As always, affiliate links ahoy! (All that means is I may make a few pennies if you click and/or buy from the Amazon links included in this post. Nothing shady, I promise. Just a bookworm trying to fund her growing library.)
I’ve tried to space out my library holds but I’m not as voracious a reader as I once was. (Or maybe I value sleep more now than I once did…) My list of recommendations keeps growing and the stack on my night stand does too. Not that I’m complaining. I just wish I could give 800+ page science fiction novels my undivided attention for a day instead of reading them piecemeal. Sigh.
At any rate, Seveneves has totally sucked me in. It reminds me a lot of this book but without the dry humor. The premise? The moon blows up. (Sort of. It’s more complicated than that.) What does than mean for humanity? So far, lots of stressful decisions, crazy work conditions, political drama, and, happily, still plenty of compassion. I’m only about 150 pages in and I’d honestly rather be reading than typing up this post. So maybe I’ll take a break and do that instead…
I’m a few chapters into NurtureShock (suggested by Eliza) and really liking it so far as well. It’s like the authors gathered all those fascinating parenting articles you read online into one place and were like “Here you go, parents! This is what you’re doing wrong and this is how you can do better!” Luckily for me, it’s easy to pick up and put down, since each chapter covers a new topic. Less luckily for me, I have some hard work ahead of me. (As if being a mom isn’t hard enough without knowing how badly you’re ruining your kids. Ha!)
This one was recommended by one of my cousins whose husband grew up in extreme poverty. I’m expecting some heartbreaking, eye-opening stories. Maybe after the election is over. My feels can only handle so much right now. That means I’ll probably start this one next. It’s yet another recommendation, this time from Kayla, which I’m hoping will help soothe my heart a little. Who couldn’t use more peace in their life?
As for the kiddos, I pulled a whole heap of picture books at semi-random and seem to have hit the jackpot. For me at least. It’s remarkable how much I relate to a knight who would prefer to read than to fight and a giraffe who is told she’s too tall but pursues her dreams of dancing anyway. You go, knight and giraffe! You can be whatever you want to be! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Oh my goodness, I am a sappy nerd!
I also grabbed this book about construction work, because we’ve read Road Work so often we all have it memorized, and the girls have been really into Bob the Builder lately. And this one, which is SO BEAUTIFUL. Nature and art and science, pretty words and brilliant illustrations…these are a few of my favorite things!
Obviously I pulled a bunch of Halloween-slash-autumn-themed books too, because duh. What else are you supposed to read in October? Some we’ve enjoyed so far:
- Zombelina (The cutest zombie ballerina ever!)
- Which Way to Witch School? (I think both girls like this one best.)
- The Horrible Spookhouse (She ain’t afraid of no ghosts!)
- The Biggest Pumpkin Ever (One of my favorites from when I was a kid.)
- Otis and the Scarecrow (Otis sure has a big heart for a tractor!)
- Night Animals (Amusingly frightened possums and skunks.)
- Yeti, Turn Out the Light! (Not really a Halloween book, but a yeti who’s afraid of the dark? Nice.)
- A Tiger Called Thomas (We checked this out last year and I liked it so much I bought it. It’s so sweet.)
What about you? What are you folks reading these days?
I loved The Glass Castle. Also the sequel (or prequel) Half-Broke Horses, which is about her mother’s upbringing…or maybe her grandmother’s upbringing. Can’t remember. Anyway I highly recommend both! Sad, yes, but also, if you’re feeling any measure of mother-guilt, you won’t after reading these. 😬