All We Need Is Love Challenge Day Four: Expand Your Mind

For today's activity, we're taking time to expand our mind by reading something...off of the computer. Pick up a book, buy the US Weekly at the check out line in the grocery store, or maybe even head out to the library.



Rediscover the joy of taking a some quiet time with a book or magazine, and then tell us what you're reading.

As a writer, reading is the second most important thing to the craft. A writer needs to read, and read a lot, and read a great variety of material. This is one of the things that has become neglected in my life as a mommy, as a wife, as a homemaker...

Yes, I have read a few books here and there, I read magazines. I haven't completely neglected the written word in the 4 years since my daughter has been in my life, but I'm not reading nearly as much as I can and should be.

I have shelves and shelves of books {and at least one more box full at my mom's house}. Most of them I've had for years and most of them I have read at least once. But I also have many that have sat on the shelves begging me to read them, to at least pick them up and open the cover. I love books. I love a variety of genres {though YA is one of my favorites}.

I finished up The 17 Day Diet a couple days ago. Before that, I had begun to read L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad. And while my first impression of the book was not the greatest {the writing seems very juvenile to me}, I will pick it back up today and give it a second chance. I will finish the book before making a formal decision on it.

And from this day on, I will vow to read at least one new book a month. That's a reasonable goal.