About: Read this, not that!


Between games

As a mom raising four children, I often found myself with little pockets of time, on the sidelines between games, waiting in the van, waiting in the kitchen (standing up!) or waiting for the kids to get ready for school or sports. I filled that time by reading.

In 2016, After 20 years at home raising children, I traded my van for an economy sedan and started a new career path, first as a library assistant at a public library and three years later, as a reference librarian. At the library, I’m surrounded by books, but libraries are hopping places and we’re too busy to read while we work! I’m inspired by all the books I see and learn about at work, however, and I’m never low on books to read.

All-time favorite book!

My all-time favorite book will always be Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk. (Click here for my review of this great classic!)

I also love short fiction because of the forced economy of words and inevitable twists. I don’t like reading more than one book at a time, so I like squeezing in a short story when I’m reading something long.

I love the all-time classics. I don’t want to get lost in the past, however, so I’m always looking out for the next greatest book in today’s world. I especially enjoy reading young adult and historical fiction. Lately, I’ve been reading more mysteries and suspense novels. I really like seeing how writers develop plots and how they keep the reader interested. When I read non-fiction, I prefer books about history and biographies.

I often choose books that are already on my shelf. These books come and go, the result of a loose network of friends and family who trade and circulate whatever is on their own shelves. I also like borrowing books from the library, especially for my Kindle because it’s so convenient!

Follow this link to my Top 25 All-Time Favorites.
Here are some others on my list:

I try to see the best in everything I read. Just because I don’t like something, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I think it’s important to understand and respect the genre. See its purpose. If a book is written to entertain, embrace it for that. If it’s to escape, then expect fantasy, not reality.

My reviews have a lot of three-star ratings. Three stars means I liked the book. My pet peeve is to see an online review with thousands of five-star ratings. How can you distinguish the good books from the great books and ultimately from the best books ever written if everything gets five stars?

So if you can live with that system (click here for a detailed explanation), check out what I’ve read and leave a comment. Tell me what you’re reading!

Here’s a link to all my socials. I’d love to connect with you! https://linktr.ee/BookClubMom

I love my new Kindle, but I’m not totally paperless because I take lots of notes.

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!

110 thoughts on “About: Read this, not that!”

      1. I’m a big JCO fan so have read quite a few of hers. I haven’t read any others of Anne Patchett but am planning to read Run as part of my March Madness Challenge. I see it is on your bookshelf too. Is it good?

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  3. Well I read it awhile ago so I don’t remember the specifics but I do think I preferred Bel Canto. I’ve read of few of JCO’s books plus her recent memoir. She’s an excellent writer, bur her stories are kind of heavy so I have to be in the mood. I did recently pick up The Gtavedigger’s Daughter and I’m looking forward to reading it.

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  5. “You NEED to read this book,” she said,
    and may as well have slammed the damn book on my head —
    which did, of course, have the opposite effect
    and I neglected to turn e’en one of that book’s pages
    because my rage had clouded my better senses,
    and since that never really works for long,
    I realized that I could be wrong —
    picked up the book and opened to Page One.

    Like ordering at a café for someone, so, too, is shoving a book in someone’s face — like saying, “Here, this will fix what’s wrong with you.”

    Since you’re not doing that, I’ll pop in every so often. Thanks for grazing on my website as well.

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  10. I’ll be back. I like your straightforward, concise style, your enthusiasm when you feel it is merited, and, most important, our tastes meshed well for the books which I had read. Now I can check both the recommended reads from “The Week” and your reviews (and compare them ; )

    Thank you so much for the Follow on The Last Half!

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  12. I enjoy your reviewing style. Sifting through all the chaff to get to a great book must be exhausting. My memoir “Raven, For Love of Yukon Sled Dogs” by Elmer Watts, would not disappoint you. Thanks again for the great reviews.

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  18. Hi there, thanks so much for visiting my site. I’m looking forward to reading more of yours. I’m a big book fan too, so hope to get some recommendations!

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  20. Thanks for the follow, I like your blog because I prefer reading, too everyday… sometimes three simultaneuos readings (blog, books and ebooks) Gosh! I really need to summarize every time I ended one reading material else I will lose its lessons. I read more non-fictions, fictions gets dusty in my shelf and is good only for my entertainment reading hours. I think I will look around here for more book ideas… and I like your three stars, it’s a unique way of rating books, very direct, at a glance we’ll know if the book is good to read or not.

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    1. Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment! I’ll have to check out your non fiction because I am trying to branch out. I much prefer fiction but I don’t want to get in a rut! I started all this because I have always felt the need to discuss or share what I’ve read. I tried to find you on Facebook, but I couldn’t. If you like my Book Club Mom fb page, I’ll like yours back!

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  22. Pingback: The Liebster Award!! | Honeybear Books

  25. I read such a wide variety of works that it’s always hard when people ask what I like. I read mystery, fantasy, romance, young adult, historical fiction and so on. An author I’ve only recently discovered (I’m late to the party, for he’s been around a while) is Paulo Coelho. I just finished Eleven Minutes and loved it.

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  29. Really enjoy your reviews and look forward to finding them in my Inbox. Your peeves are also mine. As an author I want honest reviews, not praise I haven’t earned, and I can’t stand reviews that don’t tell me enough about the book to determine if I’d like it.

    I just finished a book that knocked my socks off – “The Bees,” by Laline Paull. I bought it on a whim and was thoroughly engrossed from page one. Who knew anyone could get inside the minds of bees? The characters were complex and engrossing, the social structure and hierarchies fascinating, and the devotion of the bees to their Queen (source of life and love) surprisingly touching and believable. There was also lots of excitement due to factions, enemies and humans who wreck havoc on the hive. Of course it offers wonderful insights into the human mind as well. Can’t recommend it enough.

    If you are curious about CritterKin (my series) and The Not Perfect Hat Club, I’d be honored to have you visit and read: http://www.notperfecthatclub.com

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  31. You chose some great books – ones I often used when I taught high school in my former life 🙂

    And in regards to your rating system- I appreciate your comments. I never really thought about it like that (3,4,5 stars…) – so thank you for a new perspective!

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  34. I’m hooked! I would rather read than almost anything else. So glad to find a source for new reads and a comrade to share with. I love, love, love historical fiction and YA. I also read lots of mysteries and occasionally delve into the weird world of fantasy and science fiction. I’m currently reading “The Martian” by Andy Weir. Excellent so far. Just finished “The Lake House” Also very good. A co-worker recommend “All the Light..” So that is on my list. Glad to hear you find it worth while. Have you read “Dead Wake”? If not, I think you may like it.

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  35. Hi, thanks for the follow and I hope you enjoy the photos. I work full time, and my blog takes a large chunk of time…..so my reading time is virtually nil, apart from non fiction, i.e. books on castles churches and history. But I do follow a few book related blogs, as I like to keep a list for when I am on holiday….. so I will watch with interest and its nice to met you:)

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  36. The Grapes of Wrath is one of my top books of all time, I’ve read it three times. All The Light We Cannot see was one of my favourite reads in 2015. It ticks all the boxes for me! I enjoy your site very much.

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  37. I’m intrigued that you can borrow books for the Kindle from the library. I didn’t know that was possible. I can’t imagine how it works. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks.

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  44. I´m also a huge lover of libraries and am ever so grateful that my local one provides me with endless new books – I read so much I could never afford to buy them all! 😀 Thank you for visiting my blog and I look very much forward to read more from yours! Sarah 🙂

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