Listen...

I've  never been one who listens to books on audio. It just...wasn't my thing. I'm not going to say it is now, in a broad sense, but I've certainly learned to appreciate what audiobooks have to offer.

I first gave audiobooks a chance when I used one for my classroom. I wanted my students, who were struggling readers, to hear a book that had thirteen different voices. It was a way of showing them how to hear 'voices in their heads' and differentiate between characters when they read. Needless to say, they loved it, as did I. I did not, however, see the need for me to listen to audiobooks, personally, as I love to read in my own head.

Then, a few years later (yes, seriously), I decided to take a long road trip alone. I went to Half Price Books and found an interesting book on CDs. I thought I'd try it. I really enjoyed it! The book kept me company, I laughed and cried along with the characters, and - as often happens with books - the theme suited something I needed to think over. It was good for the brain and good for the soul. And good for the miles! I drove eighteen hours and enjoyed every minute! Did that hook me into audiobooks? No, not really, though I'd learned to appreciate them a little more.

Fast forward to...almost four years later (again - yes, seriously)...

I was cleaning out and reorganizing my home library. I had a small basket with some books in it. When I dug through them, I found a book on CDs that I had bought long ago (after my inspirational road trip), but had never listened to and forgot I had them. I decided that I needed to either get rid of them or listen to them. I opted to see if it worked for me to listen while I just did my daily driving and trips to see my daughters (one lives an hour away, one lives three hours away). Once again, I loved the experience and enjoyed the narrator so much that I looked up to see what other books she narrates.

It was about this time that a teacher friend of mine showed me how her Kindle has her books on it, but that she can switch to audio when she wants. "Whaaaat?! How did I NOT know this?" (Possibly because my head is usually buried in a book? ;) I got excited about all the possibilities! I could read a book at home and, when I have to run somewhere in the car, take the voice with me to continue the story!

Now, I'm officially a member of Audible. That's right. I'm finding ways to get through my TBR list much faster, which makes me happy. I'm not rushing through the books (I'd never do that), I've just found more ways to enjoy them and allow them to filter into other places during my days and evenings.

I am picky, though. I have to like the narrator. I also still prefer to read for myself when I can sit with a book (or Kindle) in my hand. It also depends on my mood because I love to listen to music, too. I'm still pretty darn happy, though, to find more ways to get my reading time in - especially now that school is about to start up, and I have less pleasure reading time than I do in the summer.

By the way, I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Summer has flown by! I'll try to write on a more regular basis now that my yearly academic routine is about to kick in. I do have some books to tell you about, as well as a couple of audiobooks you might find interesting. I will post again tomorrow to tell you about those.

I have to go for now. My classroom is begging me to keep working and setting up for the new school year!

Happy reading!!

A Good Problem

I'm sitting here grinning to myself. I am a very happy girl today, and...I guess I just wanted to share my giddiness with you!

I woke up with a wonderful, delightful dilemma this morning, and I have yet to solve it. I've been working on the problem all morning. It's now noon here, and I have yet to make a decision,...but I have wallowed in the joy of the problem. 

I need a new book to read, and I can't decide what I want to read next.

You see, I just finished my book club's book choice yesterday afternoon, and we met last night to have dinner and discuss the book. I spent the evening talking about the book we read, but also talking about other books we're interested in or have heard about. I thought I knew what book I wanted to read next until I got up this morning with all those conversations floating in my head.

I've spent this entire morning looking over all the books on my bookshelves. I've read every title I own (except for picture books and young adult fiction - I keep those on separate shelves). In my search for something good to read, I have pulled some old friends from the shelves to remind myself how much I enjoyed reading them. I've smiled at some of them, run my hand over more than a few book jackets, and - yes - even kissed one (or two) and hugged it close to my heart. For a brief moment, I even considered what it would be like to spread out all my books on the floor of my library and just roll around in them, but...I would never risk damaging a book that way. Still, the thought did occur to me.

