CHASING AWAY THE BLUES & MUSING ABOUT THE LIFE OF AN AVID READER

Mondays are my favorite time of the week….yet once upon a time, I dubbed them Blue Mondays.  That moniker came as a result of that stressful career I had for thirty years…and it was only after I moved BEYOND it, that I could celebrate Mondays.  And now I read and blog to chase away the blues.

Today I’m celebrating Mondays by musing with Jen, at A Daily Rhythm, her revamped blog site.  Check it out!

Here are some topics:

• 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: How old were you when you realized that you are an AVID reader?

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I love that random question….I guess I knew almost as soon as I could actually read that books were my great love.  It started as I curled up next to my brother, three years older, and gradually taught myself to read before I even began school.

And then, at age eight, I got a library card in this tiny library that was housed as one-half of the village post office.  But I was in heaven!  Loved browsing the shelves and checking out books.  It was a treat to go at least once a week…and by the time I was old enough to read more, there was another, bigger library in a town ten miles away.

I was in love with books, the characters, and where their stories took me.  And I especially loved the places where I found books.

 

 

 

I don’t go to libraries as often as I once did.  Nowadays, I visit Amazon and download books, or go to the Barnes & Noble store around the corner.  I often go there with a book or my Kindle (Pippa, nowadays!).  And read while sipping coffee.  And sometimes I buy a bargain book.  Let’s face it, I am addicted!

 

 

 

But I am trying to restrict or curtail my book buying…especially since I have been purging lately.  Here’s what I cleared out this past week…I emptied these two bookshelves!

 

 

 

Big Brothers/Big Sisters is sending someone over to pick up the boxes of books I am donating!

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Has your avid reading led to overstuffed shelves and a need to purge?

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A BLUE MONDAYS CHAT: LET’S CHASE THOSE BLUES AWAY!

Check out Should Be Reading for her Musings for the Day.

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• 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: Give a list of 4 books you read last year that you’d recommend to others — and why.

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Last week, I blogged about Shelf Clearing, Etc., and listed some books I was enjoying.

I counted the books on my shelves, since last week I only estimated.  I have 1435 books!  Which led to my Blue Mondays Giveaway, in which I added a nook here.  In my nook are 40 books that I am giving away, so check them out.  And join, if you like.

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Today I am eagerly reading a Lisa Gardner book that I had missed when it first came out:  Catch Me.

 

 

The book has a recurring character, D. D. Warren, who has a 10-week-old baby and is suffering from sleep deprivation.

And we meet an intriguing character named Charlie (a female) who is either a victim or a perp.

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Four Books I Recommend from 2014:

Click the links to see my reviews: (Listed by month in which I read them).

Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty – 463 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 7/17/14

     A story about secrets and lies…and what happens when all is revealed.  Set in a private school, there is a Trivia Night that everything is leading up to…and the climactic Trivia Night came to a smashing conclusion, and even though I already knew many of the secrets by then, more came crashing down around the characters like a stunning blow. Nothing would ever be the same again for the community. But would some good come from the events, a healing kind of balm? The story had a hopeful ending, which I loved. If I could, I would grant ten stars to this book. 5.0 stars.

Little Mercies (e-book), by Heather Gudenkauf – 320 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 7/7/14

    As a parent and a retired social worker, I was especially drawn to this story of the events that can transform lives, and how we all can look back and consider how our lives could have turned on a dime if one small choice or action had ended differently. Since none of us are immune to life’s unexpected tragedies, perhaps we can afford to look with empathy and kindness on others. An emotional read that had me crying tears of sadness…and then joy. Five stars.

Silent Sister, The, by Diane Chamberlain – 343 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 8/27/14

  A wonderfully unputdownable story, The Silent Sister is a testament to the strength of family attachments in spite of the secrets that lie beneath the facades. Set in North Carolina, occasionally veering off into Virginia and then to San Diego and Seattle, I followed the characters on their journeys. I loved this story, and would recommend it for all Chamberlain fans, and for any who enjoy a good story of family secrets, lies, and deceptions. 5.0 stars.

Accidents of Marriage (e-book), by Randy Susan Meyers – 354 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 10/16/14

     A story that could have taken an easy way out, Accidents of Marriage: A Novel did not tie up all the issues with a pretty bow at the end, but I was left hoping that Maddy would make the choices that were right for her and for the children. Ben, on the other hand, was so unlikeable that I did not really care what happened to him. Wonderful read recommended for those who enjoy family drama and dysfunctional relationships. 5.0 stars.

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These four were on my Top Ten Favorites list for 2014.  Click the link to my review, and beneath the title, a brief comment on what I loved.

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What are you musing about today?  Are your books helping you chase away the blues?

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