What I’m Reading – October 7, 2011

I think the last time I shared what I was reading, I’d just got my new cellphone and was finally revelling in the joys of being able to read any format ebook on the one device.

I’ve gone a little crazy since then. <grin>

I’ve also discovered the joys of audio books, too, especially if I’ve got my hands full.  Audio books are great for non-fiction.  Especially the self-help kind.

Which brings me to my current reading.

Because of the new job, I get to sit on a bus for nearly two hours each day.  That’s a lot of potential reading and writing time.  I try to use it for writing, and one of my fellow baristas gave me a beautiful (faux!) leather-bound journal that I use each day to and from work to brainstorm, write nuggets, and work out plot tangles, etc.

Sometimes, though, I just read.  Especially if it’s too hot, too cold, or I can come up with a really good excuse for not writing. <grin>

I also read for a few minutes before I sleep and for those post-midnight hours when I just know I’m going to toss and turn with the heat of my own thoughts if I don’t divert them right now with some other distraction.

So I’ve been getting a bit of reading done here and there.

Non-Fiction

Thanks to the new job, I’ve been very big on self-improvement and professional polishing.  Brian Tracy is my new all-time hero.  There are two titles of his I’m wearing thin.  Eat That Frog! and No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline.

They’re both great for getting yourself out of a rut and getting moving, especially if you’ve had some serious life-changes recently.

Fiction

I finally broke down and started reading the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.  I’ve always been intrigued by the series because a) the success of the series and b) the covers are so damn appealing, especially with the hero in his duster coat and that slitted gaze.  The stories aren’t nearly as noir-ish as I thought they would be.  I’m on to the second book, Fool Moon, and so far I’m…entertained.  But I’m certainly not hooked yet.  I think it might be partly because this is very dry, non-romantic urban fantasy, and more urban than fantasy at that.  It’s written for a male audience, so while I can read it and be entertained, I’m not grabbed, because the emotional tension is missing, or else so low key you need tweezers to pick it up.  From that perspective, I can see why Butcher exploded all over the marketplace.  He sits in a corner of the market that hasn’t been catered to very well in the past.

Any Butcher fans here?  Does it get better as it goes on?  Or does he do the right thing for his original audience and stay loyal to them?

 

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