Not only that, it makes me feel just a wee bit smarter. I feel like all those brain cells I lose when I watch crap like the Hills and Greek and Top Model all come trickling back when I decide to sit down and read a bit.
Last year I'm pretty sure I read two books (maybe three) and one, Wicked, took me about eight months to finally finish because I kept getting so distracted and disengaged with the story (compared to my undying love for the musical). After the struggle I had reading Wicked I was pretty convinced I wouldn't really love reading again, but luckily I've been wrong. Ever since I finished reading Wicked in March I have read ten more books. Now I know for some people that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but for me it's a ton and I love it. I feel like I am finally reading those books my friends talked about but I could only give my two cents on the movie versions (The Devil Wears Prada, The Nanny Diaries, The Notebook) and actually enjoying books my even my mom reads (the Stephanie Plum novels...I'm up to number four). It's a great feeling actually and I sort of love it.
Especially now when my shows are starting to make their way back (and don't get me wrong, I can't wait), it's nice to be able to take time out of my work day and time before bed to do some reading. Right now I'm reading A Million Little Pieces and I can barely put it down. Although I was mildly intimated at first by the weird grammar and length, overall I am definitely a fan. And apparently I have to go pick up My Friend Leonard next because it's just as good as this one. However I already have Lovely Bones and The Secret Life of Bees waiting for me at home (oh the joys of a library a block and a half away, haha) so we'll see when I can read that one.
Anyhoo, this post really doesn't have a point besides the fact that I'm reading again and it's fun and I sort of love it. Yes I know I'm a big dork and watch too much TV and read almost as much these days, but it's quite alright because I am happy dangit.
Anything making you guys happy these days? And any books I should be adding to my ever growing list? :)
happy wednesday!
40 comments:
I love reading - it's a great escape and it's cool that you're into it again! I, too, feel like i lose brain cells when I watch the adventures of Speidi..lol
Reading is my escape too. It saves me from my head. And lately, that's a lifesaver.
But also, reading is my passion and my hopeful career. :)
I like reading too! but i've been a bit of a bum with it as of late. million little pieces was hard to put down....and then came the Oprah/Smoking Gun/James Frey scandal...it was juicy.
I always forget how much I love reading for fun, esp when I get bogged down with too much uni reading. But once I do it, I remember why I LOVE books.
Secret Life of Bees was ruined for me because I had to read it and write a psychoanalysis on the main character for my ed psych class. Still a good book, though.
I tried reading Wicked, too, but had trouble getting into the story.
I wish I had more time and energy to read for leisure. I need book suggestions because I feel so overwhelmed when I go to Barnes and Noble.
I read SO many books
this summer...considering
the fact that I didn't
have a job and all.
But ever since the TV
shows have been coming
back...my reading has
definitely gone down.
PSH! I'm going to have
to pick this back up.
I've lost myself in so
many great reads!
Making me happy? Mmm...New
York City. I'm basically
obsessed.
Good books? Nicholas Sparks-
The Choice. I seriously
fell in love. Cried...laughed...
and wanted it to be real
life.
I know that James Frey turned out to be a bit of a "fraud" in that a lot of his book was "fiction" instead of "Memoir" but I STILL love it and don't care what anyone's got to say about it
I really enjoy right now Don't You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn :)
Siiiiiigh, I love reading. I'm finishing "The Handmaid's Tale" right now (SO GOOD, but so terrifying) and then moving on to "The Audacity of Hope" :)
um.. i'm pretty sure Tyra has put out case studies out there showing how much smarter you get by watching her. OR- she'll read your post and then decide that she should be writing novels as well!
I have to be in the mood to read. Usually i'm too restless to sit down with a book.
You should read James Frey's newest book too. It's a novel with various characters in L.A. It's called Bright Shiny Morning. I loved it.
ah, i love reading. i wish i had more time for it.
my favorite book of all time is the lovely bones, by alice sebold. i DEFINITELY reccomend reading it if you haven't already.
lately i've been big into books like a new earth, and the power of now.. which definitely make you feel 'a wee bit smarter' =) =)
Look for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It's SO good!
I love to read too! I keep my list in my sidebar partially to keep track myself. Other books I would recommend: Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards, City Dog by Alison Pace, I was told there'd be cake by Sloane Crosly.
i so want to read the secret life of bees!
some recommendations: for laughs, read chelsea handler's are you there vodka? it's me, chelsea
also, the late bloomer's revolution it'll make you laugh AND cry.
and any book by jennifer weiner.
hey katelin!
reading this post made me so happy - i'm a total book nerd and i love when anyone else can share in the book reading love =)
have you tried picking up anything by david sedaris? me talk pretty one day is probably my favorite (and i think his most popular). also, maybe some books by chuck palahniuk - the diary, survivor .. he also wrote the books fight club and stranger than fiction. just be warned that SOME of his stuff is very very intense and have been known to shock!
anyway. i'm back to blogging! i've missed it and keeping up with my favorite blogs (like yours!) ... hope all is well with you and can't wait to catch up with your blog!
