• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure Policy

Creating This Life

  • House & Home
  • Books & Reading
  • Travel & KC
  • Life
  • Shop
Books & Reading

A Bookish Resolution

Books & Reading March 8, 2019

I almost never make New Year’s resolutions, and I keep them even less, but this year a resolution found me and grabbed hold: to read more.

The reason this idea resonated with me is that I’ve always considered myself a reader, but lately have found myself reading less and less, and I missed it. It didn’t take much to figure out that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were the problem with my reading life. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how scrolling through social media can eat up your time, and it turns out that for me my reading time was what was lost.

Even when social media led to reading of some kind (blog posts, online articles) it wasn’t the same as finishing a book and I missed reading books. Once I realized that, a resolution was made.

At first, my goal was to read three books a month during 2019: my book club books plus a few others. Now that we’re a couple of months in that seems a bit ambitious. Last night I finished my fifth book of the year, so I’m thinking 24-30 books might be more like it.

For a while now I’ve been keeping track of the books I read on Pinterest. To help with my new resolution I started a Pinterest board just for books I read this year, and I find it so, so satisfying to add a pin to the board when I’m done with a book. (You can see my 2019 board here. I also have boards for books to read, bookstores and libraries, living with books (great eye candy), and other bookish stuff.)

Last week my longstanding book club (that’s our latest group photo above) chose the books we would read for the year. We do this once a year so we can read ahead, get on waiting lists at the library, etc. Here is our list in case anyone is interested:

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

When All is Said by Anne Griffin

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (This seems to be on everyone’s list.)

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien

Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (My pick.)

Educated by Tara Westover (I just finished this one. Wow.)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Dry by Jane Harper

Have you read any of these? What else are you reading?

P.S. Playing with books and a to-read shelf.

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit.

hello!

I'm Julie. Lover of houses and books.

More about me

Get updates!

Comments

  1. Janet Arden says

    March 9, 2019 at 11:48 am

    I loved this post! I, too, think of myself as a “reader,” and belong to more than one book group. But I have also found myself dawdling over blog reading or IG when I coals just be reading. (And can I say that I really like to read actual books. Many friends and my kids are Kindle readers, but it just doesn’t give me the same satisfaction. I loved your comment about Educated. What a powerful book. I really enjoyed The Lilac Girls. We just read House of Broken Angels (really good) and Eleanor Elephant is Just Fine (meatier than I expected). Right now I’m reading Bel Canto, it’s been around for awhile, but I never got to it. Clearly, this winter weather and my cabin fever have been good for reading!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      March 9, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Janet, Bel Canto has been on my radar for a while. You’ll have to let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  2. Nancy says

    March 10, 2019 at 7:38 pm

    Loved Lilac Girls

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 11, 2019 at 1:34 pm

      So good to know, Nancy. I’m looking forward to reading it!

      Reply
  3. Eileen says

    March 11, 2019 at 8:05 am

    Great post! I’ve been keeping my list for a the last few years (just on paper) but I like the idea of the graphical representation! Since I’ve been keeping a list, I’ve increased my reading. I think I hit 31 last year. I am also guilty of sitting down to read and wasting time on my phone too!

    In the summer (out book club doesn’t meet in summer), I made a list of the books I wanted to read (wide variety and mostly books I owned but had not read) as my own little challenge. I plan to do that again this summer.

    I LOVED Where the Crawdads Sing!!! I can’t wait for my bookclub to read it. Our library system has “book club kits” of books and our group really tries to use books from the kits so we’re not all buying books, so I don’t know how long before they put together the Crawdads kit.

    Educated was definitely WOW.

    Does your bookclub always meet around the table? That looks so cozy and fun. We normally meet in the living room, but depending on how many attend next time I host, I think we’ll do the table!

    Reply
    • Eileen says

      March 11, 2019 at 8:30 am

      Oh and another good/fun/easy read was Rush by Lisa Patton. It’s modern day setting of Sorority Rush at Ole Miss. Kind of reminiscent of The Help.

      Reply
    • Julie says

      March 11, 2019 at 9:42 am

      Eileen, such a great point about how just the act of keeping a list has increased your reading. Love that.

      Yes, we almost always meet around a table…usually because we’re eating. lol. But I do like it.

      Reply
  4. Nancee says

    March 12, 2019 at 6:37 pm

    The Story of Arthur Truluv was a nice book but nothing that outstanding I didn’t think. Lilac Girls had a slow start, but then really grabbed me and turned out to be a great read. Try Elinor Oliphant is Just Fine-excellent, funny, kept my attention.
    Sold on Monday is another great read-has many twists.
    The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is what I am reading now, and it is excellent-by Robert Dugoni. I highly recommend it!!! It might resonate with several in your group, as the main character’s mother is a devout Catholic and much of the story is interwoven about her faith and how it affects his life.
    Code Girls was a good read, but I also found it repetitious.
    Have a good time reading!!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      March 16, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      Nancee, thanks so much for the recommendations. They sound great! Going to look some of them up now.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I'm Julie. Lover of houses and books.

more about me

Receive future posts by email

Pinterest

Privacy Policy

Disclosure Policy

Instagram

Signs of Spring on our trip to London, six years a Signs of Spring on our trip to London, six years ago this month.
@emilyaclark asked what is the best thing you’ve @emilyaclark asked what is the best thing you’ve found for your home through thrifting. Sharing a few of my favorites here. #decoratingwitheac  1. Blue and white jars. 2. Chair and basket. 3. Custom #toilepillows. 4. #Pinehutch. 5. Most of the dishes in the pine hutch. 6. #barleytwist candlesticks. 7. Chest and lamp
Last year’s Valentine’s Day flowers. Droopy #t Last year’s Valentine’s Day flowers. Droopy #tulips are the best tulips. 🌹
Every year about this time @annebogel asks her blo Every year about this time @annebogel asks her blog readers what’s saving their lives right now. My answers (both big and small) are in today’s blog post. A lInk to the blog is in my bio or visit creatingthislife.com. What’s saving your life right now?
Sharing how our bedroom at the lake is coming toge Sharing how our bedroom at the lake is coming together on the blog today. Link is in my bio or visit creatingthislife.com for the details.
I treated myself to a set of these bamboo melamine I treated myself to a set of these bamboo melamine (shatterproof) plates from @ballarddesigns and they are so beautiful! Pretty enough to use inside but I can’t wait until the weather warms up enough to set a table with these on the patio.
On a whim yesterday I made a trip to Home Goods fo On a whim yesterday I made a trip to Home Goods for some retail therapy and came home with some fun, little (nothing more than $17) finds. I’m sharing my trip on the blog today. Link is in my bio.
New on the blog today: my favorite books of 2020. New on the blog today: my favorite books of 2020. Link to the blog is in my bio. Did you have any favorites this year? I’d love to hear about them.
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 Creating This Life · Site by Moonsteam Design