I'm a mood reader, and here's why I love it.

I am reading a lot of books right now…well, four books. Probably five once I pick up my hold at the library. This is normal for me. Ever since I was little, I harbored a healthy stack of books on my nightstand and there were never any fewer than three at a time, though I’ve been known to read six, or even seven at a time when I’m feeling especially pretentious. I remember in high school, one of my best friends came to my house and saw a stack of books by my bed and asked how on earth I was reading so many at once. I shrugged and said something along the lines of, “I like to have options in case I get bored with one of them.” To this day, that statement continues to ring true.

I fancy myself a mood reader. To me, this basically means that I have to have different story lines going at once because I never know what I’m going to be in the mood for. I started doing this after realizing that too many good books had been ruined in my mind because I simply wasn’t in the right headspace to read it that day, and that isn’t fair to the author or the story, or to myself. How can you give something a fair shot if you’re hankering to read something completely different?

Growing up, I didn’t notice that this is what I was going. I’d just simply see another book I wanted to read and start it, while simultaneously reading the others throughout the day/week/month. As I got older, I was able to better articulate why this was an appealing approach for me. You see, I really like heavy books. Books that make you think hard about what you’re reading and how you perceive your world. They don’t necessary have to be so deeply impactful that you go and make drastic changes in your life, but I like to be brought outside myself. The issue with books like that though, is that wading through them can be incredible difficult and sometimes you just don’t feel like reading them. So I’d mosey over to my book shelf and pick something wildly different, a separate world I could fall into for a few hours. When I had had enough of those characters, I’d go back to my “big scary.” The most recent experience I have with this approach is ongoing. I’m reading very different things and for the first time in a really long time, none of them are duds. I don’t mean bad writing, I mean somehow I have managed to find four books that hooked me immediately and have kept me interested. You know that feeling when you’re reading and reading and reading and all of a sudden you realize you’ve eaten through a hundred pages? And you think, “Dang it, I really wish I hadn’t just read so much because I want it to last longer than this…” Yeah, I’m reading four of those right now. Freaking unicorn, am I right? So what am I reading? It all started with one, my friends. Here we go.

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It, by Stephen King

ILOVESTEPHENKING. Yes, that’s one word. Seriously, love him. Would die if I could meet him. If you know me, you know that this is actually an incredibly unusual pairing for me. I don’t do horror, y’all. Don’t watch it ever. Not in a million years. I can’t even listen to true crime podcasts without an epic bout of paranoia that keeps me from taking my dog out at night (Monkey, so sorry baby). But there is something about Stephen King that pulls me in. Maybe it’s the sense of magical realism, even though I don’t think that’s the right term. Maybe it’s that his stories are so out of this world that there’s no way they could be true – versus true crime where all the crazies are gonna come get me as soon as I turn my back. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because they’re twisted in a really brilliant way and I go through them like fire to paper. Regardless of what the reason is, every Stephen King book is heavy. Not in the philosophical, change your life kind of way, but they are heavy. And scary as hell. And sometimes we don’t want to be afraid of the plink plink behind the shower curtain, so we pick up…

Beneath A Scarlet Sky, by Mark T. Sullivan.

This is a WWII novel based on an insanely amazing true story. You guys, I have never been so blown away by a WWII novel before. I also cannot put this book down. I’m reading it on Kindle, which is both good and bad, and for the same reason = I can read it anywhere, anytime, just on my cellphone. Yep, I’m trendy. I read e-books because their ease of access is ah-maze-ing. But that’s beside the point. WWII stories are my favorite historical fiction because there are so many different facets to the tragedy that there’s no way every perspective could be filled. When I want to go on an adventure, I open this book. When I want to be daring and brave, I open this book (and read until I can’t keep my eyes open). The thing with WWII books, though, is that they can be brutal. So we then move on to…

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan.

So far, this story is adorable to me and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The only downside? It’s kind of short. This story has a strong sense of magical realism that I can’t get enough of – y’all, I love magic and seriously wish it were real but I guess since it isn’t I’m just gonna keep living in magical book-worlds. This book is also hilarious. I actually find myself laughing out loud every couple of pages and I love that. I’ve got a dry sense of humor and it’s not typically easy for me to find humor on a page, but Sloan hits the nail on the head. Though I’m only about half way through this book, I don’t think there’s any other opinion for it: I love it. It reads like candy is eaten – easily and with absolute happiness. Last but not least…

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.

I know, I'm late to the game on this one. I actually remember starting this book when I was in the 5th grade but never finished it. I didn't even remember anything about it, so when I needed a YA book to pick up, I thought why not (but I think this title is middle grade, right..)? Reading it as an adult, I realize that the premise is interesting - the narrator is death, and I think when I tried to read it as a child, that didn't register with me. I find it interesting to look at WWII through the eyes of death, but also through the eyes of a child. I'm not very far into it yet, but so far I like the innocence.

The hold at the library that I need to pick up is Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. This was one I had suggested for book club but we wanted something lighter, so I placed it on hold for myself. I'm excited to pick it up and begin!

So there you have it, folks. I know this is a long post, but I've really enjoyed writing it. It has actually caused me to look further into why I read the way I do, and I don't think I'd want it any other way. I've accepted that I'm a mood reader and I kind of love it. The best part about all of it, is that I'm loving every single book on the roster right now. How often does that happen?! Well, I'm off to read my way through this lovely, dreary Sunday. Go read something good!