I have not been an audio book person.  I like to see the words on the page, hold the book, be able to go back and skim to find a name or some information.  Audio books fit none of those requirements.  Plus, it is hard for me to keep track of characters and events that happen in audio books.  I have tried some in the past when my husband and I went on road trips, but he would usually fall asleep and miss some crucial information, and my mind would wander and I would miss out on crucial information.

But, I am trying again.  I have become so tired of trying to find actual music on the radio, and I am tired of messing with the music on my phone to listen to in my car.  And, there are so many options to be able to listen to audio books these days!

The book I am listening to now is Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari.  It is very interesting so far, but I do have to keep myself focused!  I also have Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman in my list, but I don’t know if I will get to it on this cycle.  Sapiens is 15 hours long, and with only about 20 minutes a day to listen, that will take me a while!

Audio books have come a long way since the CDs I used to have to get from the library, some of which were scratched, some of which wouldn’t play, and all of which required a CD player.  Now, I can use Sora (our district app – you log in with your school computer login), Hoopla, and Libby (the Public Library apps – you need a Loveland Public Library card), and have everything on my phone and take it wherever I am.

If you haven’t tried an audio book for a while, check one out!  With holiday travel coming soon, it is a good option so you don’t have to take a heavy stack of books with you on the plane.  🙂

Happy Reading!

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We had a slightly shorter break this year, only having Wednesday through Sunday off, and it sure felt shorter!  I missed those extra two days.  Oh well – I still managed to get some good reading done!

I finished Soul Story: Evolution and the Purpose of Life by Time Freke.  An interesting read about souls and the “soul crisis” of today.  I found some very interesting points in the book; one I really liked was thinking about time, and how it doesn’t pass, but rather accumulates to create the person and soul you are in the present moment.  I like the accumulation rather than passing because it feels like time slows when thinking that way.

I also finished The Butcher’s Daughter by Victoria Glendinning, which in a roundabout way fed my Tudor England obsession.  The story does not revolve around the court or King Henry, but it was set during that time and there were peripheral mentions of the goings-on at court.  This story was about a girl who is in training to be a nun, but then Henry decides to dissolve the monastaries and abbeys in order to take their wealth for himself.  The abbey where the main character is living is destroyed, leaving her to fend for herself and find a way to make a life.  I liked it.

I FINALLY started to read The Maze Runner by James Dashner.  It is always checked out of the library, so this is the first time I have had a chance to grab it!  I like it so far, but it is different than what I expected, so I have to adjust my ideas.  I think I will like it in the end.

I read a bunch of cookbooks – I am getting an insta pot, so I needed to find out what the deal is with them!  It is a pressure cooker, and I have never used one; I just remember my mom’s stovetop pressure cooker with the jiggly thing on top and the steam coming out, which scared me to death!  The new ones seem less scary, and I am excited to try mine out!

I hope you were able to make some time to read this holiday!

Happy Reading!

#librariestransform

#TVSTRONG

We put up our Christmas tree in the library today.  And we still have a week until Thanksgiving!  I usually get so annoyed by such early decorations, because by the time the holidays actually get here, I am tired fo them.  But, we felt like we needed some holiday cheer here in the library, so the tree is up!

I love the holiday breaks, because I can pile up the reading and snuggle in by my fireplace with my cup of tea.  I am trying to decide what I want to take home this year – my list is always so long, I will never be able to even make a dent!

I asked TVHS staff and students to give me titles of books they felt everyone should read in their lifetime.  We came up with a total of 115 for now.  It is a great list!  I may look at a few of those.  I am also trying to work on the PBS Great American Read list.  And, I am working on reading more non-fiction.  I like this list from Barnes and Noble – 50 books that will make you smarter in 2018.

I hope you are starting to stack up your reading piles for the holiday breaks!  Come by the library to read by the glowing lights of the tree!

Happy Reading!

#librariestransform

#TVSTRONG

What books would you put on your list of books you think everyone should read before they die?  Could you come up with 100 books?  What criteria would you use to create your list?

I love to look at the “read these books before you die” lists.  I am always so intrigued by how the lists came about, and how the creators decided what books should be on them.  The lists invariably contain many “classics,” which help us understand our country and culture, but I have to say, there are many newer books that should make it on the lists.  And newer books are starting to show up, but when will the balance shift from mostly “classics” to mostly modern?

Recently, the book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List by James Mustich was published, and I purchased it for the library.  I was very pleased to see a huge range of reading on the list, from fiction to non-fiction, kids’ books to teen books, classics to modern.  The book has inspired me to have our school staff create our own 100 books to read before you die list.  I will be compiling it next week, but already, I can see it will be a good list!  Many classics, of course…

Here is the PBS Great American Novel list.  These were voted on by people across America.  This is a pretty good list, with more than a few modern books.

And there are so many more of this type of list!  Find one that speaks to you and use it to create a reading challenge for yourself!

Happy Reading!

#librariestransform

#TVSTRONG

The Little Free Library is such a fun idea!  A box in front of someone’s house with books anyone can take and trade out for another…what a great idea!  I want to put one in my front yard, but have not had the time to go through the process of getting it approved by our neighborhood association, or to get it registered in the national system.

I love books and reading, and having a Little Free Library would be such a fun way to share that!  They build literacy, they build community, and what a good way for my son to help out.  He loves to read too, and it would be fun for him to see some kids books and share some of his favorites.  Someday…

What inspired this post was an article about Pizza Huts having Little Free Libraries shaped like their iconic red roof – so cool!

Get out around town and look for a Little Free Library!  Or go to the Public Library!  Or come visit the TVHS library!  Lots of options for reading; choose one and find your reading love!

Happy Reading!

#librariestransform

#TVSTRONG