what i’m reading: march 2015.

This has been a wonderful year for reading so far! The discovery of many gems that I never even knew existed both thrills and terrifies me — how many more such books exist in the world? And how will I ever find them!?

I recently decided to start documenting my reading progress on Goodreads. I made an account a long time ago and then let it slide. When I logged back in I realized that I probably didn’t keep up with it because I made myself write reviews of all the books I read. Now I just give them a star rating, assign them to a bookshelf, and call it a day. So far I much prefer this method to the Word document I kept last year.

And now, on to what I’m reading . . .

These Is My Words, Nancy Turner. This is one of the novels that falls in the category of “Where has this book been all my life?” I heard about it on a podcast interview with a woman who also loved Brown Girl Dreaming, and since I adore that book, I decided to try These Is My Words. It is filled with all the calamity you can expect from a historical novel set in the Arizona Territory in the time of the Indian wars, but despite the violence, I love it. So much so that I immediately ordered my own copy from Amazon and am rereading it to underline my favorite parts.

I love it for the same reason I love the show Call the Midwife; for the glimmering way the sheer kindness of people stands in stark relief to human suffering. There are some evil characters in this book, and some that are just plain rascals, but also so many good people. Strong people. People you want to be like. Sarah Agnes Prine is now one of my favorite literary characters. I devoured the final two novels in this trilogy also, and they weren’t quite as good in my opinion, but still entirely worth reading to follow the story of Sarah Prine and her family.

Big Magic: Living Creatively Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert. I typically read fiction quickly, and nonfiction quite slowly, which I’m doing with this book, but it’s another one I went ahead and purchased because of how much I enjoy it. I’ve underlined whole big paragraphs. I feel so inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert. She is down-to-earth and witty and honest. I don’t agree with everything she says, but I love her words about taking risk, pursuing your passions, and working hard for the love of what you do — rather than working for a certain brand of “success.” (heads up for some language)

Everything You Ever Wanted: A Memoir, Jillian Lauren. This is an adoption memoir recommended by my friend Hannah that I got from the library yesterday and can hardly put down. It’s a beautifully written, sad and hopeful story about a mother’s fierce love for her hurting adopted son, and the start of their family’s journey together. (Also heads up for language)

The Life-Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming, Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson. This is the latest book by author and speaker Sally Clarkson, and her daughter Sarah Clarkson. I’ve really benefited from Sally’s writing and speaking on motherhood in the past, although sometimes her words come across a bit preachy to me.

There are many different ways to raise a family and I have sometimes felt from her writings that she presents just one quite specific way. Having said that, she has a lot of wisdom, and I’m enjoying working my way through this book. I really like the addition of her daughter Sarah’s voice. I think if you put aside feeling the need to model your family just like theirs, you can gain a lot from the ideas of creating a home and family rhythms.

My Name Is Resolute, Nancy Turner. Another historical novel by the author of These Is My Words; it’s set in the period of the American Revolution, and also features a strong female character. It hasn’t transfixed me in the way These Is My Words did, but I’m about halfway through and enjoying it very much. And besides, it’s always fun to have a really fat book to read.

Happy Hump Day!