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Posts Tagged ‘#readinglife’

Reading Goals: Then & Now

Hi friends! I am participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, where I will post a daily blog post all month. That’s 31 blog posts! I look forward to reading other people’s blogs who do this challenge with me. I also really appreciate the likes and comments on my posts. I promise to respond to every single one of them! Thanks in advance for reading. 

As many of you may know, I’m a big ole book nerd, so I wanted to start the new year by reflecting on my reading life over the last 12 months. I had high hopes and managed to check a few things off of my bookworm to-do list.

  • More library visits: I borrowed more books and saved a lot of money. I’m there so often now that the woman at the drive-up window recognizes me. I don’t know her name, but she always greets me with a smile and grabs my books off the reserved cart before I can get out my library card. She also knows I’ll ask for the latest issue of Book Page, a free library magazine with many recommendations. Most libraries carry them; just ask!
  • Discovered a new indie bookstore: We vacationed in Bar Harbor, Maine, in September and stayed at an Airbnb located a few blocks away from Sherman’s Books. I hung out there almost every night after a long day of touring, perusing their shelves that reached from floor to ceiling, talking to the friendly staff, and supporting their business. If I could have found a way to hide myself in that bookstore overnight, it would have been amazing.
  • Summer book project: I reorganized the bookshelves in my house. Now, I have curated shelves in the office, bedroom, and living room. I also cleaned out my kids’ shelves and got rid of several thick SAT guidebooks. The shelves all look so nice, and it has been a joy to rediscover the books I forgot I owned.
  • Book blogs: I wrote many book reviews last year and learned that several readers learned about some great books from my posts. In fact, some of my highest open rates were from my book blogs. If you want to read them, search for “book report” in my blog search bar. And stay tuned for my December book report coming soon. 
  • No Book Buy July: Between borrowing books at the library, organizing my shelves, and refraining from buying books for a month, I enjoyed the books I had instead of buying new ones. It wasn’t easy because I’m always looking for the “it” book that everyone is reading. Plus, July was Amazon Prime Day, where the books were super cheap. And yet, I didn’t buy one book and lived to tell about it.
  • Book stats: I completed 34 books this year. My Goodreads goal was originally 40 titles last January, but then I reduced it to 35 and then again to 33 as the year went on.

2024 Reading Goals

  • Number of books: Today, I set my book challenge to 40 books, hoping to finally reach that magic number.
  • Backlist books: I signed up for the Backlist Book Challenge where each month I read a book or two published in a specific year. Preferably, the books I pick are ones I already own. January has been assigned the year 2012, so I will read The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton and a nonfiction book still to be chosen.
  • Track my books: I downloaded a Google spreadsheet from the women who host the Currently Reading podcast. I want to dig into my reading habits a little more this year, such as where I get my book recommendations, whether I bought or borrowed it, and why I liked or didn’t like specific titles. The more details I provide, the better I’ll know myself as a reader at the end of 2024.
  • Buy less and borrow more: When I buy a book, it has to be from Audible or an indie bookstore, not a big box store or downloaded to Kindle. This way, I’ll have to go out of my way to get to the store and buy it. I will also only buy physical books if there is a long wait at the library or if no one has it and I must read it by a certain date (like for book club). I will keep in mind that I have plenty to read already and learn to tune out the hyped books that everyone is talking about. This is going to be my hardest goal, but I’m putting it out here and willing to give it a shot.

How was your reading year? What bookish goals are you setting for 2024? Let me know in the comments.

XO,
Elisa

November 2023 Book Report

Reading a book and drinking coffee. I have a confession to make. I didn’t finish any books in November.

I started a bunch of them, and they are all in various stages of completion. But I’m going through a dry spell. Most of the books I’m reading at the moment are nonfiction, and I tend to read those books slower than fiction. Typically, I read these books to learn something, and I like absorbing the information before moving forward.

Of course, if the nonfiction book is a celebrity biography or a memoir, all bets are off. I devour those pretty quickly.

For instance, I’m reading “Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection “ by Erica Dhawan, which is about communicating better in a remote working environment.  I’m about 120 pages in and am learning how to respond to vague and confusing emails, avoid digital ghosting, and decide if my message should be delivered via email, text, or a phone call. As a Gen-Xer who is not a digital native but wants to communicate effectively with my younger colleagues, I am finding this book extremely helpful.

Other Books I’m Reading

  • “Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause (and How to Feel Like Yourself Again)” by Jancee Dunn –  is about approaching this season of life with information and a sense of humor. Chapter titles range from “Why Did I Walk Into this Room Again?” to “50, Shades of Gray.” I can’t wait to review this one for you next month. 😀
  • “The Six Minute Memoir: Fifty-Five Short Essays On Life” Mary Helen Stefaniak – I love memoirs and essay collections, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Initially, I bought this for the writing prompts in the back of the book, but as I go through each short chapter, I am enjoying this author’s real-life anecdotes written in great detail.
  • “On Brand,” by Aliza Licht  – I’ve always been interested in developing my personal brand as a writer. While I was working, I didn’t have much time to dedicate to the idea. But now that I have some time on my hands as I look for my next career move, I’m getting a lot out of this book, which offers a beginner’s look at rebranding ourselves and sharing our vision with the world. As a side note, the author is pro-Israel and has fantastic content on Instagram to educate and inform people about Israel and the rise of antisemitism. I highly recommend her book and her platform.

