What I’m Reading {September 2018}

What I'm Reading_ September 2018

It’s back to school, which means new rhythms and fresh starts.

Back in January when it was cold and I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be outside again, I made ambitious reading goals. But then the Wisconsin winter thawed (it’s magic every time!), and our little family rushed outside every chance we got.

All of this means my reading goals have fallen a bit behind. You’d think I’d get used to it since it happens EVERY YEAR. Life is tricky like that.

But alas– no need to fret! I made some good headway in September. Not quite on pace yet, but the goal is still in sight.

BeartownBeartown

Frederik Backman

Rating: 5/5

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Small town drama with a thick theme of hockey? Normally not the kind of book I’d think twice about picking up. But after hearing about how great it was by THREE different people whose reading tastes I respect, I gave it a whirl. The first half of the book was enjoyable enough; a bit of a slow start. However, I gulped the last half of the book in one day. While the book is about hockey on the surface, it’s NOT about hockey. It’s about people, relationships, loyalty, community, leadership, and family. I also found this book to be strangely applicable to our current national conversation of #boyswillbeboys.  If you liked A Man Called Ove, you might like this one too.

 

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The Family Reading List {April 2018}

Why, hello there, stranger!

With the kids being gone with grandparents over spring break, we got a little space to breathe and around day 3 I remembered I had a blog. But then they came back and I promptly forgot again. 🙂

Because there are very few things I love more than recommending books, a family reading list post seemed to be the only right way to break a writing fast.

Anaya’s Reading List (5 years old)

Cows to The RescueCows to the Rescue

A farming family goes to the fair and needs help from the cows to win awards and play games. Anaya thinks it is hilarious (which is a very important factor for her)! The book comes with a CD, so little ones can listen on their own as well.

 

The Human BodyShine-A-Light: The Human Body

Although this line of books has been out for awhile, we’re just now getting into them. With a flashlight in hand, readers can get a peek into the wonders of the human body– a baby growing in a momma’s tummy, the bones that make up our skeleton, and food moving through the digestive tract.

 

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Book Review: Draw In Bible Study- Esther & Ruth

Spending unrushed time in Scripture is a luxury these days. I used to feel guilty about it, but I’ve grown to appreciate the times I can make it happen..  and not sweat the days when I don’t.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten a little bit of time to use the new Drawn In Bible Study series— Ruth and Esther. I was initially drawn to them because of how striking they are. I’m definitely one to judge a book by its cover!

Over the past few weeks, I've gotten a little bit of time using the new Drawn In Bible Study series-- Ruth and Esther. I was initially drawn to them because of how striking they are. I'm definitely one to judge a book by its cover!

Each study is broken into 4 sessions and consists of the passages of Scripture (the Message), questions for reflection, and drawings to color while reflecting on those questions. I love that the Message is printed right in the book- no need to have your own copy. I can mark it up however I want (underlines! squiggles! question marks!). Read More

How to inventory your library without feeling overwhelmed

used book store

Jake and I have spent many dates wandering up and down aisles of used book stores. We’d often purchase a few, and then read each other the summaries and chapter titles on the way home. Super booknerd love.

Needless to say, soon after we married, we had our first very serious problem on our hands.

How do we fit 2 home libraries into 1?

Our first solution was making one of the bedrooms in our duplex a library. It was one of my favorite rooms.

Before we moved to Kenya, we sold most of our stuff, but NOT OUR BOOKS. Solution #2: We packed them into boxes and stored all 1500+ our parents’ houses. They totally loved that.  Read More

The Perks of Living Small

The perks of living small

Yesterday I overhead a conversation between one of my kids and her friend:

“Wow, you have 4 kids in your family? Your house must be huuuuuuuge.”

Well, my dear one, you might be surprised to learn that it isn’t.

Well, I guess that isn’t 100% true. In one way it’s quite spacious– 1,100 square feet is average or above average compared to how most of the world lives. But according to the ever-expanding square footage of homes in America, we’re living small.

