No, I Can't Cook Dinner. I'm Reading.

I love books. I have loved books longer than just about anything else. I have to have something to be reading every time I sit still for longer than 30 seconds. I told the children in Primary (our church's program for children 3 years to 11 years) yesterday that there are bookshelves in every room of my home. And the rooms that don't have bookshelves have baskets for books. It's true! Oh. I fibbed. The food storage closet where the furnace and hot water heater share cramped quarters with my food storage does not have a bookshelf in there. Hmmm. One should have books for emergencies too. Maybe I'll have to stash a small library in there as well.

Anyway, I've been catching up on some reading over the break. And getting some new books. I just finished books 8 and 9 in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Andrew McCall Smith and enjoyed them both. Justin and I, for our date night Saturday night, haunted our local Barnes and Noble and I picked up No. 10 to read. Finished All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot last night (I've read it before, though, so it's not a new one to me). And I started and finished Shannon Hale's Austenland over the weekend too. It's a quick, fun read. In fact, I was late to a family party last night because I had to find out how it ended. Sorry AnnaBeth and Richard. I decided it's one I like well enough to track down a copy for my own library. I would like to read it again.

Besides reading an actual book (I would be seriously in trouble with a Kindle or Nook...I don't know if anyone could pry one out of my fingers), I listen to books on CD with my kids as we run errands. Our latest indulgence are the Artemis Fowl books by Eoin (pronounced "Owen") Colfer and read by Nathaniel Parker. I really love how Mr. Parker reads the books. He is amazing. We're close to finishing The Arctic Incident and I hope the library has the next one because I can't wait to listen to it. In fact, I pulled out the Arctic Incident hardback book we have at home once I dropped the kids off because I wanted to (re)read the ending and not wait for them.

But the stack on my side table waiting for me is tall with quite a variety: a biography (President Thomas S. Monson); two Penderwicks books; two Terry Pratchett books; an Anne McCaffrey Crystal Singer book I bought used from the library; and some other stuff I can't remember off the top of my head. Oh, and a new book I also picked up on our date called Mr. Darcy's Diary -- the tale of Pride and Prejudice as told through Darcy's journal.

Sounds like I can put off all of those annoying New Year's resolutions until I get through my stack. :)