sooooo good. Don't think it's stuffy or not enjoyable b/c it's a classic. It's fabulous! Also love anything by Agatha Christie because I love mysteries. I would recommend her The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I'm jealous--wish I could be reading those for the first time!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad you found something you liked to read AND finish! I have several books that have gone unfinished. If it doesn't grab me in the first couple of chapters, forget it. But I take the train from Ft. Worth to Big D and I get lots of reading time that way. Normally, it would take me months to finish a book.

    You might try some books by Jodi Picoult. I have lots of others so let me know if you want to borrow any! It would beat buying one and finding out you hate it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like to read inspiring women's fiction books. I'm not much into romance stories but here are the last two things I read that I very much enjoyed:

    "The Next Thing on My List" - by Jill Smolinkski. It's about a woman finishing a to-do list of another woman who died recently. Very inspiring and great lessons about doing something with your life and living it to the fullest.

    "Annie Freeman's Traveling Funeral" - by Kris Raddish. Another inspiring book about friendship and fulfilling the dying wishes of a woman that takes five friends all over the country for a series of wacky adventures.

    Hmm, do you see a pattern with my reading choices? Death, making more out of life, friendship. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha ha. I'm laughing b/c you just described me. I have half a dozen books started and unfinished. I spend my free time on my computer, reading blogs, Facebook, shopping, etc. Then I go to bed and turn out the light immediately. I don't take the time anymore for reading and feel so envious of those friends who do. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, Christie, welcome! This gave me goosebumps :) I've been an avid reader forever, it seems - and Evie is following in my path! I LOVE the Time Traveler's Wife, enjoy it! (And check out Outlander by Diana Gabaldon when you are finished!)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am just completed a book by Margaret Becker called "Coming Up For Air". Margaret is a singer/song writer and author. I love what she does, because she does it with such honesty. I have listened to her music since the early 80's until the present time, but this is the first book I read by her. It is a refreshing book, it is about taking an honest look at your life and doing some reevaluating, to make certain your life continues on in the path God has called you to. Not allowing distractions to derail you. It's a great book!

    ReplyDelete