My entire life, I have been obsessed with reading. As a child I would read whatever I could get my hands on, whether that was a novel, a textbook or the back of a cereal box. I memorized the backs of shampoo bottles, along with the instructions in French.
Today? My favorite book is this really smooth silver one with an apple on the front. It's pretty cool, because there are a billion pages to read and lots of pretty pictures. Not sure when I'll finish though. It's longer than a Russian history novel.
Ok, I'm only kind of joking. The reality is, I still love to read. But a lot of my free time is spent reading blogs and writing posts, which cuts into the rest of my reading time. I've recently discovered that I can walk on the treadmill at an incline and hold a book, which is about the coolest thing since sliced bread. I anticipate spending a lot of my "active recovery" days engrossed in more stories about Ryan Gosling.
Here's what I read, when I can tear myself away from the computer:
Magazines (I bet you thought I would start with heavy books first, right? Nope, glossies come first!)
Esquire: For a long time I was convinced this was a "lad's mag" because there are often women on the cover. Turns out, it might just be my favorite magazine. Unlike some reads, this doesn't get consumed in under an hour. There are really thoughtful articles on politics, economics, pop culture and fashion. And Ryan Gosling.
Runner's World: Do I even need to mention this? It should be a given. I try not to read the entire thing when it arrives, but I nearly always fail. Great tips for beginners, helpful recipes for athletes and inspiring stories about runners who beat all sorts of odds.
Fitness: Meh. Yeah, it was a cheap subscription. It's finished in about two and a half toilet trips (don't lie, you know you do it too) and I find myself frustrated about some of the "advice" I read in it. It is a fun read, although I wouldn't take much of it too seriously.
Books
Ever feel like picking your favorite books is like choosing which kids are cuter in a lineup? No?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
Matilda (Roald Dahl)
Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)
Jude the Obscure (Hardy again...)
Far From the Madding Crowd (Yep, I have a thing for Thomas Hardy)
Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
I will not apologize for choosing a children's book or three books by the same author. My blog, tough luck. Maybe you can blame the Thomas Hardy obsession on the fact that both my father AND by brother are named Hardy.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go make dinner (gnocchi) and feel incredibly superior because today my post revolved around something other than my usual topics ("Look at me, I sweat!" and "More ways to eat peanut butter"). Apologies to anyone who used those actual post titles in recent months, I really was just poking fun at myself.
What are your favorite magazines? Can you read and workout at the same time?
You already know my top 3, although if I'm at the gym and there is anything to read I would pick it up. I can't run and read, though. Just doesn't work. If anyone knows how, help me out!
Favorite childhood books or authors? Favorite book today?
First love was the Babysitter's Club series, and I won't apologize. Classics. I also love anything by Roald Dahl, and have from a young age.
Today? My favorite book is this really smooth silver one with an apple on the front. It's pretty cool, because there are a billion pages to read and lots of pretty pictures. Not sure when I'll finish though. It's longer than a Russian history novel.
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| My beautiful Macbook Air. Someone's else's beautiful photography. |
Ok, I'm only kind of joking. The reality is, I still love to read. But a lot of my free time is spent reading blogs and writing posts, which cuts into the rest of my reading time. I've recently discovered that I can walk on the treadmill at an incline and hold a book, which is about the coolest thing since sliced bread. I anticipate spending a lot of my "active recovery" days engrossed in more stories about Ryan Gosling.
 |
| TWO Goslings. Hello, boys. |
Here's what I read, when I can tear myself away from the computer:
Magazines (I bet you thought I would start with heavy books first, right? Nope, glossies come first!)
Esquire: For a long time I was convinced this was a "lad's mag" because there are often women on the cover. Turns out, it might just be my favorite magazine. Unlike some reads, this doesn't get consumed in under an hour. There are really thoughtful articles on politics, economics, pop culture and fashion. And Ryan Gosling.
Runner's World: Do I even need to mention this? It should be a given. I try not to read the entire thing when it arrives, but I nearly always fail. Great tips for beginners, helpful recipes for athletes and inspiring stories about runners who beat all sorts of odds.
Fitness: Meh. Yeah, it was a cheap subscription. It's finished in about two and a half toilet trips (don't lie, you know you do it too) and I find myself frustrated about some of the "advice" I read in it. It is a fun read, although I wouldn't take much of it too seriously.
Books
Ever feel like picking your favorite books is like choosing which kids are cuter in a lineup? No?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
Matilda (Roald Dahl)
Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)
Jude the Obscure (Hardy again...)
