Reading sickness?

My reading is off kilter. I can not seem to enjoy and really get into a book right now. I'm still reading them but it is feeling like a slog fest. You know when you're sick and nothing tastes right or even good? I think I may have reading sickness.

It may be due to saturation. I found a couple of series that I jumped into, the problem is they are all similar; strong female character, solving a problem, usually set after one of the World Wars. They're good books don't get me wrong but I think I should take a genre break. 

Then I moved on to a different kind of story, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. I enjoyed it for a bit then I made the mistake of reading a few reviews. I should never ever read reviews while I am reading the book. People are pointing out, the overabundance of bad foster moms in this story. Other than the two main characters all the women I've met are really pathetic people. I am hoping I can power through this element but whew, I am finding it hard to continue. 

I'm starting a new book on my Kindle too so maybe that will help my reading sickness. A little fresh food for thought. 

I did happen to come across a discussion online about audiobooks being considered reading or not. I guess you could argue that it is not technically reading since you're not converting words on a page into thoughts and understanding. But I can tell you I'm counting my audiobooks as books read during my 2014 reading challenge on Goodreads. Especially since six of the eight have been audio. I'd be in a bit of a conundrum if I threw out all the audiobooks. I was surprised to find I read 34 books last year. I am having fun tracking my book consumption. What can I say I've always been a book consumer. Now I just have so many more ways of taking them in. 

Books are good even when you're not "in love" with them.

Choosing my next books

I had something happen to me for the first time last week. My audiobook in the car and my lunch time kindle book wrapped up on the same day. Usually my books are more staggered but this time, nope. Now I am floundering around a bit with two decisions to be made. Well sort of, my kindle book had an excerpt of the next book to tide me through lunch today.

Choosing your next book is a bit like choosing your next knitting project. Are you having fun with what you just finished? Did you like the characters/yarn? Was it what you needed at the time, challenging or comfortingly mind numbing? Is it time for something completely different? Is it season appropriate?

You see how these things play into making the decision, right? I would even say knitting and reading cross over each other. Sometimes a book holds your attention and all you can do while reading is mindless garter stitch, the same thing over and over. Sometimes a book is there to keep part of your brain distracted while the majority of it knits complex lace.

The problem is that I am in a transition period now. Twice a week I am driving to my ASL class and spending time away from my knitting. While I enjoy my class, I am missing my knitting. So I am looking for a great audiobook for my drive time something fun but complex. Do I want to continue on with a series or meet new characters?

Currently my first six choices for audio are:

1. Book 7 of the Pink Carnation series Betrayal of the Blood Lily
2. Book 3 of the Lady Julia series Silent on the Moor
3. A choice between the first book of two different series by Charles Todd (A Duty to the Dead or A Lonely Death)
4. First book of a series The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey
6. 40+ hours of The Stand by Stephen King

Now my thoughts are:

1. It has been so long since I read book six of the series... maybe I should do a quick refresher, but then that is something I already read.
2. I fell asleep listening to this one on the plane back from So Dak, maybe my subconscious has forgot what happened and I can start over?
3. New books yay, but I don't know if I will like them.
4. Same as number 3.
5. D read this in one day laughing the whole time, he is a very slow reader. But maybe it is to diverting for driving.
6. Now that is a time commitment! Nothing new for two or three months. However, I did love Under the Dome and that book was about the same length.

You know I am just going to end up listening to the next book that starts on the ipod, because I am an indecisive weenie. By default it will be Betrayal of the Blood Lily, which means I will be lost for a time first.

Ok now I just found a program with Audible and Amazon where you can get both versions of the book and use them simultaneously. Crap I knew all my devices would start talking amongst themselves soon, is a revolution to follow? Do you think they're judging me on my reading material? If they are my kindle thinks I am smart because I downloaded free classic literature. We're talking Les Miserables and Don Quixote. Audible has Blood Sucking Fiends and Her Royal Spyness, while I loved both of these books, Audible may think I like to laugh rather than think. I think Audible knows me better.

I went ahead and downloaded The Mysterious Affair at Styles just to see how it works.

If you want to leave a comment on which book I should start, I am all ears. I can not promise not to over ride you vote but I'd love to read the arguments.

The Gus Man

Gus and I went for his 3 month check up at the vet's. Dr B said he looks really good. He has picked up a little of his lost weight (Gus, not Dr B) and his fur is back to being the silkiest thing I can touch including silk. I think it all the time but he is one good looking cat.

However his blood sugar was high again, due (we think) to the prednisone. So we're tapering back on that med in hopes that his blood sugar will go down. Gus hates that pill so he is thrilled to see it go. D says the pill tastes bad and this is coming from a guy that will chew aspirin. Yuck!!!

The funny thing with this trip to the vet was the car ride. Gus likes to voice his displeasure, loudly and often. This time he settled in quickly and seemed to relax a bit. I think it is because of the audiobook I was listening to, Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn. The narrator reads in a British accent, since the book is set in London. He seemed especially happy when the French character spoke. Hints of his mother tongue? We like to say his Mother was French and his Father was Russian, since those are the accents that I give him when I speak for him. (Yes I know that I am odd.)

I can recommend the book as an enjoyable mystery tale. I will be getting more of the series. My issue is do I get another audiobook or the Kindle edition? I loved the narrator and enjoyed it as my drive time book so much that I had to listen a bit while I was doing the dishes one night. However the Kindle version is much cheaper, and I have several other audiobooks lined up for my driving time. Hmm do I want to drive and listen or read and knit with the story?

I am finding that I get so much more reading (my first love) done with the audiobooks and Kindle. Sometimes technology is such a blessing. This is coming from one of the last people who is perfectly happy having a dumb phone. I guess I have not felt the need to be able to access the internet from where ever I am. Silly me, I just don't know what I am missing.