What's On Your Nightstand - June

Here I am on the cusp of July. June has flown by and was filled with a lot of baseball and a visit from my parents. While they were here they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The celebration was low key but we did spend the day together taking a small day trip and then celebrating with some nice big beautiful pieces of cake! I am hoping July will be a good month for reading, but I won't hold by breath on it. My summers are always busy and the closer we get to August the busier I will get especially since my son's wedding is fast approaching! How did I get old enough to have a son getting married? Oh, well, I'm not going to dwell on that and just focus on reading.

For July:

 

From May's Nightstand I read:

• Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin - The first book I read by Gretchen Rubin was The Happiness Project which I hated. I then read Better Than Before which I really liked. I decided to Happier at Home and I have to admit it won't be my favorite, but I didn't hate it as much as The Happiness Project. There are parts which I think she just tries too hard and then there are some insightful lessons that she learns which I found applicable. One thing I have noticed is she has a pattern to how she writes her books which made this one easier for me to understand. Maybe one day I can go back to The Happiness Project and get more out of it now that I see the pattern in her writing.
• Made to Crave Book & Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst - This is a re-read from 2011 though I didn't read the devotional at that time. I felt I was in need of re-reading since I had gained some weight and was really feeling unmotivated about losing it. Honestly, if I had to do it over I would just read the devotional book. I think it has just as much if not more to offer than the book. Though she is mainly talking about food many of her ideas are applicable to other things that can trip us up. (About my weight--I started the book and went back to Weight Watchers at the same time. It's working. Making myself pay to lose weight was probably more motivating than the book.)
• Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry - The was a Close Reads podcast book that I listened to by audio. Again, this is a re-read. I will admit that the first time I read this I really disliked the book. I think the Close Reads Podcast has helped me come to better terms with many of the ideas in this book though I don't think Wendell Berry will every be a favorite author. I find his books incredibly sad.
• Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - I really wanted to like this book. To start with it is a beautiful book. The pages are heavy and are beautifully decorated. There is original artwork interspersed throughout the story with a list at the end of the book telling what each piece is, whose it is, and where it can be found. There is a lot of history included along with important ideas that helped shape our nation. My biggest problem was with the story--very cheesy. I think this may be a great read for kids who only feed their minds on twaddly books and TV, but if your kids know any history I don't think it will be very appealing at all.

I also read:

• The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera - Another re-read. I really liked this book the first time I read it but I found the ending lacking. This time through I didn't dwell too much on the ending and found the book just as enjoyable and since I already knew how it ended it didn't disappoint!
• The Dyslexia Help Handbook for Parents by Sandra K. Cook - I'm still researching dyslexia. Out of all the dyslexia books I've read so far this one is the most encouraging. The author gets the frustration that parents feel. She also encourages the parents that they can help their child and don't have to rely on specialist. Of course, she gives that as an option too, but she is very affirming and reassuring to parents.

I listened to:

• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams - Another Close Reads listen. I didn't care for this play in any way, shape, or form--even with the discussion.
• Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear - I haven't listened to a Maise Dobbs in quite a while. I really enjoy these mysteries. Even though I don't agree with the author's worldview she writes very compelling stories.
• The Lifegiving Parent by Clay and Sally Clarkson - This book is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to parenting books. I think this is a great read to help parents in making a long-term goal of how they want their family to live. Excellent read!