Reading books is my favorite past time.. After reading blogs, that is. ;)
I like fantasy books a lot, so I doubt you'd find any of them interesting, but I've heard good things about the books you've mentioned.
Do you have any interest in reading the Harry Potter series? That's the next series I plan to start.
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i get in reading moods like that too. i love the stephanie plum books, i've read all of them but the most recent. i really laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of them :)
ahhh, love it-
I've lived at tha beach for EVAAAA
so im sayin, DAYUMMM, nice title pic
anyways- you creative kids out there, CHECK OUT MEH BLOG!
http://haikufordessert.blogspot.com/
jigga jigga thankya ;]
I love reading and i'm a total dork for saying that. But it's true!
I never finished The Lovely Bones. I heard it was amazing and beautiful, but I couldn't get past the middle. It made me cry. Like, really cry! I didn't want to be depressed when reading. I hope you enjoy it more than i did!
I've been reading a lot more lately, too. Turning off the computer earlier at night so I can read before I go to bed, etc. It's nice. :)
Two books that made me laugh out loud recently were "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley and "Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler.
with the power outages we had, i've been reading a lot too! lol
i heard a lot of good things about million little pieces, but couldn't get into it. it's still sitting on my bookshelf, bookmark halfway thru. maybe i'll finish it someday.
best read in awhile? Marley & Me - a classic. if you haven't read it yet, you def need to!
i love readingbooks - but i like the girly books.. Like the ones by Emily Giffin and writers like that.. I usually get through them in 2 days or so!!
I go through phases with reading too. I'm reading Water for Elephants and I'm just not in the mood to read that type of book right now so I haven't really been reading it. I should just put it down and start another one.
Yay for reading! I def need to do some more reading. I like your theory about the Hills... hmm. have you read "eat.pray.love" yet?? sooo good!
Happened to wander over to your blog. :) I liked this entry. I'm such a bookworm, I'm almost always seen with a book!
I second the commenter above me - you should check out "Eat, Pray, Love" - it's a good read!
Lovely Bones is a wonderful book, but FYI, it is really sad.
I highly recommend anything by Jodi Piccoult if you want something to make you think...
And then, anything by any of my chic-lit authors... Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin, Candace Bushnell, Jennifer Wiener.
Ohhh and Jen Lancaster is really great too.
(Im such a bookworm :) )
I go through phases with reading - the last book I read was the Tipping Point, which was really interesting. When you are engulfed in flames by david sedaris is sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me to pick it up.
Here's a thought - in almost every case books are better than movies, but have you ever liked a movie more than a book?
For me, that has happened once: the devil wears prada. For some reason I had a really difficult time sympathizing with the character in the book and a much easier time with the character in the movie. Plus, the book read like a memoir, and because the situations were so outrageous, and because she was a rich girl from connecticut (not a humble girl from ohio like in the movie) I just didn't feel that bad for her. Also, because the movie version had to consolidate the story to fit it into a movie - that somehow made it more realistic for me.
i love secret life of bees, its one of my all time favs...ive read it 3 or 4 times and its awsome each and every time...her other one the meirmaid chair was pretty good to...but not quite as good as secret life of bees
oh my goodness I love reading so much!!
The companion to A Million Little Pieces is My Friend Leonard and let me tell you it is beautiful!
It always surprises me how few people actually read. I personally adore it, when I have the time.
For something light but smart, I love Augusten Burroughs. His first book is Running with Scissors.
Okay, first of all: how did you not LOVE Wicked?! It's so political and smart and wonderful. One of my favorite books. After reading it I read all of his other books. Love Them.
Next: I didn't read the other comments so don't know if this is a repeat, but read The Glass Castle. Right now.
I've been a bookworm my whole life.
Right now I'm on a Lincoln Rhyme novel by Jeffrey Deaver. Its quite good and now I'll probably go through the whole series.
i'm a major bookworm - my entire life. lovely bones is a very...distrubing read...it's a good book but a tough subject matter. if you ever need a book suggestion - let me know!
The Lovely Bones is a FANTASTIC book. I couldn't put it down. If you haven't yet read Twilight, that is the one that should be bumped up to the top of your list. It was INCREDIBLE!! I just blogged about it a few days ago. Loved it!!
I didn't read everyone else's comments, so I don't know who may have mentioned what...my favorite books by far The Time Traveler's Wife (movie in the works), the Red Tent (got off to a slow start, but it was good). I also happen to love Megan Crane's Frenimies (or however it's spelled).
I read Wicked and just didn't like it. I have yet to see the play though (but hope to before it closes here in LA).
I was going to recommend augusten burroughs but I saw that someone else mentioned it. Check out Running With Scissors and A Wolf At The Table. They're amazing.
Kay Redfield Jamison and Oliver Sacks have some good books too.
I had to read Lovely Bones for my Freshman COLLEGE English class. No offense to everyone who loved it, but I absolutely hated it.
I can't stand Harry Potter, Picoult novels give me a headache, and Palahnuik is overrated.
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