Mood Series #1: A book about death

Landing on my next read is a process.

Welcome to my new *MOOD READER SERIES*.

I don’t necessarily have a method to my madness here so be warned that this series will ebb and flow (just like my mood). Expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride. I really just wanted a space where I can talk about all the ins and out of being a mood reader and perhaps compile a few book lists for when the mood strikes.

Today I want to give you a glimpse into a recent read and how I happened to land on it. I include a mini review at the end as well.

One of my least favorite parts about being an avid reader is deciding on my next read and starting it. So when I’m looking through my shelves (virtual and physical) I often get overwhelmed. Where do I even begin?! Even as organized as I am, I still often feel like I have nothing I want to read available at that moment. I’m not the only one that feels this way, right?

In this particular case I was finishing up a memoir on audio that I wasn’t thrilled with and figured I needed to lineup my next audiobook. I began scanning all my listening apps (Libro.FM, Libby etc) until I came across OBITCHUARY: THE BIG HOT BOOK OF DEATH .

and here we come to STEP 1: Visual

I am a very visual person and love to tell my husband this when he tries to describe something to me and I respond with “I need to see it in person.” I am who I am.

So you can imagine that book covers are the first thing to grab my attention when I’m scanning for my next read.

I could look into the psychology behind book covers (perhaps another day) but let me keep it basic for today. My eyes are typically drawn to color, font and art on a book cover. The coral color, large font and a dead woman smoking a cigarette most definitely grabbed my attention. In fact it made me pause and want to know more.

It also helped that I had recently spotted it on an anticipated list from

The TL;DR by What Maddie Read

on Instagram. She’s a fabulous content creator and reads more than anyone I know.

Okay, so we know that the cover got my attention but what’s next?

Step 2: Length (number of pages or hours)

Determining my next read is also entirely dependent on how much time I have on my hands at the moment. Am I about to enter the weekend where family is around more and my audiobook time goes down? Perhaps it’s a Tuesday morning and I have a house to clean and need a good distraction for a few hours. I also really enjoy short books for when I need to bust a slump or keep the momentum going with my reading life.

Enter Obitchuary at just 5 hours and 40 minutes on audio. At my usual 1.7X audiobook speed, I knew it would be a quick listen.

BUT is this the kind of read I’m wanting right now? How does this fit into what I want out of my reading life at this time?

Step 3: What do I want out of it?

This requires a little more self reflection and I urge you to be very HONEST with yourself. Reading for most of us is a hobby and one that can bring us exactly what we need at the moment. We just have to be open to the experience.

My goal this year is to read more nonfiction and I aim for that to land around thirty percent of my total reading. I failed to read any nonfiction in August so I knew I had some catching up to do. Box checked!

If I’m not reading a memoir, I generally want my nonfiction reading to be FUN and something I can talk about with family and friends. Perhaps a BIG HOT BOOK of DEATH will be a good dinner conversation starter?

Does the topic of this novel seem triggering for me? I mean a book about death is of course going to be talking about funerals, cremations, grief, loss and more but how is my headspace right now? Will any of these topics get under my skin? No. Okay proceed.

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Those THREE basic elements are really what lead me to this highly entertaining read. I don’t read reviews or the synopsis, at least not until later. I download the audio and a twenty minute sample on a quick walk is usually all it takes to determine if I will continue listening.

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Mini Book Review

Talking about death doesn’t have to be such a no no. It can be FUN and FASCINATING. This book about all things death is narrated by the authors and based on their popular podcast by the same name.

“A smart and funny look at the culture surrounding death and how we’re remembered.”

• Death notices

• Lobotomies

• Necrophilia

• Broken heart syndrome

• Living Funerals

• Last meals

• Executions

• and MORE!

If you’re looking for something to liven up your reading life then give OBITCHUARY a try.

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Reflections and Questions

Do any of these 3 basic steps come to mind when you’re selecting your next read?

Would you now consider listening or reading a book about death?

What’s the last book you picked up because of a cover?

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