The act of reading is an escape from everyday life, transporting you to another place. At least, that’s what’s I’m hoping for; especially this summer when we are all facing the possibility of foregoing planned vacations and sheltering in place. Yes, I had a trip planned for June 1st to go to Washington State to visit my family, and yes, that said trip has been canceled. I also had a work trip to Vermont planned for mid-July, which I was going to turn into a mini-holiday to celebrate my 35th birthday. Well, plans changed, and I’m sad, disappointed, and alone with my dog Ella Rose for the summer. But maybe something positive can come from it as well.
Every summer as a child, I was so excited for school to end and for three blissful months of summer vacation! But I wasn’t excited about the sunshine, hanging out with friends, swimming in the pool, going to the beach, or the traveling. I was looking forward to the sweet, uninterrupted hours of reading I would do. This was heavenly to me. I would wake up when I wanted to, and read. I would stay up late, and read. I didn’t have anywhere to be in the morning. The whole summer ahead of me was just a vast sea of reading possibilities.
Now, as an adult, I obviously still have my love of reading. And I am trying to put a positive spin on my canceled summer plans. Of course! I will get so much reading done! Yes, I have a 9-5 job, and responsibilities. But the shelter in place orders and travel restrictions mean I can revert back to my 12 year old self, who longed for the uninterrupted hours of reading.
In preparation for my summer reading extravaganza, I made a new reading nook in my office. I spent a lot of time researching expensive chaise lounges and reading lamps, until I realized it’d be fun (and much cheaper) to make a reading nook made of comfy pillows and blankets. A kind of reading fort. Some place cozy I could read and stay cool inside during the humid summer months.
Well, I made my reading nook and I’m looking forward to spending many hours drinking tea or coffee while I read my summer reading books in my cozy reading nook. Happy reading!
My new cozy reading nook, complete with fluffy pillows from Target.
Happy New Year’s Eve! This year, I did not reach my reading goal of 60 books, but I got oh so close. I read approximately 50 books, so I still think that was a decent attempt. I’ve reflected on and decided on my top 5 favorite books I read this year. Here they are:
What do these 5 books have in common? They are all by authors I’d never read before. They all stood out to me, even months after reading, as memorable and unique. Most are fiction, but one is non-fiction. They encompass my favorite genres to read: literary fiction, psychological/domestic thrillers, historical fiction, true crime non-fiction, and horror/post-apocalyptic fiction.
The writing was beyond superb in all of these books, and kept me engaged and interested. They made me think about life, especially about the seedier and sketchier elements of humanity. These books taught me ways the human mind attempts to cope when put in impossible situation. I would read all of these books again in the future, to enjoy the experience of reading them again, but also to analyze the plot and characters in more detail.
I look forward to reading more amazing books in 2019 and discovering more new authors!
Several years ago, I was fortunate to receive an email advertising the author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, coming to a local high school that day to do a talk/book signing. I immediately called my mom and told her to cancel any plans she had that evening, because we were going to meet the author of one of our favorite books! It was an evening I’ll never forget. We listened to this incredible man talk about his inspiration for the book, and stories of him growing up in Australia. He was funny, and his stories were entertaining and laugh out loud hilarious! His Australian accent just added to the entertainment, and I was enthralled and inspired by his genius. He told a memorable story about pranking his brother by switching out the boiled egg he ate for lunch everyday for a raw egg, causing his brother to break a raw egg on his own face. Zusak was making a point in that telling a good story, you need the key elements of humor, detail, and suspense to keep the readers engaged. He set the bar high for author talks, and I was slightly disappointed when I met other authors after him, as they weren’t as entertaining or gregarious. That evening we waited in line for over an hour for Zusak to sign our books, and the personalized, signed edition of The Book Thief is still one of the most treasured books on my bookshelf.
Fast forward to a week ago, when I was browsing Facebook (actively procrastinating from doing actual work), and saw the magic words, “Markus Zusak in Kissimmee.” I could not contain my joy when I realized I could easily drive there and back in an evening. I had heard he had a new book out called Bridge of Clay, and of course was excited to read it. I read some recent interviews with him and found out it took him 13 years to finish this book. As I am currently struggling through the 6th year of my never-ending PhD journey, I felt I could relate to Zusak’s struggle to write. He might be able to teach me a thing or two about work perseverance.
Proof of the fb conversation.
