What I’m Reading
Oyster Blues by Michael McClelland—a comic crime novel. I love these.
Winter: Poems, Songs, and Stories by Wynstones Press—this is part of a series and is a fav among Waldorf people. Janise lent this to me. I wish I was better at sight-reading music because it’s full of wonderful songs and I’m trying to learn a few of them!
Cupid and Psyche as told by M. Charlotte Craft and illustrated by K. Y. Craft (children’s picture book)—sumptuous illustrations in this one. I collect picture books about Greek myths.
The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly by Reg Down—stories about a fairy and her friends.
Under the Chinaberry Tree: Books and Inspirations for Mindful Parenting by Ann Ruethling and Patti Pitcher—a book that reviews and recommends children’s books. I adore children’s books. This is another excuse to shop for them.
The ABCs of Writing for Children: 114 Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators Talk about the Art, the Business, the Craft, and the Life of Writing Children’s Literature—pretty self-explanatory.
The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women by Susan J. Douglas and Meredith W. Michaels—an analysis of media and the antifeminist movement’s manipulation of women’s fears, hopes, and values during the last 3 decades and the development of what the authors call the “new momism.”
“An absolutely fascinating expose … this eye-opening report contains a wealth of valuable insight into the never-ending, and ultimately self-defeating, quest for the maternal perfection glorified by contemporary American society.” —Booklist
“This is a book for mothers who can admit that they yell sometimes, feed their children processed foods, and occasionally get bored playing Barbie camp-out under the dining room table. … It’s a book for mothers who would be okay with being imperfect, if only the rest of the world would stop pointing out their shortcomings.” —The Washington Post
Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker—a mixture of memoir and theology. The authors show how the theology of sacrifice and atonement of Christ’s death on the cross on behalf of humanity legitimates and sanctions violence, exacerbates its effects, and encourages silence about the sufferings of human beings, especially violence against women and children. This is a very deep, often painful read that is beautifully written with an interweaving of the two author’s voices. That they blended their voices so harmoniously is really amazing. Ian bought this book after we heard Rebecca Parker give a sermon on saving paradise at our church.
Also a handful of medical terminology textbooks and we have about a dozen books in current rotation for reading with/to Lucas. Several of these are about trains.
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein—Ian bought this book of poems for me and Lucas last Christmas. I enjoyed the first half of it, but then the wordplay got too predicable and boring. I think it’s just out of Lucas’s reach, but soon I think he’ll love it because he has always adored funny-sounding words.
March 14, 2006 at 2:26 am
Have you read anything by Francesca Lia Block? I think you might enjoy her.
March 14, 2006 at 2:43 pm
I’m reading “Little Children” by Tom Perrota and it makes me think of you constantly, S. I think I need to pass it to you when I’m done if you’re interested.
March 14, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I should probably qualify that by saying particular elements of the characters – like one of the dads has a three year old that is obsessed with Thomas the Train.
March 15, 2006 at 12:18 am
No, I haven’t. Tell me more…
March 15, 2006 at 12:19 am
Sure. This is fiction? 😉