A snow day like today feels kind of like a Sunday evening to me. While I work nontraditional hours in real estate, Corey and I try to keep Sunday evenings free when possible. Recently, our tradition has been to just read with Barkley curled up at our feet. When it's cold and snowy like it is today, I add a hot water bottle and maybe a glass of wine and I have a perfect lazy evening!
We're both reading books that we're absolutely engrossed in right now, and it's really nice. I can't remember the last time our reading binges coincided but perhaps that's just because there's so little time.
I've been really devouring fiction lately and I'm excited to share my favourite literary-tv pairing. I, like many others, have just loved Downton Abbey. I began watching this past fall and was caught up in no time and looking for something else to satisfy my early 1900's historical drama fix!
Well, I was lucky to have a copy of Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (same author who wrote Pillars of the Earth) lying around and it ended up being the perfect compliment to Downton. It's set in the same era, with an "Upstairs, Downstairs" theme of following characters from different social classes and, best of all, it's long! I'm now reading the sequel, which is set during WWII and I'm looking for a light book to read next. Usually, I just review some book club lists but there's nothing current that grabs me.
Corey says his Kobo recommends books for him based on what he reads. I still haven't transitioned to an e-reader because I like to hold a big book while I read. It feels more comforting somehow. Here is a short list of resources I'll be using in the future to find my next book:
- This article is kind of fun since it suggests books which would replace some popular cancelled TV shows. I was never a huge fan of most of these but it's an interesting list.
- What Should I Read Next is an interesting website. You type in the name or author of a book you enjoyed and it produces a list of books you will possibly enjoy. Keep in mind that the list is based on what other people have read so it may not show you books in the same genre or style. The database is decent but not perfect.
- Which Book is also interesting. It allows you to select up to 4 characteristics on a sliding scale and will produce appropriate books. I haven't tried it yet but it seems like a good search tool for future bookless nights.
Update: I just discovered a great blog post about the house Downton Abbey was filmed in as well as a book written about the family who lived there. If you're a Downton fan, click here to check it out!
