This month I am wrapping up all of my Currently Reading books – a couple of months behind schedule due to various circumstances.
One thing I have discovered about myself is that I prefer to do my non-fiction reading early in the morning, because that is the time my brain is most capable of being focused. The house is quiet, no one is awake yet, and I don’t have to multitask. Once the day gets going with school work and other things, it’s harder for me to fully attend to one of my non-fiction titles.
In the evenings when the house starts to settle down for the night, I’m tired so it’s more difficult to stay focused on non-fiction. I prefer lighter reads like fantasy or romance.
All this is to say sometimes my reading plans for non-fiction go off the rails for a couple of months, and while in the past I have gotten frustrated with myself, I’ve learned to accept my limitations, and acknowledge that I’m still reading my books, just at a slower pace.
I feel like my routine is back on track now, and my plans for July are to wrap up the brunt of my Currently Reading stack.
I did finish up my non-fiction audible The Happiness Hypothesis – it was very interesting and I’d certainly recommend. It looks at happiness and what makes us happy, how we as humans find happiness. The author examines both cultural and religious views on the matter, as well as modern psychology. I found it fascinating and it had a lot of food for though. This book is written by Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist, and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind – another book of his that I recommend. I think his work is solid and worth the time to read (or listen to). He also has a new title out – The Anxious Generation – and I’m putting this one on my 2025 list.
I have now started a new title – Liquid Rules by Mark Miodownik (free to read if you have Kindle Unlimited!). I am listening to this on Audible and it is narrated by Michael Page, who is absolutely wonderful – he actually narrated Miodownik’s previous book Stuff Matters, which is where I was first introduced to this author. In Stuff Matters, Miodownik goes through a series of solids – from food to glass and metal – and gives a detailed deep dive into the science and history of each. In Liquid Rules, he is doing the same thing, only with liquids. He does it with a humor that draws you in, and you don’t need an extensive science background – it is written for the laymen – and worth the time to listen or read.
I’ve also started listening to a wonderful fiction series – The House Witch by Delemhach (and narrated by Matthew Wolf) – here is the paperback if you prefer (and it’s free to read for Kindle Unlimited members!). I tend to stick with non-fiction audible titles, since I find I get too engrossed in fiction titles, but I happened across this particular one, and have become hooked. And thankfully – there are several books in the series to enjoy. The House Witch takes place in a fantasy world with several neighboring kingdoms, and includes magic users (witches and mages). The main character, Finn, is a house witch – a mutant witch who derives much of his magic from being tied to his home. He becomes employed as the Royal Cook to the King and Queen of Daxaria. There is interpersonal drama, court intrigue, political tension, and lots of food.
One thing I find fascinating is how the author overlays real world beliefs and practices onto this fantasy world – for example, Beltane is a major celebration for the peoples in Daxaria and the surrounding kingdoms. This injection of real culture onto the fantasy world extends even to food. One of my favorite examples of this is when Finn is preparing a meal for the King and it turns out to be bulgogi beef and kimchi – in actuality well-known Korean cuisine, but in the novel they are dishes from the neighboring kingdom of Zinfera.
I’ve got several books I’m wrapping up this month, and I’ll share more as I finish them. I look forward to starting several new titles next month as well.
Happy Reading!
For those on the fence on whether to get an Audible membership. I have gotten a lot out of my membership over the years. For several years, I have stayed at the membership level where I get one credit a month, but there are different subscriptions available – and they also have options if you need to pause your membership. Just this month I have decided to switch over to the one year plan, where I pay for a year-long membership and get 12 credits up front.
I have Premium Plus, which gives me access to the Audible Plus catalog, which is pretty expansive. So I can listen to audiobooks without using credits. I’ve been happy with the titles available – including children’s titles. Between myself, my spouse and my kids, we really get a lot out of our membership. I’m including a link if you want to do an Audible trial – Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks.
If you are active over on Threads – I’d love to connect. I’ve just moved over there recently and have enjoyed the conversations on “Bookthreads” – you can find me posting as @michellehomescholar_books.
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Michelle Home Scholar 