Book 'em, Danno

Thanks to blogging and blog-reading, I've become lax about reading books. This might not be so much of an issue if I weren't a compulsive book-buyer. (My daughter howled with laughter the first year that Amazon sent me a coffee mug for Christmas. She called it the $3000 coffee cup.)

To make matters worse, I joined Audible.com a few years ago convinced that I'd listen to books in the car, or while 'power walking'. I neither listened nor walked.

I've turned over a new leaf. (har har) I am currently reading one physical book and listening to two. The first one I'm listening to is:



It's the story of the 12 days following the Lincoln assassination and it is fascinating! It reads much more like a novel than an historical account. Lucas is really enjoying it as well. (The iPod is great for book-listening, as it bookmarks the place where you stop, so you can go from one book to another, or to music, without ever losing your place. I have an mp3 jack in the car, so we listen there.)

When I'm not with Lucas, or have dragged my ass out 'power walking', I'm listening to:



I love Anne Tyler, but I'm hoping this one will pick up soon. The tale of two families in Baltimore (of course) who have adopted baby girls from Korea, it's an interesting premise but she is getting mired in the excrutiating details for the first 3 chapters. The only disadvantage to listening is that you can't 'skim'. If it doesn't start moving soon, I'm switching the "Marley and Me" (in my sidebar).

The physical book I'm reading is:



Possible Side Effects, by Augusten Burroughs. I loved "Running wth Scissors", and am enjoying this collection of essays about his adult life. This book is incredibly inspiring to me, because it's exactly the kind of book I want to write. A blog, bound. Funny, sad, poignant, snarky... he's my hero.

And while I'm plugging, my dear friend Joy Masoff has published another terrific kids' book.



It's an adorable, interactive board book for pre-schoolers. (Amazon says ages 9-12, but that's a boo-boo!!!)

(She's also the author of "Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty", and the upcoming "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest Moments"):



What are you reading?