How much do you read? Or… do you even like reading? There was a time when Ben was living at home and barely in high school that he called me “book woman.” If I had a 30-minute time slot, I had a book in my hand. One year, he bought me a Jerry Springer book for Christmas. 🥴
The same year, someone else bought me a mirror. For the record, I liked the book purchase better even though it was a crazy choice.
He’s the only person in my life that has purchased and gifted books to me. After the Jerry Springer book, he purchased one about Mick Foley (of WWE fame as Cactus Jack and Dude Love — also from Bloomington, IN). As Ben matured in life, his choices in books for me evolved as well. Last year, I got a coffee table recipe book.
I never read business books.
Since reading is supposed to be an enjoyable activity, I never read business books. Business books are work related and I read to escape work. Not even gonna’ lie, I’m not sure I’ve read one of my own brother’s books from start to finish. I prefer mysteries and crime suspense most of all. Gimme some of that Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, and Sue Grafton.
My reading has morphed into books on my Kindle rather than ones I hold in my hands.
I pay for Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and get the audio versions when they’re included for free. I’m not going to pay more for 1 book a month with Audible when I get a bajillion titles for less money via Unlimited — but I do spend more time listening to books now than I do reading them. I like it because I can listen with headphones while folding clothes, doing laundry, and even mowing the yard.
Even decent authors throw out a dud now and again – my recent book review…
I’m currently listening to “If She Only Knew,” by Lisa Jackson. It’s sooo sloooow that if it was a physical book I’d have already skipped to the end to get answers and moved along to another novel. Instead, I’m too invested to stop now, and have jacked the speed up to the point it sounds like Minnie Mouse is the narrator. At regular speed, it’s almost 15 1/2 hours long. It would’ve been better sticking to the typical 10 hour timeframe with less repetition. It’s a 2.5/5 on my non-expert scale.
Now you know: Besides murdering John Lennon, Mark David Chapman contemplated killing other public figures including David Bowie, Johnny Carson, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul McCartney, and Ronald Reagan.
Sue Grafton is the author of a book series I’ve read throughout the years. Her novels, revolving around the private detective, Kinsey Millhone, spanned the alphabet — “A is for Alibi,” “F is for Fugitive,” and so on. I just finished “X” and sadly, it is the worst of the lot. Slow and boring with no real plot, the abrupt ending tied a ribbon around the nothingness.
Her “W is for Wasted” book should’ve had THIS book’s content instead! This book was so bad, I’m not sure I even want to purchase the audiobook “Y is for Yesterday” to finish out the alphabet (Sue Grafton died of cancer at aged 77 before writing “Z is for Zero”), or just call it a wrap.
In keeping with “WORST,” that specific word describes Merida perfectly. She is truly the worst hound dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. Not “worst” to indicate she’s not loved more than she deserves… but “worst” in that she’s constantly doing something BAD.
She looks all innocent… but it’s a trick, you guys.
Allow me to provide a typical Merida escapade — I warmed up pasta we had for dinner as a late night snack, took 1/2 and left the other 1/2 for Perry. Before he could walk to the kitchen, Merida got on the counter and gobbled it down! In the process, the bowl got stuck under a chair so she rearranged the dining area. All this in less than 2 short minutes.
My homemade mini cherry pies (YES! Alisa will be so proud!), were back far enough on the counter they survived. These tasty creations do NOT have anything to do with “worst!” Believe it or not, they were amazing! 🙂
TIL (Today I Learned): In 2015, a plane made an emergency landing after the crew received an indication of smoke in the cargo hold. It turns out to be caused by the 2,186 sheep farting onboard.
I don’t read much anymore… I consume audio books instead. A book is always on when I’m cooking in the kitchen, taking a relaxing bath, and even on headphones when I’m mopping 3 acres of wood flooring.
A week or so ago, I started the first of a series of three books, all based in St. John of the US Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles. A simply beautiful place to vacation, the island is almost all covered in lush plants. Likely because the island is about 60% National Park.
I’ve been there – staying at the Westin on Cruz Bay. Coral Bay is the more beautiful side of the island but not nearly as lively. Listening to the book, I’ve revisited Skinny Legs, (a burger place where you can get a ‘Soggy Dollar Painkiller’ – the drink of the island that contains Soggy Dollar Dark Rum, orange and pineapple juice, coconut, and fresh grated nutmeg). And the Aqua Bistro (where I had conch fritters and a $50 glass of Cabernet Sauvignon).
The books were written by Elin Hilderbrand. I like her style… but I’m (being oh, so transparent) more of a legal thriller kind of girl. My favorite son calls it “murder porn.” There is a bit of intrigue in the trilogy and that’s what’s kept me going. I simply MUST know if Irene’s cheating husband is cleared of FBI charges (like child trafficking, money laundering, and real estate fraud), and if she will ever get back her multi-million dollar properties seized by them.
I’m on book #3 and I’m not sure if I’m more depressed about not having a Disney trip already secured to look forward to… or if I should rob a bank so I can afford a one-bedroom condo on the island of St. John.
In 7.5 hours of listening, I’ll reach the conclusion to that dilemma – as well as poor Irene’s fate.
So my Mom read the hype about a book — Woman at the Window — and thought it would just be amazing. Number 1 on the NYT best-sellers list with a ton of positive reviews, I bought it. It’s the last time I’ll take advice from Mom about reading material. Ever.
I typically buy audio books because I can listen while I’m on the treadmill, and that’s what I did in this instance too. The first 3 hours were basically the ramblings of a drunk, mentally challenged woman. I have 4 hours to finish and it’s getting better — and the narration is great — but just enough to motivate me to struggle through to the end. I’m curious how many times the words “wine” and “merlot” are used, how many black and white movies are watched and/or quoted, and how many times the wacky woman mentions her “robe.”
I give this book 2 stars — but THIS “woman” at the window gets a big 5 stars from me:
The title reminded me of the OLD Charlie Rich song, “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” It’s true and if you want proof, just take 5 minutes on Facebook. Everyone has the perfect husband, the perfectly decorated house, and not only the smartest kids — but the cutest ones too.
This book? If you plan to read ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by B.A. Paris — stop reading now because what follows is sort of a spoiler…
I hate it when a book treats me (the reader) like an idiot. Dude was an attorney. Do you think he left that awesome house and his wealth to a woman he only married to have access to her mentally handicapped sister? Yup — seriously… that’s the plot. And, dude let the dog die a slow death.
