Spring is Coming!
February is my favorite month of the year because ...
Checking in with You All!
First of all, welcome new members to AABB, Apple An’s Book Bytes! You can find previous newsletters here (https://www.appleanbooks.com/newsletters) in case you want to catch up.
It has been a while since the last newsletter. May you all have been doing well in this abnormal winter (in case yours is). My favorite month of the year is February. I have long learned that owning something is less valuable than wishing or hoping for something. February gives me the hope that the brutal winter (mine usually is) is going to end and that the beautiful spring is coming!
What is your favorite month? Why?
For Fun: Which Reader Are You?
A friend told me she reads about 5 books a month on average. That would be around 60 books a year. According to Thomas Umstattd Jr., who quoted The Huffington Post, my friend is a “Veronica.”
Here are the categories of readers:
Doesn’t Read Derek:
19%-28% of the population, depending on the study.
More likely to be male.
Three Book Thelma:
25-32% of the population reads between 1-5 books per year.
She only reads books that have movies or books that everyone talks about.
Nine Books Nancy:
15% read between 6-10 books per year.
Has a favorite author or two. Most reads New York Times Bestselling books + Books based on movies.
Two Dozen Dennis:
20-26% read between 11 and 50.
Has a dozen favorite authors and favorite genres.
Voracious Veronica:
5-8% of the population reads 50+ books per year.
Reads anything and everything.
Reads books none of her friends read.
Often gives book recommendations to her friends.
Here is a study that may support the above categorization: https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/7407-poll-results-reading
I think there should be another category for those who read 100+ books a year. I know or know of people who do that.
Which reader are you?
The Book I Just Read: Three Weeks with My Brother
I have been a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks for his books/movies such as The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Dear John, The Choice, and the list goes on. I have had the paperback edition of this book for some time now, hoping to read it someday.
As you might have guessed, I have been in the traveling and reflecting mood for a few months now. This book by Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks is the perfect book for my current mood.
This book is a memoir + travelogue. It was extremely interesting to learn about his upbringing and the real people (such as his sister and parents) and events that inspired his famous books. Reading (actually on audio book from the public library) the book made me feel I got to know Nicholas Sparks in person. The descriptions of the many locations during their 21-day trip are fascinating. They are good bucket-list locations. But learning their life stories and their reflections, and “witnessing” the sibling bond is heart warming. I highly recommend it.
5in29: 5 (or 7) States in 29 Days in a Campervan
The 5in29 Travelogue for the trip highlighted everyday attractions, special moments, special events, Eureka moments, and life in a van.
Several of you asked me about the summary, which includes the expenses, the stats, the packing, the national park pass coverage, etc. It was linked in the last newsletter, but maybe the link was less obvious. I didn’t email it to everyone to reduce mailbox flooding. Here is the direct link to the summary:
Here are the two maps: the original plan and the actual trip.
Mother of Red Mountains Reviews
I am grateful for the wonderful reviews the book has received so far. All reviews can be found at: https://www.appleanbooks.com/books/mother/motherreviews. If you have read the book and like it, consider leaving a review at the place you got the book so that other readers can decide if the book is for them.
Here are excerpts of the 5-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite (https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/mother-of-red-mountains):
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So long! See you in the next newsletter!