8.12.2014

What's On Your Nightstand?


Besides a bookmark, a flash drive, a bottle of water, a box of Moon Drops (helps relieve occasional sleeplessness by soothing the mind and easing you into a natural sleep) and a cup of coffee, I have a rotating pile of books on my nightstand. It's the overflow from my headboard, which is stuffed with books, as well.

So I thought I'd share what I'm reading right now from the books on my nightstand. Did I mention that I read more than one book at a time? I'm not sure this is normal, but I just go with whatever I'm in the mood for.

  • First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones. It is freaking hilarious! Charley (short for Charlotte) Davidson is a PI and just happens to be the grim reaper. I was hooked when Charley shows up at a murder scene to investigate. The dead guy is scared so his spirit refuses to leave his body. He just peeks out now and then to see what's going on. So Charley kicks the body and says something like, "Dude, get out of there. You're dead." Of course a police officer witnesses her kicking a dead body and then everyone knows how weird Charley is. Okay, you had to be there. But really. It's a fun read.

  • Opening Heaven's Door, Investigating Stories of Life, Death, and What Comes After by Patricia Pearson. Like it sounds, it's the study of what happens to the dying with some pretty cool stories mixed in. I like the one where the terminally ill 80 year old lady says she's been sitting and talking to her son who'd been dead for twenty years. Whether you believe or not, it's some pretty interesting stuff. I have to take it in small doses, though. It's not the sort of book I'd read cover to cover all at once.

  • Break Out! by Joel Osteen. I haven't actually started this one yet, but I've read other books by Osteen (It's Your Time) which I really enjoyed. He's the modern day Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking). He always has positive things to say and is so encouraging. I like the fact that he has a multimillion dollar mega-church that he doesn't take a penny from. Instead, he makes his income through writing books. It's another sort of book that I take my time with. A few pages at a time to mull and ponder over what he's said.

  • If You Want To Walk On Water You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat by John Ortberg. I'm about halfway through this book. It's basically a metaphor about having faith and stepping outside your comfort zone. It's religious in nature, of course, with the basis in Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee toward Jesus. Walking on water takes faith. "It was Peter's willingness to risk failure that helped him to grow." The metaphor is a little overdone at times, but he has some good things to say. This is another book that I take in small doses, a couple of pages at a time. Some things just need pondering.

  • Before The Poison by Peter Robinson. I'm halfway through. I've read tons of Peter Robinson's books. You might know him better by his DCI Alan Banks mystery series on PBS. This isn't part of the series, but I thought I'd give it a try. If you like British murder mysteries, you'll like him. This particular book got a slow start with a lot of description about the house he just bought. You'll realize it's sort of a necessity because he goes on to solve an old murder where the house is sort of the central "character." I met Peter once before I became an author (before I even started writing!). I went to a book signing and took my stack of hardbacks for him to sign (a little sheepishly, I might add, because I didn't know what the protocol was for how many books it was kosher to present for autographs). Here's a little known fact: he doesn't like dogs. Who doesn't like dogs?! I forgive him, though, because he writes good books.

  • The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. A YA about teens with cancer. I wasn't going to read this because it couldn't possibly end well. I do so love my happy endings. I read about murder and death and dying and all that, but I sorta draw the line at kids dying from cancer. I try to stay away from real stuff like that. I live real life everyday so don't really need to read about it. But after several people told me that his writing reminded them of my writing (I'm a tad snarky), I decided to give it a try. It was really good. That's all I can say.
 
What's on your nightstand?
 
Do you read more than one book at a time?
 
Read any good books lately?
 
 

26 comments:

  1. Several crime novels by Kerry Greenwood. I've read them all, but I like to reread in bed. My new Aurealis Awards reading - currently Stuart Daly's Brtherhood Of Thieves: The Wardens. Some Harry Potter fr reread and ditto with a Brother Cadfael novel.

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    1. I've read all the Harry Potters, of course. AND, I picked up my first Brother Cadfael in Shrewsbury where the writer lives. Loved the mystery series when it was out, too. Gotta have my British mysteries! I'll have to check out those others.

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  2. I read multiple books at a time. From multiple genres. And at least one of the current crop is usually non-fiction.
    There is very little room on my nightstand for anything other than the tower of books - though the cats make room for themselves. And help themselves to my water.

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    1. EC, cats do tend to do what they want. I don't have a cat any more, but when I did he would only drink from the running faucet! LOL.

      We have similar reading habits. I'm reading 3 fiction and 3 non-fiction right now. A pretty good mix!

