2015 was a year of active reading. I tried a few new genre and found I'm enjoying the lighter side of reading. To my surprise, my favorites in the past few months are books that revolve around food, baking, and cooking. Of course, then I end up filling my refrigerator with lots of yummy things to eat.
Interspersed between the lighter works of fiction, I've been reading books about printing, libraries, and the book. In May, I embarked on a year of self-education, where I'm reading more complex books that parallel the courses I'm teaching. With the dawn of 2016 and the beginning of my course on the history of the book, I'll plow into some books about the book, printing, and libraries. I am currently reading a book at specialized book and printing markets in Early Modern Europe. With 20 essays, it will be a good exercise in focusing on new topics and translating them into lectures for my course.
As to reading outside my comfort zone, I've been finishing books that are more literary in nature, that aren't a straight romance, saga, history, mystery, or thriller. Those books take much more energy and perseverance as I prefer to be entertained. Since I encourage my students, budding librarians, to read widely, I should do the same.
Follow me on Goodreads if you want to see what I've been reading. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1557957-miriam
Here's to a 2016 filled with diverse books and exploring new topics.
