Whatcha Readin'?

I love reading. A few years ago, I gave up television watching for Lent. It kind of stuck like a habit and now I don't watch anything on television, though I do occasionally watch a program or two on my computer. And movies. I watch movies. Anyway, I have always loved to read and usually have at least two books going on at once. When I gave up the tv, I thought my productivity around the house would increase with all that extra time for household chores, but it seems I have only doubled my reading time. I still call it a win, but my family may disagree.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of my kids announced they don't like to read. I don't get it. I certainly spent a ton of time reading to them as they grew from infant to school age person. What could be wrong with them? I just don't know. But that didn't stop me from writing this blog post.

I asked each kid a few questions about what they are reading. It went something like this...(edited for brevity and for your pleasure. Trust me)

MARY, what are you reading?
I was reading The Crucible for Lit. It was ok. Now we are reading The Great Gatsby. It's ok. I just finished a book called Boy 2 Girl. It was so bad! It was hilarious. I read To Kill a Mockingbird. It was good. I really liked 13 Reasons Why.
What did you like about it?

Like crack for Mary

I don't know. It was good and sad and relatable.
Why did you read Boy 2 Girl?
Because Becca said it was so bad I had to read it. (laughing) It was really dumb!
What will you read next? For yourself, not for school?
Probably My Sister's Keeper. I loved the Percy Jackson books and re-read them all and I am reading the Heroes of Olympus series, too.

CLARE, what are you reading?

"no thank you"

Is it funny good or funny bad?

I'm reading Boy 2 Girl now and it is really funny because it is so bad. I have to read The Glass Castle and The Lord of the Flies for Lit. I read The Glass Castle and it was really good. I really liked it. Now I have to read Lord of the Flies, but I don't want to.
What about October sky? (they have to read it as part of a Bishop Kelley reading assignment)
(both Mary and Clare) NO! It is so boring! Nobody is reading it! Everyone is just skimming through it.
What do you want to read next?
I'm not sure. I have to get through Lord of the Flies.





Maggie, how about you?

Loved it!

I'm not reading anything right now. I'm too busy doing schoolwork and taking dance classes. I have no time unless it is an assignment.
Okay, well what is the last book you read?
The Outsiders. I liked it a lot. The characters were interesting and it was based here in Tulsa.
What do you want to read next?
Maybe Between the Lines.

DOMINIC? DOMINIC!?
(takes off his headphones) Yeah?
What book are you reading right now?
Why? Who said something?
*sigh* I'm doing a blog about what we're reading.
Oh....
I'm reading Holes for school. It is pretty good. Before that I read Big Nate and the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Those are funny.
What do you want to read next?

Perfect for a little girl

Butt Wars. The cover is hilarious.

ANNA, what book are you reading?
I'm reading Ivy and Bean. I like it so far. Before that we read Sarah, Plain and Tall. I read some Junie B Jones books, but I don't really like them.
Yeah, you said they are written weird.
Uh, huh. But I like Ivy and Bean. And the Skippy John Jones books. And the Bad Kitty books.
Yay! A reader! 

*there is no entry for Stephen. I believe he is reading American short stories for Literature. I'll catch up with him later.

Mike really enjoyed the Steig Larsson books and read all three this summer. Now I think he is mostly busy reading manuscripts and student dissertations. Not much pleasure reading going on for him right now.

The first of three books

I read a few good books over the summer as well as a few beach blanket paperbacks. Right now I am reading The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. It is pretty soapy and unrealistic so far. A simple distraction from Mount Saint Laundry. I am also reading Sister by Rosamund Lupton. It is a mystery, which is not my favorite genre but I am enjoying it. I recently read Gillian Flynn's books Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. They are both very good. They are well written and the characters are interesting. I am not typically drawn to mysteries, yet I enjoyed them very much. I hope to read Dark Places next. I also recently read In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard. I read it with some friends and most of us liked it, though we all wished the ending was different, or more complete. I guess it is a good thing to be left wanting more, but in this case, the ending seemed premature, as if the author just ran out of gas. A series of books I recently read and enjoyed a lot was the Katie Nash books by Elizabeth Berg. They are Durable Goods, Joy School and True to Form. They each read like a memoir and I am very drawn to memoirs. They are engaging stories about friendships, heartbreak and family. Elizabeth wrote the first novel without any intention of continuing the story. I am so glad she did. I highly recommend them.

I love sharing books and reading lists with my friends. I have a long list of recommended books that gets longer every day. I am excited for the dreary days of winter when I can hunker down with a good book or two. Please feel free to share which books you are reading or have read in the comments.