What I Am Reading Right Now

A week ago, I asked for book recommendations on my Facebook page, and, well, THAT exploded. I have a lot of friends who love to read as much as I do, apparently!

I'm going to be honest: I don't have the budget to buy every book that I want to on Amazon, and even if I did, I don't have the space! As we have traveled across the country, we have made abundant use of thrift stores, used book shops, and little free libraries, which are our personal favorites.

*Side note* You are basically an angel in human form if you create a little free library. It's really a perfect system: we drop off the books we are done with and get more. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who maintains one of these, particularly in an area where there are campgrounds and RV parks. We love and appreciate you more than you can possibly know.

All this being said, sometimes we don't have a lot of choice in what we get to read. We do buy books on Amazon and other used book sites, but we try to save those for books that we are really excited about. The rest of the time, we buy whatever looks interesting. Some of my favorites are books that I bought because they were cheap and available.

It's been kind of chilly in Texas over the past few weeks, so I've had some good reading time. Here are a few I've enjoyed lately:

Swamplandia by Karen Russell. I know it's a cliche, but I could not put this one down. I bought it for the cover (a big alligator, and I like alligators) and the fact that it was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. It was fascinating. Ava Bigtree and her family run Swamplandia, an amusement park in the Everglades. Ava's mother dies of cancer, and how her family falls apart and rebuilds is beautiful and heartbreaking and suspenseful all at the same time.

Becoming, by Michelle Obama. Put y'er politics away. Whatever you think about President Obama or his policies, if you are a wife or a mother, you will love Mrs. Obama's stories. What is it like to be married to a man who decides to run for POTUS? Or to have a job that you didn't choose, weren't elected for, and has no clear boundaries or expectations? Becoming is personal, vulnerable, and funny, whether you agree with Michelle or not.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've kind of been on a Gaiman kick lately, and this one started it. It's bizarre and hilarious and, like every Gaiman story, takes you to a world that doesn't exist...but could. I won't spoil it by describing the plot, but it asks the question, "What would it be like if everyone brought their myths to America, and they all came to life?"

The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook was lovely. I chose this one because it takes place in the Southwest, and that's where we are headed next. This is a story about generations. How do your choices affect your children, your grandchildren, and your great grandchildren? It's exactly the book I wanted to read before traveling to an area, too: rich, atmospheric, and steeped in the culture of New Mexico.

I'm currently helping to edit my best friend Jenny's first book, Carry On Castle, about her husband's sudden death and the chaos of grief that followed. What do you do when your entire world falls apart? You write a book! Jenny's voice is strong and honest and heartbreaking, and it's a privilege to help her.

Editing is heavy work, though, so I'm lightening things up with Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, which is about an angel and a demon who team up to stop the apocalypse. It's goofy and hilarious and witty; all the things you'd expect from Gaiman and Pratchett.

What are you reading right now? Leave your list in the comments!