I have been an avid reader since I was young.  I loved reading, even as a kid.  I have a library media degree, for goodness sake 🙂  Even so, there have been cycles through the years of my reading tenacity–sometimes I read a lot, sometimes Netflix or TikTok captures my attention instead. 

Reading is beneficial in so many ways.  Reading increases your intelligence, boosts your brainpower, and has even been shown to fight Alzheimer’s disease.  Reading fiction can improve your ability to relate to others.   Reading can lower stress levels and help you sleep better.  

During the last 6 months of 2023, I made an intentional effort to read more.  Here’s what helped.

How to Read More Books:

1. Ditch bad books.  If I reach chapter 5 or 6 of a title, and I’m not totally invested, I abandon it with no remorse.  I have learned that if I try to MAKE myself finish a book, I’m going to drag around about it.  I’d rather ditch the bad one for something better.

2. Find YOUR genre.  Just because a book is popular doesn’t mean you are going to love it.  It’s a good place to start, but don’t compare your interests to those of other people.  I am a fiction GIRL.  Thrillers, romance, comedy–give me all of it.  I TRY to throw in a nonfiction book every now and then, but I almost always end up abandoning it.

3. Get a Kindle.  I love the idea of holding an actual, physical book in my hands when I read, but the convenience of a Kindle far outweighs that preference.  It is so much easier to stick a Kindle in my purse and carry it with me than a heavy book.  On a Kindle, books are delivered instantly instead of waiting days for shipping or having to drive to the store to get a new title.  And honestly, a Kindle is easier to hold than an actual, physical book.  I don’t have to worry about losing my page or holding the book open while I eat my popcorn =)

PRO TIP: Join Kindle Unlimited.  For 12.99 a month, you get unlimited access to thousands of titles.  That is the price of one purchased e-book, so the savings are immediate.  Also, join your local library and download the Libby app.  Digital library books delivered right to your Kindle device, for free.

4. Take your book with you everywhere.  You might be surprised to find out how many pages you can squeeze in while at the doctor’s office, in the car at pick-up, or any other ‘waiting’ place.  I read at the nail boutique, the hair salon, waiting for my grocery pickup–you name it.

5.  Track your reading.  I use GoodReads, but use what you like.  Make a list on a piece of paper if that is what works best for you.  It’s encouraging to see my books stack up and know how many titles I’ve completed.  I also love being able to backtrack and see what I’ve read in previous years, or how my current reading stacks up to years past. 

If you need suggestions on where to start, try this post, where I share the 6 best books I read in 2023!

I read 32 books this year. This number is way less than in previous years, so I hope to be back on my “reading game” in 2024. Of those 32 books, I’m sharing the 6 best books I read in 2023. Of those 32 books that I read, 30 of them were on my Kindle Paperwhite and 2 were physical books.

{All links are Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small percentage of your purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks in advance for any purchases you make through these links!}

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score. Book one of the series, this is where I fell in love with the small town of Knockemout. It follows the grumpy-sunshine trope between bad-boy, loner Knox and high-maintenance, run-away bride Naomi. I fell in love with all the characters, especially Lucian and Sloane, whose story is told in book three.

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score. This is book three of the series but is by far my favorite. It is the story of Lucian and Sloane. Sloane is an independent, bright-eyed, small-town librarian. I love her character so much. Lucian is grumpy and possessive– I enjoyed the flashbacks from their teenage years to the present.

Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score. Book two of the Knockemout series and the story of Nash (Knox’s younger brother) and Lina (Knox’s college ex).

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Two women, birthday twins, who lead very different lives. Whew! This book kept me guessing on every page. The ending was a total twist–my favorite kind!

The Last Caretaker by Jessica Strawser. This novel follows newly divorced Katie who moves cross-country to take a job as caretaker of a nature preserve. When a terrified woman arrives in the middle of the night, Katie realizes that the caretaker’s job is more than she signed up for. This was such a “feel-good” book for me. I love the courage Katie had and the lengths she would go to to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

Things You Save in A Fire by Katherine Center. Cassie is a female firefighter who uproots from her Texas hometown to move to Boston and care for her ailing mother. This book has so many layers that it kept my attention and I was able to finish it quickly.

All of the 32 books that I read were finished in the second half of the year. It was around that time that I signed up for a Kindle Unlimited subscription and I haven’t looked back yet. Kindle Unlimited gives access to thousands of books for only 12.00 per year. For avid readers, it is definitely worth it.

I keep track of all my reads on Goodreads.com— I’d love for you to follow me there! I’m also compiling my 2024 TBR list, so comment anything you think I need to read. For reference, I love thrillers and spice, but I hate anything sad.

Can you even believe that April is almost over?  What is it with time, lately?  I feel like it is just flying by, now more than ever! Sheesh!  I read a grand total of TWO books this month.  In my defense, they were two very good books 🙂

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich.  I have loved this series by Janet since the very beginning. It’s funny, with just a bit of mystery twisted in, and the perfect kind of light-reading I need at the end of a long day!  I read books 1-18 almost consecutively and then, for some reason, I fell off the wagon.  A co-worker reminded me about them recently and I picked up right where I left off, with plans to finish the rest of the series in May.  (So far, she has published 23 books and the 24th is coming out in the fall.)  The Stars:  5/5

Crimes Against A Book Club by Kathy Cooperman.  If you love chick-lit, this is the book for you.  I chose it from the Kindle First April selection and I am so glad I did.  Two friends who con a bunch of rich women out of money, selling a face cream with a top secret ingredient?  That’s good stuff 🙂 The Stars:  5/5

I feel like part of my problem with reading lately is that I can’t seem to get into a book.  I can’t find many that I actually want to read.  If you have any suggestions–something un-put-downable–I need them!

2017 Reading Recap:

Total number of books completed in April:  two
Total number of books abandoned in April:  zero
Number of fiction books completed in April: two
Number of nonfiction books completed in April: zero
Total number of books completed this year: fifteen

The following post is a collaborative post.

Mature-themed fairy tales that are as good as Disney

It’s common knowledge that fairy tales are made for kids. However, did you know that authors make fairy tale stories for mature people, too? Apart from Disney’s writers who create happy endings, there are some authors who craft stories with a darker twist. As many great books do, adult-themed fairy tales explore the deepest corners of the human mind and present stories that are often bizarre and unsettling.

Mature-themed fairy tales are not constrained within the walls of libraries; they go beyond the pages of books and into video games. Have you ever heard of American McGhee’s Alice? It uses the same character that followed a rabbit into Wonderland. However, instead of a kid-friendly version, the game is actually a third-person psychological horror action video game. Unofficially, it presents itself as the sequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice novels.

Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood also have mature-themed games. While not as creepy as American McGhee’s Alice, they do target the more mature demographic as they’re hosted on the pay-to-play gaming site Pocket Fruity. The “Miss White” game uses themes and characters from the original Snow White while “Miss Red” uses illustrations of a more mature Red Riding Hood.

But modern, adult-themed fairy tale novels do not pattern model themselves on Disney characters. They’re stand-alone titles that can be enjoyed by adults even without knowing the backstories of Belle, Jasmine, and Ariel.

Below are some of the best, fairy tales that target the more mature audience.

The Night Circus
Written by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus takes readers into the strange and mysterious world of circuses that appear randomly at night and leave entire towns with the same unexpectedness. The novel perfectly depicts the surreal characteristics of the fairy tale, complete with plots that are never really explained fully. Books that have hanging plots can really be annoying but not in this fairy tale. Morgenstern excellently narrates the story as if magic was part of everyday life.

The Great Night
Written by: Chris Adrian

The Great Night is a mixed bag of heartbreaking, vulgar, strange, and funny. The fairy personas are quite similar to some Shakespearean characters but the rest are Adrian’s original creations. The novel is known in literary circles as the retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Great Night presents the interaction on one, fateful night between the faerie kingdom that is about to be destroyed and three humans who are heartbroken due to lost relationships.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Written by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is the rockstar of the literary world, and his storytelling always makes his readers ask at the end of every page, “and then what happened?” The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a wonderful masterpiece that stitches together fiction and the land of the living.

The book begins with the unnamed protagonist returning to his hometown for a funeral. He revisits his old home and remembers a young girl named Lettie who claims that the pond behind her home is an ocean. He stops at the home where Lettie had lived and mysteriously starts remembering forgotten incidents from the past.

Do you have a favorite fairy tale that adults can enjoy? Share your thoughts in our comments section!

Every month I do a round-up of all the books I’ve read. My goal for the year is 60 books and I’m cruising along pretty well towards that goal. (Spoiler alert:  As of this post, I have already read five books for March and it’s only halfway through the month!)  I read five books in January and five more this month.

Deadline by Sandra Brown.  I am making my way through Sandra Brown’s books (of the 79 she has written, I’ve read 13) and I find that I love each one as much as the last.  Deadline follows a writer who gets personally involved in and with his story.  Full of murder, thievery, and romance.

Audacious by Beth Moore.  You guys, I adore Beth Moore.  However, this book was most definitely not her best work.  It was like trudging through quicksand and I finally (gasp!) abandoned it about halfway through.  I can’t bear to give Beth a bad review, so I’m leaving my review stars blank.

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown.  Having a tornado wipe clean your crime scene?  That’s every murderer’s dream and every detective’s nightmare.  But it’s exactly what happens with Bellamy’s sister’s murder and now, eighteen years later, Bellamy is on a quest to right wrongs.  With Brown’s signature themes of mystery and romance, this book sucked me in and kept my intrigued until the very last page.

The Selection and The Elite, by Keira Cass.  I’m a little late to this party, but OH MY STARS.  These are the first two books of Keira Cass’s The Selection YA series.  It is like a futuristic “Bachelor” meets “Hunger Games”, but better.  In the future USA, called Ilea, it is time for Prince Maxon to find a wife.  By lottery, one eligible girl from each of the 37 provinces is chosen, flown to the castle, and goes through ‘selective processes.’  In the end, Prince Maxon will marry his princess.  These books are quick reads but they will totally and completely suck you in.  If I can only recommend one thing from this post, this entire series would be it.

Better Than Before by Gretchin Rubin.  I loved The Happiness Project and even fairly enjoyed Happier At Home, but Better than Before was not for me.  I abandoned it about three chapters in…..oops.

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Please, do yourself a favor and purchase/download/borrow The Selection by Keira Cass.  Read it, then come back and let me know if it was as intriguing to you as it was to me. =)

Total Books Read This Month:  5
Total Books Read This Year: 10