What’s on your nightstand these days? I’ll tell if you will! Reading is one of my favorite pastimes but 2 to 3 pages is the most that I can handle after 10 pm; hence, it takes me forever to finish a book. Nevertheless these are the ones that I am working on or have recently finished.

Currently I am reading The Other Queen by the author of The Other Boylen Girl, Philippa Gregory. A fascinating book about Mary Queen of Scots and her time being shuffled around England by Queen Elizabeth. I think my favorite genre of books are historical fiction. I love learning about history!

I just recently finished two fun books that I purchased used on Amazon. Run Like a Mother and French Women Don’t Get Fat. After being asked to join a local group of women to run/train for a 5k at the beginning of summer, I have a new found like in my hate/hate relationship with running. I usually get winded jogging down to the mailbox (we have a long driveway… seriously). I have never run a mile in my life and I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into but I knew I needed to do something for my own health these days.

Whoa. Farmboy has been shocked to see me roll out of bed to be at the park to run at 7:30 am this summer. Really… it is shocking. I have been the one who drives by those people on the road running, listening to their iPods and I’m thinking… who in their right mind does that to themselves???!!! Little by little I have gone longer and longer and I see what a difference training for something can make. Ooops. Doing a little Happy Dance at the moment… If I can do it ANYONE can. I kid you not.

So my friend who has been running awhile has linked to these authors on Facebook. I finally bought the book. It was a quick read. Good info- some of it was way past me on the running journey ie. marathons and half marathons… WHHHHAAATTTT??? Dude, I just finished running 3 miles and feel like I could conquer the world. You mean people actually run 26 miles at one time. Ouch. Pffftttttpppppt. (My bubble bursting).

French Women Don’t Get Fat. Loved this book. Very practical, doable information. I personally love food, gardening, wine and eating food fresh from the garden with wine! What a lovely coincidence! I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes in the book- will let you know about those. Healthy eating, excercise with the absence of “dieting” is the way to go and with my new-found love/loathe relationship with running I’m feeling like that second glass of chardonnay is not going to show anywhere.

Recently Farmboy and I traveled up to Toronto for a mini-vacation and concert. Our hotel was… dreamy. To die for. The bomb. It basically ruined me for future travel. Sigh… Where was I? Toronto. Hotel. Ahhh yes. They had a library downstairs wherein I found this book. Brought it upstairs and thumbed through it while relaxing in the beautiful spa-like room with contemporary jazz pumping through the Bose stereo. Did I mention the shower? There was more glass than wall. You have to go there to find out. Hotel Le Germain. The book Labryinths and Mazes is beautiful. So artful and HEDGEY!  Love that. A great addition to my library!

Also picked up this cookbook by French chef Stephane Reynaud while in Toronto at the cutest little shop in Kensington Market. When I lack inspiration on what to cook I can just flip to the date in the cookbook and find a lovely seasonal meal!

So what have you been reading lately? What are some of your favorites? We can have our own little, mini mix-it-up bookclub!