Reading is Good for Me.

I have read some seriously good books lately. I tend to go through spurts with reading - a lot all at once or not at all. It's been "a lot all at once" kind of summer and they're coming one straight after the other which is totally thrilling for me because I love to read.  So far this season, I've read...

While the first two are for a book club, Redeeming Love is one Tim's been encouraging me to read for years (literally) and I never took him up on it until I was faced with two 7 hour plane rides and time to kill. It has a slow start and I would have given up on it had I not already committed to lugging it around with me for the duration of our trip (it's a thick book). Anyways, it was amazing and I already know I'll read it again. It just dawned on me that all three of these books have the same theme of imprisonment/breaking free and/or prostitution. Grim, I know. But all compelling stories.

Can I just take a moment and say I could really go for a thick slice of chocolate cake right now?

Currently I'm reading this lovely little children's novel, which I picked off the book shelf at my best friend's parent's house in England ... when I was there for a wedding and waiting in line for the shower.  I was just at the part of the story where a mysterious event happens when my turn was up and I had to put it down. That is until the kindest of souls very generously gave me her copy after I shared how regretful I was not to finish the story. She just gave me her copy like it was no big deal. Um, that's a big deal. I don't just go giving away my favorite books to people I hardly know. I greedily cling to them like a little troll. And if I happen to let you borrow it, I will make sure you give it back. Except it'll never happen because I never lend books out.  (Probably because of that ONE time I lent a book to someone and never got it back. And it had a cover on it that you can't find anywhere else, and I'm really picky about the covers of books.) Well irregardless, I just got schooled on what it means to be kind and thoughtful. Hannah - you're a better woman than I'll ever be. I still stop and think to myself "That was so nice of her!"

It was a gray day today and during the boys nap I thought "what a perfect time to carry on reading" because the whole atmosphere reminded me of England, and this book is a British classic. But then I got distracted by playing with my camera, so really this is a staged shot giving you the false sense that I had a serene moment in my day, lazily reading by the window. In reality my day was filled with lots of anxiety-ridden parenting to the point where my chest started to feel tight and I didn't read at all. 

Next up - for while we're at the beach in Goderich - I've picked these three beauties. I'm pretty sure they're lighter stories and more on the romantic side which is always a good theme while lying in the sand or in a sun-soaked cottage. 

After that, who knows where my literary adventures will take me.
But I always love a good recommendation!

Reading Material

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Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

I love that Jack is now at a stage where he loves to be read to. I'm also thrilled that he likes to read longer stories that actually have a plot and not just "See Spot run" if you know what I'm saying. I grew up loving listening to stories and I hope to instill that tradition in my children.

Which brings me to my main theme - the joy and fun that comes from picking out books at the library! I'm like a kid in a candy store at the library and usually have a huge stack by the time I checkout. However, because I very much judge books by their cover I don't always love the content once I have a chance to read through them. For every 10 books that I get, 6 are decent, 2 are great and 2 are not so good. But this last trip to the library was a total hit and I thought I'd share the several books that I really enjoyed because I never had the chance to be one of the kid reviewers on Reading Rainbow and this is my only avenue to try and fulfill that dream (except I cheated and just used the editor's description of each book instead of writing my own):

Immi's Gift by Karin Littlewood - Immi wishes she had some company out in the cold winter, but hardly anyone ever visits. Then one day a gift appears at the end of Immi's fishing pole. And then another...and another...Bright surprises fill Immi's wintry world with color and magic. And friends. When finally it is time for Immi to leave, she stops by her fishing hole to send out a little magic of her own...Who will receive it?

The Growing Story by Ruth Krauss - A boy and a puppy and some chicks were all very little. From this simple beginning grows a story that celebrates those little changes that tell us we're growing up! This Ruth Krauss classic enchanted young readers when it was first published in 1947. Now it blooms again with lush illustrations by one of the world's best-loved illustrators: Helen Oxenbury.

Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach - Based on the true story of 1960s - era subway cars that are now being used to create artificial reefs in the Atlantic, this train tale will delight parents and kids alike!

Applesauce Season by Eden Ross Lipson - This tender story gives a charming and unusual urban setting to an American family tradition - and includes a recipe so the readers can celebrate their own Applesauce Season. Caldecott Medal winner Mordecai Gerstein's whimsical illustrations are full of the color and hum of the city on the crisp, sunny days of fall.

One Smart Cookie by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - One Smart Cookie offers a fresh batch of words that encompasses everything you might say to a child, whether it's the first day of preschool or the last day of high school. Cookie-centric definitions range from wanting to know everything about cookies to thinking carefully about what kind of cookies to make for your friend.

All these books are winners because of their sweet and lovely content as well as their great illustrations. But in the timeless words of LeVar Burton

"Don't take my word for it!"

(har har har)