I love my books, and I have a fondness for them that I don't reserve for anything else. I'm not a materialistic person, I never have been, but...to me...books aren't things. Books are people's thoughts on paper, they contain the minds and emotions of others. I love words, and books contain words that are strung together in the most amazing ways (if they're not amazing, they don't stay in my home). I have to love a book to keep it.

In my treasure hunt this morning, I did find a couple of weeds among the roses, and I threw them away. Yes, threw away. No, I won't sell them to the second hand book store. I won't be responsible for passing on bad literature to others, even at a discount price. I did find a few other books that aren't quite me. They were gifts, once upon a time, but it's time to re-gift them. They weren't bad books, just...not my style. I also realized I have more than one copy of a couple of good books, so I'll be happy to give those away to someone I know would enjoy them.

Am I any closer to choosing my next book? Actually, I am. I've narrowed it down to three. One made me laugh out loud in the introduction (I'm leaning heavily towards that one), one is a beloved book I'd like to re-read (whose words are so beautiful I know I'll read much of it aloud), and the other is a random pick I bought from a bookstore some time ago (but I have a really good instinct for picking good ones). I can read more than one book at a time, and I do from time to time, but I prefer to give one book all of my attention. I feel I enjoy it more that way.

Hmmm,...which one shall it be? I don't know for sure, but it's a good problem to have.

Happy reading!

The Lighter Side of Things

My first day back at work, after the three-day Labor Day Weekend, a friend of mine (and fellow teacher), Paul, asked me if I had enjoyed the days off. I had to laugh a little and told him I had worked in my classroom one day and took stuff home to work on for the next two days after that. Such is the life of a middle school teacher after the first week of school.

Paul smiled at me and said, "Well, I'm sure you were able to enjoy some reading time, though." I was sad to report that, no, I had not found time for that. Knowing what a read-a-holic I am, Paul couldn't believe it. "Well, that's too bad," he said, sounding as disappointed as I felt. 

While it was a casual conversation between us, the look on Paul's face and the tone in his voice stuck with me. My friends know how much reading means to me and how much I enjoy it. I had promised myself that I would not allow work to take so much from me that I put aside my pleasure reading. I had been reading that weekend, but it was textbooks and school lesson planning stuff. Necessary? Yes. Informative? Most of it. Pleasurable? Not so much. School had only been back in full swing one week, and I was already setting aside one of the things I enjoy the most!

I made a commitment to myself that day. I wouldn't give up my pleasure reading, no matter how busy and overwhelming my job gets. It's taking the time to enjoy my reading that refreshes me and allows me to do my job better. Like my own students, I don't like reading something that doesn't interest me - that's a "have to" kind of thing - but I do it. I can't let those kinds of books run me off - or run out all of my 'free' time - when it comes to reading what I want. 

During the summer, when I'm on break from work, I read to engage my mind. I love to research and energize my brain cells. With school back in session, my brain already gets quite the work-out between studying, lesson planning, attending meetings, grading papers, and going to workshops. What my brain needs during this time of year is something...a little on the lighter side. I need something that gives my working brain a vacation, gives me something to laugh about, sigh about, or smirk at the irony of it all.

I'm currently reading something that just about fits that description. There are days that are just...well,...way too busy, but I am committed to fitting in thirty minutes a day of enjoyable reading - no matter what. I usually take this time first thing in the early morning. I also usually find I go over the thirty minutes. Most of the time, I find myself smiling as I close the book. There was one morning when it actually made me cry, but it was a good cry. I needed it to wash my tired eyes from too many long days at work and too much time spent staring at a computer. 

The moral to this story?

Never get so busy with something that you can't find the time to pleasure read. 

In fact, the more life overwhelms us, the more time we should spend reading. We all need a break now and then. We all need to read something that makes us believe in love at first sight or magic spells or time travel...even if it's just for a little while...even if it's only for thirty minutes a day. We need to remember that the heavier life gets, the more we need to read and lighten it up! 

Happy Reading! :)