May 2024 Reading Wrap Up
At the start of May, my life was in total disarray just trying to stay on top of everything that was getting thrown my way. I drove back and forth from Los Angeles one last time, packed up my whole apartment and took my finals, and plunged right back into work. I'm not sure if I'll ever feel fully rested again, but I'm hoping that one day life will have a normal rhythm again. Needless to say, I read one book for the first two weeks of the month. Luckily, though, in the last two weeks, I've settled in a bit better and have gotten the itch to read (and write!) again. Last Thursday, I went to the library and picked up 13 books to give myself tons of options for the next 3 weeks. I managed to read my first library book in 5 days, which felt like an accomplishment for how little time I've had to read lately. But ever since I went to the library, I've been intentionally making time to have reading in my life and truly enjoy it. That feels like a good standard to set heading into June. I'm so excited to have my library back!
stats
Like I said, I don't have a huge amount to report this month since I didn't get to spend as much time reading as I'd like. I'm finding new routines at home and with work, and I'm just now starting to find the little pockets of time I can devote to reading. But the end of school was probably the end of my blockbuster reading era, at least until fall shoulder season rolls around.
I read 5 books total. 3 were fiction books I either read on my Kindle or in print from the library. And 2 were nonfiction audiobooks I listened to. A lot of this lower total comes down to not listening to audiobooks the same way that I was. Instead, I've been really into podcasts and catching up on those. I think that I probably won't read many nonfiction audiobooks in the next few months, but we'll see. Considering that tends to be half my reading for the month, that will definitely slow my progress. But that's okay! I highly recommend The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast. I've been listening to it almost constantly in the last few weeks because they have a massive back catalog.
All in all, I honestly read more than I expected based on the start of the month, and, more importantly, I really enjoyed the books I read.
fiction
This brand new book got me with the sharp voice and compelling look at an icy writer.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Emily Henry always gets me in a summer mood.
I'm trying to read books from the LATFOB authors I discovered recently.
nonfiction
Disconnected by Emma Gannon
This is a super short read that's the best of Gannon's work I've read yet.
Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey
A collection of short essays on different writers' and artists' processes.
what I'm currently reading
I've switched through a couple library books in the last few days trying to figure out what fits my mood right now, and I've circled back to a book I started earlier this month and then set aside–The Vacationers by Emma Straub. This is one I've had on my list since I worked at a bookstore in 2019, and I'm trying to catch all the summer vibes while it's still stormy (and sometimes snowy) where I'm at. But I also just started re-reading Normal People so who knows.
what's next
Hopefully getting through this stack of library books! Beyond that, I'm not making many plans when it comes to reading. I have just gotten sent many books from various publishers, so that's definitely helping my excitement level. I just hope that I'll continue to find little windows to keep reading my book. I'm also hoping that I'll find the courage to jump head first into the brand new novel idea that I'm playing with as a writer. I haven't had an idea for a novel in a while, so it's a bit intimidating to get started again.
in case you missed it
I didn't get a ton published on the blog this month through all the chaos, but there are a few new posts worth checking out:
Comments
Post a Comment