What are you reading?

Storytime: I grew up in a family of readers. My mom, grandparents, and sisters always had their noses buried in books. I, on the other hand, found reading to be a source of frustration. I was a slow reader and my mind would often wander, resulting in reading the same paragraph over and over again. I didn’t have my family’s seemingly natural ability to get lost in a good book.

Throughout my childhood and 20’s the only time I read was when it was required in school. Reading for pleasure? It felt more like torture. Fast forward to 2012 (or was it 2013?) when I set a New Year’s resolution to read at least 12 books. One book a month. How hard could that be? I told myself they could all be short and easy books, if necessary. I just need to finish 12 by December 31st.

I don’t recall many of the books I read that year - other than The Alchemist and Lena Dunham’s autobiography (this one only sticks with me because it’s the first time I learned about tonsil stones- IYKYK). What sticks with me the most from that year is the development of my love for reading. It finally clicked! I realized just how magical books are! I fell in love with their capability to transport you to another time, another world, another life. The ability to escape into a book is something I now treasure and find incredibly calming… unless it’s an anxiety-inducing who-done-it kind of murder mystery, which I also thoroughly enjoy.

Nowadays, I do far more listening than actual reading. I still turn to flipping through actual pages as part of my bedtime routine, because I find listening to an audiobook a bit too stimulating, which makes it difficult for me to fall asleep. I treasure the feeling and smell of an actual book, but I get through far more material (and chores/craft projects) if I plug in my headphones and do something with my hands while listening. Rush hour traffic? Not as stressful when engrossed in a story. House chores or yard work fly by when you’re absorbed in the storyline.

The list of books below are all books I listened to through Libby, Hoopla, or Audible. If you have a voracious appetite for audiobooks, I highly recommend getting a library card so you can use apps like Libby and Hoopla to borrow them from your local digital library. A far more cost-effective way to tear through that ‘want-to-read’ list without putting a dent in your bank account.