Why I Read

When I have time I am going to go back and review a few more of the books I've read this year and maybe re post the book review posts from my other blog. Mostly, I am going to do this so I can save these posts for myself.

I have people all the time upon discovering the number of books I read in a year who seem shocked. They mutter things like, "I don't have time to read." Or, "I haven't finished a book in ten years that didn't rhyme." What I have to say to this is: You make time for what you want to make time for. In other words Reading is my Hobby. Some people collect things, play the piano, scrapbook (endlessly), play bunco, do crafts or (gasp!) exercise. I read. Last year I read over 70 books. The circumstances were unusual. For about 15 months I accepted a job where I spent most of my time sitting endlessly with little to do. I read a lot. This year like the years before last I will probably read around 50. Averaging about 1 book/week. Some books take less, a few take more.

I started writing down in list form the books I read in 2001 because my mom was doing it. I find this archiving very helpful in remembering what I've read and in looking for ideas of new things to read. But in the beginning I got a little obsessed with the listing. You see, I was noticing how much I read and then being the extreme 'A' type personality I am it became a contest to see how much I could read in a year. So the next year (2002) I didn't write any of the books down. By the beginning of 2003 I realized the usefulness of a list and began again only this time without numbering them. When I started blogging I found it very useful to record the books I was reading on my blog. Now I list the books I've read at a website called Goodreads.

I buy a lot of books and I save very few of them. I just don't have the room. I loan them out and give them away. I trade some on a website called Bookins. I try not to buy Hardcovers except from my favorite authors. I do borrow from the library but with my schedule and the location of our library it is not as convenient. My favorite book site is of course Amazon.com and I have been purchasing books from them since 1998. I know this because they have been kind enough to save all of my ordering history (another useful tool). I am a big fan of this website. Although, currently I am trying not to spend too much money on books I still use the site quite a lot. Nothing quite matches going into the book store and browsing (oh how wonderful they smell!) but most of the time I find a book I want to buy and I order it (it is cheaper that way).

So back to my hobby. When do I have time to read? I read every evening before bed. I read every day during my lunch break. (Did I mention that I have a full-time job?) I read while waiting. (While waiting at the doctor's office, for people to show anytime I'm meeting people, while waiting in carline, while waiting anywhere). I always have my book with me. Sometimes if a book is really good I might read instead of sleeping. I used to read for 30 minutes before going into work in the morning but circumstances have changed that.

I read because I enjoy it. I read for my personal entertainment. I do not read to improve my education or for enlightenment. I dislike reading non-fiction. If a book does not keep my attention in the first 100 pages I am not opposed to putting it down and starting another. I do not read books where the central plot is a love story (i.e. trashy romances with women half-clothed embracing hunks on the cover). I do not read horror stories as a general rule although I have read half a dozen of Stephen King's earlier books. I do not read science fiction (although I read a lot of these in my youth). I love legal thrillers and British murder mysteries and thrillers. A few years ago I got a hold of a list of the 100 best book or some such nonsense and shocked at the few books on the list I read I went back and read about 15 more of these. And I did find some surprises but also I reaffirmed my belief that I should read what I enjoy and not what some numchuck has decided should be on a 'best' list.

My favorite authors include: John Grisham, Nevada Barr, James Rollings, Lincoln Child, Maeve Binchy, Steve Martini, Douglas Preston, Matthew Reilly, David Baldacci, Elizabeth Berg, Michael Crichton.. well they just go on and on. I would be hard pressed to name my favorite book of all time but my favorite series is The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.

M is for Malice

I finished M is for Malice by Sue Grafton. I'm working my way through this alphabet mysery series featuring PI Kinsey Millhone. I first read Q is for Quarry, another loan from my mother and then began at A is for Alibi. (As with most series it is best to start at the beginning.) These mysteries have gotten better as the letters progress. The stories are told in first person, a format I particularly enjoy. The books are a lighter read than the Richard Jury mysteries I last wrote about. I finished this one in only a few days.

