Evening Edition! Free Kindle & Nook Book!

I just returned home from Columbia not long ago…..it was a great trip, and I’m so glad I was able to spend a bit more than 24 hours there with my son!

But let me tell ya, leaving a bit past 3pm meant I hit Charolotte traffic smack dab at 5pm --- AUUUGHH! Good thing I have been listening to books in the car!

I sat down to go through my mail and stuff tonight….followed a link…found a goodie, and I’m logging in to post about it..it just sounds cute and fun. I could use some cute and fun.

Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise, by Joyce Magnin, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble.

Book Description:

Newly widowed Charlotte Figg purchases a double-wide trailer sight unseen and moves to the Paradise Trailer Park with her dog Lucky. Unfortunately, neither the trailer nor Paradise are what Charlotte expected.

Her trailer is a ramshackle old place in need of major repair, and the people of Paradise are harboring more secrets than Bayer has aspirin.

Charlotte s new friend Rose Tattoo learns that Charlotte played softball and convinces her to rally the women of Paradise into a team. Reluctant at first, Charlotte warms to the notion and is soon coaching the Paradise Angels.

Meanwhile, Charlotte discovers that the manager of Paradise, Fergus Wrinkel, abuses his wife Suzy. Charlotte sets out to find a way to save Suzy from Fergus and in the process comes to a difficult realization about her own painful marriage.

In a conversation the other day I was asked how I fit reading into my busy schedule. I make time for it! Just yesterday morning before heading to Columbia, I took the car in to be serviced. I even planned to be binding a quilt in the time it took for them to change my oil, rotate my tires, and do all that other fix-it stuff --- but though I had the quilt with me…the thread, scissors and needle were left behind in the car – which was in a separate building, up on a lift. What’s a girl to do?

Read a book on the kindle app on my phone. The app is free….the books I downloaded were free…and I got some good reading time in.

I also came across an article on how to fit reading into your life and thought I’d share a bit with you, it is also linked to the original source:

How To Read More:

Written by Leo Babauta

1. Don’t read because you should — read for joy. Find books about exciting stories, about people who fascinate you, about new worlds that you’d love to visit. Forget the classics, unless they fit this prescription.

2. Carve out the time. We have no time to read anymore, mostly because we work too much, we overschedule our time, we’re on the Internet all the time (which does have some good reading, but can also suck our attention endlessly), and we watch too much TV. Pick a time, and make it your reading time. Start with just 10 minutes if it’s hard to find time — even 10 minutes is lovely. Try 20 or 30 if you can drop a couple things from your schedule.

3. Do nothing but read. Clear all distractions. Find a quiet, peaceful space. It’s just your book, and you. Notice but let go of the urges to do other things instead of read. If you must do something else, have some tea.

4. Love the hell out of it. You’re not doing this to better yourself. You’re doing it for joy. Reading is magic, and the magic will change everything else in your life. Love the experience, and you’ll look forward to it daily.

5. Make it social. Find friends who love to read, or find them online. There’s a world of readers on the Internet, and they’d be happy to make recommendations and talk about the books you’re all reading. Try a book club as well. Reading is solitary, but is also a social act.

6. Make it a habit. Pick a trigger in your daily routine, and consistently read exactly after that trigger each day. Even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes. The more consistent you are, and the longer you keep the streak going, the stronger the habit will become.

7. Don’t make it a chore. Don’t make it something on your to-do list or schedule that you have to check off. It’s not part of your self-improvement plan. It’s a part of your Make Life More Awesome Plan.

8. Give up on a book if it’s boring. Reading isn’t something you do because it’s good for you — it’s not like taking your vitamins. You’re reading because it’s fun. So if a book isn’t fun, dump it. Give it a try for at least a chapter, but if you still don’t love it, move on.

9. Discover amazing books. I talk to other people who are passionate about books, and I’ll read reviews, or just explore an old-fashioned bookstore. Supporting your local bookstores is a great thing, and it’s incredibly fun. Libraries are also amazing places that are underused — get a card today.

10. Don’t worry about speed. Speed reading is fine for some, but slow reading is great too. The number of books, and the rate of reading them, matters not a whit. It’s not a competition. You’re reading to enjoy the books, so take your time. It’s like enjoying good food, or good sex: better savored, not rushed.

My favorite time to read? Maybe 1/2 hour before falling asleep at night. No TV, no computer, no music ---- Just me and silence and the bedside light and a book, electronic or otherwise.

I have a Kindle2 which doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but when I’m reading a book, I don’t need to be able to check email or facebook or travel blog to blog. My book reading time is my book reading time, and I like it that way.

Try to fit some reading time into your life. You’ll find it a great escape!