I always had my nose buried in a book. Reading for pleasure was never something I had to make space or time for. In fact, everything else in my life revolved around it. (Confession: I once almost got caught reading Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind by Alexandra Ripley when I was supposed to be reviewing patient charts on my speech therapy practicum. Such a good book, though, if you loved Gone with the Wind! It won’t disappoint!) But in the last few years, picking up a novel has been a scarcity around here; it was replaced by reading of other sorts. When I started blogging, there was a lot to learn and much of my leisure time (i.e. kids’ sleep time) went to reading blogging-related material. Or other blogs. Or personal development books I was reviewing…for my blog.
This past summer, I read Lynn Austin’s A Light to My Path. When I got to the end (in tears… because man, it’s an emotional book, and a must-read if you love historical fiction set in the Deep South’s era of slavery), I thought Why don’t I do this more?!
Reading is fuel for great writing, and it’s completely enjoyable. Making space for it again in my life, on a regular basis, means less time randomly surfing the ‘net. It means when I am working online, I need to be conscious of how I’m spending my time. The more work I get done during the day, the less work I have to do when the kids go to bed at night, which opens up my evening for pleasure reading.
Here are a few titles I’m hoping to get to over the next little while. No deadlines as per my new strategy. I grabbed some of these from Claire’s 14 Best-Loved Books of 2014, and the others are from to-read lists from long ago.
1. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
2. When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
3. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
4. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
5. Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
6. Make Your Own Chai, Mama’s Boy by Farah Tejani
7. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
Which ones have you read from this list? Which would you add?
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