I owe my love of reading to Harry Potter. It's true. When I was 11 years old, my mom bought the first two books in the series through the book fair at my elementary school. I didn't want them, to be honest, but she lovingly forced them on me and I'm eternally grateful. Since reading The Sorcerer's Stone, I've been devouring books at a slow and steady pace (I am not, nor have I ever been a fast reader). Ironically, my mom later grounded me from my books (Harry Potter was to blame again--Goblet of Fire, I believe). Apparently one hour a day is not too much to ask for your child to do chores, but back then it seemed like the end of the world.
My genre choices have changed since then. I am really not a huge fan of Fantasy, although I do occasionally read one. The genres that I choose from, more often than not, are Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers. They catch me, to put it simply. At this point in my life, my reading is done while I am also doing something else. My free time is limited so much that I rely on audio books for my literary devouring now. I happen to really enjoy audio books so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I also blame the fact that picking up a book and reading before bed makes me drowsy and I rarely get through more than 10 pages before falling asleep. Long story short, the author has to catch me or they lose me pretty quick, to either whatever work project I'm charging through or to my drooping eyelids. Other genres I enjoy would include literary fiction, historical fiction, and occasionally young adult and nonfiction.
Favorite books from 2019:
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand
Currently reading:
The Lost Man by Jane Harper (almost done--high recommend the audio!)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (Romance...not my fav)
Looking forward to reading:
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harroe
What are you currently reading or looking forward to reading?
Hi Carmen! <3 Harry Potter. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading Mary Higgins Clark's newest title and just nabbed Robyn Carr's The Country Guesthouse.
As much as I'd like to have 15 titles lined up for my joy, 4 kids hold me back from trying out all the new authors. Someday. :)
Grounded you from your books! That's just cruel! Although it's way too late to be helpful, patrons at work often tell me that they listen to audiobooks while they do chores- and since you love audiobooks now, maybe you can win an old argument :)
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed Harry Potter but have trouble with other fantasy books. Like Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers, Harry Potter is so good at getting you to keep turning pages- it seems more like an adrenaline genre but with a fantasy hat on (maybe Adventure specifically?).
I just got The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen for the Gentle Reads section- I've been wanting to read one of her books for years but never got around to it so I'm really excited. I'm still looking for a good title for the Mystery section, though, so if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear it (especially since you've got Death on the Nile coming up- is it any good?).
Hi Susan!
DeleteThat's a brilliant idea, especially since I've since gotten my mother hooked on audios :)
I would definitely suggest "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Magpie Murders" if you're interested in a classic Agatha Christie or something along her style! Anthony Horowitz is a great writer and even has a Sherlock-ish detective series where he, the author, is actually written into the story and helps this detective solve crimes. It's very clever :) I haven't started "Death on the Nile" yet but I'm definitely looking forward to it!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi, Carmen! I see you have an Agatha Christie book on your to-read list. I've never read an Agatha Christie, but a coworker who is a huge fan has talked me into rectifying that. If you've read others, do you have a recommendation?
DeleteAlso, I was working as an elementary school media specialist when the first Harry Potter book came out and had the opportunity to introduce it to a bunch of kids before we knew it would be so huge. Your post about HP definitely put a smile on my face!
Hi Julie!
DeleteI would recommend "Murder on the Orient Express!" It's a great whodunnit mystery and has a very surprising twist. I would suggest reading the book before you see the Kenneth Branagh movie because it'll spoil the book a bit :)
Hi Carmen!
ReplyDeleteI liked your story about Harry Potter. Shockingly, I actually have never read the Harry Potter books. I do feel it's a bit blasphemous though since I have ready nearly every other popular YA book-movie adaptation. Yet, even though I never read Harry Potter, I read a lot when I was younger and I also used to think doing a little bit of chores was the end of the world.
