So Many Books, So Little Time!

There are a lot of books in my to-be-read pile.  A lot! And there are lots of books on the shelf that I would like to read again.  I enjoy all sorts of books, both fiction and nonfiction.  And I'm usually reading several at once. I have stacks of books piled up in the bedroom.  My bookshelves are overflowing.  And my Kindle has several yet-to-be-read titles awaiting me.  So many books, so little time!

I love reading books that are part of a series like the "Mitford" books by Jan Karon.  Maybe I'll read those again now that I live in a Mitford-like small town in the mountains.  I loved reading the Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles by Brock and Bodie Thoene.  I have actually read those several times, and would love to do it again.  They are historical fiction and have a lot to say about the years leading up to the establishment of Israel as a modern nation.

I have always enjoyed mysteries.  Figuring it all out is part of the fascination, I think.  Lately political thrillers have fascinated me.  I have particularly enjoyed a series of books by Daniel Silva about an Israeli counterintelligence operative.  I most recently read The Rembrandt Affair and am waiting for the next installment in the series.

Right now this is what I'm reading:

• The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry.  I completely disagree with his worldview, but the characters are well developed and the plot line is interesting, at least so far.  It remains to be seen whether it will hold my attention all the way to the end!
• 66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb.  The subtitle is "A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story."  I'm really enjoying this one.  It's not one to be rushed through, but one to be digested slowly and that's what I'm doing.
• Whatever Happened to Worship? by A. W. Tozer.  This is another one to read slowly and digest.
• And waiting in the wings for when I finish The Alexandria Link.....either An Irish Country Village or Jane and the Genius of the Place, Being the Fourth Jane Austen Mystery.  Which comes next will depend on my mood, I guess.  But either choice will be a definite change of pace.
• Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa).  Yes, I read cookbooks!  I don't cook much anymore, but I enjoy reading cookbooks.

The bottom line, I guess, is that I just love books.  Big books, little books.  Fat books, thin books.  Heavy-duty novels that require lots of thinking.  Little "fluff" books that require no thinking at all!  I think in the publishing world these are actually referred to as "cozies".  Some of my favorites are a series of  Tea Shop Mysteries set in Charleston, SC and a similar series of mysteries set in a coffee shop in Greenwich Village.  No deep thinking required.  Just fun to read.

So, there you have it.  My name is Susan and I'm a compulsive reader.  A few years ago I saw a coffee mug in a Barnes and Noble that had this phrase circling the mug over and over: "Don't bother me.  I'm reading."  I didn't buy it.  But I should have!