So, you write a book blog, but you haven't blogged about any books lately?

Yes. I'm sorry. 

I have been reading a lot of very specific, emotionally charged books that have been pertinent to the current state of affairs within my life. 

Sure, I see analytics with Blogger, but I never know who is going to be reading this blog or its posts.

So I'm careful about what I post, because I care about my privacy, and the privacy of my loved ones.

That being said, I have been dabbling more in the "non-emotional category" of late - fiction and nonfiction alike - and I kept notes. 

I'm going to do my best here to post more often. 

Rest assured, I am still The Ardent Reader, with piles of books all over my house, a library hold list a mile long, and an Amazon wish list that never seems to stop growing.

Thank you for reading.

Looking forward to May.

So far I have 25 people signed up as guest bloggers in May. They're going to write and publish a blog post. I've assigned dates for people who want to contribute. The content started to roll in on Wednesday and it's good. I mean, really good. I'm so psyched to share it with you.

I hand picked some of these would-be bloggers and others came to me through the announcements and social media posts.

If you agreed to write something, I'm so excited to have you on board.

If you haven't, why not?

There are six spots left - don't miss this chance to tell your own story!

Book 171: What Happened by Hillary Clinton (Unfinished)

I wanted to finish this book, but I lost momentum halfway through, then my library loan ended, and I wasn't going to buy a $15 digital copy for my Kindle so I could finish it. Truth be told, this book is just too long to read in a few days, so I'm moving on.

Still, this is what I have to say about it.

Whether you love her or hate her, it's difficult to deny that Hillary Clinton has incredible resilience. No one wants to talk about their own failures (and some people ignore them completely), but through this book, Hillary explored her own to understand how and why they happened. She admitted her own shock and humiliation at losing the 2016 election and kept on going. She wrote about her mistakes before and during the campaign and the lessons she's learned because of them. She also wrote about what she did right. For her, I think writing this book was therapeutic. It was also very smart, because the book sold like crazy when it was published.

If you decide to pick this up, give yourself ample time to read it. You'll also need an open mind.

In Memory of My Grandmother, Ruth Spicer Hofknecht

My grandmother, Ruth, was 96 years old when she passed away just after midnight on Sunday morning, April 9. She was the last of my grandparents to pass - the end of a generation - and she hung in there a lot longer than anybody thought she would. 

Grandma Ruth was also an ardent reader, though she preferred quite a different genre than those I like - although psychology and brain injury were on her lists. She was a trained nurse, and worked for the School District of Philadelphia as a beloved school nurse for what seemed like forever. She loved the children she worked with at Jenks School in Chestnut Hill. She was smart, well-read, and kept notes on everything she did.

In her 80s, Grandma Ruth decided to pick up where she left off with her high school French. She never went anywhere without her Bible and her "dungaree" drawstring handbag with "I LOVE JESUS" embroidered on the side. She's known as "Grandma Praise the Lord" because she always greeted everyone that way - even answering the phone.

To my brothers and me, Grandma Ruth was like a third parent, and she drove us all over the place. Sometimes we would just go and sit at Valley Green and feed the ducks... a tradition I kept up when my children were born. She could sit there for hours in her vinyl lawn chair, just watching ducks.

I'm proud of what Grandma Ruth accomplished in her lifetime - she was a strong and proud woman who worked hard and cared about many people.

The Motivated Reader

I made my 2010 New Years' Resolution to read one book per week, and to keep a record of the books, their plots, and what I thought of them.

I've always loved to read. More recently, reading has been the best way to turn off all of the distractions of my days and enjoy my own time - time for myself.

My mom always wants me to keep journals. I thought about getting one of those overpriced reader's journals, but I figured, why not save the handwriting for my personal journal, and type away on this one.

I'll hope you'll keep tabs on my adventures as a reader, comment where you see fit, and make recommendations for future reading!