Hello All and welcome to my blog! My name’s Didi and I hope you’ll learn more about my reading likes and dislikes but most of all about my 2014 reading results.  I’m currently two books behind on my fifty-five book challenge. Honestly I’m not worried.  For me, pressure and reading don’t go together.  It’s all about the enjoyment.   Besides, I know I’ll be able to catch up with the interesting books I’ve put on a mini TBR list to see me through to the 31st.

If you’re new to my blog, you’re probably wondering what I like to read most.  Well, my ultimate love is literary fiction, with a special love for works by authors of color.  This year I’ve read so many interesting novels that fall mostly in that category.  However, I have dabbled in graphic novels/comics, historical fiction, a few non-fiction, and poetry.  Poetry has been a real highlight for me this year that I hope to be able to read more of next year.  Genres that I just can’t get into are science-fiction and fantasy. I don’t know why but I would just rather watch those on television or the big screen.

Am I physical or electronic?  What do you think?  Physical!!!  I’m a book nerd.  I can’t help it.  Reading on paper speaks to all of my senses.  It’s an integral part of the reading experience for me.  I’m not hating on those that prefer electronic but it just isn’t the same thing.  Nevertheless, I picked up two electronic books this year. (Forty Acres – really good! and The Rainy Day Killer- a bomb!)  It’s possible that I’ll pick up more in the coming year. I own a Kindle, which contains many unread books.  I also picked up my first audiobook that I listened to while reading along, which I thoroughly appreciated.  I decided to read NW by Zadie Smith this way, since I wanted to experience the authenticity of the range of accents (North West London) there would be in the novel.  I know I did the right thing because the audiobook really added something to the reading and the understanding.  I can’t listen to audiobooks while driving because I’ll go off the road from concentrating too hard, nor can I do cleaning around the house.  It seems I’m mentally challenged by all of that.  I look forward to reading along with another audiobook again.

Let’s see what’s left to talk about in this introduction… Oh yes prolific author on my reading list this year and favourite book of the year.  Well if you checked out my Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014  list of read books you would probably have no problem guessing who it is.  Here are a few hints – He was African-American, highly insightful, and an eloquent speaker.  He said “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”  He grew up in Harlem and spent some time living in Paris.  He went to Paris so that he could write freely.  Another Country and The Fire Next Time are two of his most iconic works.  Of course, it’s James Baldwin!

As for my favourite book – I won’t officially know until the 31st.  For the moment, it’s a book where the setting is 1950s New York and the characters are a group of artist “friends” and their vague interactions with each other always seem to result in suffering and heartache.  Can you guess what it is?