National Book Lovers Day
National Book Lovers Day is evidently, according to the internet, August 9, which makes it today. At least for the next three hours, so I can sneak in with this post. In honor of the occasion, I thought I would share what I'm currently reading. What this will say about me is probably far more interesting than the actual titles.
I've gathered together all the books I am in the middle of, and there are six books in front of me. This is not unusual. This stack usually is comprised of one book of fiction that I'm reading for fun, several non-fiction books of various topics which I read based on current whim, and one book I am reading out loud to the masses at tea time. I never read more than one fiction book at once, and rarely am I reading just one non-fiction book at once.
Here are what currently are sporting book marks:
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - This is my current fiction book, and is a total beach read. Light, fluffy, amusing, a little unbelievable, and completely distracting. I'm enjoying it, in a total brain candy way. It's a good thing there is a family tree in the front of the book. I don't think I've made it through an entire chapter without having to refer to it. I will be very curious to see what they did with it for the movie that was made from it.
Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains by Helen Thomson - This is right up my alley, and I'm reading through it incredibly fast. Lots of up-to-date neuroscience combined with interesting stories about wacky brains. It's almost as diverting as my fiction book.
The House of Make-Believe: Children's Play and the Developing Imagination by Dorothy and Jerome Singer - This is also really interesting, but a lot more dense than the previous book. It is so dense I can only read a few pages at a time before I need a break. If it weren't also interesting, it would be quite a slog. It will be a while before I finish this one.
The Learning Tree: Overcoming Learning Disabilities from the Ground Up by Stanley I. and Nancy Thorndike Greenspan - This is not a slog, but is also not terribly well written. (J. tried to read it, but put it aside in disgust at the comma splices.) I read some, waiting for some new piece of information or new idea, instead read something you could find on my blog, set it aside, and then pick it up and try again. The jury is still out as to whether I will actually decide to finish it or not. While I like reading books which agree with my pet theories, especially when they are written by people with important letters after their names, I would much rather learn something new or even disagree with something, so I can think about it. This is not doing much of that.
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea by Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory - Yes, I know I'm late to the party with this, but I am finally deciding that it might be interesting to try to make my own kombucha. And heaven knows, you don't want to begin a new project without reading about it first. That would never do. We'll see if I still want to try making my own after finishing the book. Scobies (scobys?) still look more than a little questionable to me.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - This is our current teatime read aloud. I've been having fun this summer introducing the youngest group to some of my favorite read aloud books. If you haven't read this one, you should. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, I don't think I'll spoil too much by pointing out the NIMH stands for the National Institute of Mental Health.
There you go, my quirky reading list. What good book are you reading on this fine National Book Lovers Day?
I've gathered together all the books I am in the middle of, and there are six books in front of me. This is not unusual. This stack usually is comprised of one book of fiction that I'm reading for fun, several non-fiction books of various topics which I read based on current whim, and one book I am reading out loud to the masses at tea time. I never read more than one fiction book at once, and rarely am I reading just one non-fiction book at once.
Here are what currently are sporting book marks:
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - This is my current fiction book, and is a total beach read. Light, fluffy, amusing, a little unbelievable, and completely distracting. I'm enjoying it, in a total brain candy way. It's a good thing there is a family tree in the front of the book. I don't think I've made it through an entire chapter without having to refer to it. I will be very curious to see what they did with it for the movie that was made from it.
Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains by Helen Thomson - This is right up my alley, and I'm reading through it incredibly fast. Lots of up-to-date neuroscience combined with interesting stories about wacky brains. It's almost as diverting as my fiction book.
The House of Make-Believe: Children's Play and the Developing Imagination by Dorothy and Jerome Singer - This is also really interesting, but a lot more dense than the previous book. It is so dense I can only read a few pages at a time before I need a break. If it weren't also interesting, it would be quite a slog. It will be a while before I finish this one.
The Learning Tree: Overcoming Learning Disabilities from the Ground Up by Stanley I. and Nancy Thorndike Greenspan - This is not a slog, but is also not terribly well written. (J. tried to read it, but put it aside in disgust at the comma splices.) I read some, waiting for some new piece of information or new idea, instead read something you could find on my blog, set it aside, and then pick it up and try again. The jury is still out as to whether I will actually decide to finish it or not. While I like reading books which agree with my pet theories, especially when they are written by people with important letters after their names, I would much rather learn something new or even disagree with something, so I can think about it. This is not doing much of that.
The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea by Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory - Yes, I know I'm late to the party with this, but I am finally deciding that it might be interesting to try to make my own kombucha. And heaven knows, you don't want to begin a new project without reading about it first. That would never do. We'll see if I still want to try making my own after finishing the book. Scobies (scobys?) still look more than a little questionable to me.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - This is our current teatime read aloud. I've been having fun this summer introducing the youngest group to some of my favorite read aloud books. If you haven't read this one, you should. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, I don't think I'll spoil too much by pointing out the NIMH stands for the National Institute of Mental Health.
There you go, my quirky reading list. What good book are you reading on this fine National Book Lovers Day?
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