10,367 pages and a few thoughts

So I have finished 32 books this year.


Which amounts to roughly 10,367 pages if

                A- Amazon's page counter is correct,

                B- I did the math right

               C- You count the pages of audio books (which I do)

And here is my reflection so far.

Setting a reading goal forces me to finish books I might usually have quit. I kind of like this part of reading 100 books a year. But if I hate a book I also feel obligated to finish it or else I feel like I “wasted” the part of it I did read. I actually stopped reading a book on body language this year because I just could not get into it. It was hard for me to do.

The reading goal also gets me reading a wider variety of books. I start to get tired of traditional fiction and so I started reading some non fiction. I was looking for a few quick reads and poetry fit the bill. I even began reading a few how-to books cover to cover instead of just glossing though the pictures. I even let Todd talk me into a few comic books.  And this brodened the way that I read.  I liked that.

Last year a read a few books that were absolute crap just to get to 100. Not many but a few. This year I wanted to focus on quality and not just quantity. I did a few things different this time. I started asking for more recommendations and I also challenged myself to read all the books off the Newbery awards list just to make sure I hit a few good ones. I also started stalking following authors that I really enjoyed like Malcolm Gladwell or Bill Bryson. Again this opened doors I would not have thought of before.

Getting to 100 takes as much planning as it takes reading sometimes. I have learned a few tricks. First, I always, always, always have a book with me. I have an audio book in my car nearly all the time. I use this to tackle big books like The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol 1 (several hundred pages) and histories like my current book The Path Between the Seas. I have a book in my purse (right now its Walden). I have a book by my bed (currently The Imperfectiontionist). I have a book on my desk at work (currently I Read it but I Don’t Get It). I have an audio book that I listen to while sewing (currently Certain Girls). Finally I have a book on the back of my toilet tank (Currently The 12 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and yes I now think it would be creepy to lead out, no it is not a library book).
I used to buy a lot of books but after several moves, including one with over 35 book boxes, Todd and I have seriously cut back. I have become an avid user of the library. I particularly like placing items on hold and using the waiting lists to access popular books. Their recommendations are also great and I Love, Love, Love that they e-mail me when things come in or need to be returned.   It's a lot like shopping on line.  I rearly walk through the shelves, I just rquest online then zip in and pick things up.

One big downside to counting all the reading and trying to hit 100, sometimes I avoid reading a book that I want to read because it is too “big.” Or I find myself needing to read several smaller books to “save up time” to read a bigger book. This happened with The Girl Who Played with Fire. I have to catch myself at times and remember that all this reading is something that I enjoy and not another chore and I don’t like needing to do that. So there are pros and cons, like with anything I suppose. Overall, it’s a habit I want to keep but we'll see.

Guilty Pleasures

So as I was channel surfing one night I came across Bitchin’ Kitchen on the cooking channel.

I was dumbfounded.
Couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it.
Yes it is Campy.
Yes it is over the top and the host losses her “accent” as often as not.

But like a train wreck I could not help but continue watching.
An noticing the like details like chainmail “towel” on the stove, or the silver baby doll head vases full of roses.
I love that there is always a camera shot of the Nadia’s stilettos,
And that she says things like “It’s not rocket surgery.”

And then on Sunday night we made the peanut butter banana fritters.

And now I’m completely hooked.

To Todd

Who (rumor has it) sometimes reads this blog.

You wife would really love this print.

She finds it peaceful and AMAZING
size large, unmatted.

You can buy it for her here.

If we brought a brand new house,

instead of an old house that is new to us…..
I would not have
several yards of dusty pink wallpaper
to remove,
or a toilet
that sounds like a cappuccino machine,
and one that sings.

If we brought a brand new house,
instead of an old house that is new to us…..
you could not come over
and play a lively round
of find the fuse box,
(I’ll give you a hint,
we have seven).

If I brought a brand new house,
instead of an old house that is new to us…..
You could not
build sand castles
in my crawl space
or have a popcorn ceiling
rain down on you
to celebrate Todd’s 30th birthday.

If I brought a brand new house,
instead of an old house that is new to us…..
my yard would be a bare patch of mud,
waiting for sod

And I would not have stood under
full grown trees
while my neighbor Rosemary
(in her bare feet)
taught me
how to prune
my rosebushes.

Which grow down the side of my driveway,
just like the house we lived in
when I was very small.

Popcorn and Three Decades

So Todd turned 30 last Sunday.

 And I'm not sure why exactly but we spent it pulling down a popcorn ceiling in the spare bedroom.

One down, Four more to go!