Wednesday, January 20, 2010

No. 10 -- Read 25 books

Why it's on the list: Pretty clear-cut. Something we all sort of want to do, right? Read more books. I wanted to put a hard number to that. Because I like hard numbers. So 25 it is, roughly one every two weeks. That's ambitious for me right now. So ambitious, it might be impossible.

How I'll do it: Well, good question. My reading time now is mostly right before bed. I haven't been spending much weekend time reading. I think if this is going to happen for me, I need to do the following things: a) keep whatever book I am reading with me at all times, and b) read to unwind after Luke goes to bed and for some time on the weekends. This really isn't a chore at all -- I love to read. It's just setting up the situation where it will become a habit.

I probably could round up 25 books right now in my house that need to be read. I've also joined Paperbackswap.com, which is this service that lets you list books you're willing to part with and pick ones you want in exchange. Each time someone selects on of your books, you have to agree to ship it, which costs about $3. That gives you one credit to select a book of your own. My first book already arrived! It's called Why I Jumped, and it's about a woman who had postpartum depression on top of a very messed up life and tried to jump off a bridge to kill herself. I had never heard of it, even though it was caught on film and made a big viral video sensation a couple of years ago. But that description sucked me in. I don't know that I've ever read a book written by a suicide-attempt survivor.

Other sources for my book habit: the New York Times Books email that comes to my mailbox once a week, the Royal Oak Public Library, and hopefully, YOU. Recommend me a book, won'tcha? Please and thanks.

For the record, here's what I have coming to me from PBW.com...
Come Back: a Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back (requested)
The Power of a Positive Mom (requested)
Water for Elephants (on its way)
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul (on its way)
Skinny Bitch (on its way)
Bridge of Sighs (on its way)

and what I have on my wish list: 

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Netowrks and How the Shape Us
Cost
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
The Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Society
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America
Hurry Down Sunshine
In Defense of Food: The Myth of Nutrition and the Pleasures of Eating
Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Our Story Begins; New and Selected Stories
Such a Pretty Fat
Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Twinkie, Deconstructed
Under the Dome


If you have any strong reactions about those (either way) please let me know! And if you have a copy of any of them, and you'll let me borrow it, I will give you a cookie.

2 comments:

  1. Good gravy Krista! That is QUITE the list! I picked up Skinny Bitch at the bookstore once, looked it over and put it back down. :) I did, however, title an old picture of myself (featured in one of my blog posts about missing my old body) Skinny Bitch. hee hee

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  2. It came in the mail yesterday, and I've been devouring it. It's really pushing the whole be-a-vegan angle. They warn about all sorts of bad things to eat but they are definitely against eating animal products of any kind. I'm not sure I'm there yet. They also want me to give up coffee. !!! WHAT?! But the book is pretty funny.

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