Confessions of a Book Nerd

Confession: I’m a Book Nerd. With a capital B and capital N. I embrace my dorkiness wholeheartedly and I am only slightly apologetic for not knowing with whom the latest Bachelor is making-out or which idolatrous singer should definitely go home… Those shows are still on, right? But I digress.

I don’t consider myself a literary critic in any capacity… At this stage in my life I am all about being entertained! I can’t handle a book that is a complete mockery of the English language and it’s uses, but let’s just say you won’t find Jane Eyre on my currently reading bookshelf. It’s not that I am somehow opposed to reading classics, in fact I would love to read most of them, but when I am knee-deep in bottle-parts and Elsa is letting it go on repeat in my daughter’s room, I find anything with complex language makes me want to curl up in the fetal position. So while mastering the challenge of reading and actually understating stories like Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights are on my long Bucket List, it just ain’t happenin’ in my Small Children Stage of Life.

Right here, right now, when I am reading a book, I want to laugh, or cry, or to be scared, or generally get caught up in a life that is not my own. Just for a little bit.

However, I am abundantly clear that my read-every-minute-I-can ways make me the exception, not the rule. I have a Book Nerd Mission, though, to convert more of you TV Junkies into my small-but-growing faction (yes, I just finished the Divergent Trilogy). I know you have your reasons. Your excuses. I’m here to quell them (if you read more, you’d know “quell” mean to end, to stop).

Excuse #1: I Don’t LIKE to Read

Might I suggest Give it the Ol’ College Try? There’s a large population of you that still twitch about your high school reading list and subconsciously think that you’ll be made to write an essay or create a diorama after you finish a book. Or that all books are as mind-numbing as The Old Man in the Sea. Take heart, friend – there are so many great books out there (and NOBODY will quiz you even once on any of them!).

You might just find that after a day at the office, or juggling soccer practice, dentist appointments, and PTA meetings, or watching to Baby Einstein one too many times while folding burp cloths, a peaceful, quiet moment with your nose in a book might – just might – calm your wary mama bones a wee bit better than the latest Scandal? Remember, you’re not trying to impress your high school English teacher here, you’re just trying to find another option for those precious little Me Time moments.

Here are a few suggestions (my OWN personal opinion, here, ladies, although most suggested are “popular” amongst the general masses, too) to get you started:

* For a Good Sob Cry: The Fault in Our Stars {Green}; Me Before You {Moyes}

* For a Good (Non-Cheesy or Sexualized) Romance: The Last Letter from Your Lover {Moyes}; Memoirs of a Geisha {Golden}

* For a Good Scare: The Shining {King}; Night Film {Pessl}

* For a Good Psychological Thriller: Before I Go to Sleep {Watson}

* For a Good Non-Fiction: Unbroken {Hildebrand}; The Glass Castle {Walls}

*For a Good Twist-Ending: The Life of Pi {Martel}; Defending Jacob {Landay}

* For a Good… Just a Good Book: The Help {Stockett}; The Secret Life of Bees {Kidd}

Excuse #2: I Like to Read but I Don’t HAVE TIME

Have you thought about AUDIO BOOKS? My husband’s gift last Christmas to Audible changed my life (see? I told you I was a Book Nerd). I have far less time to read words from a book than I would like, so listening to a book provides me with the best of both worlds… The book is “acted out” for you through the narrator(s) voice(s), but you still get to enjoy the fun (yes, I said fun) part of  creating and envisioning the characters in your mind. I listen to audiobooks pretty much any time I am not with my kids – nap time, while doing chores, driving in my car. My ear buds and car iPhone jack are on the top of my Items I Can’t Live Without list.

Here’s the story: Audible (I don’t get paid to say this, I just really love them), which is associated with Amazon, is an online resource for audio books. You pay a certain amount each month to receive either 1, 2, or 3 book “credits” per month. Then you use your credits to buy whatever book you want (I have rarely searched for a book that they didn’t have). Then you just go to your handy-dandy app and listen away! Additionally, if you use your credit(s) the books they offer at hugely discounted. And if you don’t use your credit one month, it will roll over to the next month.

Another option is to get linked up to the San Antonio Public Library. They have a great selection of audiobooks that are… wait for it… FREE! The only downer is that, like anything borrowed, there is a time cap on them. If it’s a good book and you’re intentional about listening, though, the time limit shouldn’t be a problem.

Excuse # 3: I Never Know WHAT to Read

One of my favorite Book Nerd habits is to track my reading on Goodreads. This website provides reader feedback, a ranking system (i.e. 1-5 stars), and provides anything from online book clubs to author information to, my favorite, what-to-read-next book suggestions, based on what you have read. Even if you don’t chose to “friend” other people or follow others’ reviews I think it’s a neat way to go back through all that you have read. You can also make a yearly reading goal for yourself, if that’s the kind of thing you’re in to {I will neither confirm nor deny that I am proudly “6 books ahead of schedule” on my 2014 reading list goal}.

Similarly, try websites like What Should I Read Next (these are all “user” suggestions, so not all are spot-on, but it beats wandering the isle at B&N and ending up with a dud!) or Whichbook (I haven’t spent a lot of time here, but it seems neat – you can actually put in what you are looking for – like “romance” or “sad” or “short-lenght”).

Lastly, just take a look at any major book-selling distributor (rhymes with plamazon)… Find a book you loved and look below to see “what other customers bought”. It’s a quick and easy way find other ideas and how people have rated the book. My only advice is to pay attention to the reviewer, when possible. People have different taste and might have liked it for odd reasons.

Excuse #4: I’m Not a STRONG Reader

I know picking up a book might seem like just another thing to make yourself do if you’re not a confident reader. Like you were probably chided as a child, Reading should be FUN! A thought: start with a Young Adult book. I am no being a smart aleck… I LOVE Young Adult books because they are very entertaining. There are certainly a fair share that lean towards “silly” (which makes sense, what with their target-audience and their stereotyped short attention span and love of all things… well, silly), but there are lots of awesome, well-written YA books that can get you in to the “habit” of picking up a book and getting in to the characters, plot, and storyline. Obviously there are some blockbusters out there like The Hunger Games trilogy, but look out for other good ones, too… I promise they aren’t all about vampires.[hr]

You deserve some time to relax and not think about wet wipes, your boss, or taekwando. Grab your ear buds, download that library e-book, or crack the spine of that book that Prime got to you in 34 seconds.

ENJOY A BOOK!  

Do you have any suggestions for a good book that is worth reading?  Share below in the comments!