Montreal is officially back in the red zone. I am disheartened and not feeling particularly positive when it comes to this whole COVID situation. Although most precautions were lifted over the summer, my hubby and I still played it safe and kept our distance from many of our friends and family members, preferring to veer on the side of ‘over cautious’ instead of acting ‘overzealous’. I haven’t sat in a restaurant since March 6th when I had a double date at Fiorellino pizza bar. I have only seen my grandparents 2-3 times since lockdown. And there are many family members I haven’t seen in over 7 months. All I have to say is thank goodness for video chat technology!
Speaking about technology, I wanted to share something that might help you get through this next month-long shutdown. About a year and a half ago, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to read more books. I had not picked up an actual book to read for pleasure since my early high school days. When I was younger, I used to spend hours reading, getting lost in the fiction or non-fiction world of literature. And then school hit and all of that was lost to me.
When I did try to prioritize reading this year, I had a REALLY hard time sitting down and focusing my attention on a paperback novel. I always had an excuse to put down the book and do something else. Make dinner, empty the dishwasher or watch the next episode of Game of Thrones with the hubby. So, my New Year’s resolution was essentially going to shit.
That is, until my friends and I started a small laid-back book club and I tried listening to audiobooks instead of actually reading the hard copies. At first, I told myself that this wasn’t really reading but you know what? It is. It 100% counts as reading in my mind.
The first app I downloaded was Audible as this is the one I had heard about the most. But in all honesty, I found it expensive and limiting. So I kept searching until I came across the app called Scribd. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it, just download it and trust me.
I started with the 30-day free trial and I was hooked. I listened to books while loading that darn dishwasher, while I cooked delicious meals for my family and I also listened while taking Frankie on hour-long walks every day in the summer. Time moved faster while I listened to my audiobooks and I started looking forward to those brain-less tasks that would allow me to just zone-out and listen.
I had never actually paid for an app before Scribd. Maybe $1-2 here and there but this time, I invested. I paid $120 for the year-long subscription and I don’t regret it at all. For $12 a month, I get unlimited downloads to popular books! It was less expensive than buying a new book every few weeks and at least this way, I didn’t need to buy a new bookshelf for all of my new purchases!
My friends and I aimed at reading 1 new book a month. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But I have definitely discovered some great reads over the last year!
For any of you interested, here is what I have read so far:
- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
- One of us is lying by Karen M. McManus
- Two can keep a secret by Karen M. McManus
- Behind closed doors by B. A. Paris
- The Mister by E. L. James
- The wife between us by Greer Hendricks
- The other woman by Sandro Jones
- Nine perfect strangers by Liane Moriarty
- Shelter in Place by Norah Roberts
- The husband’s secret by Liane Moriarty
- The mother-in-law by Sally Hepworth
- The Couple next door by Shari Lapena
- Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle
- The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
- The Storyteller by Jody Picoult
- Idiot by Laura Clery
- The one by John Mars
- The last breath by Kimberly Belle
- Five feet apart by Rachael Lippincott
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- The Ones We Trust by Kimberly Belle
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey
I’m so proud of myself for developing this new routine and helping my inner bookworm resurface. And this year, I’ll be able to focus on a different New Year’s resolution!
If you sign up on the Scribd app, you can get a 30-day free trial! But if you use my invitation link below, you can actually get a 60-day free trial!
Diana’s invitation link to try Scribd for 60-days for free: https://www.scribd.com/g/7j6yvp
Happy reading!