Books!

During the weeks after Christmas, I have been able to do a bit of reading. Yes! Here is what I've had my nose in lately:


Be Thrifty: How to live Better with Less Edited by Pia Catton and Califia Suntree
This little book is great...it would make an awesome wedding gift or for someone starting out on their own. I learned that the word 'thrift' is derived from thrive: grow, prosper, flourish. Living thriftily is really a way of healthy, prosperous living. This guide is packed with advice: buying in bulk, DIY cleaning supplies (and how to clean just about anything), DIY home maintenance, houseplants, car care, how to start a garden, pets, recipes, DIY games, how to hem, how to cut hair, exercise, how to fold napkins, how to build a campfire....Seriously! Just about everything is covered in this simple and practical book!


Father Fiction by Donald Miller
I picked this up from the library, and soon after I began reading it I realized that it is a new edition of the previously published To Own a Dragon, which I've already read. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book as a read for everyone. The role of a father is so vital, yet our society is suffering a great absence of them. I appreciate Miller's humor stories, honesty and simple way of encouraging. He is a founder and advocate of important male mentorship programs throughout the country.


The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway
A Knew after just reading the back cover that I was really, really going to like this book. Cathy breaks down the history of restaurant eating and begins telling her Journey of not eating out AT ALL for to whole years...in NYC! IT is easy to read, entertaining, includes recipes, and is very humbling to read someone's story of trying to simplify, save, be healthier, and more sustainable while learning to cook. I especially enjoyed the chapter when Cathy tells of her 'freegan' adventure.


Pocket Posh Puzzles
Okay, not technically a book, but so fun! I bought one of these for my sister last year and she quickly mastered the 100 puzzles inside the pretty and perfect purse size little booklet. She likes to do the word searches and challenging crosswords. I'm tackling the sukendo (a math infused version of suduko).

A Thousand Sisters by Lisa J. Shannon
A Winner! The Rwandan war/ genocide of the 90s has rippled great damage in Congo still today. The war has many complicated forces, but a lot of it is due to Congo's rich minerals. "As of 2008, more than 5.4 million people have died due to the conflict, making it THE DEADLIEST WAR since WWII." The author founded Run For Women Congo, because sexual violence is extremely rampant. Congo has been called "the worst place on earth to be a woman." A really eye opening read, and makes me extremely grateful to live where I do. Being open to ways I can contribute to ending this inhumanity is a necessary action.


Reading Right Now:
White China: Finding the Divine in the Everyday by Molly Wolf
I like this book-it is a collection of little essays. Wolf is talented at relating the academic and wordy language of Christian faith/ religion to everyday life stories, yet it is not 'watered down'.


Reading Next:
Boys and Girls Learn Differently by Michael Gurian
A classic for parents and teachers. I relish books that are based on real research!


Finding my Way Home by Henri Nowen




What are you reading?