I guess maybe my title should be: It's Monday, I'm Still Not Reading!!! I have not been doing a lot of reading. I am in a huge reading slump and I'm looking to my Nerdy book pals for some help! I've only posted once since July and I've been staying off Twitter. I guess I just needed to take a step back from a lot of things. I'm trying to get back to it, because I feel less alone with books and my friends on Twitter.
In August, actually my first day back to work, we found out that my aunt fell and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Her brain was so swollen that her brain stem moved. The bleeding was stopped and her brain isn't swollen anymore, but she will never be the same again. So I've been trying to help out my mom as she adjusts to a new normal with her sister. It has been hard to know that she went from being a healthy active person to someone who doesn't recognize her own family. I think that my family and I have been going through a bit of a depression over what has happened to my aunt. This makes you realize you need to live each day to the fullest and hug your loved ones tight!
I have read three books since October, the first was Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I enjoyed this one. The first in the Magnus Chase series drew me back into the world of Rick Riordan. I wasn't loving the last few books that I had read of his and was very hesitant to pick up the Magnus Chase one, but I'm glad I did. This one doesn't disappoint either.
The second book I read was The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I just LOVE this series and I may or may not have done a little happy dance in the book store when I saw this book. I am not a big creepy/scary book fan, but this one has just enough to make sure I don't read it at night. My students couldn't get enough of this series when we had it in the book fair. I know they will be excited about this installment. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.
The third book that I read was Liberty by Kirby Larson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I knew that I would love this book even before I started page 1. Kirby Larson is an author who has turned me into a fan of historical fiction. Her words in this book wrapped around me like a warm blanket and allowed me escape reality for two hours straight because I couldn't put the book down until I finished it!I'm hoping this post is the step in the right direction for me to get back to blogging and get back to being an active participant on Twitter. I will take any and all book suggestions!
Happy Reading!!
Stacey (@libraryjo92)
Taking time out is essential to a healthy lifestyle sometimes.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to your family!
Sending hugs and prayers to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteMagnus Chase has been in my TBR like for a while. It's good to hear it goes back to the feel of the original books.
Stacy, I am so moved by this lovely review of Liberty but mostly by the notion that I have turned you on to historical fiction! So many people are initially resistant to it -- too much like school work? -- but there are so many wonderful stories out there! And I hear you about holding our loved ones tight. Hugs to you, your aunt and your entire family.
ReplyDeleteStacey, hang in there with your Mom and aunt. My mother had a traumatic brain injury about four years before her death. I know how crazy it all is at first, but honestly, it gets better. My mother was never the person who she was before her accident, but she continued to improve even when she was diagnosed with cancer. Mom and I went to a bimonthly support group for people with brain injuries and their caregivers. I hope you find one in your area to attend. We found so much love and acceptance from them it helped me and Mom accept our own circumstances better. Good luck to all of you!
ReplyDeleteI just read Creeping Shadow myself this year and LOVED it. I love anything that Jonathan Stroud writes.
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