Operation Book Worm

Brrr, you guys!  It is so freakin' cold here.  The wind is what's so brutal though -goodness.  But gosh have we gotten mad use out of our fireplace this season!  I *love* evenings at home with the burning fire and lit Christmas tree with all the gorgeous prezzies sparkling underneath.  As long as someone delivered groceries, I think I could stay at home in my PJ's for the entire month of December and be happy.

 

The poor hub had to fly out to Ohio today!  As if it's not cold enough here.  He'll be back tonight though - just a quick day trip (fingers crossed).  He is really loving his new job and I'm so proud of him!  I'm so glad that he feels like he found the right spot.  It was a very long and tough year for him (and us) being out of work, so we feel really, really blessed to finally be able to pick up some momentum with our financial goals.  More on financial to-do's later, but let's first discuss another big goal of mine... to read more!  Well, I haven't really quantified this goal yet for 2011, but I do know that lately I have had such a thirst for anything and everything on Christianity and the Bible.  The more I read and the more I dig into the Bible, the more I want to learn, learn, learn.  So I've got a lot of books from Christian authors on my Amazon wish list.  I'm currently finishing up "Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman, so I'll give a review on that soon.  But I also am interested in other non-fiction stuff, whether it be about business or money or whatnot.  And of course I love me some fiction too - duh!  But I think my true desire here is to pump up my brain.

 

So yeah, I love to read.  Which is funny because it's a love that I've only really discovered in adulthood.  I so was NOT the reader in school.  Cliff's Notes were my best friend and I did the bare minimum to get by with whatever assigned reading we had for English class, etc.  I don't know what makes someone dig reading... I know some people just physically can't get into it no matter how hard they try.  Like the hub - he loves learning and loves reading articles online or in magazines, but I don't know that he's ever gotten through an entire book.  To me though, especially when you're talking about fiction, there's just nothing like a good book.  As much as I love films and my favorite TV shows, you just can't beat a good read.  I think that's why readers are always left a little (or a lot) disappointed when their favorite books are adapted into movies.  It's just impossible to take the entire magic of a book and put it on a screen for 2 hours!

 

But as much as I love to read, I'm not so good at making time to read.  Thing is, I have a really hard time being at home doing nothing.  I love being at home - I think you know that.  But I'm always doing something.  Usually two or three things at once.  I can do other things while I watch TV.  But I can't multi-task while reading.  So reading - while I realize is doing *something* - falls into the doing-nothing category because I can't do something productive while I'm reading.  This is ridiculous, I know.  So to get around that, I do two crucial things.  First, I always keep my Kindle with me in my bag.  You never know when you're going to get stuck somewhere with a 30-minute wait.  So I love to have a library of books at the ready!  Second (and this may be TMI), I always keep a book in the bathroom.  Hey, it's either that or a trashy magazine.  You'd be amazed how fast you can get through a book just by keeping it next to the toilet paper!  Haha...

 

So I'm not really sure yet how many books I'm shooting for in 2011... maybe 20?  I'd be happy with at least one non-fiction book a month.  I'm super excited about this goal.  Oh and I don't really count this as part of my "books," but I downloaded The One Year Bible recently.  I guess that one would technically fall under the category of "New Year's Resolutions" - though I hate to call it that.  But seeing as the guided reading starts you on January 1, well...  But anyway, I am super excited about reading through it in the mornings.  I'm not going to beat myself up over it - it may take over a year to get through the whole thing, but I'm going to give it my best!  It's something I've wanted to do for a long time. 

 

Next on my book list is 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.  And I've got both of Jon Acuff's books headed my way, Stuff Christians Like, and his just released one, Gazelles, Baby Steps, and 37 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Debt.  My Amazon wish list is getting pretty long!  I'll of course give reviews of everything I get through.  So what recommendations do you guys have?  It doesn't have to be a Christian or non-fiction book (though I'd love your thoughts on some if you have any), but please share any must-read books that I need to consider!