Is there anything better than snuggling down with a coffee and a good book?

I love me a good book. Give me a coffee too and I’m in heaven. I’ve been reading a lot lately, so much so that I’m thinking about changing my career path to professional reader – is that even possible? I think that would be my dream job.

I keep track of my books on Goodreads.com and so far this year, I’ve read 12 good ones. For me, that’s a huge increase from previous years. Last year, I read 10. Although I have 15 as my goal for this year, I think I will aim for 25. I have at least 20 books on my shelf and probably another 6 on my tablet to read. Most of these are fiction of varying genres.

What’s your favourite genre? Mine at the moment is Crime Thriller.

I’m not new to this genre as I’ve been a fan of Aussie author Leigh Redhead for years now and  I love Dan Brown books. BUT, it was Gillian Flynn who got me addicted to this category with Gone Girl, Sharp Objects and Dark Places. If you haven’t read them, do it. They are all sick & twisted and highly addictive.

Another addictive thriller I was hooked on last week was the Aussie book, HADES by Candice Fox and before that, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Wow, both of these are stellar reads and hard to put down. I read each in 3 days, which is very fast for me. The only other book I can remember reading in less time is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which totally is not a crime thriller at all.

But I’m not just reading crime.

My writerly friend Joanne Tracey released her first book, Baby, It’s You last month. It’s classic chick-lit and I liked it. It’s an easy and entertaining read and it’s available on Amazon.

I’ve also recently finished Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It’s a fascinating look into the world of dementia, something I knew nothing about. I certainly have more respect for anyone battling Alzheimer’s Disease. By the way, I watched the movie yesterday too. It’s not near as good as the book and I found it odd and frustrating that they changed some of the details, even very minor ones, like the flavour of ice cream.

Ice cream, that reminds me of coffee; not really but I needed to transition to coffee.

I have been drinking decaf since 2011 now. I know many people think that decaf is not ‘real’ coffee but to me, it’s all the goodness without overdosing on caffeine or feeling wired. Of course, like everything, there are good decafs and bad decafs. Because Mr M and I are extreme coffee snobs, we order freshly roasted coffee beans and have them shipped from Perth. Supermarket brands are only used in emergencies (like when I forget to order). And we never go out for coffee in our small town. There is simply no place to go that is worth paying the $4. And of course, we don’t drink instant.

Coffee and a good book is happiness to me. That’s why I’ll be off now to make a coffee and get stuck into my new thriller, Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight.

What book are you reading right now?