How I Read

Can we talk about reading for a moment?

If you've been a reader of TAA, you know that I am constantly reading and always on the hunt for new books that I just can't put down. I have recently been reading Divergent and alternating between my Kindle and my Kindle app for iPhone.

I thought it would be fun to run through a few ways that I get my read on! And as always, I'd love to hear yours!

Kindle: Typically I read all of my books Kindle! I understand reservations toward e-readers...in fact, I used to feel the same way.

I know you are thinking 'but Rachel, I loooove having real books! And turning real pages! And letting them collect dust on my bookcase! And not being all 2012 about it!'

I know! Ok? I know. Trust me. I used to say the same thing. But once I realized the ease, convenience and light-weight nature of the Kindle, I never looked back. In fact, I often will refuse to read a real paperback, in favor of purchasing the e-version. I have problems. I'm just mildly obsessed with the fact that I have access to any book I want at any time I want. So yeah...I'm being all 2012 about it! Instant gratification or bust!

Even on the beach, real books are no more

Kindle app for iPhone: If I somehow forget my Kindle at home, or if I'm riding the train without a large purse, I simply use the Kindle app, which can sync to your actual Kindle and the spot you are reading. I love having this option, even if it's not the absolute most ideal way to read. Somehow, reading on the iPhone actually does make me a little motion sick (as opposed to the actual Kindle screen), but it is truly a great option when carrying the Kindle itself just isn't in the cards. Ah technology.

Magazines: Ok, this one I do NOT read on any kind of device, other than the thick glossy pages themselves. I do love having real magazines because I adore the vibrant colors and the ability to rip pages out to save in my recipes and home projects binders. I also do not have a color screen on my Kindle, so perhaps I'd feel differently if I did.

Blogs & News: Typically I read all of these on the computer. Occasionally, I'll pull up some blogs on my iPhone and read them, but I like having the big screen for photos and just simpler reading. Not to mention that I'd rather spend more time on the computer than looking at the tiny iPhone screen. Though I know how to remedy that...with an iPad perhaps?! :) That's on my wishlist, by the way. But in all seriousness, I have about 100+ blogs in my Google Reader (which often has upwards of 500+ unread posts giving me anxiety to get reading) and love checking real and entertainment news all the time. Sigh.

So that's how I get my reading done. Now it's your turn!

Questions of the Day:

How - and what - do you read?

Do you have multiple devices?

What have you been reading lately?

I'm sorry but I just can't...

Last week I started reading Pride & Prejudice, as part of my 'read 5 classic novels' before I turn 30.

This week, I stopped reading it.

Please don't hate me.

I just couldn't get through it.

Here's the thing.

When I read, I need something that grips me from the start and doesn't let up. My reading time primarily takes place during my ride to and from work. I have 15 minutes on a packed train both ways. For me, I need books that not only hold my interest, but ones that I cannot WAIT to crack open when I get on the train. Books that will keep me completely occupied as I try desperately not to clutch the dirty, diseased handles, while someone inevitably breathes on me, and I try to ignore the fact that sweat is trickling down my face.

Sadly, Pride & Prejudice just wasn't cutting it.

I'm not saying that I'll never finish it. Just not now. Perhaps I'll relegate it to my weekend reading and give it a try then. Oh and please don't hate me...I know that many of you recommended it and loved it so I feel badly kicking it to the curb. I even debated whether or not to tell you or just let a lot of time go by and hope that no one noticed that I never mentioned it again...but I can't do that. I still love you! :)

Instead, I took a recommendation from Christine and went with Delirium by Lauren Oliver. She proclaimed that it was her favorite dystopian series since The Hunger Games and so how could I NOT read this book?!

I started it yesterday and I'm already hooked. Here's the synopsis from BarnesandNoble.com:

Love. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.

In Lauren Oliver’s stunning second novel, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the cure. Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. But then she meets enigmatic Alex, who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

Ok so it's for ages 14 and up. But I don't care. I'm into young adult novels! So there!

If you are interested in reading it with me and subsequently discussing it, I'll set a date of April 3 (Tuesday) for the discussion. That's 3 weeks away!

Questions of the Day:

What are you reading right now?

What types of books do you gravitate toward?

And unrelated...did anyone watch Walking Dead from Sunday? Ahhhhh! Head over to our Facebook page to discuss!

The Return of the Read

I have a confession to make.

Until Monday, it had been months since I'd read a book.

I typically always have a book going and so to go months without reading is a strange predicament indeed. As you may recall, I had been reading A Clash of Kings (from the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice & Fire series) but to be honest...I couldn't get through it. And so I put it down at about a third of the way through it. And then I took a long hiatus from reading.

But!

I missed having that amazing feeling of reading a fantastic book. The kind that, when reading it, you actually don't mind being stuffed on the train, you stay up late in bed way after husband has gone to sleep, you can't wait to turn the next page and find out what happens next.

So, I logged onto my Kindle Store and took a look at the top sellers. I needed something that would grip me from the very first page. When I came across T.R. Ragan's Abducted, I downloaded it right away and dug in.

I have to say...I am loving this book! I do love me a good thriller/mystery and though some of the story points are tough to read, overall, I'm really plowing right through it. It was just the ticket to get back in the swing of things!

Abducted follows the story of Lizzy, a woman who is abducted at age 16 by a serial killer. Somehow, Lizzy manages to become 'the one who got away'. 10 years later, she is a private investigator teaching women how to defend themselves, when suddenly another girl goes missing and the killer leaves a note for Lizzy, letting her and the FBI know that's he has returned and is back on the scene.

Ah, it's so good!

I think I smell the return of the Book Club page! Maybe with a few twists. Would others be interested in reading a book at the same time and then having a discussion here on the blog? Or on the Facebook page? Just a thought! If there's interest, I can set that up starting on March 1.

Oh and are any of you on Goodreads? If so, we can be friends!

Questions of the Day:

What are you reading right now?

Do you go through phases with reading?

Also, if you'd like some other book recommendations, here are some of my favorites:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series, by Steig Larsson

The Hunger Games Series, by Suzanne Collins

The Fever Series, by Karen Marie Moning

The Pillars of the Earth & World Without End, by Ken Follett

Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See

Room, by Emma Donoghue

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

Something Borrowed & Something Blue, by Emily Giffin

...I could go on and on, but let's start with those! :)

psst...it's link day over on The Peach & The Pit and we're sharing one super link that I hope you'll check out!