When there are so many things that you want to do, it can sometimes be difficult to fit everything in as much as you might like, which is what has happened to me over these past few weeks. It started when football did, and basically all of my other priorities took a backseat to me sitting on the couch watching TV for hours at a time, which has been great, but has also been a little bit frustrating because there are so many other things that I want to do as well, like writing. I was making good progress working on my book daily, but since the start of football season I have pushed that project to the side and haven’t written in it a single time. The same could be said for reading. I was once on track to easily surpass my goal of reading a book per week for this entire year, but now, unfortunately, I have fallen so far behind that I don’t know if I will be able to catch back up, but that isn’t to say that I’m not trying, because I really do want to get back on track; I spent the majority of last night reading, and I’m planning to kick it back into high gear working on my book starting Monday after I get back from spending the weekend in Branson, MO. I say all this to explain why I haven’t written about what I’ve been reading in a little while, which is, simply, because I haven’t been reading much, but yesterday with the finishing of a book, I want to talk about that today along with other books I’ve read recently and what I would recommend.
Yesterday I finished reading “Shine Shine Shine” by Lydia Netzer, and although it took me a while to get through, it is one that I would definitely recommend you checking out if you haven’t read it already. It’s the story of a husband and wife and the history they’ve shared together from the time they were kids, growing up as neighbors, leading up to the moment with the husband in space, and the wife back at home, about ready to have their second child. It’s very well written and keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next, especially once things, in both space and on earth, take unexpected turns that could ultimately lead to a disaster. The characters aren’t perfect, each with their own set of flaws, and while the reader may not be able to directly relate what either of them are going through, we can certainly all relate with trying to keep up appearances while things are falling apart internally. “Shine Shine Shine” is both heart warming and heart wrenching, the complete package on a journey that extends throughout the entire universe, so pick up this book and hang on for the ride, because you never know what might happen.
Before that I read a book called “Five Days Apart” by Chris Binchy, the aforementioned book if you are familiar with the blog that I got from the public library last month. The book stunk, literally it smelled terrible, the product of being touched by too many hands, but despite the fact that my nose objected each time I opened it up, it was actually a pretty enjoyable read. Written by an Irish author that I was previously unfamiliar with before stumbling across his book whose red spine had caught my attention in the library, “Five Days Apart” was pretty enjoyable and I look forward to reading some more of his work in the future. This book was the story of two best friends, one who sees a beautiful girl at a party and falls in love with her at first sight, and the other who actually ends up with her, leaving the other friend in the terrible position of having to be supportive and acting like nothing is bothering him as he becomes the tip in their triangle of friendship, while deep down he is harboring intense feelings for his best friend’s girlfriend. It is well written, funny at times, and you just find yourself rooting for the underdog, the inevitably cast third wheel, to end up with the girl.
As is the case with desert, I saved the best for last, a title I’m sure you’re all familiar with, but a book I bet most of you haven’t read. It’s the inspiration for the hit Netflix show, a book by the same title, “Orange is the New Black.” Written by Piper Kerman, it is her autobiographical look at her year inside a women’s prison, and to say it is fascinating would be an understatement. It has always intrigued me how people who spend a substantial chunk of time behind bars occupies their time and keeps from going crazy, so it was really cool to get an inside look at how she dealt with things personally. If you aren’t familiar with the story, Piper Kerman goes to federal prison on a ten year old drug smuggling charge, one she thought was safely in her past, but when it reappears, she tries to keep her head up and get through her time with as few setbacks as possible, which doesn’t always work out that way. Out of the three books, I would recommend this one higher than the others, and don’t worry if you’ve already watched the show, because it really is quite a bit different, and you will not be bored with it. Whichever books you decide to read, whether it be one of these or something else, the important thing is that you read, continuing to grow your mind and expand your horizons throughout the entire course of your life. I know it’s easy to let other things distract us, like for instance football for me, but I’ve never ever spent time reading and regretted it later, because reading always leaves me with a feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment, even if it’s only for a few minutes, so do yourself and your mind a favor, and just read.
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