Posted by I have a confession to make – I don’t set ‘reading goals’ or participate in ‘reading challenges.’ Reading is and has always been something I do solely for pleasure (except when I’m dissecting a story or a novel as a writer), and I don’t plan to change that. So no numbers in it for me.
It’s been a slow start to the year in terms of reading for me. But, as always, I’m happy to make even minor dents in my TBR (To Be Read) pile. I’ve finished the first draft of a rather long short story by my standards (almost 5k words!), so my pace of reading has fallen behind somewhat.
Here are the exciting books that have engrossed me recently:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
This bestseller has languished in my Kindle library for a long time. I wanted to pick it up when I could zip through it quickly enough, because from all that I had read it is a great thriller. I’m at the halfway point, and eagerly flipping virtual pages to get to the end.
Cat Person and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian
I think by now everyone must have read the ‘first short story to go viral on the Internet’, Cat Person. I found the story interesting and original, and the end unfortunately somewhat unsurprising. But the twist in the tale came when a woman called published an essay in Slate about finding out how she might have been the source of inspiration for that viral story. Regardless of all the controversy, I genuinely wanted to read this collection. Though the stories are somewhat different from Cat Person, and somewhat disturbing as well, I’d say I’m still enjoying the read.
The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
I can never get through one month without picking up a writing-related book. This is the literary equivalent of M&Ms for me, or closer to home, Cadbury Gems. I leaf through a few pages at a time, absorbing a nugget of advice here and there. This does help me remember and apply the techniques whenever I actually sit down to write.
That’s all for this month. Do you set reading goals? Have you read any books worth recommending? Please let me know in the comments – my TBR is burgeoning but I am always happy to add to it!
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