Read to Achieve!

So on Thursday, I went to the bookstore and bought two books, this one because I am a geek, and this one because I need some fiction in my life. It's a good balance and I've added them both to my nightstand. When it comes to books, I like to have several going at a time, non-fiction are the best because I never forget where I'm at and can pick it up after however long. I prefer variety; what can I say? I'm all about having choices. As a consequence, it takes me forever to finish a book. So in addition to the above books, I'm also currently (and still) reading Gulag: A History (which is very informative though very dense and depressing), and Earth: An Intimate History (in my other life, I'd be a geologist), and On Food and Cooking (a whole chapter on milk, what more could you want?), and Patricia Highsmith bio (yes, Vivvy, still reading this! she's still sleeping her way through Europe), and The Portable Jung (this makes more sense on pot -- which I miss dearly), and A People's History of the Supreme Court (who were all those white men and how did they get there?), and Tao of Psychology (after an interesting discussion with my therapist), and, A History of the American People (now that I'm older, history is more interesting to me), and Backyard Astronomy (for quick reference and the names of all of the moon's craters!), and World Atlas (again for reference, not shrugging). I think that's all that's on my nightstand. In the meantime, I'll read a little fiction to escape. Finished the Harry Potter series (which I enjoyed more than I will admit) and when I was coming back from France this summer, I read Middlesex on the plane and trains.

I cut down on my magazine subscriptions because I just couldn't get through Atlantic Monthly and Harpers on a regular basis and so, felt guilty. I now get National Geographic, Cook's Illustrated, and Paste. I've decided I want my magazines to be full of pictures and easy to read. I get enough news online and I take a paper every day so I want my magazines to be relaxing.

It took me many years to get back into reading for pleasure. Grad school instilled a deep sense of guilt in me about reading anything that wasn't related to school or work. I think that's part of the reason I prefer non-fiction, I feel like I'm reading something useful + I'm just a big dork who, after many years of being trained in the liberal arts and social sciences, finds out she likes earth/physical science and history and politics a tad bit more. Nice! Maybe next week, I'll figure out what I want to be when I grow up too!

What are you reading these days? Anything good?