Bloggers, Do You Do This Too?

On more than a few occasions especially when I have been writing and posting, I check the blog stats for the newly written post. What I find most interesting is where the trail leads after that. To which older posts.

I love this part of blogging because I am forever curious and intensely interested in people’s behavior and topics they read most often and trying to understand why. What elements of or about certain posts makes them more highly and routinely visited?

For instance, I write quite often about the books I am reading. Those interested in that kind of thing, books, check out several of the “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” entries. Others follow a chronological path. They may read everything from the entire month of November, 2013. I get "rabbit holes".

The next most fun thing to do is go back and read some of the older posts that are generating activity for some reason. I have written almost 600 posts. I don’t remember them all. Some don’t even ring a bell. Some I know like the back of my hand. Fun stuff.

I did this right now. Read some of the old posts visitors visited today. Can’t believe I wrote some of the things I did.

But the very, very tippy top thing that keeps me coming back for more is reading the comments left on old posts. On any post, really. Thank you to all who have visited and commented. Ever. I love what you've said to me. I love that you have taken the time. You make this blogging thing the bomb!

It's Monday, May 11th! What Are You Reading? (Long Overdue)

Apparently I haven’t updated my reading list here since April 20th! Yikes! At that time, I was reading feverishly, but since then…well, life. (All photos courtesy of Amazon.com)

I have completed:

I LOVED this book! The writing is fantastic. The story is compelling and touching and will having you thinking about what it means to be human! Do NOT read reviews prior to delving in because there is a surprise element that, trust me, you will not want to know ahead of time!

My first collection of poetry. It broke my heart into a million tiny pieces (in a good way) and I will never be the same again. No other poetry collection will ever compare! That is until I find another of equal caliber. Simply stunning! A shout out to Rebecca at Book Riot for recommending this book!

This is what I said on Goodreads about this book:

"Translated perfectly from its native Italian; this novel is darkly stunning. The writing is gorgeous. It recounts a spiral; the depth of which I hope to never know though I could imagine it happening in a perfect storm of events. The souring of a marriage, betrayal, and its aftermath. Then mix in children. How would we pick up the pieces of our lives? It is at once stark and surprising, and touching and tender, but scary. It had me nervously awaiting what was coming next. A very visceral experience. My gut tells me to rate this 5-stars." 

Here’s what I AM reading:

As I pulled up the covers to snuggle in bed last night, I picked up...

And today, I will finish listening to...

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday, April 20th. What Are You Reading?

Remember last week when I told you that the previous week and weekend were awesome in terms of reading. I know better than to gloat!

These last seven days have been far, far, far less than productive reading-wise (Is this a word?). Life. Personal issues. Stuff. All things that disrupt concentration. At the very least, these things encroached on my reading time. That’s okay. It’s life.

What I read:

It did finish a collection of short stories called There’s Something I Want You to Do by Charles Baxter. Here’s the underlying premise: The stories are interrelated so we see several characters more than once. I like this. The book is in two parts. In the first part, each story uses a virtue as its theme ("Bravery," "Loyalty," "Chastity," "Charity," and “Forbearance”). The second part is devoted to vices ("Lust," "Sloth," "Avarice," "Gluttony," and "Vanity"). The characters do some great and noble things then turn around and do some things bordering on despicable (that’s maybe too strong a word). At the center of each story is a question, or request. There’s something I want you to do. Sometimes, it is stated as such, other times it is implied.

I really liked this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes short stories or would like to give them a try. I now want to read one of his novels called The Feast of Love.

What I am reading:

I have made a decent dent in the audio version of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler even though I hardly have any drive time anymore. I guess that’s what the Step Mill is for, right? I will NOT  be telling you anything about this book. Trust me, it is fun and interesting. It surprised me! And it sounds so well written that I wish I was actually reading it instead of listening.

Last night I started Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. I read To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and thought it was so funny and different that when I saw Then We Came… on the cheap at Open Books last week, I immediately thought “Destiny!!!”

That’s my last week. This week is shaping up to be busy, busy, busy. Aside from "life events", I will be celebrating World Book Night at Unabridged Bookstore at a BYOB (Bring Your Own Book(s) to donate) event sponsored, I think, by some local folks connected with Book Riot. 

I did not know until this morning that Friday, April 24th is some sort of 24-hour Read-a-Thon thingie! Happens twice a year. How perfect is it that my husband leaves for a golf trip that very morning? Score! (Sorry Honey!!! You know how much I love to read!)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It has been an awesome week/weekend for reading mostly because of one little book. Of course, I will tell you why.