Far From the Madding Crowd (Yep, I have a thing for Thomas Hardy)
Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
I will not apologize for choosing a children's book or three books by the same author. My blog, tough luck. Maybe you can blame the Thomas Hardy obsession on the fact that both my father AND by brother are named Hardy.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go make dinner (gnocchi) and feel incredibly superior because today my post revolved around something other than my usual topics ("Look at me, I sweat!" and "More ways to eat peanut butter"). Apologies to anyone who used those actual post titles in recent months, I really was just poking fun at myself.
What are your favorite magazines? Can you read and workout at the same time?
You already know my top 3, although if I'm at the gym and there is anything to read I would pick it up. I can't run and read, though. Just doesn't work. If anyone knows how, help me out!
Favorite childhood books or authors? Favorite book today?
First love was the Babysitter's Club series, and I won't apologize. Classics. I also love anything by Roald Dahl, and have from a young age.
runners world and food and wine! top magazines. I wish I liked to read more. ugh. I read my devotional each morning, does that count?
ReplyDeleteI love that so many of your favorites are books I adore too! A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is amazing!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorites-
Magazines - Smut mags - People, US Weekly, then Runner's World and Oxygen
Books - SO HARD to pick!!
Kids -
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Doll People by Ann M. Martin
YA -
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy by Carrie Ryan
Adult -
The Hannah Swensen Series by Joanne Fluke (cozy mysteries)
Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
You need to get a Kindle!!! I should get some form of payment for all the people I recruit to get one…but, seriously, if for no other reason than this - you can change the size of the print and it is really easy to make it bigger and then read away while on the elliptical or walking on a treadmill. My favs are my Kindle (you prob guessed that one), Runner's World (again, an obvious) and reading tabloid headlines….I generally resist the impulse buy, but I do allow myself to cave when flying somewhere :)
ReplyDeleteOh Yay, I love the Babysitter's Club. My mom still has all of them from my childhood in her garage. I think I'm going to have to give them another look. I read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Island of the Blue Dolphins recently cause I had loved them as a kid.
ReplyDeletehaha....i'm the same way, i feel sort of bad that now the majority of all my reading is on the web!! that said, i still love a great book and of course mag's. i DO need to say that added to ur list needs to be Running Times!! i like that one and Track and Field News. :)
ReplyDeletePS- and of course my celeb sleaze ;)
ha! Arent we a little sassy today? I cannot read and workout at all. I am incredible motion sickness prone and well, its not pretty! I do however LOVE my Nook and really enjoy reading at bed time :) My favorite were Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. Classics!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading magazine whiles on the treadmill too, but not as much as I love watching the foot network -- weird I know:) When I start running longer, I think I'm going to try listening to a book. Driving and listening to a book was a no go -- major ADD, but I'm hoping while running will be the best thing ever ...talk about multitasking!
ReplyDeleteWe are SERIOUSLY fave book twins! Not magazine twins though. I hardly ever read magazines anymore :/ I loooove O magazine though, which probably makes me an old lady.
ReplyDeleteLove Matilda and all Roald Dahl books. I read Matilda aloud to my class last year and they loved it as much as I did. BSC were my first love too :) (yes, I just used the acronym...)
ReplyDeleteOH. And if you're looking for new books to read and you haven't read this one yet, I bet you would LOVE The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. AMAZING amazing book.
ReplyDeleteWAIT .. There are 2 Goslings?????
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite mags are runners world, glamour, and womens health (probably because that's what I have a subscription to)
I used to love fear street books... I probably still do.
My favorite author is Nelson demille and my favorite book is suzanne's diary for Nicholas (James patterson)
I read Runners World, Womens Running, and Shape
ReplyDeleteI just read the Hunger Games first two books and am about to get my hands on the third! I heart reading!
i used to read babysitters club, goose bumps, and pony pals.
ReplyDeleteSome more adult favorites includes East of Eden by Steinbeck, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway, and currently the Song of Fire and Ice Series by r.r. martin.
i read runner's world, cooking light, vogue, and glamour mags
I subscribe to too many magazines...I wont list them all..but I love Runners World, Entertainment Weekly and People.
ReplyDeleteBooks: I love books. Real ones. I refuse to get a kindle.
my favorites are in French but in English
Sarah's Key is my #1
I love all David Sedaris books
right now reading Unbroken and I love it.
Kids: all Sandra Boyton's books and Moe Willems!
Your blog title totally cracks me up...because if that's true I must be a vampire lol I read alot and am a big fan of any vampire books. Don't worry I'm pretty normal, the books just fascinate me lol Plus I'm a Twilight fan, Edward all the way! lol I am always adding books to my future reading list!
ReplyDeleteWHAT?! My favorite, favorite, readitsixtytimes book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I have never met anyone else. Can we be best friends now?