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  3. I usually only read one book at a time, but there are plenty on my nightstand! Not including my Kindle, there are six waiting to be read. The rest of the TBR pile are in the hallway.

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    1. Ellie, in the hallway?! LOL. That's about how it is at my house.

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  4. There are five on my nightstand, well, on the floor next to it, because like EC my cats help themselves to my water. And my Nook. I'm reading my friend Marie's, How to Handle a Heartbreaker, Neil Gaiman's American Gods, Don Delillo's White Noise, Kathleen Rollins' A Meeting of Clans, and The Ghost Writer by John Harwood. There are hundreds of titles on my Nook. Most unread at this point.

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    1. HaHa, I do remember bein a cat owner--or vice versa, I mean. I've read American Gods, but not the others. My TBR list is so long right now. So many books, so little time to read.

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  5. I have mints, chocolate, alarm clock and pictures of my late mother and my Chipmunk on my bedside table. I also read more than one book at a time, but right now I'm reading GRR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series.

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    1. Mints and chocolate, mmmmmm. Just what I need, LOL. I haven't read any of Martin's books, but I always see them. Might have to check him out.

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  6. My nightstand is too full of stuff to put books on it too. As for reading more than one book at a time, it depends. I go through spells where I can't settle on one book, so I'll have several that I'm reading here and there, but I do usually read one book at a time. I like to focus on one world and read straight through to the end. Right now I'm actively reading Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson and am about a third of the way through Cas Peace's The Champion, which I'm paused on while I read Sanderson. I've also been reading this boring book for work about cataloging.

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    1. Cataloging, LOL. No thank you. It's been interesting reading about everyone's reading habits!

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  7. You've got some interesting reads on that night table, especially First Grave on the Right! I am reading a paranormal historical called The Dress Lodger that is really well written. I'm also reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden's Tale, in prep for teaching my spec fiction writing workshop.

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    1. Those both sound really good, Catherine. I really want to read The Handmaid's Tale - wish I could take your class. I'm thinking of taking an online screenwriting class next month. I found an intro class for about $80.

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  8. Oh, and Mary, Don DeLillo is one of my favorite writers/thinkers. I must read White noise!

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  9. Now that's a nightstand of great reads! I have my alarm clock, a tin trolly that once held toffee from London, and chapstick. I don't read more than one thing at a time. Right now I'd reading the last book in the Dark Days series by Jocelynn Drake.

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    1. Oh, so now I want to know what's in the tin trolly! Dark Days sounds interesting, too.

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  10. I have a lamp which my hubby wishes I would turn off as soon he goes to bed (it will never happen). My alarm clock and a stack of books and magazines. I read a lot of non-fiction so I have a book on the Titanic, Archeology today magazines, a couple of National geographic, the A to Z on Lucille Ball and, I am a bit of a sick puppy, 501 disasters and 501 killers/bad guys(I can't remember the name right now). I know those last 2 are bad but I like to read and see documentaries about this type of history. I do put those down though to read more light-hearted fare

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    1. Now I'd say those are interesting things to read.

      HaHa, my alarm goes off at 5:15 every morning so I have to turn the light out before the hubs does. I think sometimes my reading pile makes him nervous. It's usually about murder, LOL.

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  11. Until not long ago a huge pile of books.. i did some order so now it growing again

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    1. Sarit, sometimes reorganizing is necessary. I probably have a thousand books in boxes. I'd never be able to find anything specific. LOL.

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  12. On my nightstand: my kindle, a real book (Birthday Stories), scented candles, a figurine of Toothless, and pictures of my cat.

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    1. HaHa, my Kindle is in my nightstand. For some reason I haven't been using it. It has a couple hundred books on it! So funny that so mention people are mentioning their cats.

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  13. I can't read more than one book at a time or I get sidetracked and don't go back to the first story. :( As for my nightstand, I don't read in bed at all so there's nothing on it but I do have two bookcases actually in the bedroom. Does that count?

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    1. I notice that there's maybe one other person who commented here that they read more than one book at a time. I guess I'm one of those strange people. Well, I always knew that. LOL. Yes, your two bookcases in the bedroom count! These days the only time I read is in bed! It's the only time I have to relax. Pathetic, I know.

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  14. I've read the first two books in the Darynda Jones series and love 'em! Am currently reading Bared to You by Sylvia Day, which I believe is meant to be the intelligent alternative to 50 Shades of Grey (which I've not read). I'm maybe a quarter of the way through and am enjoying the writing and the heroine, a lot. The "hero" is, for me, extremely off-putting, but I'm hanging in there because the heroine is. But dude's on thin ice with me.

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