I usually call my reading list “Who Kat Is Sleeping With (for Fun and Research)” because I always fall asleep reading and the books end up piled in the bed with me. And cold sleeping companions they are, too! However, not a single one has ever tried to hog the blanket, so I’m not going to lodge any formal complaints.

Lately, however, my brain has not been functioning well enough to perform any Research and I’ve been enjoying rather a lot of lighter fare instead.  I don’t tend to watch much television — so it’s a very good thing I have my very own weatherman, Bob, to call me when there are severe storm watches and warnings!

When I do watch TV, I tend to stick to channels without commercials, like FMC, TCM and IFC; but with the brain haze I’ve had the past 2 months, it really hasn’t been worth it since I tend to crash right in the middle of a movie.  So instead I’d rather watch movies on DVD from Netflix (at least that way I can restart them from the point where I disappeared from the plot!).

Since I haven’t been able to blog or email, this left me with my most enjoyable form of entertainment:  reading.  Unable to concentrate on anything even remotely challenging, out came the fluff and what wonderful downy stuff it was! They provided a much needed distraction (nearly as good as meditation) from my painful woes and, like DVDs, when my mind went on a hiatus, it was easy to resume from where I’d passed out.

The following are not listed in any particular order and all are highly recommended for that spare bit of time or rainy day:

• “Lud-in-the-Mist” by Hope Mirrlees
• “The Hollow Kindgom:  Book I of the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy” by Clare B. Dunkle
• “Close Kin:  Book II of the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy” by Clare B. Dunkle
• “In the Coils of the Snake:  Book III of the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy” by Clare B. Dunkle
• “One for the Money:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Two for the Dough:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Three to Get Deadly:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Four to Score:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “High Five:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Hot Six:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Seven Up:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Hard Eight:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “To the Nines:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Ten Big Ones:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Eleven on Top:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Twelve Sharp:  A Stephanie Plum Novel” by Janet Evanovich
• “Storm Front:  Book One of the Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher
• “Fool Moon:  Book Two of the Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher
• “Moon Called” by Patricia Briggs
• “Blood Bound” by Patricia Briggs
• “Dealing with Dragons:  Book 1 of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles” by Patricia C. Wrede
• “Searching for Dragons:  Book 2 of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles” by Patricia C. Wrede
• “Calling for Dragons:  Book 3 of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles” by Patricia C. Wrede
• “Talking to Dragons:  Book 4 of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles” by Patricia C. Wrede
• “The Dreaming Place” by Charles de Lint
• “The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman, from “His Dark Materials”
• “The Subtle Knife” by Philip Pullman, from “His Dark Materials”
• “The Amber Spyglass” by Philip Pullman, from “His Dark Materials”
• “Guilty Pleasures:  An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel” by Laurell K. Hamilton
• “The Laughing Corpse:  An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel” by Laurell K. Hamilton
• “Celtic Wonder Tales and Other Stories” by Ella Young
• “Mythago Wood” by Robert Holdstock
• “Faerie Wars” by Herbie Brennan
• “The Purple Emperor” by Herbie Brennan
• “Ruler of the Realm” by Herbie Brennan
• “Working for the Devil:  A Dante Valentine Novel” by Lilith Saintcrow
• “Wolf at the Door” by Christine Warren
• “She’s No Faerie Princess” by Christine Warren
• “Dead Witch Walking” by Kim Harrison
• “The Good, the Bad, and the Undead” by Kim Harrison
• “The Silmarillion” by J.R.R. Tolkien as edited by Christopher Tolkien
• “The Children of Húrin” by J.R.R. Tolkien as edited by Christopher Tolkien
• “Something from the Nightside” by Simon R. Green
• “Split” by the Humble Fiction Café
• “Fairy Foals:  The Journal of a Magical Garden” by Suzanah
• “A Knock at the Door” with DVD by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball