Books, Books, Books, Everywhere you look!

I love books. I love reading. I have so many bookshelves packed full in my house that my husband actually suggested *gasp* that I get rid of a few books. Not going to happen. My problem is I don't always have time to read. Actually as an editor, I read all day long. I just don't have a lot of time to read books for entertainment and not just to make sure subject verb agreement is in line, or POV isn't being violated, or semi colons are being used correctly. In order to remedy that, I have decided to put books everywhere I possibly can so the minute a free moment occurs, I can read. This is the best way I can think to get my goal of 52 books in for the year.

I'm in the midst of reading six different books right now.

I have my car/purse book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This book goes with me while I am waiting to pick up carpools, so I can get a page or two in during half-time, or when the line at In and Out is extra long. My car/purse book usually takes me longer to read than just my regular nightstand book, but if it is good enough (which this one actually is) sometimes I upgrade it to nightstand book when I need a new one.

I have my at work book: The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work. This is a slow read as well since I don't always have time to read at work, but when I do I like it to be something that will help me be better at my job or a better employee. My work book is usually always a non-fiction self-help book.

I have my kid book: The Phantom Tollbooth. I love reading to my kids, especially my youngest who still actually likes to snuggle up with mommy and listen to me read. This book is usually something I've already read that I want to share with my kids. Most likely a book from my past, although The Phantom Tollbooth somehow slipped past me in my youth, and it is a lot of fun discovering it now with my son.

I have my school book: Grimms Märchen. Yep, I'm taking a German Fairy Tale class this semester. Wow, do you know what the Frog Prince is about? I mean what it is really about? I love reading these tales in their original German. It takes me a lot longer since, well yeah, my German is not perfect, but it is a great helper on my language skills as well as a fun read.

I have my nightstand book: The Scorpio Races. Just finished Warm Bodies last night (check out my Goodreads link to the right for my review) and since my purse/car book was out in the cold car, I grabbed this one instead. I'm about twenty pages into it, and I really like it so far. I read these books the fastest because I get most of my reading done in bed, or one the couch with my chocolate lab sitting on my feet.

And finally I have my bathroom book: I am Malala. Yes, I have a bathroom book, and I am not afraid to admit it. Mothers of the world know that sometimes locking yourself in the bathroom is the only time you will find peace and quiet (and sometimes not even then). My bathroom book is mostly my bath book, for those rare occasions when I can actually take a long bubble bath without interruption. Everyone needs a bathroom book, if nothing else your guests will be delighted that there is something more to read than the backs of shampoo bottles! (I know, I know, TMI.)

And so I read, whenever and wherever I can. I'm thinking about adding two more categories--a car book audio style to entertain as I drive to and from work when my Maroon Five station on Pandora just isn't cutting it for me. And a book on my Kindle App so I can read even when it is lights out time (even though hard copies will always be my first love). I don't have anything picked out in those two areas so I am open for suggestions! What do you recommend?

How about you? Where do you have books? What are you reading right now? Do you read a million books at once, or do you just race through one at a time? Let me know!

New Article at Eschler

I have a new article up at Eschler Editing, which Angela and I coauthored. It is about fighting against the idea of absolute perfectionism and reaching your goals. If your goal is to write a book in 2014 then you have to check it out!

Happy 2014

Happy New Year! I’m a bit behind on getting this post going, but I’ve been on an editing marathon (8th graders Nanowrimo stories--more on that later). Last year was a crazy adjustment of not being in school, starting to do more editing with Eschler Editing, and getting a full time job--also editing--for a local university. I’m feeling more confident about things this year. I’ve set five goals for the new year. Spiritual--Family scripture study, Physical--Lose weight, Educational--Read 52 books, Business--continue to take on more edits and blog weekly, and Writing--Finish final draft of Room for Two and write first full length draft of The King’s Brother (I already have an outline/novella for this).

So that’s it. Seems pretty easy. Doing pretty good on everything so far. Sometimes scripture study ends up happening in the car on the way to drop kids at school, and I still haven’t finished a full book (but I’m almost done with Warm Bodies). I’m doing good on the weight loss, already down five pounds since the 1st. Here is my blog, maybe I’ll even post two this week to make up for last week--yeah that’s probably not going to happen. And I have been writing 15 minutes a day. The final draft of room is at 35,000 words right now. So that’s not too bad.

The thing is, I know as time goes by things won’t be so easy. So, I’ve decide to reevaluate my goals at the end of each month and see how they are working out for me. For now all I can do is try. Yeah, yeah I know what Yoda says, but I sort of like what Chester Bernard said, “To try and fail is at least to learn; to fail to try is to suffer the inestimable loss of what might have been.” So I’m going to keep trying and learning.

What about you? What are your goals for 2014? Writing a book? Winning the lottery? Getting the laundry done and folded at the same time? Let me know and I promise to send positive vibes your way!

HAPPY 2014!

Write on!