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny. I love your writing style.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, my favorite series was Sweet Valley High. And I don't mean the Sweet Valley girls or twins (for the younger crowd.) I was reading about questionable subject matter in the third grade. (Hey! I couldn't help it if my aunt gave me a whole box of those books she didn't want anymore!)
My mom frowned when I had to ask her what the word "seduce" meant.
Almost done listening to "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Vergase...it's great so far. A little tough to get into, but totally worth it.
ReplyDeleteMost of my book reading seems to be done in the summer when we are swinging from an anchor and have no internet connection.
ReplyDeleteDuring those times I chew up mystery novels like bubblegum and I love James Patterson, Sue Grafton, John Grisham, and the like.
Some of your faves are also on my all time fave list.
The Great Gatsby
The Scarlet Letter
I love lots of other classics too:
Great Expectations comes to mind.
I love big long epics like the ones that were written by Leon Uris (Trinity) and James Michener (Centennial).
I loved the book Endless Love but hated the movie. That is usually the case with any book I love.
Magazines... I flip through them but don't get exited about any of them anymore.
I will look at:
Runners World
Canadian Running
Golf For Women
Self
Shape
Vanity Fair
Prevention
and just about any craft, sewing, needlecraft magazine out there.
Fun post.
Li
If you like Nabokov, Laughter In The Dark is a beautiful, amazing book.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you like Dahl, have you read his weirder, darker stuff?
I cannot read and exercise at the same time and God knows I've TRIED!!!! I have a friend who rides the recumbent bike an hour every day and reads like it's the only thing she's doing - who does that? I wish I could!
ReplyDeleteI really like Women's Running magazine maybe slightly better than Runners' World.
I don't have a lot of time to read (other than blogs) - not too well rounded I guess.
ahhhh! LOVE Matilda! SOO GOOD! and the movie too. I can read on the TM but it has to be on my ipad so I can control the size of the print ;) LOVE RW, running times, SI and People!
ReplyDeleteWeird. My upcoming post is #3 of the 30 Day Challenge and the topic is books. Now it will look like I am copying you. Maybe I will skip to #4!
ReplyDeleteI used to read my boyfriend's Maxim (Is that how it's spelled? It looks wrong.) because I found it hilarious. Especially the advice to seduce/impress women.
Runner's World is a fave. I used to like Oxygen, but then I realized I was just seeing the same pictures over and over month to month. Plus one time I counted how many pages were ads and it was like 75% of the thing!
I'll never stop being an avid Harry Potter fan. I've read all of the books multiple times. My hubby is still learning to cope with being married to such a Potter nerd. lol
ReplyDeleteWeird! I remember doing the exact same thing with shampoo bottles and cereal boxes as a kid! I guess it's just the time in your life that you're soaking up everything :) I also still really love to read, but I stick to mostly mystery novels. I have some podcasts I listen to while I'm walking, but I don't have any magazines I always read. I'll pick one up here or there, but I don't have any subscriptions. I used to have a subscription to Runner's World, but I started to feel if you've read one issue, you've read them all. So I didn't renew.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on a bunch of the favorites, but I couldn't get into Poisonwood Bible... What did I miss?
ReplyDeleteMy fav magazines: Runner's World & Fine Cooking.
My fav books: there are too many to list... Like you, I'm an inveterate bookworm. Recent reads I've liked are the Hunger Games trilogy, Wonder Girl, and Tales of a Female Nomad. :)
PS - I'm also w/ the other Beth (above) on the benefits of a Kindle. Being able to change text size is awesome when you're at the gym!
Ryan Gosling! Be still my beating heart! Wait what was this blog about again?
ReplyDeleteI don't read magazines, but I do wish I subscribed to Runner's World- if I weren't so dang cheap I would have a subscription.
ReplyDeleteFavorite books as a child were the Goosebumps series and The Babysitter's Club as well. I loved Dawn the most :). Why? I think I just liked her name to be honest.
I loved The Poisonwood Bible as well. In fact, I loved it so much that I was inspired to knit a quilt with some friends and donate it. Me? Knit? It's true! Books can compel you to do many unbelievable things.
I read in the bathroom. Love the honesty. I just started reading runner's world but I've never been into mags before than.
ReplyDeleteI can't read and workout.
favourite book as a child - The Hobbit. Today - too many. but I loved Ishmael and The Celestine Prophecy
Doing anything and running on the treadmill is a no no for me! Accidents do happen and quite often if I'm involved so it's eyes forward. I don't even listen to music because I get too distracted.
