Resolutions: Writing and Reading

I used to be a bookworm. I was one of those kids who read everything I could get my hands on, and my favorite position for reading was hanging upside down from a big overstuffed chair.

When I was 12, I read Gone with the Wind in a week. I remember being enthralled with the story, reading every spare moment.  I love mysteries, science fiction, biographies, drama, fantasy, and when I was teenager, Harlequin romances. I went through a phase of reading lots of self-help books and religious books. I’ve read much less for about the last ten years, and I blame the internet for that!

When I was raising my kids, I tried to pre-read the books they wanted to read. It worked for the older ones, but #7 was even more prolific then I ever was, so she got to read whatever she could lay her hands on.

Over time, I’ve purged my library. Mostly what I have now is collections of children’s books that I can’t bear to part with.  Some were my kids, some were mine as a child. I have Dr. Seuss (my favorite is The King’s Stilts), little Golden, Nancy Drew, and some from a children’s book club, Ribsy being an all time favorite.

As I’ve taken up writing this blog, I keep thinking I want to write a book. Actually, I’ve wanted to write a book for years but have buried that desire up until now.  I’d like to write a children’s book, or my life story, a suggestion of a friend of mine. I like the idea, but the thought of actually doing it is still pretty intimidating, mostly because I am still working on finding my voice. The above mentioned dear friend suggested that I read  some books that others have written about their lives as a starting point.

So that’s my plan for 2015.  Here’s my list so far:

1. Drinking: A love story
2. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
3. Liar’s Club
4. Glass Castle
5. Running with Scissors
There’s a wine bar down the street – one of those lovely places with deep old couches and bookshelves and a jukebox. I found this book there:
Having our say
It is the story of two sisters, both over 100 years old, and it is delightful reading, a perfect start to my pre-new years resolution to read!
Do you have any suggestions for books that I might add to my list?