Me Read Good

Since having Baby Jo, my reading  has gone down. Way down. I found it easier to just read my million different blogs that I like. They are quick to read in one hand while nursing my son with the other. But I've still managed to get some book reading done. And when I say "reading", I mean reading/listening to audiobooks. I know, I know, listening to audiobooks does not equal literal reading. But I don't find audiobooks a lazy way out. On the contrary, when I am listening to them, I am usually folding laundry, cooking, doing dishes, or trying to keep a certain rug rat entertained. Nearly a year ago, I listed some books that I read. Here are a few more since then:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I admit, the only reason I wanted to read this book was because I was intrigued by the movie trailer. I liked the story and it maintained my interest, but there was one thing that was terribly distracting throughout the whole book. The book is written in first person narrative, and that narrator is a 16 (or 17?) year old girl. "Her" choice of vocabulary, metaphors, descriptions are so unbelievable for a teenaged girl to use. John Green is an amazing writer, but not a good voice for an adolescent. Also, there is a teenaged boy who is the other main character, and he too speaks way beyond a believable teen.When I finished the book, I saw the movie...and I liked the movie better for that reason. The characters were more realistic.

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior:  SO fascinating! The author uses tons of research, data, and interviews to portray modern parenting compared to previous generations. It's not a bash on modern parents; it is simply an observation. When I started this book, I had only been a parent for less than 2 months. Still, I felt like so much of what she said in this book I had already felt and thought in my new parent heart and brain. She also has observations on the differences between fathers and mothers which was also interesting. I recommend it.

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler: I was SO excited when I heard Amy Poehler had written a book. I'm a big fan of her acting. Turns out, I am ONLY a fan of her acting, not her as an actual person. This book was so "meh". When I read Mindy Kaling's book last year, I ended up wanting to be her best friend and gaining a lot of respect for her. However, with Yes, Please, I lost respect for the author. She proudly tells of a time when a man was snooty and scolded her on a plane, which she retaliated by yelling "F**** YOU!" over and over while following him through an airport. She also casually admits to driving drunk on more than one occasion in her past. Boo. Hiss. Still, there were parts of it that I liked. Despite now disliking her as a person, I still enjoy her comedy. I laughed out loud at a few parts, but only a few. She was also insightful in some of the chapters. In the end, I decided that I like Lesley Knope better than Amy Poehler.

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan: This was another book that I was so excited to read (well, listen to). I love love love Jim Gaffigan and really enjoyed his last book, Dad is Fat. While I enjoyed this book too, there was a small problem with it. See, I LOVE Gaffigan. I've listened to his bits multiple times. Well, this book has a lot of material that he has already used in his stand up. I'm talking like 75% of the book was jokes that I have already heard him tell many times. But that didn't stop me from finishing the book and enjoying it. I just wish there was more fresh material. My favorite part has to be his take on the tv show The Biggest Loser.

Love Hurts by someone: I looked online for the author, but there are too many books called Love Hurts and I didn't want to search too hard. This was a short YA fictional book about a teen in a domestic violent relationship. It was a quick read (less than 200 pages) but it kept my interest.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: I just finished this book this morning. I listened to it as an audiobook. It's intermediate fiction, but I really enjoyed it. It is about a 5th grader who is exceptionally bright, but has Cerebral Palsy, making her movement limited and her speech impossible. Because of this, she is often mistaken as mentally challenged. The story is told in the first person by the girl herself. It was such a tender story, and it gave me great perspective on how much I take for granted. It was especially tender to me because I would often listen to it while I was playing with my baby on the floor-  my baby who can crawl squeal, and pull himself up. I have a new spot in my heart for parents of special needs children, and a stronger respect for those with special needs.

Freakanomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: As of this evening, I am about 2/3 done with this book. Yesterday, Jordan and I took a last minute trip to Copan, OK to see Jordan grandfather who just came home from the hospital. Our plan was to drive straight there (a nearly three hour drive), visit for a few hours, then drive straight back home. Before we left, I drove to the library and frantically searched their audiobook collection for something we could listen to on our nearly six hour round trip drive. Enter Freakanomics. It entertained us for the whole drive, and lead us into some fun conversations and discussions. It is really well written, but completely absent of political correctness. I don't mean that in a crude, obnoxious way, but in a way that states just the facts, no brushing over.  I recommend it for sure!

Aside from these books, I read some parenting books, like Happiest Baby on The Block (only the sleep section) and Baby Led Weaning (which we ended up not doing at all). I hope to continue to read and listen to more books soon!