I have been reading like a…like a worm? A bookworm, anyway. I don’t think normal worms can see. They don’t have eyes.

There are a lot of good books in the world, obviously. I have always been a piecemeal reader. I had to consume so much information to get my history degree that it was all in chapters and paragraphs, not whole works of literature. After college, I continued my general fear of reading a whole book and would simply pile up partially read tomes and forget them. I’m an awesome gleaner, so non-fiction and blogs and magazines are my word sources of choice.

Lately, though, I have been reading complete works in short periods of time. So this is how most people do it! I think part of it has to do with owning an eReader…it’s fun to have the itch to read something and have it accessible.

I did knock out a couple in audio format over Christmas because Dan gave me an Audible gift certificate and I have two long drives to get to and from New Mexico. I don’t know if audio books are cheating but I’m going to count them.

The good stuff:

Bossypants – Tina Fey (audiobook)
I tried to read this earlier this year and I got distracted and never finished it. Tina reads her own audiobook, and that makes all the difference. It’s hilarious and well-written and thoughtful. She is exhibit A in the world of successful, funny writers and comedians who had pretty normal, stable upbringings. That whole “suffering makes you funny” cliche’ is not always true, thank goodness.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? – Mindy Kaling
Mindy is known for her work on The Office…another writer and comedian (comedienne freaks me out as a spelling word) with a memoir about a fairly normal childhood and some great insights into writing and acting. There is a theme in these books of normal people being successful and as a fairly normal person, I like it. If only Amy Poehler would write a book, I would be so happy. Come on Amy, 2012 is your year!

Unbearable Lightness – Portia de Rossi
I have been researching Portia since she is one of my three style icons, and I’m not sure what I expected out of this book. Not much, because…sorry to stereotype, but books written by celebrities who are not writers are oftentimes lame. Turns out Portia is an excellent writer with a really interesting story. A lot of the book is about her overcoming her eating disorders, but it’s also an interesting insight into becoming famous and dealing with celebrity. I never thought about it, but when you go from being relatively unknown to being on the hottest TV show in the nation, you aren’t inborn with the knowledge of how to be famous. She can also write a really excellent inner dialogue…my inner dialogue usually consists of, “Coffee. Where are my keys? What is the capital of Lithuania? Dolphin.” This book is way more sophisticated than that.

11/22/63 – Stephen King
The fiction entry in my list…I don’t think I have ever read a whole King book before since I avoid gore in real life and in fictional life. I am a Kennedy assassination conspiracy nut, though, so I had to read it. It’s excellent. Also now I am sure I am on some kind of government watch list.

There are a few more but I’ll save those for later. Reading is fundamental. I shall do it more in 2012. Send me recommendations or leave them in the comments!