“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it”…P.J. O’Rourke

Before I was a compulsive hobbyist, I was a compulsive reader.  At any given time, I have three or more books in progress.  It’s just how I roll.  There have been many times in my life where a book took precedence over just about everything. Have you experienced that wonderful inability to make yourself stop reading?

Today, I thought I’d share what I’m reading now…

We are all about literature for young readers at my house.  Sure, sure, it’s because we have a ten year old, but it’s also because Phil and I love adventures!

I recently watched several episodes of the BBC series Merlin, and it stimulated memories of Mary Stewart’s classic Merlin trilogy. I loved these books when I first read them, and Whitney’s looking for her next “series”, so I decided to read them again.

I just finished The Crystal Cave and started The Hollow Hills.  They’re wonderful, but not at all as I remembered.  I’m not sure that Whitney is ready for them, because you know, lots of sex and adult themes  (predictably).  Oddly, I didn’t remember that at all.  You really do get something different out of a story every time you read it.  It also might have something to do with the fact that it’s probably been 25 years or so since I read them the first time.

On the non-fiction end I’m reading on a few different subjects…

In Greg’s Garden, a Pineywood Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family by Greg Grant is a collection of essays by a well-known Texas horticulturist. The essays are knowledgeable and folksy and it’s a great guide for “native” plant species.

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau –  In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he chose to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies.

Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide by Diana Rupp-I’m actually taking Diana’s sewing class on Craftsy and the book was “strongly encouraged” for the class.  It’s a good well-balanced overview/tutorial for sewing, however, and has been beneficial for my sewing “do over”.

What are you reading this week?   What’s books are on your reading “wish list”?