The Blue Last

I've been reading my way through the Martha Grimes, Richard Jury Mysteries. I had not been a big mystery reader until a few years ago. I first read through all of the Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George. I often swap books back in forth with my mother and she gave me Winds of Change and I enjoyed it immensley but like any series it referred to events in previous books which I didn't understand. So off I went to start at the beginning. I'm up to #17, The Blue Last. (Although, I skipped #16 and need to go back before moving on.) The Blue Last tackles a mystery 55 years old brought back to the present with the recovery of bones from a London bomb site from WWII. Like many of Grimes mysteries although the mystery was solved at the end of the book many things were left dangling. In fact, I turned the last page with shock to realize the author had left me hanging (or lying on the ground in a pool of blood you might say). A trick I'm sure to entice her readers to eagerly anticipate the next novel and purchase it in hardaback. Of course, I am still not up to the present offerings so I could go right out and by the next book. But I'll wait a few days. I truely enjoy these Richard Jury mysteries. And although both Jury and Lynley (Elizabeth George) are Scotland Yard detectives the characters share little else in common. I would recommend anyone who hasn't yet delved into these books to go back and start at the beginning with The Man with a Load of Mischief. And in case you might wonder about the unusual titles, all of the novels are named for a pub that somehow figures into the story.

Edge of Winter

I finished Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice last week. This was a good 'beach read' and I did enjoy reading it while at the beach. I've read most of Luanne Rice's books. Some I've loved others have just been okay. Edge of Winter falls somewhere in the middle. Many of Rice's books take place on the East Coast - this one in Rhode Island. It's a light read with only a minimum of romance and a happy ending. If you aren't yet a fan of Rice I would recommend Firefly Beach or Safe Harbour to start.

First Post

I've been out of the blogging realm for several months now and not very active in the last year. I decided to abandon my old blog and try something new. I wanted to blog about the books I'm reading. I also thought about blogging about my diet but who wants to read about that? So here it is with no apologies. What I am reading and have read with constant ramblings.

Previous Book Blog Posts

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Books
I just finished reading Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani. This is the third book in the Big Stone Gap series. It was an interesting and quick read but not very satisfying. The book jumps forward in time months or years at a time with no warning. It's a lot like a photo album in the lives of the characters. You get the highlights but not the real meat of their story.I also read The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Kidd is perhaps better known for The Secret Life of Bees (which I have not read). It is a wonderful story of a middle-aged woman trying to re-identify herself after her child has left home. Perhaps, she doesn't cope with these mid-life changes as you or I would but I believe she makes the right choices in the end.I'm still working my way through the Richard Jury Mysteries by Martha Grimes and have just finished The Case has Altered. This book was enjoyable, however, I realized after a few pages I had skipped the previous book. You really must read these in order to understand the evolution of the characters lives.I am averaging about a book a week this year which is a lot slower than last year. I have a lot of books on my shelf to read. Even though I am not blogging much anymore I will try to still do these book updates about once a month or so.Happy St Patrick's DayI enjoyed Clan of the Cave Bear so much last year that I read its sequel Valley of Horses by Jean M Auel. Although, not as good as the first one (it would be difficult to achieve that level of epic again) it was certainly a satisfying read.My one disappointment in the last month was The Collectors by David Baldacci. Baldacci used to be one of the authors I bought new in hardback but no longer. His recent efforts are just not worth that extra money. The Collectors is a sequel of sorts to The Camel Club and it is your typical government conspiracy type novel. The characters are entertaining but not very genuine.


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Book Update
It looks like I am not reading near as much this year as I did in 2007. I think I read over 80 books last year. Mostly, the change is because of my change in job. I used to spend the better part of an hour each morning before work eating breakfast in my car and reading. I also spent a lot of time reading at my old job. Now I am much busier and do not have that hour in the morning. I miss it and I miss reading as much.I picked up the new John Grisham book, The Appeal last week and read it. You can read my other posts about Grisham books here and here. Because I have read every other book he has written I am glad I read this one, in the interest of completeness. But if you haven't read his other books, or you aren't a big fan, you might as well skip this one. Certainly, low on the list of his efforts. Another legal thriller of sorts which are his genre afterall. But enough is enough. Write something else, please. He has proven he can write other novels and I wish he would.The other books I've read recently do not seem worth commenting on with the exception of Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. Although Nora Roberts is probably best know for her romances she certainly knows how to spin other tales. This one was unique to me because it took place in Alaska. There's a little romance and there is a murder mystery which will keep you guessing until the end. It was very enjoyable.