Toward the end of Erin Reads’s former incarnation, I was playing around with monthly wrap-ups. They were rather stats-focused, tallying books read, picking favorites, that kind of thing. I wanted to reinstate monthly wrap-ups, but in a way more in line with how I want to blog this time around. So I tweaked things a bit, and here’s the starting point for this experiment: Monthly Musings. We’ll see how it goes!
Reading
I’ve been trying to spend more time reading recently. Sometimes it gets edged out, as though sitting down with a book were not a worthwhile activity. At the same time, as the review requests start coming in again, I’m struggling not to feel like I have to read all the time. I’m shooting for the sweet spot of as much as I want to, and not more. Ah, balance.
I’ve also been focusing on my own books as much as possible. I started reading from my own shelves a year and a half ago, and I’m really enjoying freeing up shelf space and actually getting to the books I’ve had lying around forever. I mean…I bought them because I wanted to read them, right?!
It’s been a good reading month and a half. I read (and enjoyed!) The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde at long last, and I reread The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Most recently, I finished Sidewalk Dancing: A Novel in Stories by Letitia Moffitt. My thoughts on that little gem are forthcoming.
There’s another book that’s been hanging out in the background throughout. I started City of Light by Lauren Belfer at the beginning of October and have been slowly chipping away at it ever since. It’s a chunkster, and despite the fact that there seems to be an actual intriguing mystery buried under all its meanderings, I cannot get my claws deeply enough into the story to want to pick up my reading pace. That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s just not a fast read at all. I’ve been reading other, quicker books along side it: the three mentioned above, and most recently Understudies by Ravi Mangla.
Listening
It’s been a slower listening month for me. After I finished the mediocre Helen of Troy by Margaret George in mid-October, I had trouble picking books I really wanted to hear. I listened to two books by Brené Brown at the beginning of the month (Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection). Then I wandered off into podcast world for awhile. Toward the end of the month, I finally made it through 22 discs of The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, which I’m still processing. Review to come.
I’m between audiobooks at the moment. I want to listen to books I have on my shelves, in keeping with my TBR focus. Nothing’s grabbing me, though. I think I’ll be spending a long while browsing my library’s e-audiobook offerings in the very near future. I feel a little bereft without a book on my iPod!
Writing
I’ve been deliberately taking a relaxed pace to my blogging. This post is only the seventh since I revived Erin Reads six weeks ago. So far, so good. Aside from the reviews linked above, I shared my “hey! I’m back!” post and my reasons for incorporating a rating system into my reviews (a decision I’m quite liking so far).
Miscellany
Can I just say how lovely it’s been catching up with all of you over the past few weeks? I’ve missed talking to bookish people. My poor TBR list is already suffering under the increased load, but that’s totally fine. It’s been such a joy to reconnect with this amazing community. I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate!
What about you?
That was my October/November. How was yours?
Well done you, reading from your own shelves! I always have the best of intentions about doing that, but the major obstacle is that book bloggers just won’t quit talking about books! You can’t get them to stop posting about wonderful books that they riotously adored and want you to read too! (Seriously, my TBR list is out of control.) :p
Jenny at Reading the End Oh, I remember the TBR inflation that comes with blogging about books. It’s already begun!! A year and a half ago, though, my husband and I did a year-long decluttering project, getting rid of at least a thing each a day for a year. It really changed the way I looked at my books in particular. I’ve sort of made it a habit to look at my own shelves before I go get something else from the library, especially since the books I’ve read from my own collection have largely been awesome. So…yeah, I keep adding TBR books, but I’m trying really hard to hang onto that read-my-own-books mentality. We’ll see how long I last!!