Tag: quick lit

quick lit – next page, please {may 2018}

1 Comment

Quick Lit {May 2018}It’s been forever since I have done a Quick Lit post so I am going to discuss the books that I have read since January, how I am doing with the Modern Mrs. Darcy’s (MMD) 2018 Reading Challenge, and what is currently on my night stand.

Read

  • Origin by Dan Brown. I enjoy all of Dan Brown’s novels and looked forward to this one with great anticipation. I had to wait forever for it to become available at my local library but I finally got my hands on it and ate it up. I wish I had all the knowledge that Robert Langdon has in his brain about semiology.  I don’t want to know about signs and symbols but it would be really cool to be a recognized expert on something. I would love to meet that guy one day. And yes, I know he’s fiction. MMD Category: A book by a favorite author
  • Sing Unburied Sing by Jessmyn Ward. I read this one for the Rocket City Mom Book Club and wrote a full review. Liked the message of the work; not necessarily the story.  Ultimately, this book encouraged me to continue to write and share my stories. MMD Category: A book recommended by someone with great taste. Thanks, Stephenie!
  • George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones. I love a good biography and this one, albeit unauthorized, is right up there. I love reading about how movies are made behind the scenes and how creatives create.  Plus, I like Star Wars! Win-Win. MMD Category: A memoir, biography, or book of creative non-fiction
  • Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott: I have a confession to make. I use to strongly dislike the work of Anne Lamott, outside of her classic Bird by Bird.  My friend loved her and got me to read another one of her works for a book club that we had together. However, I saw this one at my local library’s annual book sale and picked it up for 50 cents.  I adored loved title and enjoyed the book, as well.  Anne writes authentically and honestly – two qualities I adore in writers and in people. MMD Category: A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection
  • How I Write: The Secret Lives of Authors by Philip Oltermann. This is a gorgeous coffee table compilation of popular British authors answer to the question: what do you need to write. Answers ranged from caffeine to one specific chair.  I’m tempted to add this book to my personal library. No MMD Category
  • Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton. I’ve got a confession to make, I avoided reading this book for over a long time. It was very arrogant and stupid of me; I thoughts, what could a woman who couldn’t ultimately save her marriage have to tell me about trying to save her marriage? Boy was I wrong! This book isn’t just about marriage; it speaks to anyone who wants to live a more authentic life. I adored this book. No MMD Category and I don’t care.
  • The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. Another one for the Rocket City Mom Book Club so full review on this one. Ultimately, to me it was OK. One of the main characters suffers from postpartum depression and I admired Lapena tackling that in a novel. No MMD Category

Currently Reading

  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Ever since I studied Homer’s Illiad, I have been fascinated with the story. Madeline approaches it from a different angle, a perspective I never thought of before.  I am soaking this one up and made the mistake of thinking that I would read one more chapter before bed at 9:30 PM.  Didn’t put it down until 11:30 PM; always the mark of an excellent back for me.
  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön. In Love Warrior, Glennon discusses a passage of this book and its impact on her life. It made me curious and I decided to pick it up.  Besides it fulfills the MMD Category: A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own.
  • Art of the Memoir by Mary Karr. Taking this one very very slowly. I don’t think I am ready for this.

What have you been reading?

enjoy life…

quick lit – next page, please {april 2016}

17 Comments

I love Quick Lit time. I can brag to you about all of the books that I read (LOL); four books this month and am currently six books ahead of schedule to read 36 books this year. However, when I tell you my life is hectic this week, I am not lying in any way so just the books and some favorite quotes this month. I may expound on some of these at a later date.

IMG_4280

Read

  • Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan:“There is no immortality that is not built on friendship and work done with care. All the secrets in the world worth knowing are hiding in plain sight….Your life must be an open city, with all sorts of ways to wander in.”
  • The Travelers by Chris Pavone: “Will wants everything to be perfect. He wants the perfect wife, the perfect kids, the perfect old townhouse, perfectly restored, where he’ll serve perfect food accompanied by perfect wines in perfect glasses. He wants his suit perfectly tailored, his shoes perfectly shined. He wants the hotel room to be perfect, the overnight train ride, the local tour guide. And he has made the relentless pursuit of perfection his career.”