Currently, I am reading the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. It's a YA fantasy series which is different from your preferred genres. But I am reading them as audiobooks since I am also quite busy. The narrator, Will Patton, does such a great job that this series is quickly becoming my favorite I have listened to.
Hi Rachel!
DeleteMaggie Stiefvater seems like such a cool person! I've actually followed her for awhile, despite the fact that I've never read her books. They sound like they would be right up my alley. Thanks for the recommendation!
If you ever decide to give HP a try, go for the audios! Jim Dale is excellent. He narrates all seven books!
Nice to meet you, Carmen! The background of your blog is making me thirsty. I'm with you on falling asleep if I leave all of my fun reading for right before bed. However, it's not the worst way to slowly get your body ready to sleep, and maybe you're setting yourself up for some cool dreams! I haven't been able to fully explore the audiobook trend. Whenever I think I might try, I just get hooked on another podcast, instead. What are some of your favorite audiobooks?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteI've actually heard reading before bed is supposed to help you sleep better, so maybe I need to just let it happen :)
I have SO many favorites but I'll give you just a few: Harry Potter series (Jim Dale is amazing!), The Martian by Andy Weir, Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (he does a couple Sherlock Holmes books that are good as well!), The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (this is the first in a series called Lady Janies. The second book, My Plain Jane is excellent as well!)
Carmen,
ReplyDeleteWith all my commuting I have become a firm believer in audiobooks as well- and I tend to listen to them as I do the dishes- so there's chore maintenance for you! It's funny though because with my theatre background I will DNF an audiobook with a mediocre reader. I audiobooked Daisy Jones and the Six just about a month ago and it was very well done with so many different voice actors. I just finished Normal People by Sally Rooney on audio and am currently listening to Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield- both are lovely. If you are feeling nostalgic and have not ever listened to the Harry Potter audiobooks I can attest they are great.
I love the HP series on audio! They were the first audios I'd tried and I never went back :) I also agree, Daisy Jones and the Six was very well done. I really enjoy audiobooks that have multiple readers. It adds to the experience :)
DeleteHarry Potter is an all-time favorite for me and was definitely a huge contributor to my love of reading as well! Attending those midnight release parties at Barnes & Noble are seriously some of my favorite childhood memories. However, similarly to you, I didn't really become a fan of the Fantasy genre more generally after that. Also, seeing The Toll by Neal Shusterman on your list of books you're looking forward to reading reminded me that I want to read that series too! I don't read many YA books, but that series is one I think I would really enjoy, especially since Neal Shusterman wrote one of my other childhood favorites, The Downsiders.
ReplyDeleteThe Harry Potter books were some of the first books I remember reading as well, as I actually had some trouble reading up until 1st grade. Then it was like a switch flipped and I read Holes by Louis Sachar probably 7 or 8 times and started reading Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read My Plain Jane, but I was considering it. I did however read another book by that author called My Lady Jane, which I enjoyed but found the plot to be a little bit predictable halfway through. I should give that one a try. Perhaps I avoided it because I had one English class in college where the professor linked everything back to Jane Eyre :P
LOL I can understand why you'd want to avoid My Plain Jane. I really enjoy that series but I agree, the plot was a bit predictable. I appreciate anyone who can remake an already known fairytale and give it a unique twist :)Definitely give the second book a try! They're great on audio as well!
DeleteI'm also a huge Potterhead and I was constantly grounded from reading as a kid :) Great reading profile! I rely a lot on audiobooks too. It's such a time saver!
ReplyDeleteLOL I'm glad I'm not the only one!
DeleteI'm SO excited to see so many audio lovers in this class!
I found Jane Harper last year and have really enjoyed all of her books! I just had a friend tell me about Daisy Jones and the Six so I need to add that to my list! A few of the books I have enjoyed this last year are: Night Circus, The Life she was Given, Sold on a Monday, Before we were Yours, Strange the Dreamer, Little Fires Everywhere, The Child and I always enjoy Mary Higgins Clark and Danielle Steel. You might really like Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.
ReplyDelete