50 Favorite Books.

1. Jane Eyre
2. Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. The Phantom of the Opera
5. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
6. The Complete Book of Flower Fairies
7. Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard
8. Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
9. A Little Princess
10. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
11. Little Women
12. Necklace of Kisses by Francesca Lia Block
13. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
14. Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle 
15. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
16. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
17. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
18. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
19. Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin
20. Choosing Happiness by Alexandra Stoddard
21. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
22. From the Bones Out by Marisa de los Santos
23. Ghost Girl by Amy Gerstler
24. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
25. Blue Beyond Blue by Lauren Slater
26. The Best Small Fictions 2017
27. Life is Meals by James and Kay Salter
28. It by Stephen King
29. Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See
30. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
31. Delicate Edible Birds by Lauren Groff
32. Eight Cousins
33. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
34. Ruby by Francesca Lia Block
35. The Good Earth
36. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
37. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer 
38. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chboksy
39. A Fine Romance by Susan Branch
40. Breakfast at Tiffany's
41. Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
42. The World Doesn't End by Charles Simic
43. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
44. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison
45. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
46. How to be Parisian Wherever You Are by Audrey Berest, et al.
47. The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon
48. Fahrenheit 451
49. The Catcher in the Rye
50. Contagion by Erin Bowman

Nourish/Challenge: Week 14.

This past week, Bruce and I finished our 21st tiny book club pick, The Memory of Light. That's my first young adult book for my spring focus. Reading fiction about mental illness is interesting and strange, as if my story were open to everyone. I guess it is if people take notice.

Bruce and I also had our first early-Monday-morning walk. It was easy, and I loved talking to my friend for an hour. We inspected bugs and flowers.

I had major trouble with reading and writing. I'm trying to get back to daily practice of literacy--one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. But I have to keep giving it to myself.

Josh and I snuggled a lot since he had a few early mornings free.

Bruce took me to see Pet Sematary, which was more daring than I expected.

And Bruce and I began to read the novelization of Dear Evan Hansen. I love it so far.

I also bought Ben Platt's (the original Broadway Evan) newish CD. I'm listening to it song by song in the car. What a talented guy.

And I watched a concert version of the Secret Garden musical, which stars Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Ben Platt! Amazing! I'm hoping for a revival.

My week was mostly full of nourishment. I'll try to challenge myself more this week.

How to Read More.

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*Have books around. They're tempting, and they will make you feel like a reader. Get used to them. Treat them as friends. You don't have to read every one. This, from Sarah Addison Allen's Sugar Queen, is one of my favorite quotations: "Sometimes it's a comfort just to have a book around. Many of these books haven't even had their spines cracked. 'Why do you buy books you don't even read?' our daughter asks us. That's like asking someone who lives alone why they bought a cat. For company, of course." 

*Keep lists. Write down the books you want to read and the books you have read. You'll forget titles of both, and you want to keep track of your accomplishments even if you only manage one book a month.

*Make goals that are reasonable now. I've had a time in my life when my goal was six books a month and a time when I wanted to finish a book just about every day. One book a week is frequently my goal. When life is really crazy, I may just hope to read one or two a month. Goals help but only if you're realistic about what's going on in your life.

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*Ease your way out of a rut. Keep some easy or just yummy books around. No one can read fat classics or dense poetry all the time. If I've fallen out of the reading habit, even contemporary novels can be difficult for me. I keep light lifestyle non-fiction (love those French girl books) and YA novels mixed in with those this-has-been-on-my-list-forever books. They help me get used to reading again without overwhelming me.

*Get your tools.  If you think those gorgeous bookmarks or that mac-daddy booklight will help, go for it. Why not?

*Keep a book in the bathroom. Don't blush. This works best with really difficult books or with sweet sentimental books. Both are probably books you can benefit from reading just a little at a time. Josh makes comments when a book moves out of (or into) the bathroom.

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*Subscribe to magazines. If you find a magazine (or literary journal) you love, just subscribe. It's cheaper, you won't miss any issues, and you get the added excitement of mail. I subscribed to Real Simple and Oprah just before we moved, and they have been great treats in the new mailbox. Reading is reading, and lots of magazines have reviews that can lead you great books.

*Call yourself a reader. Make books part of your identity. You don't lose that identity because of a rut or because you only read romance novels for six months.

*Try festivals. Maybe you need six months of romance novels. I go through periods of reading poetry, YA, journals, memoirs, or children's lit almost exclusively. This is also fun if you fall in love with an author (be careful, though, to avoid the grief of running out of his or her books) or a series. If you're crazy about something in literature right now, indulge it. Why not? You'll only get more reading practice and be more ready to conquer the rest of the book world.

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*Keep a book with you. Unexpected reading opportunities pop up while you're waiting at the doctor's office or when you suddenly decide to sit at the park for a while. Be prepared with a book in your car, purse, or computer bag. This doesn't have to be your "main" book that stays at your bedside. Give your books stations and rotate them if necessary.

*Try reading aloud. This can be a good way to bond with a child or partner. It can also help you get through a difficult passage or really savor a delicious one. I often read poetry aloud to help me stay focused and feel the elements of it.

*Give yourself a book allowance and diversify. Whether weekly, monthly, or occasionally, allow yourself to buy books. Amazon can be great fun (you get a package!), but be sure to spend some of that at used bookstores and regular bookstores. Get yourself excited about reading. If you have had too many negative experiences with books (at school, perhaps), you'll have to be really diligent about making yourself see the joy.

 (Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anacarolinarodrigues/5883401010/in/photostream)