Thursday 28th May - My Reading Challenge

One of the things I feel I never get enough time to do these days is to read, spending hours and hours reading does belong to LBJ (life before Jamie!)* but it is one of the things I would like to change and so need to make room for it in my life. I am making sure I set some time aside everyday to spend reading. Jamie has also got into his reading much much more lately and is really into his 'Jiggy McCue' books by Michael Lawrence, so what could be nicer than us sat in the garden reading or curled up on the sofa reading. And it gets him away from the xbox, computer and television!

For me to try to read more I have decided I need to put a few steps in place:-

* ensure I am as organised as possible, (more of this later)
* get to bed on time (this is never easy for me) or even early so I can read in bed, and not read two pages and then wake myself up when the book drops to the floor - 'cos I've fallen asleep reading!
* keep up to date with my chores and jobs then I can indulge myself and read,
* have a reading list to take me through June, July and August to help me focus.

To help me with this I am going to note my bedtime here on my blog because I am BAD at getting to bed when I am tired and think to myself, I'll just do this or that, so from here on in - bed on time! That's a promise and you can shout at me if I don't!

Here is my reading list (in no particular order):-

1. The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman by Bruce Robinson
I have been trying to read this book for months and keep putting it away reading something else and then going back to it, putting it away, coming back to it and never get beyond page 50!

2. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
One I missed as a child but have been reading to Jamie, so this one we will finish.

 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
One that Jamie and I have been reading together and that we need to finish.

4. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Would like to read it before I see the film, so I had better get cracking with this one!

5. Dr Who The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner
We are mad about Dr Who in our house, and I have been working my way through a 10 box set of Dr Who books - I am hoping that once I've finished them, Jamie will start on them.

6. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton is one of my favourite authors and I have read most of her Kinsey Milhone alphabet series, which I really really love. I have kept two in reserve I is for Innocent and J is for Judgement. I can read T now as U is for Undertow is due out in December. I always order these from America as they tend to come out in the US before they are published over here, so I guess you could say I am a Sue Grafton/Kinsey Milhone fan! Just checked SG out on Facebook and there is a group, perhaps I ought to join it!

 7. Learn to be an Optimist by Lucy MacDonald
I'm always trying little ways to improve myself, the way that I think and how I relate to family, friends and the world so this is one of those books. Having had some pretty traumatic things happen in my life, especially when I was growing up and having a Dad who was the eternal pessimist, optimism is not something which comes naturally, but something I have worked very hard over the last couple of years to develop and nurture, so this book is part of my ongoing journey.

8. The Jesus Family Tomb Controversy by Dillon Burroughs
I have read The Jesus Family Tomb by James Cameron, Simcha Jacobovici, and Charles Pellegrino and this is the other side of the argument so I'm interested to read what Dillon Burroughs has to say to counteract or balance the arguments in the original book. Interesting concept though, what if we really could find the tomb belonging to the family of Jesus and how would that affect Christianity and faith.

 9. Only Dad by Alan Titchmarsh
Not sure how I came by this book, but a bit lighter than the last two!

 10. Songbird by Josephine Cox
This book was passed onto me by my friend Anne. I like it when books get passed onto me with a recommendation and I can then pass them onto someone else, makes me feel green!

11. Torchwood Border Princes by Dan Abnett
A bit like Dr Who, mad Torchwood and Barrowman fans in this house and I am trying to work my way through the Torchwood books, just to get a bit extra of Jack when I feel I need it!

 12. If I Was by Midge Ure
Really ought to have read this a long time ago, I met Midge (well I've met him several times!) and got this book signed at least 4 years ago, how bad am I?!!. He is such a lovely guy.

13.Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Well it is summer!

14. Pop Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones
Mike read this last year on holiday and said it is worth a read and that I should enjoy it, so let's give it a go.

 15. A Star Called Henry by Roddy DoyleAnother one that has sat by my bedside for longer than it should. All about Ireland, another place I have to have a regular fix of, both reading about it and visiting it!

16. Avebury by Caroline MaloneA basic history about the place. We visited it a few years ago, so will read some background to it.

 If you've read any of these and would like to let me have your comments/reviews or discussion I would love to hear from you. I'll update as I read these!

Ciao

Sue

XX

(Reading challenge 0/16)

*this could also be LBM (life before Mike), LBB (life before Binnie), LBB (life before blogging), LBF (life before Facebook), LBS (life before scrapbooking), LBI (life before the internet) and I could go on!