Tuesday, 27 February 2018

Reading Confessions

I thought I'd share a few of my reading confessions to give you a glimpse into my bookish life. It's basically a post of unpopular opinions, so here we go!




1. I'm pretty meh about bookmarks
I have a couple that I love, but it's not something I'll go out of my way to collect or spend money on. I feel like they get damaged so easily!! I really like the #currentlyreading wooden one from Nook and Burrow because it's super sturdy, but I'm just as happy to use a meaningful card or picture my five-year-old has coloured.

2. I'm also pretty meh about the "classics"
I can appreciate that Pride and Prejudice is pretty much the first romantic comedy ever, and I do love Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo, but the classics in general are not reading material to which I turn often. Which is ironic if you take a look at #3....

3. I used to be a huge book snob
Huge! Like so so super judgey. Fantasy, romance, horror, basically anything that wasn't historical fiction I would silently (and sometimes not-so-silently) declare trashy and beneath me. I feel particularly proud of myself for overcoming this flaw. Now I read Harlequin romance and young adult fantasy on the regular. I still read historical fiction, and I love a good memoir, but those other previously shunned genres are also very present in my reading life. My friend Dan calls them "dessert" :)

Also, check out this essay by Neil Gaiman. It will get you rethinking your perception of what literature we "should" be reading.

4. My TBR pile of books I already own is out of control
Like 200+ out of control. I'm actually surprised Rob doesn't give me more of a hard time about it. The thing is, the more I read and the more I write about books, the more book piles seem to grow in our house!

I have been trying to tackle this situation more thoughtfully with #theunreadshelfproject2018. You can read about it here. I also post about it pretty often on Instagram @jennbairos.

5.  I don't really understand audiobooks
I've listened to a few audiobooks on long road trips, but overall, this is not a book format that I can get to work for me. I always catch myself drifting off or checking my phone and missing parts of the story. I can't multitask when listening to an audiobook, so I figure, why not just hold the real thing?

6. I don't enjoy novellas or short stories
Novellas are a pet peeve of mine. Just put it in the freaking book! Don't make me hunt down the other "bonus" storylines. I mean, if I loved your book, I'll do it, but I'll be annoyed about it.

Short stories I'm unlikely to read all together. I love being fully invested in my characters and storylines. Trilogies are my jam. A short story always feels too quickly wrapped up for me. I need more.

7. I don't always keep autographed books
Five-years-ago me would have never let go of a personally autographed book. Ten-years-ago me would have never thought I'd be lucky enough to own an autographed book at all.

We live in a small house, and I can't keep every book I receive, and even if it's autographed, if I didn't love it with all my heart, I'll pass it along to the free little library on our street. I know this probably sounds like I'm complaining about all of my good fortune, but I do hope that someone else will enjoy the nice surprise that comes there way when they see that special signature.

8. Sometimes, Possibly too often, I let Sebastian play on the iPad so I can read
I justify this because I feel like it's great that he knows reading is an important value in our home, and it's soooo easy to hibernate at home in the winter, but I hope to do this a bit less now that spring is on the horizon.


What about you? Do you have any unpopular opinions when it comes to books? Or do you share any of mine?

xo
Jenn

Monday, 5 February 2018

Winter Reads for When You're Snowbound

I love chatting about books, especially over on Instagram, and someone there recently asked me for recommendations for non-Christmasy winter reads. Challenge accepted! Here are six that I've either read and loved or have on my TBR pile at home.



Beartown by Fredrik Backman - This novel about a small town hockey team was one of the most powerful novels I have read in a long time. If you have already read Beartown, preorder the sequel, Us Against You. It's out in June!

Hunted by Meagan Spooner - Hunted is a dark and twisty Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I really enjoyed it. You can read my review here.

Make Me Stay by Rebecca Brooks - This romance between city girl, Samantha Kane, and injured Olympic skier, Austin Reede, is scorching hot!



Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones - A fantasy world to get lost in where love and evil battle to co-exist. This one is still on my TBR pile, but I've heard the writing is beautiful!

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay by Kelly Harms - What if you thought you received an annulment, but learned ten years later, that it wasn't finalized? If you're looking for a cozy women's fiction novel, try this one.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis - Confession - I haven't read this yet. Even Sebastian has already read it in school! I really look forward to reading this whole series soon.

xo
Jenn

ShareThis