Pages read in 2018 : 482

Being inspired by Sarah’s call to read more and her smartphone addiction, I made one simple change for 2018, and I’m so happy about it.

Ready?

I just stopped using my phone in bed and started reading. It’s so f*cking simple.

Everyone says to make that change, and finally doing it has made me so happy.

See that pile of books down there? They have been piling up on my bedside table since 2015. I won’t put them in bookshelves, because then I know I’ll never read them. And this year my goal is to get through them just by reading for a few minutes before going to sleep.

What’s on my shelf?

It’s a diverse mix of books from both light and heavy fiction to poetry to history and a bit of science.

From top to bottom, it’s :

• Double Knit Murders by Maggie Sefton (books 1 & 2 of the series) : fictional murder/detective series that takes place along the front range of Colorado (where I live!). It’s a fun and super light read.
• The Beast in the Garden by David Baron : Um, also focused on the place where I live, also includes killings, but with a much heavier subject matter : the return of mountain lions to the populated areas along the front range of Colorado.
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas : A fictional story about the murder of a young unarmed African American man by a cop. It’s such a timely read, and I can’t wait to dig in.
• Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson : A series of short stories about Longmire, a modern day cowboy/sheriff in Wyoming. Have you watched the TV show? Did you know it’s based on a series of books?
• Doc Susie by Virginia Cornell : The historical account of a female physician that came to Colorado and had a successful career in the Colorado Rockies.
• My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith : I’ve enjoyed McCall Smith’s series The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, so I’m hoping I’ll like this book.
• Winter World by Bernd Heinrich : all about the adaptions animals use to survive the long cold winter months.
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman : from the writer who brought us a Man Called Ove. I can’t wait to dig in.
• Bedside Book of Bad Girls: Outlaw Women of the American West  by Michael Rutter : Short stories about outlaw women of the American West. What more can I say?
• Aimless Love by Billy Collins : I love Billy Collins’ poetry, and I can’t wait to read this work.
• Other People We Married by Emma Straub : I’ve tried reading this one in the past, but never finished, and that’s how it ended up at the bottom of this pile… Wish me luck.

I’m happy to report that I’ve already finished one book and am nearing the end of a second. Crazy right?! Three years of such little reading, and now I’ve created a habit that works for me.