Welcome to another Rainy Day Reading post. It is raining here again, so I am eager to curl up and burrow into my books. I am also musing about my reading, along with host Jenn, at A Daily Rhythm.
Here are some of her options to contemplate:
- I’m currently reading…
- Up next I think I’ll read…
- I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
- I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
- I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
- I can’t wait to get a copy of…
- I wish I could read ___, but…
- I blogged about ____ this past week…
THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you have any particular “quirks” when it comes to reading? (eg. taking notes while reading, etc)
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First, I want to share my thoughts on What Was Mine, by Helen Klein Ross, my current read.
Simply told but deeply affecting, in the bestselling tradition of Alice McDermott and Tom Perrotta, this urgent novel unravels the heartrending yet unsentimental tale of a woman who kidnaps a baby in a superstore—and gets away with it for twenty-one years.
While the idea of feeling anything but horror for such a woman would normally be a predominant one, I found myself empathizing with Lucy, the “kidnapper,” whose almost obsessive desire for a baby leads to such a horrific act. The author skillfully takes us through her thought processes, breaking them down into manageable moments that slowly turn into something almost palatable…and then, just when we think we can live with what she did, the repercussions start happening. Life comes undone.
With part of the story in Lucy’s voice, we come to understand her. But what about all those whose lives were damaged? We learn more as the story draws to a conclusion.
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My reading habits could be described as “quirks,” since I usually only read one book at a time, and take notes as I go. Sometimes I pick up another book, too, if it is a different genre than the primary book I’m reading. I have to write the review immediately after finishing…and I may have a Word doc going as I read, writing preliminary thoughts, so that I can post the review right away.
Then I move on.
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What are your habits? What are you reading?
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RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS 
Your book makes me think of all those missing children that show up in the ads and on milk cartons. Some could have been snatched by strangers with that mentality.
My reading habit is that I must read in bed for a bit before I go to bed. It calms my brain. And I prefer to start at 8 p.m. I get grouchy when my reading time is cut into.
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Thanks, Stefanie, and I agree. Understanding the thought processes and motivations does not mean we condone the actions.
I also like reading in bed, too, but if I’m too sleepy, I don’t like to read on my Kindle, as I have dropped it now and then.
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I’m currently reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
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I’ve heard good things about that book. Thanks for stopping by, Breana, and enjoy your week.
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it is now on my list:) books with people whose actions we would not normally condone written so that we engage with that person I think must be the most difficult. I like thought processes in a book the best more even than the plots sometimes!
Hitch-hikers one of the best fantasies, In my opinion only of course:)
happy reading
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Yes, it was a very clever device that had me rooting for the kidnapper…but also feeling bad for the other characters, too. Thanks for stopping by, Alberta.
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I like your system of reading and note taking.
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Thanks, Allison, I didn’t always take notes, but especially when reading e-books, I find it helpful, since it is hard to flip back pages and find sections that were noteworthy.
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The book sounds super good. Added it to my TBR! 🙂
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Thanks, Kendra, I enjoyed it all the way through.
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I never write anything down, and I should. I think my reviews would be better if I did – because I forget details so quickly. I try to highlight passages on my Kindle, but I’m even bad at remembering to do that!
Happy reading!
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I couldn’t possibly remember all the details without the notes, especially when reading on my Kindle. Some books seem to require more notes than others…the convoluted ones, for example. LOL.
Thanks for stopping by, Brandie.
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I heard about this book recently and immediately added it to my TBR list. It sounds like such an interesting story, and I’m so curious about how it ends. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People
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I loved this one…I finished it a little earlier today. Thanks for stopping by, Cheryl.
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That looks so good, have to look it out! If I’m reading on the iPad, I highlight as I go, if on the Kindle I highlight and take notes, if a paperback, I have a notepad next to me. God, it sounds really clinical or something, doesn’t it? Can’t read in bed, I’d be asleep within words!!
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I have more trouble reading in bed than I once did…especially on the Kindle. Thanks for stopping by, BR…enjoy your week!
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Whilst I don’t only read one book at a time, I do take notes as I read, and I make sure to write my review ASAP!
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Yes, the writing of the review immediately is the only thing that saves me, Geraldine…LOL. Thanks for stopping by.
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Thanks for sharing your reading habit 🙂 I usually keep a notebook beside me, too, to jot down important notes about the one I’m reading. Have a great week ahead and thanks for your recent visit 🙂
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Thanks, Claire, I do have to keep lots of notebooks on hand! But they seem to be necessary, for a variety of purposes. Glad you could stop by.
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I don’t take notes although I should, but I do highlight sections on my kindle to remind me of bits I want to refer to. I generally only read one book at a time as I become fixated on one to the exclusion of others.
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Thanks for stopping by, Cleopatra…and I take more notes on my e-books, as I don’t enjoy trying to flip back and forth to find highlights, etc. The only time I read more than one book is if one is nonfiction or a very different genre from the first one. I prefer them one at a time.
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Thanks for the tip – I sometimes make notes in a Kindle notebook app, or a little notebook I have, or mark parts if it’s on Kindle with notes, but too often I don’t make notes, thinking I’ll recall a particular book if it’s memorable, and move on to the next book – of course, I remember very little, and have to do a fast re-read to write the review, essentially reading it twice- a lot of time wasting! A Word document would let you cut and paste parts, meaning a lot of groundwork’s done. I need to do something like this to make me more efficient at reviewing – I’ve got 20+ books to re-read and review! Love the blog, I’m signing up to follow you, don’t know how I haven’t found you before!
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Thanks, Linda, for stopping by and for following. I have six blogs, so I alternate posts between them, but try to do my bookish blues and rainy day themes here….LOL. (Also Bookish Fridays).
When I start the Word docs, adding things whenever I’m on the computer, and as I go along with the book, it is almost done by the time I’ve finished. I hope you find a method that works for you.
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