What I've Been Reading When I Have No Time to Read

You guys know I have started my stint as a full-time teacher and am currently completing my internship as a student teacher. Because of this, I have not had a lot of time to read my own thing. I read a lot of student writing and materials for class, and after that, I'm ready for bed. No joke, it's a win if I'm still awake at 8:00 p.m.

But, with that being said, I have manged to read a few things here and there since September. Here's a look at the types of reading material I have been reading while I've had no time to read.

• Short Stories

Short story collections are great when you don't have a lot of time to dedicate to reading. I found myself with the energy to read for about twenty minutes some nights, which was the perfect amount of time to read one or two stories from Almost Famous Women. I find it so annoying when I am reading a regular fiction novel to read in sporadic and short bursts; as I feel like I can never remember what is going on. With short story collections, you are able to finish an entire story arc in a shorter amount of time, which makes for satisfying reading. 

• Nonfiction

Nonfiction is another genre that is usually suitable for short reading bursts. I find that the pressure is lifted to remember every detail of a nonfiction piece because I know that it's not possible, and quite frankly, just not the point of nonfiction. I'm more forgiving of myself when I can't remember details from the previous chapter of a nonfiction novel than a fiction novel. 

• Audiobooks

Audiobooks couple very nicely with the above genre. I have found myself eager to listen to nonfiction audiobooks on my communicate to and from school. I really enjoyed Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and am about ready to start a new selection for my commute. I'm thinking Trevor Noah's Born a Crime will be next. 

• Throwbacks 

The final category of books I have been leaning towards are throwbacks. I recently picked up a copy of The Babysitter by R.L. Stine for a quarter at my library's book sale and sat down and read it while I was home alone for the weekend. It was the perfect combination of nostalgia and classic creepy, and it's got me in the mood for some more throwback horror and creepy quick reads. 

Diversity Bingo Update #3

I haven't updated my Diversity Bingo board in a while, so I thought it was about time for an update post. Admittedly, I haven't marked off many squares since my last update in July, but that's because teaching has slowed down my reading quite a bit. Nevertheless, I have some squares to mark off for book I've read over the past three months or so, and I do plan to cross more of before the end of the year.

If you have any recommendations for books that would fulfill any of my empty squares, please let me know! 

Update #1
Update #2

Newly Competed Squares and Reviews:

Romance with a Trans MC: When the Moon was Ours, Anna-Marie McLemore

MC With an Underrepresented Body Type: The Upside of Unrequited, Becky Albertailli (Plus size MC) 

Arabic MC (Own Voices): The Rose and the Dagger, Renee Ahdieh 

Recently Read: Almost Famous Women

Author: Megan Mayhew Bergman
Genre: Short Stories- Adult Fiction
Page Count: 230
Publication Date: 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

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The stories of women on the brink of fame, including Oscar Wilde's niece, Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter, an aging artist, and Edna St. Vincent Millay's sister, are imagined in this short story collection. These women are connected by their bravery, their proximity to fame, and the sadness that is coupled with being an almost famous woman.

I have had this collection on my TBR for quite some time. The premise and the beautiful cover sucked me in and I knew this book would be right up my alley. I picked it up as I have been so busy with teaching this month,that I thought a short story collection would be easier to get through than a novel. The stories in this collection range in length, some are only three pages, others are twenty-or-so, and I loved reading one or two stories a night before bed. 

Each story features an image of the woman it is about as well as suggested reading material about that woman in the author's note. I loved this touch, and found myself itching to research the real lives of these ladies. Bergman uses a close companion or third party as the narrator for most of these stories, which really helps to build a common thread through the collection and commentary on what it was like to be a woman breaking the mold. These women were never given the opportunity to tell their own stories, and gossip runs wild about a woman challenging society's standards, so being once removed from each title lady was the perfect way to convey these ideas. 

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection; I felt like each story was equally as good as the last, but I didn't feel like any of the stories particularly stood out as amazing. I really loved the idea behind this collection and thought it was very well executed. I will definitely be spending some time researching more about these ladies!