100 Books: October Update

I realized something really important this month:  I am happier when I am reading books.  I had another month of not very much reading, and this has led to way too much time staring glassy-eyed at the Internet.  No more!  I didn't read that much because I was trying to get work done, but I still wasted the same amount of time.  I just did less worthwhile things with that time, and I baked too much, meaning my weight loss has stalled at 10 pounds.

I am writing this at the library right now, and I have a stack of 5 memoirs and a biography sitting on the desk (yep, a desk-- the only free space was in the teen area.  I am the only person not doing homework) in front of me, and I have a novel on hold by the check out desk (not the new Bridget Jones. I am number 169 on the list for that, damnit).  So that's 7.  Plus I still have 3 brand new novels at home:  Dr. Sleep and another whose name escapes me and the other book by the person who wrote Night Film.  So that's 10!  I have no excuses!  November will be an awesome month of reading.  And blogging EVERYDAY.  Woo-hoo!

Stuff I read in October:

First of all, I read Amy's new book Over My Dead Potty which is as clever as its title the whole way through.  And a better question is why haven't YOU read her book??  Seriously.  Buy it-- it is hilarious, of course.

And here's the rest of my October list:

6.  The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp:  A big fat MEH on this for me.  He is just totally not my style.

5. Raising Boys with ADHD by Mary Ann Richey and James W. Forgan:  No one has ADHD, but we have had Harry checked out.  After reading this book, though, I think his concentration issues and constant talking are NO BIG DEAL.  So in that regard, this book was great.  It also had a fascinating chapter on how parents can work with teachers to make classroom structures better, something we may need to do in the educational future.

4.  Bobcat and Other Stories by Rebecca Lee: This short story collection is acclaimed, but it just didn't really do it for me.  It was a pleasant read, but at the end of the month, nothing stuck with me.

3.  The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers by Meg Meeker:  You would NOT know by reading this book that she is hyper conservative and friends with James Dobson.  I did not know that until I liked her on Facebook. Now I cringe when her pithy updates and e-cards and links to the kind of articles that make my eyes bleed pop up in my feed.  But still, I am mystified. I really need to stop browsing the parenting section in the kids' department while Jack plays on the computer, but of all the shitty parenting tomes I read this month, Meeker's was the best.  It really made me slow down and appreciate these adorable little munchkins of mine.

2.  The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster:  I am a Jen Lancaster fan, so you know I loved this book. And plus also this year has taught me that I am a sucker for the memoir genre.  I think it's because I love confessional narrative poetry so damn much but am not smart enough to "get" it on a regular basis.

1.  Night Film by Marisha Pessl:  Holy shit this book scared me.  I LOVED IT!  You should read it.  In the daytime. 

This month I broke 100 books.  My total is 105.  I think that's also why my reading has tapered off-- I like to meet goals early, but I am not a big fan of pushing myself to blow them out of the water.  Like when I finished my dissertation.  it;s not like I used the weeks to spare before my defense making it better.  I mostly just ate a lot and watched TV.  And I haven't opened it again in the intervening 4 years while all my friends have published books.  Shit.  Depressing analogy.