This week feel exceptionally long for some reason and so I am more glad than usual to be writing the answers to my WWW post: What did I just finish? What am I currently reading? And, of course, What will read next? As always, thanks to Sam at Taking on a World of Words for hosting this weekly roundup and to all who participate. You keep me organized while ensuring that my TBR never stops growing!
What did I just finish reading?
I finished the fabulous Atomic Habits by James Clear and I am obsessed with his simple and proven habit building technique. The full review will be featured here for NonFiction Friday but if you want more information now you can head over to his website. I loved it and I have already seen huge improvements in my habit formation in the two weeks I have been following his advice.
I also finished listening to the audiobook version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. The adventures and mysteries of 15 year old Christopher made me so happy. I highly recommend it. If you want more information, my full review is here.
I also finished Kevin Kwan’s fun Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. All three of these books are pure undiluted fun and give you have the opportunity to see how the insanely rich live. I highly recommend them and I will have a series review up soon.
I also started and finished The Similars by Rebecca Hanover this weekend.
What am I currently reading?
I just started reading Awakening Your Ikigai by Ken Hogi yesterday and I am only one chapter into the book. I am excited by the idea of waking up each day to joy and purpose without having to fold my socks a la Marie Kondo.
I am more than half way through listening to the audiobook version of Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas. I watched the movie years ago without realizing it was a book and the series has been languishing on my TBR for far too long. So far, I am really enjoying it.
In a rare double nonfiction week I am also reading Conan Doyle for the Defense by Margalit Fox. This is a book I discovered during nonfiction November that came highly recommended by a number of bloggers and I was excited to be able to borrow it from my library. In this book a man is aided by the real Arthur Conan Doyle in his murder defense. The first few chapters were a little too tightly packed full of information on the murder and involvement of Conan Doyle but at about 20% in, the story has started rolling along nicely.
What will I read next?
I already have Springfield Confidential by Mike Reiss cued up on my library app, ready to listen to when I am finished with Odd Thomas. I really need to get back to working through my huge physical TBR and so I have randomly selected Before Tomorrowland, The Night Diary, and Un Lun Dun off my shelf. If you have read any of these and have a recommendation on where to start – let me know!
Tell me, please!
What are you reading this week?
And I loved it. Many have labelled this a coming of age story and, while that is accurate, it is also a story of metamorphosis. That enormous moment in time between being a child and becoming an adult when you suddenly understand that your parents are people (not simply your parents) and there is far more grey in the world than there is black and white.
How many of us are living the life we have always dreamed of living? If you are then thank you for making my blog part of your ideal life! If not, perhaps you are getting in between yourself and happiness. Jen Sincero is a self made life coach and, while I have never had any life coaching, I wish I could hire her. Her positive, no nonsense approach to setting goals, believing in yourself, and expecting good things to come in life is inspirational.
My favorite book of 2018 was 
5087 Trivia Questions and Answers by Marsha Kranes, Fred Worth and Steve Tamerius is where my trivia collection began. My Dad gave me his copy and I brought it on a long road trip with my best friend as a way to keep ourselves entertained. We took turns asking each other questions and laughing at how much we didn’t know. It is a big wide world of information out there people! I have owned this book from long before you could just say, “Hey Siri / Alexa / Cortana…” and I still flip through it for fun.
The Order of Things is not a pure trivia book but it is one of my favorites to spark an interest in new subject matters. It lists, in order, all of the things in the world and until you look through it you won’t believe how deeply our world is interconnected.
I love mental floss so when I saw this irreverent guide I had to have it. The Condensed Knowledge reads like mental floss, full of information and ripe with humor. The perfect combination!
Thirty Days Has September, Cool Ways to Remember Stuff by Chris Stevens is the absolute best book for taking all that trivia and putting it together in ways that help you memorize it and seamlessly regurgitate it. If you ever have to cram for a pub trivia night this is the book for you.
Common Phrases and Where They Come From by John Mordock and Myron Korach is the trivia book for etymology enthusiasts. If you have ever wondered why we say things like “on the fence” this book is for you. A warning: this is the kind of trivia that helps you find friends for life or enemies in the office. Use sparingly.
And, this one is not really trivia, but The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said is more like trivia-eque quoting at its best. I have always wanted to be savvy enough with quotes to use another person’s words to capture my own ideas. Since this quote book is divided up into subject matter it is perfect for me. Now, when I need something to say about marriage or taxes I have a selection to choose from!
Good Job, Brain! is from a popular pub quiz podcast (unbeknownst to me until I saw this book!) and I grabbed it during my quick trip to the library yesterday. I already love the Q and A style of the book and I plan to find a willing victim to play trivia with me sometime this weekend.
