4.07.2010

I Miss Being a Bookworm

Up until the end of 2008 I could (and would) proudly call myself a bookworm. I was a voracious reader and read, at the very least, 2 books a month (and that's being conservative - it was usually much higher). But then in 2009...my reading of books slowed down. Who am I kidding - it all but stopped. Sure I was reading decor mags and blogs but I wasn't reading any books. And I LOVE reading. All types of books.

just a small small sampling of some of my books

I kinda blame blogging and the 'net for my lack of reading actual novels (time I'd usually spend reading - I now spend reading other blogs!)...but even more so I attribute my lack of reading to the fact that I was laid off. I did a LOT of my reading during my 2.5 hour (round trip) daily commute. And on my lunch break. And when I was laid off I no longer had this 'built-in' reading time. Sure, you'd think I have more free time to read but now a lot of my free time is spent looking for work, or doing contract gigs (working from home). And sometimes when I do have the time to read...I just can't focus.

But I miss reading. Yes, miss it. I crave a good book. The feeling of being absolutely absorbed into a book....there's nothing quite like finishing a good book, is there? Reading, literally, has the ability to transport you (me) to a different time. Or place. Or just put you in a different mind set. To make you laugh. To reflect. To see things in a new light. To discover (re-discover) something new. To make you think of doing things or going places you'd never thought of before....

Have I mentioned how much I love books?

So I've made the decision it's time for me to get back into the habit of reading. I miss the bookstore. Yes, the bookstore. I miss wandering the aisles and getting lost in books - dipping into and out of various books that catch my eye and walking out with 2 or 3 books to add to my nightstand.

I purchased this book months ago and just couldn't focus to really get into it...so I'm going to restart it.


And I've decided, and this will be hard, that weekends & at least 1 day a week will be internet free days for me. Yes, too much of a good thing can be...well, not so good.

So, with this in mind - I'd love to get a little list going of books to read. I also plan on heading to the bookstore this weekend and getting properly stocked up....I'd love to get YOUR opinion:
If you could recommend one book for me to read - what would it be? It could be from ANY genre...fiction, mystery, non-fiction, biography, chick lit, travel, romance, etc.....what would you suggest as a 'MUST' read (or simply a GOOD read) and (without giving the plot away) why? (Only thing - no self help books! I've actually read a few of these during the past year lol).
Perhaps there'll be a book that is frequently recommended? Regardless, I promise to check all of them out on amazon and pick a handful out this weekend to get me started on my quest to becoming a bookworm again.

Thanks!

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fast Food Nation (because its enlightening), Water for Elephants (i love the imagery)

kay* said...

@ellenandish - oooh thanks! i do recall water for elephants being on my to-read list. glad i was reminded of it. and fast food nation, if it's what i think it's about, would be an enlightening read...

Katelin said...

i second elleandish's recommendation for 'water for elephants', i can't remember the last time i enjoyed a book so much that wasn't about vampires, haha.

mootsie0109 said...

The Help - so good.

Mandy said...

I've read so many wonderful books in the past few months. The Help, Sarah's Key, The Rooftops of Tehran, The Percy Jackson and the Olympian series (well the first three books anyway). Water for Elephants is a really enjoyable book. I've also reread some of my favorites like The Secret Garden and The Thirteenth Tale (which I really think you would like as well).

Mrs. Limestone said...

I loved Atonement (movie is great but the book was better).

A slightly lesser known book that I thought was fab was Those Who Save Us. It was recommended to me after I had read Sarahs Key and I thought it was much better (even though I did think Sarah's Key was a good book)

And pretty much anything by Jodi Picoult is a page turner.

Maggie said...

Perfect Family by Pam Lewis

Rachel said...

I would second "Atonement." The book was definitely better than the movie.

Also, two I love(d): "A Confederacy of Dunces" and "The Stone Diaries." Can't recommend them highly enough.

kay* said...

wow! this is great - many i hadn't heard of. keep 'em coming :)

Geo said...

The Help, definitely. The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and it's follow up.

Mrs. Pink said...

I know what you mean, I have to save all the good reading to summer when I am off from teaching.

Leslie in Adams Morgan said...

Same with me ... I used to have a very long commute and would read at least an hour in the morning, under my desk at work, and then again on my way home. In fact, my blog started out as a book review site and now it's all fluff. :-)

Leslie in Adams Morgan said...

oh, and I have the same Egypt travel guide you have pictured. Did you go? And, if so, what did you think?

by Sutton said...

sometimes it takes one great read to get you back into the swing of things.. try "the art of choosing", "the girl with the dragon tattoo", or "the well dressed ape"

xx
stylesubstanceandsutton.blogspot.com

A Casa da Vá said...

dear kay thank u for ur visit, and i am so happy that now i found ur blog! i am too a bookworm suffering from lack of time! i too love writing list and setting goals. and i too live in a rental...

ps: love the brazil poster u got for ur bathroom - that is my home!

