What I’m reading this week:

So.  I have been all over the place lately with what I’ve been reading.  How about you?  I’ll pick up a book, start it, get a couple of chapters in and drop it to pick up something else to do the same thing – over and over again.

It’s not that the books aren’t great either.  I learned a long time ago that if I get a hundred pages into a book and it’s just not working, to give in and give it up.  Maybe I’ll try it again when I’m in a different mood or mind frame.  But this isn’t the case with the books I’ve been picking up lately.  I just get so easily distracted by the things around me.

The only books that are a comfort to me right now are things that I’ve read before and loved.  You know my ongoing love of Nora Roberts books.  They always soothe my mind.  I know what I’m in for when I pick one up.

Yet again I’m changing how I tell you about the books that I’m reading.  This week I’m just going to fill you in on all of the books I’ve picked up and started – and plan to finish because they truly are fantastic – and I’ll keep you posted on how long it actually takes my fatigued brain to finish them.

First up:  Atomic Habits by James Clear

I’ve had this book on my nightstand for weeks and I’ll read a little bit here and there.  It is FANTASTIC.  I’m sort of immersing myself in this one.  I don’t want to actually miss something.  I’ve already gone back over the first chapter and reread it, so it may take awhile for me to finish this.

Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb

It was a happy day when I picked up my new list of to be read books from the library and I found this one in the pile.  I hadn’t realized that it was available, so I took them all home and lost myself in the future with Eve Dallas.  It was lovely, as always.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

I added this one to my list from the recommendation of Megan from Love Meg.  I’ve watched her channel from the beginning when she lived in a doublewide in North Carolina and have truly loved watching her grow and live her best life.  She highly recommended this book which made me want to read it.

Educated by Tara Westover

This book has been on so many people’s must read list for a couple of years now, I wanted to see what all of the hype was about.  The only way I could get my hands on a copy was audio book – not my favorite way to read a book – but I requested it earlier this summer.  I managed to get a third of the way through it before it returned itself, but I was very drawn in by the story she tells.  I really want to read the hardcover edition without the influence of the narrator, so I’ll wait until I can borrow this one.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This is another one that I didn’t get to finish before it had to go back.  I’m definitely going to borrow it again to finish it, but I do have to say that it was hard for me to read.  Not for the reason that you’re thinking.  I remember when Hayden was about fourteen and we were at the beach.  One thing that we’ve always bought as souvenirs is books.  Yes, we are weird and we like it that way.

He was on a John Green kick that summer; he bought his entire collection and he asked me to read one of the books after he finished it.  I ended up reading three of them I believe and I felt the same way reading this book.  There is a reason that teens and preteens LOVE John Green’s books.  He gets them.  He remembers all of the feelings, emotions, the angst – all the FEELS that you have when you are that age.   Angie Thomas pulls that out too, and it’s so uncomfortable to read for me.  I tell Denton all the time, you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to go back and live those years again.  Just the sheer emotion that flows through teenagers makes me shiver to think about it.

All of that to say she is a compelling writer and I definitely want to finish it.  I just hate being drawn into that mindset.  No, I wasn’t bullied in school, I guess you could say I was popular; at least I knew everyone in the school by name, but that wasn’t hard to do in the small school I grew up in.  There were about 300 of us total.  It’s just the total out of control feeling that I felt all of my teenage years, I suppose.  Hello – control freak speaking here.  And now that I have waaaaayyyy overexplained as usual, I’m going to stop myself now.  Sigh.

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I know there are a lot more books that I haven’t told you about this year, but I felt weird telling you about them since I hadn’t finished many of them.  How about you?  Are you plowing through the books at a rapid pace or are you bouncing around like a ping pong ball like me?  Inquiring minds want to know.

You can find all of the other books I’ve read this year here!

What are you reading right now?  I am always looking for another book to read.