As a child, one of my favourite things to do was to go to the local library every other Saturday morning with my dad, where we'd return a stack of books each and then borrow another stack of books. And of course at school English was one of my favourite subjects and I continued the reading through university with a major in English Literature.
And then I started knitting. And since then, I've all but stopped reading (but haven't quite stopped buying books!). I do sometimes listen to audiobooks, and I use audible.com. But true to myself, I've managed to buy a lot more audiobooks than I've actually listened to. So I've got a lot of unread books on my physical and internetty shelves, just waiting for that "one day". I've decided it's time to make that "one day" be every day, or at least every other day.
One of my new favourite places to read is in the backyard, when the yard is in shade towards the end of the day. I lug out a quilt, a book, the baby, and some baby toys and if I'm really lucky, I get a few pages in while Connor plays and watches the trees and the birds fly overhead (only the birds fly, not the trees, they don't fly. Because that would be weird).
I'm going to keep a booklist in the sidebar, just out of interest. I'll be pretty happy if I can get a book, or maybe two, read each month. Not a lot, I know, but it will be more than I read last year!
27 comments:
Reading is such a luxury, when I was at work I had lots of professional reading and marking so to find time to read was difficult, but vital. I have to read at breakfast too!!!!
Sounds like a perfect afternoon activity in the garden. Many happy reading hours!!
Great! I love other people's lists of what they're reading and know I will enjoy yours.
I wish I read more too. It is just such a personal activity that requires uninterrupted quiet and comfort and doesn't allow for any social contact that it is hard to find the time. I use audible for audiobooks too which at least allows me a little fiction while I'm on the bus.
i like Charlaine Harris for trashy reading too. A guilty pleasure...
Enjoy as much reading as you can while your baby is still happy to lie on his back and not crawl or tumble across your backyard ...
Like that idea .... I've decided to do it too.
i love the Charlene Harris novels for this purpose :)
and I love a Confederacy of Dunces!
I would advocate reading whatever you're reading, out loud, for the little one to absorb as much he can about speech patterns and intonation - he doesn't need to understand any of what you are saying. Hey! You could keep the neighbours entertained as well! RoseRed's audio book service in their own backyard.
:-)
It's so hard to fit it all in, isn't it? Good for you for trying, though, from one book lover to another! I'm happy if I can finish one book a month now.
Great idea by m1k1!
Love the True Blood series! Blanket, book and baby in the shade sounds idylic!
(I glanced at the title and thought it said, "Confereracy of Bunnies." Big words for little listeners. Beatrix Potter went to the mat to keep "soporific" in "Peter Rabbit." Her editors wanted to say "sleepy-making" and she flat refused. So Peter still finds lettuce to be quite soporific.)
I read voraciously when I had babies, especially my first, because he'd nurse to sleep for nap and if I tried to move away he'd wake up. So I could either gnaw my arm off, or bring a book with me and settle in. I still read voraciously--it's what I do while nursing G to sleep at night and a bit before I go to sleep myself and often while I have a snack, because I get bored just eating. ;) I get most of my fiction from the library. Otherwise we'd be broke!
I don't read as much as I used to before I learned to knit a few years ago. I listen to books so I can have needles in my hands.
I identify with reading the cereal boxes. My grandmother bought me the entire Bobbsey Twins series so I would have something to read.
Charlaine Harris is great for entertaining novels. Try her Harper and Toliver series as well. Guilty pleasures indeed.
You were like me as a child, I used to borrow so many books out of the library and read them in a couple of days then back for more!!
Knitting takes priority over my reading although I do try to read a little before bed so occasionally finish a book. I am going to try audible as I had an Ipod for christmas. :)
Oh, hooray!! I love finding another reader with my eclectic tastes (i.e. I've actually read the book in the picture AND I love trashy novels). So I can't wait for further recommendations from you. Thanks for sharing!!
all sounds lovely. the library with Dad, the backyard, the birds and the return to reading. thanks for sharing it with us.
hehe, im all about the guilty pleasure reading, esp after spending years reading high-falutin' academic stuff. now i love me a good vampire story. but its hard to balance with knitting time isnt it? i read every night for an hour before bed now, its amazing how much you can get through just in one hour a day. its nice to have those little rituals involving books.
i hear you. Reading suffers. The only actual real reading I do is at night before sleeping - that's why I'm so slow. But the audiobooks are brilliant. I've devoured them for two years now!
Your afternoons on the quilt in the shade do sound just sublime .I'll look forward to the list!
I kind of want your weird things to come true. Flying trees, backward breakfasts...
Okay, maybe not backward breakfasts.
Enjoy the reading - trashy and otherwise. Many a classic today was regarded as trashy when first released!
In a weird coincidence I too have managed to read a book already in 2011. Not sure if I liked it though, but it was an easy read (it was the Memory Keepers Daughter). Have just started Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, I think that will take me a lot longer to read!!
Blanket, Connor & reading sound divine!!
Sounds lovely sitting under the tree in the backyard reading with Connor :)
I too blame knitting for the decline in my reading - it just about fights back these days :)
Since all but stopping knitting I am zooming through the books. Guessing it's hard to do both. Wrangling a kid let would be three times as hard. Read as much as you can whilst he is still on his back cause once he moves it's a brick on string on his ankle or nothing ;)
I had a couple of perimenopausal years where I couldn't concentrate on reading - I've ALWAYS been able to concentrate on reading! It was hahrrible. And such a relief to be able to get sucked into a book again.
You said, "And then I started knitting. And since then, I've all but stopped reading (but haven't quite stopped buying books!)" SO TRUE! I hate it that I don't read as much as I used to. I suppose we can change that easily enough but the knitting does get in the way. Audio books help a great deal.
I'm a reader, but haven't tried audiobooks yet - are they really good?
My kindle should be waiting for me in Sydney - I'm so excited, now reading and travelling just got easier!
Well done on finishing a book, no mean feat with a baby around! I read a lot less since getting back into knitting too ... I'm not a huge fan of audiobooks, I still prefer the process of READING instead of LISTENING.
Audiobooks! Yes, knit and listen. Its like a match made in heaven. I love the True Blood tv series but just could not read the book. I got about 5 chaps into the first one and just couldnt do it. Decided I will have to have my Sookie fix watching instead of reading ;)
If you join up to goodreads you can keep track of books you have read and there is a handy widget for blogs if you like that sort of thing. I added one to mine if you want to see what it looks like. :) I'm totally and utterly impressed that you are managing to knit and read with one so little. Go you x
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