I've been reading lately...

This, my friends, is the stack of books beside my bed. This is my, how shall I put it, "priority list." What you don't see here are the books on my Kindle, the ever-changing list of book club books I have to purchase, and the books I find at home and bring back to the apartment (shoving them in every available nook and cranny of my perilous Ikea bookcase) to read immediately should the mood strike to dive into Lolita or Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants instead of my current read. I have become obsessed with Goodreads, a social networking site for readers, and have tried to quell my book cravings by adding titles to my "to-read" list with the knowledge that I shall someday tackle said list, but to no avail. I am surrounded by books I have yet to touch, and I love it that way. Sometimes, it's almost more fun to anticipate reading a book, than to actually sit down and begin it, amiright? On the other hand, the sign of a truly great book (in my opinion) is when the experience of reading the middle is as satisfying as turning the last page. Yes, some of my favorite books are the ones with a mystifying and gasp-worthy ending that has been snowballing to the close since the last third of the book. But, my most treasured reads, the ones I turn to read for comfort like a favorite movie on a Friday night, are the ones where the story is just as engaging from the first chapter. Books like Little Women and Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (a book my stepdad bought me for Christmas several years ago, which I devoured in a matter of hours) offer some kind of mental enjoyment that I can't compare to a book like Girl with a Dragon Tattoo which is impressive in its own right, but which did not provide the literary solace I wanted until almost the very end of the novel.These days, my "reading" time is mostly occupied with book club books. I officially belong to two, but have begun multiple mini-book-clubs with friends who want to read the same book at the same time. This month alone I have been directed to read: East of Eden, Pretty Girl-13, Anna Karenina, Gone Girl, and Tiny Beautiful Things for book clubs and friends. On my personal list are Sisterhood Everlasting, Wicked, and Wild by Cheryl Strayed. How am I to accomplish this daunting mental task? How can I possibly squeeze in the man hours to finish these books and still hold down a job, a life, and a blog? Simply put: I probably won't. I try my hardest though - I had to stay up until 2am finishing the last book (Me Before You by Jojo Moyes) for one of my book club meetings. Come hell or high water, I was going to finish that damn book. And I did! And it was worth it.  Sometimes, I overbook (ha) myself. I try to accomplish too many things, and then I just get tired and let it all drop by the wayside for a few days. But I'm learning that reading is something that is important to me, that there is so much in this world to experience and for me books and the written word are a big part of that experience, and I'm trying to make more time for it. I always thought I was an Ariel but now I'm feeling more like Belle from Beauty & the Beast - I think books can show you things you might not be able to see in your own life, can open up your world to people and places and ideas and happenings you may never see in person. If you make the time for them! What are your favorite books to read? I won't judge, I promise! I may be twenty-six but even the Lemony Snicket series is on my list for this year. Add me on Goodreads!

Happy Saturday, Bloggees! I'm off to finish Forever in Blue.