I didn’t read nearly as many “adult” books as I had planned to in 2017. In fact, I didn’t even come close. It wasn’t that my goal was particularly high, it was simply that I wasn’t as motivated to read books for myself. Bedtime Story Time books were pretty much all I could muster the energy for.
This year, to get my own reading back on track, I decided to do something different: join a reading challenge. After looking at several options, I joined the challenge sponsored by Modern Mrs. Darcy.For the month of January, I chose to read a book in the ninth category, a book recommended by a librarian or indie bookseller, in my case the latter. Although, it wasn’t recommended by a PARTICULAR Indie bookseller personally known to me, I figure it still fits the bill, because I discovered it on www.indiebound.org, an online community of independent and local bookstores. The book: Jeanette Winterson’s Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days.
Stock photo of the cover of Christmas Days as found on http://www.indiebound.org.
In the weeks before Christmas I was looking for a few recently-published Christmas-inspired books to include in some of my family gifts. As usual I started my search at Indiebound, formerly Book Sense, which has been my go to for recently-published books for over a decade. Of course, I found more than a few that fit the criteria, including Twelve Days, which I purchased for myself.
As I’m still reading Twelve Days, I’ll simply refer you here to the information, the book’s description and the National Public Radio author interview, that lured me into personal purchase during the season of gifts, rather than writing a half-read review. But I will share that it was mostly the recipes and the author’s remembrances surrounding them that made me want to read, because as is probably evident, I’m a sucker for meal-bound memoirs, my own and others.
To end, I’ll simply say, if you are looking for a reading challenge that isn’t limited to a particular genre, that doesn’t dictate what you read, or that isn’t based on silly criteria like the color of the binding, then check out Mrs. Darcy’s reading challenge. AND, if you aren’t familiar with Indiebound, I sincerely recommend that you spend some time perusing their January 2018 Indie Next List recommendations and their archived lists dating back to July 2008, and if you can shop independent. AND, if you would like to share what you are currently reading, then I would love to hear it, because I am always looking for the Next great read.
Leona & Alexander 