4DsfromLHP said...

Some of my favorites are Life of Pi (completely original and thought provoking), Memoirs of a Geisha (so much better than the movie!), The Help and Sarah's Key (a real tear-jerker though so have tissues ready). I'm reading Water for Elephants right now. And a couple of years ago I was fascinated with all things relating to climbing Mt. Everest and so I really enjoyed Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. One more...The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis is a true story about a group of women who purchase a diamond necklace together and chronicle their lives during that time. Inspiring! Sorry this was so long! I enjoy your blog.

Anonymous said...

I'm the same way- I used to love reading but have slacked off.. I blame mine on school and blogging.. the internet has taken up my free time.

I may have to pick up this hobby again in the summer, when I'm on break from school.

A book that I loved is called "A Love Noire" by Erica Simone Turnipseed... there is also a follow up called, Hunger... but I loved the first one more.

Katusha said...

"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley and "My Life in France" by Julia Child - both excellent and hilarious!

A Casa da Vá said...

ohhh just remembered an AMAZING book: Budapest: A Novel, from Chico Buarque - it is so good I read it all in one day cause I couldn't stop!

Rebecca said...

The Help and Water for Elephants, absolutely. My first vote is for The Help because it opens your eyes to an era that not many of us have experienced, and the author somehow manages to give a unique voice to so many different characters in a real way!

Magalie @ WeddingsandPrettyThings said...

Love in the Time of Cholera, The God of Small Things, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, War and Peace: My Top 4 (not necessarily in that order)! For lighter fare: Julie & Julia, Trading Up, The Feast of Roses and its sequel, The Twentieth Wife. I LOOOOOVE BOOKS - Enjoy!

Unknown said...

Do NOT be put off by their popularity, they are dear, dear books: any and all of the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books by Alexander McCall Smith.

So much fun, interesting characters, laugh out loud moments, soul-satisfying.

Have fun!!

SAJ said...

I have 2: The color of water by James McBride and The view from here by Brian Keith Jackson. The second one is definitely a must read.

Anonymous said...

It's a long one (almost 1,000 pages) but a great one: The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye. It's a great adventure set in the 1850s India. LOVED it!

Michelle... said...

Wow, um, one book is a really hard choice! I am also a bookworm, but I totally feel you on the commute thing. If I had to start commuting by car or lost my job, I'm sure I'd probably read less as well.

So I'll just throw out one book that I've read recently and I think is a must read: Les Miserables. I bought that book in high school when I saw the musical and it sat on my shelf unread for all of college until last summer. After reading it was sad I let it sit so long. It is a VERY long book (even the mildly abridged version I read), but I never lost interest and was always excited to open the book every day. I'm pretty sure the version I read was the Charles Wilber(Wilbour) translation.

Michelle... said...

And if you care at all, I keep track of my read, reading, and to-read list on Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2819081

Connie @ SogniESorrisi said...

I love to read. Every Monday I post about a book I've read the week before.

Anonymous said...

So hard to limit it to just one but the first thing that popped into my head was "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenberger. It's a story about a guy who involuntarily travels through time, told by his wife who first meets him when she's a child and then they "meet in the middle" as adults and get married.

It's really hard to tell more about it w/out giving anything away, but I've reread it a few times now and each time I get more out of it. It's a great love story with a twist.

Next suggestion: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. WWII nurse (Claire) is honeymooning in Scotland and walks through a stone circle to find herself in the 1700s, caught in the middle of a Clan war and forced to marry a Scottish Laird (Jamie). Also a great love story and just fun to read.

T said...

Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez

Jane's Next Door said...

Favorites:
Water for Elephants
The TIme Traveller's Wife
Fall On Your Knees (one of my favorite books of all time)
The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are EPIC reads - so good!

I could go on and on. I'm a big reader!

Anonymous said...

My favourite authors include Haruki Murakami and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Anonymous said...

The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing
by Melissa Bank; followed by "March", by Geraldine Brooks. If only all books were this good. Girls Guide will have you laughing out loud, and March will open you up to what the pasts may hold (reading wise!)

SweetBonita said...

Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers"
i.could.not.put.it.down.

Lovely B. said...

I'm currently reading The Help by Katheryn Stockett and really enjoying it. The story takes place in Jackson, Missippi during the 60's when white families hired 'help' to not only take care of housework, but also raise their children. It's a wonderful book and very interesting reading from many character's perspectives. I hear 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' is good too. That's next on my list!

Brandie said...

The Help for sure (there is definitely a reason so many of us have mentioned it :)) Also, The Time Traveler's Wife, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Mercy of Thin Air. Happy Reading! :)

Anonymous said...

omg so true, blogging has taken up so much more of my time, and I see you have twilight as do I, and can you believe I'm only half way through the first issue!

http://truequeen.com/

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