What I’m reading now

What was the last book you read, and what made you pick it up?

I love audio books, but I haven't yet taken to ebooks. There's just something about the great smell of old books.

Before having children, I read a TON. Fiction, non-fiction - anything that intrigued me. The constant every night was that I wanted to read a book. The variable was my mood. So it was common for me to have a stack of books going at the same time.

In my twenties, I then started a book journal. Have you ever heard of one? i found that I read enough to actually catalog the books I'd read complete with a rating based on how much I liked it. This was before (or perhaps just in the early days) of online sites such as Amazon ratings and Goodreads comments. And I didn't particularly care to share my ratings with others, unless a conversation with a friend led to suggesting a book. I just assumed that as I aged I might forget where I read that interesting passage or fascinating tidbit and wanted a place a reference.

I didn't need to worry too much about my reading library getting out of hand, because something (or someone) came along to put a halt to reading.

Enter...children.

Not a picture of my children, but whoever they are, they sure are cute, huh?

My average number of books read per year quickly dwindled from a couple dozen to...

Drum roll...

Zero.

And it stayed consistent for several years. When I'd visit my grandmother for lunch, a baby at each hip, she'd ask me my opinion about an article in the morning newspaper. She had apparently forgotten the days where basic functions like reading and writing took a backseat to diaper changes and sleepless nights.

But as the seasons of life change, eventually my children got a little older (and less needy) and I was able to escape back into a good read. I also discovered the pleasure of audio books on my smartphone. What bliss to snuggle into bed with a good audio book downloaded and at least a half hour before I zonk out asleep. I did make the grave mistake of telling someone I was listening to a "book on tape" the other day. They laughed at me for showing my age. I don't care. I'll probably always refer to them as books on tape!

Anyway, It's so easy to think we're "too busy" to read (wait, is that actually a thing?), but now as a I kick a writing career into full gear while juggling all the responsibilities I still have as a wife, mother, daughter and teacher, I DO have to schedule.

Recently, I listened to the books of The Hunger Games trilogy. (Remember that I've been raising babies for the last several years so I'm a bit behind when it comes to catching up on the newest best sellers). At the heart of the story (once you get past the violence of a post apocalyptic society) is a love story. It's a love triangle, really, and I approached The Hunger Games with a curiosity to uncover how Suzanne Collins strung individual story arcs in each story while building a trilogy story arc over the three books. I read for enjoyment, and I read to study the craft of writing. How did Collins build a love story between Katniss and Peeta? How did Katniss' character change over the course of the trilogy? How would it all end? I had questions that I needed answered and the trilogy was a great end to my summer reading list.

I've also been bouncing back and forth between Brenda Novak's books. I alternate between books in her Silver Springs (most recently finishing No One but You) and Whiskey Creek lines. Why don't I just read them in order of release like a normal person? I don't know. My mood determines when I read something, and I tend to pick up what I feel like at the moment.

So what about you, dear readers? What are you reading at the moment? Any suggestions for a great romance? Any particular book make you sigh with satisfaction at the end while feeling disappointed the journey was over?

I may love reading different stories, but at the end of the day, I love writing about love. Ah, love. What else is there for me to write about? I'm always searching for my next characters and the story that will unfold between them. Until inspiration strikes again, I think I'll go hit play on my next book on tape.