ReplyDeleteLoooove books in case you hadn't picked up on that from my blog. As I child I was obsessed with the Nancy Drew books and today I'm more well rounded but I love anything Nicholas Sparks writes. That man knows how to make me cry but yet feel inspired at the same time!
Hahah read in two toilet trips, classic. I was actually going to write a similar post soon about good books! I love reading but I hardly find time for it anymore. A+ for multitasking on the TM. I can only read if I'm on the bike, otherwise my head bobs on the elliptical or tm too much.
ReplyDeleteI don't read any magazines that I like, but I don't have a Runner's World subscription so maybe that's my problem.
ReplyDeleteI read a ton of books and picking my favorites is like asking me to pick a favorite child. :) I was an English major in undergrad, so I've pretty much read it all as far as classics. I do like less difficult reads, like Hunger Games. Now THAT was a fun read. :)
Magazines I read
ReplyDeleteRunners World
Weight Watchers
Women's Health
Health
I vary what magazines I subscribe to every couple of years.
I've always been a reader, as a child I read, THe Laura Ingalls Wilder books, the babysitter's club, Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins
Now I read lots, whatever we are reading for book club, lately I've been reading books by SUsan Wiggs, I love series that continue, maybe that's why I loves the books as a child
con't
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book is Smoke Jumpers by Nicholas Evans
I love to read but rarely find the time. Recently finished The Art of Racing in the Rain - it was excellent!
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS POST! Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I often go to thrift stores and get books, read them and pass them along to friends. I totally want to start a book club (I'm a geek at heart).
ReplyDeleteI have WAY too many magazine subscriptions. I got them free when my airline miles were about to expire....US Weekly (embarrassing I know), Self, Marie Claire....runners world wasn't available.....ugh.
Ryan Gosling is hot, hot, HOT! I just saw him is Crazy Stupid Love and Drive. He was great in both.
Fav book as a child was To Kill a Mocking Bird. SOOOOO good.
xo
Sarah
Get Up & Go
I love reading but often struggle to find books to read. I definitely can't read and work out unless it is reading the closed captioning on a tv.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I read everything from Nancy Drew to Sweet Valley Twins, to all that Lois Lowry had to offer.
These days, I still love a good mystery book but also just love a good story. And for the first time I read a lot of non-fiction as well. Books like Freakonomics and The Tipping Point.
One of my favourite non-fiction books I've read recently is called Stiff and is all about what happens to dead bodies. It was pretty awesome.
Running Mags of coures, Women's Health, and Oxygen.
ReplyDeleteI just started The Hunger games. I hadn't read a non-running related book in ahile. I need a good story. It's good so far!
I wish I could read while in the treadmill without feeling nauseated and dizzy. My favorite magazines are Runner’s World, Running Times, Shape, Womens Health and People. All of my other readings come from textbooks since I am working on my Master’s Degree!
ReplyDeleteLOVED THIS POST!!! My computer is my main source of reading lately too. I just finished The Soldier's Wife and it was awesome! I love reading all things running related too!
ReplyDeleteMy reading list is all over the place - but I go through a paperback novel in an afternoon.
ReplyDeleteLoved your reading list - almost all those books are on my favorite list.
The Hobbit and Jayne Eyre were my favorite 'children's' books.
I tagged you in my blog post today. Hope that is okay!!!
ReplyDeletexo
Sarah
Get Up & Go
I'm putting a Tree Grows in Brooklyn on my list now:) I have seen that listed from so many people as their favorites! I've got to read it. thanks!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that cover w/ the two Goslings. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteGreat Gatsby is one of my favorites. As an English teacher, I've probably read it 10 times in the last few years. Also love Catcher in the Rye, The Hours, and Speak.
Favorite magazines: Runner's World and Real Simple!
Oh man, I am a teacher so the list of childhood books for me could go on forever...lucky for me I still get the pleasure of reading them everyday :) I can't read and workout, I feel like I get to into my reading and workout slacks.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with all your old magazines?? I have so many!
ReplyDeleteI can't read and run but I can listen to my favourite podcast (marathon talk, sooo good!) or audio books. Books are tricky though because if the book is slow to get started you'll spend a number of tedious miles just trying to get it going.
ReplyDeleteI love reading GQ, Esquire and Men's Health! But also Women's Running and Vegetarian Times... weird selection, I know!
ReplyDeleteI read any thing and EVERYTHING that isnt nailed down.
ReplyDeleteand if it's nailed?Ill work around that :)
I get Runner's World, Women's Health and Shape. I think I will choose not to renew Shape when it is time. It is a good magazine but I don't have enough time to read them all. I usually end up reading books more.
ReplyDeleteI used to love the Sweet Valley series. I read as much as I could ge my hands on too.