The Books: January Wrap-Up

Alright, let's talk about a quiet goal I started with this year: read more.

It's so simple right? And for an absolute book-nerd like me, it should be easy enough.

I decided that I was going to try to read one book a month, but at the very least, I was going to read six books this year. And y'all? There was a time when I read six books in a month. And I miss that. I miss the constant immersion in a story. (I mean, Shondaland is nice and all, but waiting every week - ahem - months to see what happens on Scandal? Ya girl needs more.)

Frankly, I also have a ton of books on my to-read list, and ton of books that I have accumulated that I still need to read.

So, off I went.

And so far so good!

Here we are, January 31st, and I have nearly finished Chip and Joanna Gaines' The Magnolia Story. By which I mean I'll likely finish it tonight. Not done yet, but you know, death happened, and Scandal happened, and Greys happened, so yeah, the book took a back seat this week.

I also tried Audible for the first time this month - huge. fan. I plowed through Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone in less than three days.

Then, I downloaded Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. Let me say this, if no cheesy Audible commercials have convinced you to try it yet, let either of these books do the job.

If you don't know, Trevor Noah is the current host of the Daily Show, and yes, South African. While his accent is a great addition to the story, it's his knack for language (of which he speaks eight,) and his perfect comedic timing that just make this audiobook so worth it. Seriously. I'll be recommending this book all year - but the audio version is going to give you a 100% better experience.

Side note: I don't read many autobiographies, so the fact that I have loved this one so much, and made it about half way through in less than a week, that says a lot. I've also learned a lot about the intricacies of South African apartheid culture - which I am loving. 

And I don't think you need an argument for immersing yourself into the world of Harry Potter at all - let alone via audiobook. But if you haven't reread in a while, get to it.

Next on the list?

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit (a classic, which I started rereading just after her passing last year.)
The Ship of Brides, Jojo Moyes (I've ranted and raved about how wildly I love her books before, I assume this will be no different.)