Reading

Prior to retirement, I read far more books than I do now. How can that possibly be? My time is more open so it would make sense that I could read even more than ever. 

Well, I quilted and sewed very little prior to retirement, and that has drastically increased in these past 10 years. It's like I am catching up from all those years that I didn't make as many quilts as I wanted because of work.

I still love reading, though, and I miss not having a book going all the time. Enter the wonderful world of audio books. I can listen to a book while stitching or walking or driving. 

I CAN HAVE IT ALL!!

The first book I listened to this year was The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley. I enjoyed this mystery quite a lot, and even though I thought I had the ending figured out, I was completely surprised by a couple of twists. It was narrated by a very pleasant voice, which makes for an enjoyable read (listen?) and I am already looking forward to reading something else by Riley.

Since the first book of 2019 was so good, I searched around for another and found The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen. I am always a sucker for anything connected to Italy, and I have had Bowen recommended to me. Having never read any of her books, this seemed like a good place to start. It was okay; not as good as The Love Letter, but still I was engaged. I would read another, for sure. This tale was one of those with dual timelines - one in WWII and one in the present (which was the 1970s). There were two readers--a man for the wartime story, a woman for the more current story. That worked well, but the storyline seemed a bit forced at times which was distracting. Still, I am glad I read it.

My current read/listen is a Brad Thor book - The Lions of Lucerne. Thor writes those fast-paced political espionage-type books, so I expect I will soon be on the edge of my seat. I've never read any of Thor's books, but I have read authors he is frequently compared to (Vince Flynn) and I know I will enjoy the thrilling ride.

If you enjoy a good read, let me direct you to Sister's Choice Quilts, a quilt blogger who offers up some great reading posts several times a year. I have discovered many very good books and authors from her extensive reading lists -- Susan Meissner, for one, comes to mind. Actually, I believe The Love Letter was one that she recommended, too. If you go to her site, you can find an easily searchable sidebar to look at some of her book-related posts. I recommend her quilt-related posts, too - her quilts are just my style.

Today here in southern Ohio, we are having rain - and lots of it. Good gosh, it's a gray, wet day! This picture is through a rain-splotched window looking into our backyard. The big puddle in the foreground is a low spot at the end of the sidewalk; the rain has been heavy enough that a stream has formed. Yuck! I think much of my time today will be spent in the sewing room with my Audible app turned up.

Happy Quilting, Friends!