What Are You Reading and Why?

I'm currently working on some future blog post ideas but, for now, I'd like to know what you are reading and - are you ready for this? - why?

Recently, I had to read eight or so novels for a class and none of them were likely to have been ones that I would have chosen to read for pleasure. That being said, there were a couple that I couldn't put down while others that were like pulling teeth. I was nearly giddy when I was finally able to make time to read a book of my choice again. Originally I thought that was because do not particularly enjoy books that offered a social or political commentary, which all of the eight books did. But then, I'll admit, I found that I enjoyed The Stepford Wives, which has an unmistakeable social commentary on the treatment of women (I'm talking about the book, not the movie), because of its concise and suspenseful writing. And I absolutely adored Whale Rider, which has a fairly strong commentary about women and modernization among other things, because I fell in love with Kahu and wanted to see her hold her tribe together in the changing times. I also loved the mystical element of the whales and how it wound in with the rest of the plot. However, even with these two novels in the mix, nothing felt better than opening a book of my own choosing at the end of the class.

We read so many books, but do we ever examine why? Do we ever ask what it is about a particular author, genre, or even a single book that draws us in? Or, in the case of the book that now gathers dust on an end table, what failed to grab us that we just couldn't make it past the second chapter? It could be the author's voice, the protagonist, the subject matter, etc.

As for me, I am currently reading The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox. It's a paranormal romance, a genre that I've only recently begun to read but, nevertheless, immensely enjoy. I am an avid romance fan and I love the unexpected twists and limitless worlds the paranormal element promises. The author also has a great voice and has woven a creative tale with an unlikely candidate for demon slayer and a mysterious, dangerously handsome hero. I think I'll go read more now!