I'm an obsessive reader...

I don't read that many books.  It's not that I don't enjoy it - I actually love kicking back on the couch with a great book and a steaming cup of coffee.  It's mostly a time issue.  When I'm not at work, I'm usually hanging out with my wonderful family.  And several nights per week, when they all start drifting off to bed, I start working on photography - editing pictures, designing albums, returning emails, writing contracts, blogging, etc.  On the nights when I'm not working, I'm getting some quality time with Sarah.  There are very few nights that I get a chance to sit down and just read. Another reason I don't read that often is that I am an obsessive reader.  Once I start a good book, I just can't set it down - I have to know how the story ends!  And as I just mentioned, my life doesn't allow me to get absorbed into books that easily!  However, currently, some of my English students are reading The Help and The Art of Racing in the Rain.  They both seemed interesting enough, so I started with The Help about 2 weeks ago and I could not put it down.  What an amazingly told story following the lives of three women in Mississippi in the early 60s.  My family was relieved when I finished that book because it was no short story!  I've managed to make it through The Art of Racing in the Rain mostly at work while the students are reading (a good chunk of it today) and I'm nearing the end.  This is seriously an intense story and I found myself in a pretty rotten mood about halfway through the day because I really threw myself into this story!  I guess I identified with the protagonist (a young dad with a 5-year-old daughter) a little too much.

I would certainly recommend either one of these books if you're looking for a good story (probably The Help a little more).  It has been fun reading 2 books in nearly 2 weeks as this is a rare occasion for me.  I might have to just keep this up a little more, although I think I'll stick with shorter books that I can get through in order to keep from shunning my family while obsessively reading until I am finished!