We all know the perks of living large: lots of space to run around, space to be unbothered, the ability to entertain large amounts of people at the same time, a home that always has an open bedroom.

But what are the perks of living small?

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10 Gift Ideas for the Book Lover in Your Life

It’s National Library Week and what better way to celebrate than by visiting your local library and checking out a good book?

If you’re a book nerd and want to go above and beyond your usual weekly visit to the local library, perhaps you want to buy a little book-themed gift for a librarian or a library patron that you love.

The Public Library: A Photographic Essay 

Jake and I like to visit public libraries while on vacation, especially when we’re in a big city. Last year when Jake and I went to Chicago, we visited a public library in the heart of downtown and it was one of the highlights of our trip. This book is like that, but x10. 🙂 Read More

What I’m Into {Feb/March 2017}

 

It’s 1:00pm and I’m sitting at my desk in a very quiet house.

Normally I’m at work right now, but after a grueling couple weeks, I gifted myself a vacation day.

When I woke up this morning I named this day Sit-In-Bed-And-Read. I have a gloriously tall stack of books on my nightstand and today was going to be THE DAY.

Apparently I have an inability to enjoy a lazy day. After dropping the kids off at school, I decided to do just one thing from my to-do list. You probably can guess the rest of the story. It quickly became obvious I had misnamed this day. It renamed itself Catch-Up-On-Life. It’s morphed into a day that I am doing all of the things that “I’ll just do tomorrow.” Grocery shopping. Making dr. and dentist appointments. Fixing things. And a whole lot of internet errands.

But now I take a break in completing my to-do list to share all the things I’ve been LOVING this month.

First things first.

Books

We don’t purchase books very often, but this month we decided to grab each book in the Ordinary People Change the World series. In each book, kids learn about some ordinary person who has changed the world in a big way. They are well-written and the illustrations are on-spot.

Our book club launched this month, and we read Threading My Prayer Rug, a story about a Pakistani Muslim who moves to America and begins her adult life. It’s both eye-opening and funny, a rare mix. I’m learning about arranged marriages, Muslim faith practices, and what it looks like to move to America from a very different culture.

I finished up a couple books this month that I didn’t enjoy, and I even quit a book in the middle (gasp!).  No need to fear though- I have some other promising ones on the horizon. Read More

The Family Reading List {February 2017}

Family Reading List (february) (1)

Oh, y’all. We have had a good month of reading. Our bookshelves are oozing with a curation of interesting books, magazines, and graphic novels. Here are some of our faves.

Anaya’s Reading List (3.5 years old)

The Saddest Toilet in the World

Sam Apple

Although Anaya has been potty-trained for a LONG TIME, she adores books about potty-training. Probably because bodily functions are hilarious. She thrives on pushing the envelope of decency and humor. I will not surprised if she ends up being a stand-up comedian.

A quick synopsis goes like this: Kid doesn’t want to sit on the toilet, toilet gets sad and leaves home, boy misses toilet and family searches the city to find it. Preschoolers will love it. Parents can tolerate it.

Others to try out:

Louise and Andie: The Art of Friendship
Daniel Tiger: Nighttime in the Neighborhood
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

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What a bus driver taught me on the way to the Women’s March on Madison

As we waited at the bus stop, a woman slowed her car to a stop, rolled down her window and shouted, “Hey! Are you going to the march?”

Jake and I had the three girls with us, and before either of us could respond, the girls happily told the lady we were. “Thank you!” she yelled. “I’m so proud of you all!”

A few minutes later, the bus turns onto the street and we were relieved. It was well overdue and we were nervous we weren’t going to make it in time. Then we saw that it was full. To the brim. The message flashing on the bus’ front sign “Drop offs only.”  My heart sank. There was no way we were getting downtown by car. The bus was our only option at that point.

As I was giving Jake the “what do we do now?” look, the bus driver stops, opens the door and yells- “Hey! Do you guys want to squeeze in?”

“Oh, uh, are you sure?”

“We are very full, but it breaks my heart to leave your girls out in the cold. We can make room. Come on in.” Read More