Did you see O Magazine this month? You know the one with the 20 Questions Every Woman Should Ask Herself Today! feature. Well, I got to Question 5 What Do You Really Want To Do All Day? and I couldn’t help but grill my mom who has been staying with me for a few days about my second grade pastime. Maureen Taylor, career coach and O Magazine Question 5 responder, says you, I, (we) have probably known the answer to this question since elementary school.
So I asked my mom how I spent my time and she confirmed and affirmed the facts – I was a bookworm with a big imagination who liked to play. Now she didn’t sum it up quite that succinctly but I pieced together the “you always had a book in your hand ……long pause….you like to play “office” with your sister…longer pause… you like to play with your brother” to mean I was a bookworm with a big imagination who liked to play.
Like I said, my mom’s retelling of my second grade self, totally confirmed and affirmed my love of books, bookstores and libraries. The alternative “you were a nerd with no friends” seemed harsh. LOL. Seriously as a kid I loved the library and always managed to check-out more books that one person could possibly read in the three-week loan period. I just liked having stacks of books around.
Now that I am older, I spend a couple of weekend days a month in a bookstore perusing and later hemming and hawing about which books will make it to the cash register and home to my pretty piles of books! While I may not be a speed reader, I do manage to read a book or two a month that have absolutely nothing to do with my day job or my growing small business. I consider these my just because I love books books.
When it comes to choosing my just because books, I tend to go with my gut or a good recommendation. I stumbled upon Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist a few months ago, but learned of his new book Show Your Work by way of Lisa Congdon, one of my current art crushes. Show York Work is short, graphic and full of good creative common sense. Perfect for those with fewer me moments.
Choosing The Best American Essays over The Best American Short Stories was no easy feat! I am sure the creators of The Best series would be happy to know I almost walked out of Greenlight Bookstore with both. Note to writers: put the word BEST in your titles and you will attract more readers and writing gigs. Because I currently have a pile of New Yorker Magazines full of short stories, I decided to go with the Essays (besides my gut is telling me essays are coming to the blog.)
What books are you reading this month?
How do you choose what to read? Gut, recommendation or both? #bookish #forabeautifullife
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Come to the comments and let’s chat.
for a beautiful life,
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