Bookworm

As I discussed in my last post, there is nothing on TV any more.  Because of this, I have taken to reading.  I don't remember the last time I sat down and watched a show (excepting my Sunday night Downtown fix).  I used to take a half hour at breakfast (well, 22 minutes) and another at lunch time to watch one show with my meal.  Now, I sit on the couch, balance my Stouffer's pizza and Diet Dr. Pepper, and try to keep my book open to the right page.  I still haven't mastered the process yet.  Sure, sitting at the table would be easier, but who wants to do that?

Because of my increase in reading, I've already read several books since Christmas.  This coming from someone who reads one or two books a year.  Here's what I've been reading so far:

1.  Tara Road by Maeve Binchy - It's my favorite book.  I think I've read it 4 times now.  It's a great story, not smutty, lots of characters, and plenty long enough that it's not over in 2 days.  Maeve Binchy is my favorite writer and I love her Irish voice.  Sadly, she recently passed away, so I'll miss anticipating new Maeve stories.  I love how she details a great number of characters and then brings them all together at some point of the story.  It's kind of her calling card.  Either Tara Road or Circle of Friends are her best works, in my opinion.

2.  Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers - My mom bought both books in this series because she had a gift card to a Christian book store.  Francine Rivers is my favorite Christian author.  (Give Redeeming Love a try.)  This book is loosely based on Francine's history, but is a work of fiction.  I really enjoyed it and was anxious to begin the sequel.  It starts with a character based on her grandmother.  The series spans several generations and ends in present day.  It left me wondering what was real and how much was fictionalized.

3.  Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers - This is the second book in the series.  I was glad I had both of them on hand because you can't read one without the other.  This series did not disappoint.

4.  Quentins by Maeve Binchy - Because I didn't get enough Maeve at Christmastime, I had to reread this book too.  I had only read this one once before.  If you want to give it a go, I would recommend reading Tara Road, Evening Class, and Scarlet Feather first.  She brilliantly brings back a lot of those characters.  We lost our copy of Evening Class, but I'd love to read that again too.  Again, Maeve always comes through.

5.  The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan - This is what I'm currently reading.  I tend to totally judge a book by its cover (or its title, as in this case) and I was less than excited to read this one.  My mom made me promise to try it and I'm actually enjoying it.  The subtitle is "How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less."  It's a true story about a hard-up housewife who took care of her family by entering contests, writing poetry, and developing catchy tag lines.  

I keep a little end table next to my reading couch and it's stacked with a selection of the next few books I plan to read.   I can't read anything with too much smut, but I like a little romance.  Fiction is my preference, but I'll read a true story if it's interesting enough.  Nothing educational (ha!).  

What are you reading right now?  Anyone read any of the books on my list before?