Reading Log: January 2016

I have decided this year that I am going to  track and share my reading here on my blog.  I might write deeper reviews on specific books at some point, but for now I will just be linking to what I read in a given month and write a few sentences about each book.  I am also going to be including my lunchtime read-alouds to the kids mostly for my own homeschool record keeping purposes.

Books Completed in January 2016
 
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, MD -- I don't know quite what I was expecting when I began reading this book, but it was quite different than I expected it to be.  Although a fairly short tome, I was amazed at how much useful information the author managed to pack into less than 300 pages.  This book is an in depth look at the importance of play not just in children but in adults as well.  If the idea of adults playing seems odd, Brown explains what play looks like for adults and how grownups can include more play in their own lives.

Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins -- This was a lunchtime read-aloud.  All 3 kids enjoyed this book.  It is a story about toys and their adventures; think Toy Story but better.  It was very clear that Lily and Little Ish were enjoying the story of Lumphy, Plastic, and Stingray.  As far as I could tell Atticus mostly enjoyed the funny noises that various toys make throughout the book.

The Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner--This book has been mentioned with good reviews on several blogs that I read.  When I saw the ebook version on sale at the beginning of the month, I decided to spend the $1.99 to read it.  The author does a good job explaining the why and how of making more margin in the course of the day for self-care and to pursue hobbies.  As a mom of little ones, I appreciated a lot of the ideas provided, but I would probably check with your local library before paying full price for this book.

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin-- This was a reread for me.  It is an indepth look at how people form, keep, and break habits.  The balance that the author provides between research and personal anecdotes makes it a pleasant yet highly useful read.  I have been using several of Rubin's suggested strategies to start and maintain several habits since my first reading of this book.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass--This book has been mentioned in so many of the other books that I have read in the past couple of years that I felt like it was following me around.  I finally decided that I should just go ahead and read it, and I am very glad I did.  In school slavery was mentioned in history classes throughout the years, but not a single teacher that I had went into depth on the topic.  As a result, I did not realize fully the extent of the horrors of slavery.  I highly recommend this book, and as it is in the public domain, you can get the e-book version for free.

Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins-- This is the 2nd book in the Toys Go Out trilogy.  The continued adventures of Plastic, Lumphy, and Sting Ray were equally enjoyable to those shared in the first book.  The kids loved this read-aloud, and surprisingly the day after we finished, Atticus started recounting several events that happened in the book.  We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the third book in the mail.

Currently Reading
 
Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower

Presence by Amy Cuddy