I only started reading books again in April, and so far this year, I’ve read 27. Since we’ve got about 4 months left of the year, I figured now was a good time to break down what I’ve been reading, why, and what’s next.
Twelve Audiobooks: This is largely due to taking advantage of an app called Hoopla Digital, which connects to your library card and allows you to “check out” a certain number of titles a month. The audiobooks I have read have varied vastly in topic, from social commentary to project memoir to adult fiction. I love the accessibility of audiobooks, and utilizing this app has allowed me to read so much more than I could have managed otherwise. So far, I’ve read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Counting By 7’s, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Just Kids, The Know it All, The Year I lived Prayerfully, The Happiness Project, White Trash: The 400 Year Untold Story of Class in America, Bad Feminist, The Geek Feminist Revolution, The Curious Charm of Arthur Pepper, and Daring Greatly.
Two Used Books: I love used book stores, but I hate clutter. I have cut down significantly on the number of used books I buy, but I did purchase two in California to read on the way back from a turnaround trip. One of these books, The Jane Austin Book Club, was alright. I absolutely loved the other (Hope Was Here). So a mixed bag, but I am not going to keep either book much longer.
Four by Shannon Hale: Speaking of that trip, on the way to California, I read the first three books of Shannon Hale’s “Books of Bayern” series. I think the series was good enough as a plane read. It kept me hooked for eight hours, which was enough. I picked up the fourth at the library and it was fine. A disappointing ending to the series, but fine enough. I think the series has soured for a lot of personal reasons, otherwise I’d have a higher opinion of it.
Three Self Help: I got weirdly obsessed with the works of Gretchen Rubin after listening to The Happiness Project via Hoopla Digital. I listened to Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (which I will have to make a blog post about some time), and read Happier at Home and Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I really hold Rubin’s books dear to my heart
Three Small/Independent Publishing: Full disclosure, I was a paid sensitivity reader for Far From Home, and received Cinnamon and Cigarette’s as an ARC from the author. I am happy to report that I enjoyed both. I also had the pleasure of reading Shira Glassman’s The Olive Conspiracy, which was a delightful fourth addition to the Mangoverse universe.
Three Uncategorized: I re-read Fun Home a lot, and am counting it as part of my reads for the year because this is my list and I will do what I want. I read a book called The Decent Proposal earlier this year which I need to dedicate a whole post to because I have a lot of opinions on that one, some good, some bad. And finally, I read Michael Pollan’s Food Rules because I studied him in college and I love his work.
This blog post got a little unruly, so I am going to write up a separate one as a “Rest of 2016 TBR.” Thank you, as always, for reading. What have you been reading? Anything I should look in to? Let me know in a comment below!
-Mehek
Mehek Writes 