The Kindle Fire Contributed to My Lack of Reading in 2013

The Kindle Fire about killed my reading habit.

Hey, it’s a nice product. Don’t get me wrong. I had a TON of fun on it: checking email, watching TV, Facebooking, and, occasionally, reading . . .

I wanted a Kindle Fire “sooo badly” and got one in 2012. It died right before the warranty was up 12 months later. Amazon sent me a new one. While 2012 was a fun year with the Kindle Fire, simply because I was excited to have one, my giddiness began to wane this year when I realized that it was actually being used less and less as an eReader, and more and more like a tablet. And a tablet with limitations. I read fewer books in 2013 than probably any other year of my life.

Why?

• Staring at the screen fatigued my eyes.
• The battery life was weak.
• I was continually tempted by Netflix or Amazon Prime movies/TV. And failed.
• It became a gadget for work – FB’ing and emailing customers, instead of reading.
• It was heavy to carry around.
• Squirrel! (I just couldn’t stay focused with all the other bells and whistles.)

So, I recently switched the Kindle Paperwhite and am exceedingly more pleased. Honestly, I should have listened to one of my eReader friends long ago when she cautioned me about getting a tablet rather than a device solely used for reading.

And with that, just what DID I read this year? A mixture. I’m an eclectic reader. (And sadly, this is such a short list for someone who used to devour 2-3 books a month. Pitiful.)

1.   Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult. Usually, I love her. This one took me weeks. Wasn’t into it.
2. Between the Lines by Jodi and her daughter. More-so, her daughter. I was intrigued by that. Again, it was so-so.
3. Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott. I love everything she writes. Never disappointed.
4. Every Body Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul by Gary Thomas. Hands down my FAVORITE book of the year. This book helped me define my passion and purpose as a Health/Fitness Coach in the church world. It is now my textbook.
5. Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman. This I read to prepare for my role in the play, based on this book.
6.  Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff. This guy totally intrigues me. How does he do all this? I love stories like the one’s he shared, but found myself continually shaking my head as if to say, “Did this really happen?!” Not that I don’t believe him . . . He’s just had some amazing experiences.
7. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Quite simply, if you can’t get you sh*t together to develop habits, dreams, or goals, and continually blame circumstances or other people for that, please read this.
8. Go Pro – 7 Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional by Eric Worre. I am a network marketing professional. And this, is a great source for those of us in this profession. A real profession. Often viewed as a scam. Which is so sad. For this business had given my family so much freedom. I’ve also made some incredible friends. I feel at home as a Beachbody Coach. And yes, it is, GASP, a network marketing company.
9. When to Speak Up and When To Shut Up by Dr. Michael D. Sedler. This book was recommended by Chalene Johnson, one of my all-time favorite business coaches. I quickly picked it up after I realized that I honestly don’t know when to speak and when to shut-up. I am still learning. And I refer to this book often. One of the advantages of having it on my Kindle.
10. The Early To Rise Experience: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days by Andy Traub. The Early to Rise daily readings and activities transformed my mornings. Nothing else has every worked to help me embrace the early house of the day. Until this.
11. An Unexpected Twist (Kindle Single) by Andy Borowitz. A short story. Just a quick read, but very interesting.

What books am I still in the middle of reading?  And thus, they are being added to my 2014  reading list???

• The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero. My husband has been a Pastor for just over 15 years. I have been a Pastor’s Wife for the same amount of time. I have always had a concern for the emotional health of church life. This intrigued me.
• I Quit!: Stop Pretending Everything Is Fine and Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero. Peter’s wife. This book shares her perspective on what an emotionally healthy church looks like, and her journey in discovering it for herself.
• The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church by Greg Boyd. We are not a “Christian” nation. That is all.
• Divergent (Divergent Series) by Veronica Roth. Bothers me that people compare this to the Hunger Games. Is every “somewhat apocalyptic setting with children” going to be called out for being of the Hunger Games variety??? I would be a Divergent. If you don’t know what that means, read it.
• The Power of Positive Thinking: 10 Traits for Maximum Results by Norman Vincent Peale. Very helpful in my current profession in terms of how to best encourage my team of Coaches and customers, as well as keep my head on straight.
• Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work That Matters by Jon Acuff. This guy inspires me.
• Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill. I met Wesley last year at an Easter dinner at a friend’s home. I took an immediate liking to him, and wanted to know more about his story.

Also making the list for 2014:

• The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing by Jeff Goins. I’ve been reading Jeff’s blog for some time now. And recently he joined one my support group for the Ultimate Reset. I’m excited to read his latest book.
• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential by John C. Maxwell. TOTALLY judged this guy as being dry and boring. Until I heard him speak at Summit this year. Wow. I have so much to learn.
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
• Red by a former student of mine, Alison Cherry.
• Beggars or Angels: How a Single Mother Triumphed Over War, Welfare and Cancer to Become a Successful Philanthropist by Rosemary Tran Lauer, and ghostwritten by a former high school classmate of mine, Scott Beller.
• Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay
• The Kitchen House: A Novel by Kathleen Grissom
• A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius: A Memoir Based on a True Story by Dave Eggers

I will continue to add to this list for 2014, for I am determined to take back my reading life.

2014 will be the RETURN OF READING!

Coming up next?

My TOP devotionals for spiritual development, renewal, inspiration, and release that I have found particularly helpful this year.

(And what book could I not for the life of me get through this year? Trust me, this has only happened one other time in my life, with The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver. This time the culprit was The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. Should I try again?)