That’s it for the books I’m reading. However, it’s not the end of my book report. There’s more. 🙂

Saying Goodbye to Books I Don’t Want to Read

I’m doing some end-of-year decluttering and decided to dig into my bookshelves. I could seriously start a pop-up bookstore because I have too many books. I found books I forgot I owned. I walk into a room, and there is a book lying on the table or piled up in the corner. I don’t want to treat my books this way. I spent good money on them, and they deserve to be read or put away until I can get to them.

I also found titles that no longer interest me. At the top of my donation pile is a recent best seller I know many people loved: “This Time Tomorrow” by Emily Straub. After several attempts at reading this book and similar time travel stories, I’ve decided this is not the trope for me. To be clear, I enjoy books with different timelines — like a character whose story switches from past to present. This back-and-forth writing doesn’t bother me.

I’m talking about actual time-travel stories involving a protagonist literally going back in time through some strange portal and not knowing how they got there and trying to get home. So many of these books are described as being similar to the movie “Groundhog Day.” I know I’m in the minority here, but I really disliked that movie. For me, reliving the same day repeatedly with slight variations in order to learn a lesson or right a wrong is not how I want to spend my precious reading time. So those books automatically land in my donate pile for someone else to enjoy. And more importantly, I’m giving myself permission to not buy those books, even when the titles get rave reviews.

By the way, if you have a trope you don’t like, I am giving you the go-ahead to make room in your bookshelves for books you know you will love.

What book tropes do you stay away from? Friends to lovers romance novels? World War II stories? Violent plotlines? Children in jeopardy? Let me know in the comments. 

Happy reading!

XO,
Elisa

October 2023 Book Report

Yesterday, I enjoyed lunch with relatives who love to read. We exchanged titles we liked and gave a few brief book reviews. I learned that I come from a long line of avid readers, and we all have similar tastes in books. It was a joy to talk about our favorites and how much we love the book clubs we belong to.

This month, I didn’t read a lot of books. I couldn’t settle on something I wanted to read, so finding the right book for my mood took time. Some readers can select a pile of books and read through them. Unfortunately –or fortunately– I get easily distracted by the other books on my shelf. I guess it’s a nice problem to have, so I can’t complain.

Luckily, I picked one terrific book this month and gave it five stars. So, without further ado…

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

If you don’t mind a book with unlikeable characters, this is the perfect read for you. Fair warning: There is no character to root for in this novel, but I promise you they are all fascinating in their own right.

But let me back up. Yellowface is about two talented women writers, one more successful than the other. Athena is an Asian-American woman who has published award-winning bestsellers, has loads of fans, and has attained celebrity status in the publishing world. June published one novel that met mixed reviews and editors and publishers that ghosted her left and right. No one is asking her to write something new, and her dream to become a famous writer is fading fast.

The women have had a like/loathe friendship since college, and jealousy runs rampant between them. One night, while the two of them are having dinner in Athena’s apartment, Athena dies suddenly in a freak choking accident. She leaves behind a manuscript of legacy potential about Chinese labor workers, which June snatches up and makes into her own book. Soon, June –now known as Juniper Song–gets all the attention she ever wanted as a writer. Some are suspicious that this novel was really hers. Juniper/June can fend off her doubters for a while, but eventually, they haunt her until she can’t take it anymore.

Yellowface is a satirical look at the writing life and the publishing world. The author also weaves in extreme narcissism, white privilege, online mystery, and the shocking lengths one will go to keep the truth secret. You don’t have to be a writer to appreciate the twists and turns here, and the ending is immensely satisfying.

I listened to this book on Audible and was entertained from start to finish. If you read and enjoyed “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid, I think you will also like the similar themes of race and privilege, the friendship trope, and social commentary in this book.

Nonfiction November

I’m a big fan of nonfiction books. My favorite is memoir and personal essay collections, but I’m also a history buff and a trivia nerd. This combination of interests leads me to pick up anything I find interesting.

I already blogged about “Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The Making of Airplane!” here, but I’m adding one caveat to my previous review. Buying the book is definitely better than listening to it on Audible. While visiting an indie bookstore, I paged through the actual book and realized it was in a scrapbook format. Kind of like a keepsake or a souvenir and less like a book. Had I known this beforehand, I would have mentioned it because it is difficult to translate that format into an audio version. Nevertheless, I still didn’t care for it because it was more about the writers than the movie, which was disappointing.

I’m also in the middle of a few business books, including “Digital Body Language,” which is teaching me how to best connect with colleagues, customers, and cohorts online. So much miscommunication can happen when a rogue punctuation mark, the wrong emoji, or the tone of a text message is used and incorrectly perceived. Not to mention, rectifying the confusion from that communication can waste valuable time in the workday. Whether through a Zoom meeting, a Slack channel, or a simple email, there are ways to be much more effective, and I know I will be an even better communicator after I finish this nonfiction gem. FYI: I checked this book out at the library, returned it, and bought a hard copy for my bookshelf. That’s how much I want to have it handy when I start working again.

I’m hoping to have a much more productive reading life this month. Sadly, my Goodreads goal is looking like a pipe dream, but I’m still hopeful. As always, I’m open to suggestions, so tell me –what have you been reading lately?

XO,

Elisa

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