Saturday, March 30, 2013

A Reading Recap: What I Read in the First Quarter

I *might* try to start blogging again.  I've got so much to say...truly, I do!  Life with 3 has been really great so far, but I'm sure that has something to do with my husband being off work and my mom living with us.  That is about to end in 6 days.  I am a bit nervous, but we will figure it out!  For now, a book post.

I got this idea from Everyday Reading!

This quarter I have only read 5 books.  That is so sad!!  It makes my heart hurt.  I'm pretty sure that is the worst reading record I have had since Kindergarten.  I got in a big funk in January and only read one book and then in February I finished 2 and shelved 1 because it was not working for me (so annoying!).  I actually have read 2 in March which isn't so bad considering I have a newborn!  So, here they listed by date read:

1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
This book was pretty fascinating for me because my husband is the biggest introvert I know.  Well, he might possibly be tied with my father.  It was like looking into a little window into his soul.  After reading a part of the book about babies, I'm expecting my son to be an introvert as well.  I am one of those weird people who  hover between being introverted and extroverted.  I would say I'm maybe 60% introverted and 40% extroverted (maybe...it's hard to really know for sure).  If you are an introvert or have a special someone in your life who is introverted, I would definitely recommend reading it!

2. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
I started reading this with a group on Facebook, but then it kind of fizzled out so I finished it by myself.  I did get more out of it when the group was discussing it.  It wasn't a bad book, per se, but I just didn't get much takeaway from it.  My children are very young and I parent with more grace (I guess that's the word?!) than the author seems to advocate.  I give my 2 year old more than one chance to obey me.  I let her get away with more if she is tired or hungry or emotional.  Overall, I liked the message of parenting the heart, but found implementing it with very young children a challenge.

3. Legend by Marie Lu
I had high hopes for this dystopian young adult novel.  I'm still not sure why I didn't enjoy it more.  I think the characters didn't make an impression and that is huge for me.  If I don't love (or hate) the characters, then the book is always a disappointment.  Many people love this novel, though, and it's the first in a trilogy so check it out if you like young adult.  I won't be reading anymore of this series.

4. My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson
This book I loved.  I can't adequately describe it myself, so here is an excerpt from The Book Smugglers review on Goodreads:

...carefully crafted novel that follows the story of a group of Iñupiaq, Native American and white children who are sent to a Catholic boarding school in Alaska in the 60s. Although some of the characters and events are inspired by the author’s husband’s childhood experiences, My Name is Not Easy is mostly a fictional account of a complex period in Alaska’s history. In the early 60s, Alaskan parents had to send their kids away to boarding schools where the children were introduced to and forced to practice new ways of life – eating completely different food than they are used to, learning a new belief system, forbidden to use their own language not to mention being torn apart from their family and everything they had ever known.

It is awesome.  Go read it.  Plus, it's short. Added bonus for you non-readers out there.

5. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.
I will always indulge in Cassie Clare's novels.  They are fun to read and there is always wonderful tension between the male and female protagonists.  I actually shed a few tears while reading this one.  I totally blame being postpartum for that silliness.