Before attending the event, I wanted to make sure it was more than just a book signing. Remembering how entertaining his talk was, I was only going to the event if he was also going to speak to the entire group and not just sign books. So, I decided to post a message on the facebook event page asking, “Will Mr. Zusak be speaking at the event or is this only a signing?” I waited patiently for an answer from the event’s sponsor, Books-A-Million. A day or so later, I saw they had replied, and clicked on it. It was Markus Zusak himself who replied with a humble, ” Hi Danielle – I will be speaking and then signing. Hope you can make it.” EEEEKKKK! Fangirl freakout! I definitely HAD to go to the event now, and was even more excited. I couldn’t disappoint my favorite author.
Super nervous to meet him again, I walked into the Books-A-Million and saw a small group gathered at the back of the store. I was surprised at the small crowd, since the last author event I attended for Zusak was a large room of over 100 people. Didn’t people know this was THE Markus Zusak, genius of the written word, who wrote an entire book narrated by death?? A small, humble crowd of about 20 people had gathered. These were the most devoted fans in Central Florida, I was sure of it. My electronic ticket was scanned, I was handed a book, and as I turned to the first page, I was so excited I couldn’t even read the words on the page. The girl sitting next to me had also traveled 1.5 hours to see him in person, and was equally starstruck/mesmerized.
One of the best public speakers ever. If you get the chance, go see him in person. Amazing!
Zusak was just hanging around the bookstore talking to people before the event started. He was casually introduced and stood in front of the table, not wanting to use the microphone. Immediately, he was telling jokes and putting the audience at ease. He told various stories about how small details from his life made it into his latest book. One story was about how his mother dropped a basket of colorful clothing line pins on the ground one day after his siblings had played another raucous game of tennis in the backyard. He spoke about how he became a father after he wrote The Book Thief, and how that changed his writing. He said it took him this long to write Bridge of Clay because it took him that long to get the story and writing perfect, exactly how he wanted it. He gave up on the story twice, missed deadlines with his publisher, and changed narrators multiple times. You could tell he worked hard on this book and was proud of his work. He is an author that clearly values quality over quantity.
He spoke for 45 minutes, which was too short for me. If he did a podcast, I would listen to it everyday just for his storytelling and fun accent. Because the audience was so small, I only needed to wait in line for 15 minutes for him to sign my new copy of Bridge of Clay and pose for a photo. There was a guy in the audience who had a tattoo inspired from Zusak’s first book, I Am The Messenger, an intricate design of a deck of cards. There was a girl sitting in front of me with a well-loved copy of The Book Thief full of colorful, neon post-it notes. Turns out she wrote her thesis on the book, and knew it inside and out. See, I told you. His biggest fans were assembled in that Books-A-Million that day.
Even Ella is excited to read Zusak’s latest book! Or more realistically… she will sleep while I read.
I left the event feeling inspired. Inspired to persevere and finally finish my PhD after dragging my feet for months. I felt inspired to write a book someday that would be meaningful to people. It was another evening I’ll never forget. I will read Bridge of Clay soon, and absorb every detail of Zusak’s writing. No doubt it will be another treasured book on my bookshelf.
Hello and welcome fellow book lovers! I have always been an annoyingly voracious reader, and someone who never goes anywhere without a book. Every night before I go to sleep, I read a little bit of a book, and have been doing that for as long as I can remember to help me wind down from a busy day. As I get older, my love of reading keeps on growing, and I often wonder how to fit more reading into my day.
In addition to reading, I also love to talk to my friends and family about the books I’m reading, and have wondered how to share this passion with the world. I joined Goodreads in 2012, and have really enjoyed using the website/app to keep track of the books I read, connect with other fellow readers, add to a growing to-be-read (TBR) pile, and win free books in giveaways. I also love going to bookstores and looking at books, and when at home, I love to peruse Amazon for my next reads. I’m always in search of a great book recommendation from a friend; a book they found unique and meaningful and that I hope to find some meaning in as well.
Twice over the years, I tried to read books on an Amazon kindle, but struggled with it because I love the feel of a book in my hand. I also am obsessed with reading in cozy reading nooks. Seriously, search for “cozy reading nooks” on Pinterest, and it will lead you down a rabbit hole of dream house redecorating. What better way to spend any free afternoon than curled up with a good book? With a book in hand, you can relax and escape for hours, and there is no need for the internet or electricity. You just need a cozy, quiet space, and some good lighting. Oh, and a good cup of coffee (I’m sure I’ll fill you in on my obsession with coffee in a later post). So, I hope you book lovers enjoy this blog and we can start a dialogue about new, old, and exciting reads!
Danielle's Reading Nook 