What I've Been Reading
In case you haven’t been here for a while, we’ve moved some stuff around here on the website. This will probably (hopefully) be a travel blog for a long time to come, but during lockdown, we’re obviously limited by travel. :) In the meantime, we’ve been branching out in our writing which has been both stretching and a learning experience. Book reviews combine two things I love: reading and writing. So, I’m always up for a these types of posts!
My Goodreads reading list is only 75 books this year, instead of the 125 I read last year. I made this change for several reasons.
I wanted to delve into some thicker, more substantial books, which really isn’t possible when you have to read a book every 2.5 days or so to reach your end goal.
I wanted to enjoy reading. I definitely felt rushed last year, and while I’m pleased to read 125 in a year, there is something to be said for enjoying them.
I have 2 toddlers. I don’t know if I need a better excuse than that.
So, currently I am on my 30th book of the year. I’ve read a wide, wide variety thus far, and I hope to maintain that. It really flexes the mental muscles and I enjoy unwinding in the evenings with my tartan blanket, cup of tea, and book! Without further ado, here are my top 5 books I’ve read thus far.
Wolf Hall (the whole series) - I’m on the final book of this trilogy and while it is 875 pages, it is really fantastic. The writing style takes some getting used to, but the storyline and character of Thomas Chromwell are incredibly fascinating. I don’t feel that Mantel took excess liberties with this book. So little is known about Cromwell’s personal, and even public, life so it really is a fascinating insight into what he might have been like and why. And I’m a sucker for all things Tudor related, so this really is perfect for me.
All That’s Good - If you read my last blog post, you’ll know I really liked this book and find it applicable to daily life. It’s a relatively easy read but it’s very thought-provoking. I hope to read her other two books this year as well.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, And the Horse - In the midst of the overall heaviness of the pandemic, reading this book was a small sliver of joy and kindness. It’s a very easy read, similar to a Winnie The Pooh. A wonderful reminder to be kind. I’ve been reading some of it to G too, so she can enjoy the pictures.
Emma - I hadn’t ever finished this book. I know, I know. Pride and Prejudice has always been my top favorite so I never bothered to read Emma, but Aaron got me an Austen set for Mother’s Day and Emma was the first one I picked. I’m looking forward to rereading Northanger Abbey soon!
The Life-Giving Parent - Another book I highly recommended while and after reading. Parenting is so hard and sometimes I feel that parenting toddlers who have very little understanding of common sense is nearly impossible. But this book laid out a framework for parenting Biblically and logically that is helpful and inspiring.
Honorable mentions: Educated, Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans, Poldark, and One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow.
As always, I love getting recommendations on what to read! Our library has grown a lot in the past two months, and my to read list is rather lengthy, but I like adding to it so I don’t run out of things to read. Unlike other years, my to-read list consists of more American history, political, and religious books than in previous years. To that end, I’d love recommendations of any early American history books as well as must read novels. :)