Stopped Abandoned Reading:

I have changed the title from stopped to abandoned because it is more in line with the wording for MMD’s Reading Challenge.

As usual, linking up with Quick Lit over on Modern Mrs. Darcy. Check out what everyone else is reading.

quick lit – next page, please {march 2016}

11 Comments

 

 I love Quick Lit time – time to post what I have been reading this month.

Read:

  • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: Modern Mrs. Darcy (Yes, her again! LOL) recommended this book for someone who has the Meyers-Briggs personality type of ISTJ: capable, logical, reasonable and peaceful, which happens to be close to my type, as the perfect summer read. The only problem was that it took FOREVER to get it from the library. I absolutely LOVED this book and I can see while the Hold list was so long; it has climbed the ladder to be one of my favorite novels of all time. I blew through this during the 3 and ½ hour flight home. So many great quotes. “He feels naked when speaking about things he really loves.” I feel like this too. And “Sometimes books don’t find us until the right time. Also very true, indeed.
  • Wildflower by Drew Barrymore: I really liked reading this series of short stories about Barrymore’s life and what she learned through them. Here she talks about her feelings for her mom; who quite arguably, could have been a better mom. “I want only to say thank you to her, because I love my life and it takes every step to get to where you are, and if you are happy, then God bless the hard times it took you to get there. No life is without them, so what are yours, and what did you do with the lessons? That is the only way to live.” My question to myself has become just that: what I am doing with my lessons?
  • French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano: I started reading Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman and became fascinated by the French mindset of how they enjoy life: living every moment in that moment. I remembered hearing about this book a long time ago and Oprah and decided to pick it up and see what it was about. I finished this one but am still working through Bringing Up Bébé. My two takeaways are from these two quotes: (1) “I also had to cultivate my appreciation for what I was having. In short, …[the] French way of enjoying those foods that can be friend or foe depending on how we treat them. The keys are sensory awareness, portion sense, quality, and an eye to the big picture of overall wellness.” And (2) “If you can’t name your pleasures, chances are you’ve surrendered to many of them. It’s time to start cultivating.” A problem that I have had until recently.
  • Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott: When I met my basketball-loving Hubby 13 years ago, I started watching ESPN’s Sportscenter with him, which was often anchored by Stuart Scott. I began to feel like I knew him, I saw him so often. When he was first diagnosed with cancer, of course, I was aware and we saw him fight and go into remission a number of times. When he died January 4, 2015, it hit me a little hard. I loved this book because it gave me a perspective into what those who are fighting cancer may feel like in a way I pray selfishly, I will never be able to understand. This perspective is invaluable to me as I am a Chemo Card Angel. More about that here. I loved this quote by Scott:“Nerves are good. What are nerves, after all? They’re just energy.” Sometimes it’s hard working up the nerve to write these blog posts, I gotta tell ya!

Currently Reading:

Paused Reading

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Had to return this one to the library (someone wanted it) and thus will have to get back to it later.
  • Daring Greatly by Brené Brown: Yep, still paused.
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: While not my favorite way to read, there is something to be said about reading books digitally, on a Kindle or other mobile device. You can do it while you are traveling at night! Started this while returning from my 10 Year Anniversary Trip. Haven’t been in the dark since and thus my digital loan expired. Not sure if I am going to re-borrow it but I am leaving the door open.

I have read 12 books out of my goal to read 36 books this year; I am 5 books ahead of schedule – a nice cushion for the Holidays when things get hectic.  I don’t want to have to make a big push at the end of the year to make my reading goal.

As usual, I am linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy. Check out what everyone else is reading over there.

What have you been reading?