I love books - I hate to read

As a former elementary school teacher of 9 yrs. (my pre-kid life), these words are hard for me to actually say...I love books, but I hate to read. I rarely find the time to get out a book and actually read/comprehend the words on the pages. My life doesn't seem to work that way for me. It's not that I can't find the time to do it - I have even tried before to read a little each night before bed. I would read a page or 2 and then fall asleep. At that rate, I would NEVER finish a book. Mostly, I just find it diffucult to just sit still and read without mutli-tasking. I think I should be reading AND doing laundry, while helping Sam with homework, changing poopy diapers, balancing the checkbook, handing out snacks, etc. I guess I don't allow myself to just sit and read. Yes, the sitting still part continues to be hard for me...Ughhhhhh!

When I taught 4th grade , I loved reading children's chapter books and following along with what the kids were reading. Now, I feel so gypped when I hear other mothers talking about the books they've read. Like I am NOT in the "I can still read books" club.

So, I decided to follow a different path to the same point - actually finishing a book. I have been listening to books on my ipod. I can sit and listen to the book and knit ALL while sitting in the carpool line at my sons elementary school. That give me 20 minutes a day of reading (or non-reading).

The first book I began was The Shack, by William Young. This is the book everyone at my church has already read and I was sad that I couldn't join in on their discussions of what they thought was a wonderful read.

I absolutely loved it!!! Surprising since is was slightly slow and sad for me in the beginning. Honestly, I wanted to give up on it. But I trudged along and it turned out to be amazing. I don't really have anything profound to say about the book (although I was extremely moved by it). I found some strange explanation of my own relationship with the Holy Trinity written in this book. There was such great depth to the meaning of faith as told in the story, yet such a simplicity that I found very comforting. I have recently purchased the "real" book for my husband and he is reading it too! Loved it!

The next book I have started is Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall & Denver Moore.

I got the idea for this book from one of my fellow bloggers: The Bloom Book Club.

http://thebloombookclub.blogspot.com/

Below is a video description of the book.

I am actually more than halfway through the book and am loving it as well. I am really looking forward to the new experience of following a "book club" blog. I am not sure how it works but can't wait for the follow-up blog to the first 100 pages of the book tomorrow.

BTW, when I decide to make the switch from spiritually uplifting and "be a better person" kind of books to the trashy romance novels...I probably won't share those on my blog! Until then...you should definitely read these 2 books! And if you already have...I would love to hear about it.