My reading was super light this month. I do need to finish two books before December 31 to meet my amended goal of 35 books in 2015 which I am confident that I will do. I have smashed my original goal of 12. I have just been in a reading slump this month.

I have identified myself as a reader for as long as I can remember. I read everything I could get my hands on, bottom of the Kleenex tissue box not withstanding – a story for another post. Since I am a “real reader”, I have always read everything that I have ever started through to completion, even if it was a struggle. Then, my girl, Gretchen Rubin (Hey! Her Happiness Project changed my life, I have read most of her books, I listen to her podcasts, and I have emailed her twice and she has been gracious enough to respond each time, so yeah, that’s my girl!), talked about how she had decided to stop reading books that she didn’t enjoy. She talks about it here. So after much debate with myself, I have decided to do that too. My reasoning: Even if I live to be 100, I will NEVER be able to read all the books I want to read. My TBR (to be read) list on Goodreads is over 125 books right now. I need to make better use of my time! So with that being said I…

Stopped Reading:

• The Distant Hours by Kate Morton: Yes I know, in last month’s Quick Lit, I was extolling the beautiful writing and vivid setting descriptions and I said that I would finish even if I had to check it out of the library again, which I did do by the way. But the story was moving to slow for me and ultimately, when I was honest with myself, I just didn’t care about the Mud Man enough to find out who or what he was. Although my first exposure to Kate Morton ended with me not finishing, this book does not discourage me from reading more of her work. The Lake House is on the TBR.

Currently Reading:

• The Round House by Louise Erdrich: I am reading this for a book club and I feel bad saying this but that is the ONLY reason I am still reading this book. My original plan had been to keep my reading light this December, and that is not happening with this one. The subject matter is very serious. Erdrich is the most prolific writer of novels about Native Americans, and the book has won numerous awards. A “real reader” like myself, should be eating this one up. I’m not. I just don’t think I am in the mood for it. But it must be read by December 31 so that I may contribute intelligently to the discussion, so I struggle on.
• The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George: Thanks to Modern Mrs. Darcy, I have discovered that one of my favorite types of book is a book about books and all things dealing with books. This one is in that category and it makes me want to own a little bookstore one day. And I wish there was such a place as the Literary Apothecary and someone like Monsieur Jean Perdu who knew just what books an individual needed to cure what ailed them emotionally! Although in researching whether there was such a thing as a literary apothecary, so that I wouldn’t look like an ignoramus, I stumbled over Read It Forward and their Book Apothecary. I will be checking that out. Has anyone already done so?

Paused Reading:

• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown: Not in the mood right now for all the introspection required to fully savor and digest this one. It’s the Holidays! Will pick this up again in the new year.

Read:

I’m just realizing that the only books I have completed this month are from Buddy Man’s personal library; and I have read them over and over again. Can these count toward my yearly reading goal?

• L M N O Peas by Keith Baker: Buddy Man’s all-time favorite
• Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora: This one must be done with hand motions to have its full effect!
• The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: A modern classic.

FYI, this December, The UPS Store and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are teaming up! For every social media post sharing a children’s book with the #ReadItForward, The UPS Store will donate $1 to the Toys for Tots Literacy Program.

For more interesting book reviews by other readers across the blogosphere, check out Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit Link-up.

And I wish I had some more friends on Goodreads. I am at www.goodreads.com/shannanenjoyslife

AND, I need some more story books that would be good for a 14-month-old. If they are board books, better and better.

enjoy life…