Every month I share what books I finished last month and what I’m reading now. I also love to hear what others are reading. Share your own book recommendations in the comments or friend me on Goodreads!

Finished in October

October still had a lot of stress/comfort reads. I finished the Harry Potter series (again) and even read some Winnie-the-Pooh. But, I also read a couple of more serious titles, too.

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. This series is so good. I laughed and cried all over again.
• Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell. I purchased this audiobook in one of my “I’m going to read all of the classics that I didn’t read in college” moods, and, well, I finally read it. This adaptation is very accessible and enjoyable, and Gilgamesh is a much shorter–and much stranger–story than I expected.
• The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins. One thing you need to know about me — I love self-help books. I read a lot of them. This one was okay. It started off strong, but some of the later parts felt like filler. I read this in audiobook format, and I did enjoy Robbins’ narration. It was like listening to your own personal coach. She didn’t sound like she was reading; it just sounded like she was talking to you. And, I have been using the “5-second rule” to get some things done recently.
• Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne. Somehow I had never read this delightful collection of children’s poems before. Sweet, quirky, and very British.
• The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. I listened to this in audiobook format, and it was so much fun to hear it read aloud. Peter Dennis did a wonderful job with the narration.

Reading Now

• Everything That Rises Must Converge: Stories by Flannery O’Connor. It’s book club time again. Reading this one for my church book club. I love Flannery O’Connor, but, wow, her stories pack such a punch.
• Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists by Courtney Martin. I’m reading this for work. I’ve been teaching an introduction to college course this semester at the university where I am a librarian, and this is the “common reader” this year that all of the freshmen are required to read. I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Here’s what I read a year ago. I was deep into the Cadfael mystery series then.

What are you reading right now? I’d love to get your recommendations in the comments!