be a bookworm

doesn't it just seem like a good idea? after the holidays, the weather is still cold (and in our case here in nc, rainy) but the schedule has slowed down...and it seems like such a great time of year to curl up and be cozy with a good book.

i recently removed all rules from reading for myself. i used to read because a book would enhance my knowledge of a subject or because a book was popular, publicized, or on oprah's reading list. (how dumb do i sound?) needless to say, the number of books i actually ended up finishing was astoundingly small. "the world is flat", by thomas l. friedman literally sat on my shelf for like two years and i never got past the first fifty pages. sure, i was a business major and the topic was relevant, but frankly, it was boring and i just didn't care. now, if i want to read a book, i read it, and if i don't, i don't. there are enough rules and "have to's" in life, and reading shouldn't be included in that list. since i've changed my approach to reading, i have read an astoundingly large amount of books (which, embarrassingly enough, outnumber those that i've read in probably the last five years).

that said, this past weekend, aside from a workout and a trip to starbucks, i did very little besides read. this wasn't really the plan, actually, but after cracking open "angels and demons" by dan brown, i literally couldn't put it down. i don't think i've ever been so addicted to a book before! i read through all hours of the night, heart pounding, turning pages as fast as i could read them, and was so thrilled that mr. brown managed to make such a surprising twist ending. sure, the main character (who is a harvard scholar) had some unbelievable james-bondish moments in which he survived several highly unlikely situations, but what's an adventure book without some unrealistic moments? it was such a fun read and i highly recommend it!

while we're at it, here are a couple more i've recently really enjoyed:

1. "ferris beach" by jill mccorkle

(kind of a downer of a story but still really interesting and enjoyable. i love mccorkle's writing style and interestingly, she teaches writing at unc-chapel hill!)

2. "jane eyre" by charlotte bronte

(a classic, but much more exciting than wuthering heights ever was - and beautifully written! loved it.)

3. "the devil wears prada" by lauren weisberger

(hilarious and much better than the movie.)

4. "holes" by louis sachar

(yes, technically this is a book for twelve year olds, but the story is brilliant and so entertaining. a quick read that is extremely satisfying.)

5. "a walk in the woods" by bill bryson

(bryson is so funny and remarkably interesting.)

i encourage you to pick up a book you actually want to read, find someplace comfy and dig in! (and despite what the picture above says, when you need a break, you should still read my blog!)

images: 1.weheartit.com 2.hagebutton.livejournal.com