I sorta told a half-truth yesterday. I said I hadn’t had time for reading. Well, that’s not really true, now that I think about it.
Reading is one of the few things I HAVE been doing these days – besides working and being the MomTaxi for the munchkins. I have been reading while they are at their activities and reading each night to unwind from my day. TV has been boring and I’m trying to stay far, far away from the kitchen and those late-night snacks that beckon from the pantry. Reading is something I usually do upstairs in my bedroom so I have been reading instead of watching TV, which, for me, used to involve a snack or two. Since I am trying to make healthier choices food-wise, snacking is not for me. Hence,more reading.
Ok, I think I beat that to death. sigh.
Here are the books I’ve enjoyed lately:
This was recommended on another blog (sorry, I can’t remember where) and I found a copy at the library and dove right in. It was very entertaining and great escapism.
The premise is that there is a whole world of wizardry, magic and witchcraft out there that exists in tandem with our “normal” world and the main character, Harry Dresden, is the world’s only wizard-for-hire. The story is a mystery/sci-fi/action novel all wrapped into one.
I found it a quick read and was only a little annoyed by the “Sam Spade” style of writing. Butcher is a little verbose in his writing and I found myself skimming paragraphs to get to the “good stuff.” But that is not unusual for me – especially if I like a story – I want to find out what happens next without reading all the scene setup.
I liked it well enough that I am now “reading” the second in the series: Fool Moon, on my iPod Touch. It is a great story to listen to as I do my daily walks. Harder to skip to the good stuff when you are walking, but great entertainment as I get my exercise.
This is the book I’m reading right now. It started out a little slow and I put it down twice before I picked it up the third time and kept right on reading. It’s getting better and I’m interested to see how the story plays out.
The story is set in Iceland (imagine that!) around 1000 A.D. and focuses on two main female characters. One is a goddess, Freya, and the other a human, Fulla. Freya’s story is a quest for a gold necklace which is supposed to save mankind and Fulla is a teenage girl on the cusp of her first love. Mixed in with all this is the tension of the “new religion” of Christianity and the “old ways” and the conflict that this causes.
I’ll let you know how I like it when I finish. I am finding, now, that I wish I knew more about Icelandic myth and their traditional faith – I think the story would be more enjoyable if I wasn’t spending so much time trying to figure out who was who as I read.
I also have this checked out from the library
and am planning to read it next.
What are you reading?
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 