Obsession

I guess everybody has one.  Mine is reading.  If I’m in a good book, I’ve been known to read twelve hours straight.  This has been going on since my first grade Alice and Jerry primer.  I think you have to be my age to remember that series.

I absolutely cannot get into bed at night without my current read.  When I was raising a family and working, I read for about 10 minutes then passed out.  Now, I can read for hours.  Why not?  No schedule.  Just sleep in.

Even as a kid, I kept a flashlight under my mattress to take out after “lights out,”  cover my head with a blanket and keep reading.

My youngest didn’t get a good night’s sleep for the first four years of her life….of course, that meant her parents didn’t get much sleep either.  I was beside myself….what to do??  I am not a fan of crying it out.  That was my mother’s advice then I read Primal Scream and had visions of my kids going into therapy screaming because I didn’t attend to their needs….even in the middle of the night.

Four years into this delirium, a light bulb hit me.  I got her cassette tapes and little paperbacks that she could follow.  It was her quiet time and she was free to read and listen to the books until she relaxed and fell asleep.  It was a miracle!  Of course, now there are noise machines.  Maybe, that would’ve done the trick.  But, she still reads….just like me….when she gets in bed.

This has been some summer….pretty much out of commission for two months.  What to do??
READ!  I’ve been devouring a book every other day since we landed back in Maryland in May.  Mostly on my Kindle, which means it’s on my phone and iPad, as well.  Easy access.

I wish I had the discipline so many of my friends do.  They check out library books or download them onto their Kindles.  Unfortunately, I’m an instant gratification girl.  Want to read it now, which means buying them through Amazon.  And, is anyone every going to read it again on my Kindle?  Of course not.

Of course, I think I’m saving the environment because I don’t read hard covers or paperbacks anymore.  After donating, 5,000 used books to the Howard County Library four years ago, I’m never going to buy another one unless I want to reread it….which I almost never do.

When I think about this, I think I’m nuts.  Even in retirement, I’m constantly trying to save money and cut corners.  I’m sure I could’ve taken a Caribbean cruise on what I’ve spent on books this summer.

Where do I get book recommendations?  The Washington Post book reviews have inspired my choices….many hits, some real misses.  I always ask my youngest what she’s reading….I trust her more than the Post, actually.  Goodreads.  Yep, I check out what my friends are reading or their personalized reading suggestions based on what I’ve liked in the past.  I try to rate and write reviews for the books I read but I can’t keep up.  Too busy with the next read.

What do I read?  Basically, the New York Times Top Ten or FLUFF.    I love fluff.  I got so immersed in two fluff series this summer , I read all nine books in 10 days.  JoAnn Demaio writes from the beach on Long Island Sound, and Mary Alice Monroe whisks me off to Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina.  It’s all about the beach and romance.  I’m hooked!

There are genres that just don't do it for me….sci-fi is one.  I don’t think I could read a Stephen King book without having nightmares all night long.  Not a fan of fantasy.  Never really got into James Patterson.

The best?  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.  Didn’t want to read it.  Thought it would be too depressing.  I was totally wrong.  It’s a book about hope and that’s exactly what I need right now!

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, who wrote A Man Called Ove.  If you liked Ove, you’ll love Britt-Marie.  Yes, she’s a bit dull, but turns out to be absolutely charming.

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand.  It ended up on the New York Times best seller list for 2016.  Set in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, the beach and romance.  Is there a better combo?  Fluff and good lit.

Then, there was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  Think Liz Taylor but 100 times more fun!

So, those were my best reads for this summer but I admit I did order a paperback.  The Most by Nora Ephron….my absolute favorite author ever!  I wept when she passed away five years ago at the age of 71, which I think is way too young!  The Most was published in 2013….it’s a combo of her best work.

Every evening, I select an essay to read.  She was one in a million….literally laugh out loud hilarious.
Nothing like smiling at the end of the day!!  Happy reading!