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Dear avid readers and part-time literates,
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
I love seeing what other people put in their grocery carts. I love seeing what they plant in their garden. And I love seeing what they are reading!
Don't worry, I won't recount for you what is in our pantry right now (you might not all be as weird as I am!). Rather, I want to share a few of the books in my reading basket right now, and ask you what you are are currently reading!
In this modern era, we have books from the library, books we bought at the store or received by mail for review, Nook books, and audio books - so I, of course, take advantage of all these avenues for word input and have something going in each category. I'm including Amazon affiliate links for each book in case you want to click through and read reviews or buy the book for your Kindle or whatever.
Listening in my car
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs | I'm only a few chapters in. It's very entertaining! I'll warn gentle readers that, so far, I have encountered a few instances of language. It's also a little scary, so if you have young ones I would suggest reserving this for your own personal reading or drive time! So far, it is a wonderfully written, vivid mystery!
Listening on the Nook
The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters | The second book in the acclaimed 19-book series based on the doughty character Amelia Peabody and her archaeological enterprises in Egypt during the Victorian period, I have read the first six books and own the entire series. I haven't read them in a while, though, so before I picked back up on the series I wanted to listen to the books and refresh my memory. The book plays during the day (in fact, it's playing right now!), and makes great entertainment while I'm washing dishes. You can download the Overdrive Media App to your smart phone, laptop, computer, or reading device and use it to check out eBooks and eAudiobooks from your local library. This is a tip my mom shared with me, and it has filled my life with free and wonderful literature!
Reading on the Nook
Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD | This controversial book is surprising, shocking, and not surprising at all! I am two-thirds finished with the book and enjoying it immensely; you will probably see a full review on it later in the blog, as it has already impacted the way we eat (and yes, I am aware of the arguments against the book - I love controversial books and blogs!).
Reading for the blog
The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley | Publishers have generously sent me rafts of books to review for the blog - and I can't wait to share the entire list with you (most of them are accompanied by giveaways! Hurray!). I am not sure yet if this book is my favorite on home creamery work yet, though. I've made about half the recipes in the book and had to supplement them with information from other books. I know Storey has a second book on home creameries, so I may check that one out before I settle the review.
Reading for the Sacramento Book Review
Once Upon a Flock: Life With My Soulful Chickens by Lauren Scheuer | I just finished reviewing this book, and I can't wait for the review to be published at www.citybookreview.com. I thought it might be a mildly entertaining, and maybe cute book about chickens, but it was so much more than that! It was, in fact, a moving story and an anthropological and zoological study that made me realize that chickens are not just egg-laying creatures, but truly soulful beings with little minds of their own! It was emotional and it was touching, and it left me yearning to start my own home flock!!
Reading for fun
The Other Side of the Dale by Gervase Phinn | Compared often to James Herriot's All Creatures books, this story chronicles the adventures of a school inspector in North Yorkshire in days of yore. The stories are humorous and colorful, the writing is clean and fresh, and - I'm about a third through this book - so far, everything is clean and wonderfully family-friendly.
Reading from the library
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom | I have only just cracked the cover on this, but I can't wait to read it. It's set in old-time Virginia and the main character is a white slave.
Reading for education
Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson and Sally Clarkson | A gift from my parents, this book is especially useful if you plan to school your children at home. I have only just begun to wade into it, but the Clarksons are acknowledged pioneers and innovators in the field of home education! A worthy read!
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola | Another staple for the homeschool parent, this book is filled with revolutionary (to a country steeped in pen-and-desk tradition) concepts for education.
Reading in the kitchen
Prairie Home Cooking by Judith Fertig | I cycle through my cookbooks and periodically re-read favorites to plumb them for new concepts and recipes I may have overlooked on the last circuit. I am currently re-reading PHC, one of my favorite books, and one of the first in my collection. It was a gift from my grandma and I treasure it!
There are more books, many books in the basket and on my kitchen counter, but of course I am always seeking further recommendations! Every once in a while you just hit that perfect, golden book that lives on and on as a classic family favorite!
What are you reading right now in your various categories? Do you have a reading basket, or a shelf of books waiting to be consumed, or an Amazon wishlist? Do you read for pleasure, or just for school or work? Are you reading any of the books I mentioned here, and do you have further suggestions for me?
Reading words,
