One thing that hasn’t changed while the world has been swirling this spring is my love for books. My husband gifted me an Audible subscription for Christmas and I have so enjoyed getting to pick out new books each month, not just with my credits, but they also have a list of Audible Originals that you can choose from for free each month too. I also use the Libby app in conjunction with my library card to borrow books digitally through the library system. Here are the books I’ve read in the past two months in somewhat chronological order. Let’s just jump right in to what I’m reading in quarantine.
Tell Me Lies
This Audible Original by J.P. Pomare is a psychological thriller. I think I’m the perfect audience for a mystery because while reading I always follow the line of the thought the author intends, and I’m always surprised in the end! It was very entertaining. One night I built a beautiful fire in our fire pit and sat outside and listened to the last two hours of the story. I think I will remember that fondly for years to come.
Where The Crawdads Sing
After waiting for six months for this bestseller from the library app, it took me a while to warm up to it. And wouldn’t you know, just as it was really getting interesting, my 14 days of reading were up and I had to place a new hold! So I haven’t finished it yet, and won’t be able to get it back as an audiobook through the app for another 15 weeks, but I plan to finish it eventually, hopefully we won’t still be reading in quarantine by the time I get it finished.
Second Skin
Another mystery story from the Audible Orignal collection, Second Skin by Christian White kept me captivated to the end. I enjoy listening to books while I drive, walk, cook, clean, and fold laundry. This gives me pockets throughout the day where I can read in quarantine while my body is busy with other tasks. I listened to a lot of this book through earbuds while working in the kitchen. Does anybody else feel like they’ve spent the majority of quarantine in their kitchen? It seems like I’m constantly cooking or cleaning up from cooking!
Esther
One of my favorite things that happened during shelter at home was that my friend, Beth Lawrence, did a daily Bible study on Facebook Live through the book of Esther. These daily videos gave me something to look forward to, and I learned some new insights from the book through the study. You can find the videos on her Facebook page. She is starting a new series on June 4th that will be once a week for six weeks titled “Taste & See: a study on the goodness of God”. Can’t wait!
Human Touch
This is a really interesting project by Mitch Albom for Audible. It is a fictional story about the coronavirus pandemic being told in real-time as it is published in weekly installments. At first, I wasn’t sure I could get through it because it felt too soon, but I couldn’t stay away from the storyline. I’m sure many more stories both factual and fictional will come out of this pandemic we find ourselves reading in.
How To Build Meaningful Relationships Through Conversation
This is another Audible Original from The Great Courses with Carol Ann Lloyd. I enjoy self-help books, and this one gave me new ideas to try out. One takeaway was instead of asking someone that you’re meeting for the first time, “What do you do?”, you can say, “What is your favorite thing about what you do?” Doesn’t the phrasing of that feel so much more interesting?
Smart Couples Finish Rich
This is a bestseller by David Bach, who has written several other bestselling books on the topic of personal finance. My husband and I have started a financial coaching business in this period where he’s been laid off from his manufacturing job due to COVID-19. I found this audiobook through the library app and thought it gave sound advice. One thing the book inspired me to do was to move our savings from a basic savings account to a money market account which will earn considerably more interest without changing the availability of our savings when we need it.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
This is the newest Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins. It’s a prequel to the original series, and every bit as exciting and thought-provoking. This has been my favorite to listen to in the evenings when I’m out walking for the BigHouse Hustle fundraiser. My goal is to finish the 65-mile Challenge by June 16th, and I’m well on the way!
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
This non-fiction book by Michelle Alexander is my latest read in quarantine. The title came to my attention in light of tragic events across the country, and the introduction alone is stunning. I was able to borrow the e-book through the library app right away, and although I usually prefer audiobooks, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get started on the text.
What have you been reading lately? I’m always looking for new things to add to my wish list!
Check out some of my other posts and add them to your wish list!