I was talking with a friend on Saturday morning, which happened to be a gloriously gorgeous day here in the city. Chicago, that is. Swimming pools and movie stars... Oh wait, that’s Beverly Hills! We both expressed interest in epistolary books. Books in the form of letters. (To this day my hands down favorites are the Griffin and Sabine series by Nick Bantock. Have you read them?) And I am not sure how I found this little tome, or why I had never read it before because it is so totally me. 

Any way, I decided to go for a very long walk, probably 6 miles, to take in the sunshine and some solitude, choosing to stroll through the neighborhoods instead of along the lakefront. Almost gave up once at the furthest distance from home and hailed a cab. But at precisely that decision point, I saw a bookstore. Ahhhhhh! It beckoned me through its door. (It is here I will admit that this particular place was probably on my radar the entire time.) 

And success!!!!!! It is an old title, and if it hadn’t been a perpetual “staff pick”, it wouldn’t have been on the shelf. Have you read…

Check it out on Goodreads. For me, it was simply stunning.

In other book news, I finally finished…

It is primarily about a single guy, a wannabe writer in NYC, and the many iterations of his relationships. Kind of a Mars/Venus perspective, in a way, accentuating the differences split along gender lines. It's just not that simplistic, though, is it?

I had this to say on Goodreads: “I am still digesting this book, and wondering why I liked it so much to easily give it 4-stars. I think because it made me feel. Something. Even though that "something" wasn't completely positive.” 

So I did like it. But not all the time. I did think it was very well written. There was some interesting insight into the psyche of a young, single man and relationships. Some of it felt awfully familiar. While I wasn't crazy about him either, his character felt real to me. Was it because he reminded me of someone specifically? I don't think so, but I have seen plenty of those characteristics/traits in a lot of men just not so much wrapped up all into one. I never like generalizations and this felt a bit like that. Not all guys are like this. Not all women are like that. Or whatever, if that makes sense at all. What rang true was the protagonist's desire to do just so much talking. My husband is like that. He doesn't want to dissect and re-hash every little (or big) thing. For that matter, neither do I. If you read it, let me know what you think!

I am digging back into a book of shorts stories…

And will probably pick back up Lila by Marilynne Robinson…again! But maybe I should just go ahead and read Gilead, instead. What do you think?

Listening to...

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Books!

I like the idea of starting out a Monday by reflecting on what I have read (since weekends are generally productive), am reading, and plan for the week in...reading, of course. Check out the links at Book Journey to see what other people have in their hands this week!

Last week I wrapped up:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22725443-hausfrau?ac=1

There was and IS so much hype surrounding this book. I still don't know how I really feel about it. I liked the story. The style in which it was written appealed to me. But I was expecting a higher quality of writing, I think. Hey, I was not anticipating anything in the prose style or writing caliber of Stoner by John Williams (which happens to be one of my favorite books (possibly of all time)). I don't know. There was a disconnect for me. Somewhere. I can't place my finger exactly where so I am citing the actual writing, not the story telling. It has an engaging elicit element, which is always up my alley, and it was definitely on the scintillating side almost from start to finish. Some things can not be explained, so I guess I have to leave it at a visceral feeling.

And:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884042-still-life-with-bread-crumbs?ac=1

Oh, Anna. I have liked many of your books though haven't read one in years. I am not even sure where or when I picked this one up. Maybe I am in a grumpy book mood or maybe simply busy, but this one was average for me. Sure, I read the whole thing. I just didn't care for the story or characters all that much. I wish I could get to a place where I put down books that are not stimulating me in the ways I wish to be, uh, stimulated (?).

On that note, I am currently reading:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884042-still-life-with-bread-crumbs?ac=1

Go check out the Goodreads link for a full description. I am sure the artwork on the cover got a decent amount of votes for "Most Interesting Book Cover of the Year" (There is such a thing!). It has plenty of spicy moments with the whole teacher/student sexual taboo/dynamics. I am very much liking it.

I am also trying to wrap up:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884042-still-life-with-bread-crumbs?ac=1

I love this book! It is the debut novel in which Waldman, a woman, is writing about the dating life/habits/challenges from a man's point of view. She has a great voice, and I think she does this wonderfully.

This has been on my "currently reading" shelf for a long time. The reason being is I left it in a hotel (halfway finished during a 13 hour flight) in Qatar, which is a Muslim country. I tried to download it at their airport so I could finish on the next flight. No dice! Since I was in this part of the world, Amazon wouldn't allow me to download it. Not considered suitable by this religion. This is probably for good and particular reasons. I found my way around the loophole and had it sent to my Kindle within the hour. Too bad I fell asleep on the flight, put it aside, never returning to it until today.

I am also listening to:

Next up:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3711.White_Teeth?ac=1

I've had this book on my radar for quite some time. I even have it on my bookshelf now. I am dying to read it so I hope I pick it up next. You never know how the wind blows...

Please tell me what you are reading. I am always interested!