Finally! A Friday Feature

 For weeks, I've been wanting to write a "what I'm reading now" post, but I couldn't seem to get started. I am, as usual, reading (and listening to) multiple books in multiple genres, and I didn't know where to begin. 

Then, the other day, it occurred to me. A picture is worth 1000 words (which is way longer than a blog post). 

So I took a picture. It doesn't encompass everything I'm reading (it's tough to take a picture of an e-book or audiobook), or even all the physical books I'm digging into. No magazines are represented here. 

But it's a start. And, it's fair to say that these four books make the short list of the ones I most look forward picking up when I have time to read. 

Michelle Obama's The Light We Carry is one I'm both reading and listening to. I so enjoyed hearing the former First Lady tell me her story (courtesy of Audible) in her memoir, Becoming, that I ordered this one on Audible as soon as it came out. Then, my husband got me the book for Christmas. 

Like her memoir, this book has a lot of the author in it. So much, in fact, that I sometimes feel as though I'm hearing the same stories from a different angle, which means I'm enjoying it a little less. I'm only about 50 pages in but, so far, I'd describe it as memoir meets self-help with a sprinkling of social justice. I'm not sure I'm the intended audience for this book, but I like the author and the vibe enough that I will finish it.

 

Quit is not a book I chose for myself; it came in my Next Big Idea Club big blue box. It captured me pretty quickly, though, and I'm enjoying reading this counterpoint to "never give up!" or, perhaps, "nevertheless, she persisted." Spoiler alert: Annie Duke's book is about those times when she (or he) should not have persisted, and how to know that this is one of those times. 

The top two are my morning reads. I've been savoring the top book (Calm for Every Day) since last summer and I recently purchased the green book, One Question a Day for Self-Care, as its companion. I love them both, unequivocally. Neither is the type of book you read cover-to-cover (in fact, the green one isn't meant for reading at all), but both are lovely for spending a few quality moments in thought. As someone who has tried journaling but never seems to be able to stick to it, One Question a Day for Self-Care, is a perfect fit. The questions are simple and take only a few minutes to answer, which is perfect for mornings that don't lend themselves to quiet contemplation. (Can anyone else identify?) And, there's space for three years' worth of responses (and more space below that could be pressed into service), so if I finally succeed in getting into the habit of daily responses (as close as I am likely to get to journaling), I don't need to buy a new book every year. 

Genius.

There's more on my bookshelf, and several more books I'm nibbling on. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, what are you reading?