Sometimes I don’t like to write about what I am reading or have read because I figure other people are reading deeper, more meaningful books, but then I decided that while some people are reading deeper, more meaningful books, the majority of us are all probably just reading garbage literature.

If you don’t know me yet then you don’t know I joke a lot and that the previous sentence is a joke, for the most part. Though, seriously, most of what we read is crap, right? Don’t lie. You know it is. And the rest of what we read is actually very, very good. What matters is that we like what we read even if someone else thinks it is crap. That’s what I tell myself anyhow.

So in the last couple of months, I’ve been a bit slow on reading, but I have managed to finish a couple of books and by a couple, I mean exactly two.

First to be finished was a book by the woman called the queen of Christian fiction, Karen Kingsbury, who is a new author for me. I wish I had had some warning on what a gut-wrencher Where Yesterday Lives was going to be. It was the first book in a collection of three books that Amazon offered as a deal a couple of months ago. I have a children’s book by Kingsbury and had seen a presentation by her on Youtube so I thought, “why not? Let’s give it a try.”

Good grief – talk about drama, drama, and more drama through the whole book. It was a poignant and emotional story and very well written, don’t get me wrong, but my diaphragm got a good work out throughout it. I wept through half the book and flat out ugly cried at least three times. It doesn’t give away too much to say the story is about a broken family who must come together for the funeral of their patriarch resulting in a great deal of dysfunctional drama unfolds.

I would definitely recommend it, but prepare yourself with a box of tissues. From what I understand, most of Kingsbury’s books are heartwrenching and dramatic. I sampled another one and was immediately pulled into it and hope it comes on sale before I buy it (yes, I’m cheap like that). Kingsbury’s books are definitely Christian, but not simple or cheesy or even super preachy. I would have to say, actually, they are a bit twisted and depressing at times.

I did manage to finish another book in between the Kingsbury book and working on my own: The fifth book in The Cat Who series by Lillian Jackson Braun. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous books but I’m still carrying along with my plan to read through the series in order. I think she wrote some 37 books in this series so we will see how far I get, but for now, I enjoy the light mysteries before bed.

Another series I enjoy before bed is the James Herriot books. They are usually light and don’t cause me to lay awake thinking too much after I turn off the Kindle. I’m currently reading the second of Herriot’s books (at least in the American version of the series), All Things Bright and Beautiful, and I like how each chapter is essentially broke into individual short stories, though the stories still tie together the whole book. I read a chapter or two at a time and it’s like having bit size treats and when I finish the entire book I feel a tinge of sadness. Luckily he wrote a series of them. Most people probably know that Herriot’s books are primarily about his adventures as a rural vet in England before, during and after World War II. Herriot’s real name, as I have mentioned here before was Alfred Wight.

Other books I’ve started since the beginning of June include:

In This Mountain, Book Six in the Mitford Series by Jan Karon.

Hayom Haba: The Next Day by James Sutton (independently published, it tells the story of the disciples the day after Jesus is crucified.)

A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers

And one book I started that I can’t seem to finish: “A Cottage By the Sea”  by Debbie Macomber

I tried to like Debbie Macomber I really did, but no matter what I could not seem to get into her books. It could just be the current mood I’m in. I’ll probably try her again someday because I absolutely love her as a person. My mom said the book I put in our Kindle account for us was “okay”, so at least she got some enjoyment out of it.

As for what I’ve been up to, other than reading, I’ve been writing a couple of stories. You can follow the one-story HERE and I haven’t finished the other one yet, but I have published a sample on my blog this week.

On the blog for the past few weeks I’ve been rambling about writing and how I, and I’m sure others, are sick of trying to make everyone happyhow I, and I’m sure others, are sick of trying to make everyone happy and how the anxiety I deal with isn’t only mental,but also caused by physical reasons.

As for what I’ve been watching, I seem to be on a Miss Marple binge. It’s the original BBC Miss Marple with Joan Haskins, who I love as Miss Marple, though I haven’t read any of the books about her or seen other Miss Marple.  Her attitude and the subtle way she tells people they are full of “tosh”, so to speak, is hilarious. I also love how her eyes light up when she walks in on a crime or she thinks she can wiggle her way into an investigation. During the first episode of the second season, she walks in on a man who’s head has been beat in and literally claps her hand together like “Oh, yeah, I’m getting in on this one, baby.” Of course, she is a bit like Jessica Fletcher – you know – the angel of death. Everywhere the woman goes at least one person, and usually at least three, die. If I were her relatives, I would stop inviting her over.

All of the episodes are at least two episodes, some of them are three. British mysteries are so much different than American ones. They really take their time to develop characters and pull you into the story. I would think a lot of Americans would be too impatient to wait for the story and mystery to develop and would instead turn it off for something more fast-paced, like one of the 5,000 spin-offs of CSI. The only downside to watching so much British television is that I’m beginning to talk to my children and even write in a British accent. For example, in the above sentence I almost wrote “I would imagine a lot of Americans. . .” and when I typed it I said it in Miss Marple’s voice. Yes, actually, I do think I need a wee bit of a British mystery break.

So what have you been reading or watching lately? Let me know in the comments or link your post about what you’ve been reading, or yours for this week’s Sunday Salon in the comments for me. If you want to read what more people are reading and have been up to, check out Readerbuzz’s Sunday Salon.