Reading Journal

Yeah, it's been an entire year since I've blogged about what I've been reading. Yeesh.

Poor, neglected blog.

But anyway, I'm happy to report that over that past year I read 16 books, which is not a tremendous amount, but is slightly more than one a month, which is pretty good for a chronically tired working mom of two who requires at least 66 hours of sleep a week to function properly.

Said working mom is too tired to upload images of these books, so just, um, use your imagination, eh?

Rework 
by 37 Signals
This was a quick read about rethinking the traditional wisdom about how to start your own business, written by some funny guys who have started some very successful web-based businesses. I found it exciting and inspirational.

Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control
by Heather Forbes and Bryan Post
My friend Hana loaned this to me. It's an interesting look at parenting, and bonding with, kids who have traumatic pasts and possibly very troubling behaviors, which is something I find fascinating.

My favorite concept from this book is the idea that all emotions spring from either fear or love, and in parenting (and in all human interactions, really), we need to recognize when we're being fed by fear and switch to functioning from a place of love.

My favorite quote? "Fear sees problems. Love sees solutions."

A Thomas Jefferson Education
by Oliver Demille
Another loaned book from Hana, who uses this approach in homeschooling her children. It's a wonderful system and very appealing to me--I would absolutely use this approach if I were to homeschool my own kiddos.

The author does make some pretty bold statements about how children learn that don't appear to be backed by data or research (at least, there's no bibliography attached to this book), though he does provide a decent historical context for his educational approach.

Undaunted Courage 
by Stephen Ambrose
My dad looooves this book, so I finally decided to give it a whirl. It's the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, focusing more on Meriwether Lewis' personality and contributions. It is a long, heavy read and it took me MONTHS of fiction-fasting to get through it, but I learned a ton and was so impressed by everything those men endured during their ground-breaking expedition across the continent. They should absolutely make a movie about the expedition.

My favorite part was when Lewis got shot through the buttocks (the ball went in one butt cheek and out the other) and Clark tenderly cleaned the wound for him every day until it healed.

Undertow
by Lara Hays
This is book two in the Oceanswept series, and it kept me up at night. You should buy it on Kindle for only three bucks. (You can get Oceanswept for .99!) Better do it fast, so you're ready for the release of  Rebel Tide.

The DaVinci Code
by Dan Brown
I liked this so much more than the movie. All the talk about symbolism and early Christianity was fascinating.

Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
This one was gory and I didn't love it as much as The DaVinci Code, though it was still an intriguing mystery/thriller.

Game of Thrones
By George R.R. Martin
This book was fascinating. George R.R. Martin is an excellent craftsman and created a fascinating world peopled by characters that seemed real. That said, I'm not exactly a literary prude, but this did push my boundaries a bit. I probably won't read the rest of the series.

Harry Potter: All Seven Books, but Not the Weird Extra Ones
By J.K. Rowling
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THESE? I loved them.

No Biking in the House Without a Helmet
By Melissa Faye Greene
This book was a sheer delight. Melissa Greene is a gifted storyteller with an adorable personality and I laughed aloud throughout the entire book. It's the true story of an adorable Jewish family in Georgia (Melissa's) who decided to add to their family of four biological children through international adoption. They adopted a child from Bulgaria, then four from Ethiopia. You will love their stories.