What I've been reading
These are the three books that have inhabited my nightstand lately, and today I'm going to give you all a quick opinion about each of them.
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I got 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
from the library, based on MoneySavingMom's recommendation. I thought it was well-written...a breeze to read, and much more entertaining than some time-management books.
I gleaned some helpful information from it and was reminded of some things I already knew. I like that Vanderkam emphasized spending time on things that you enjoy (I wrote about that in my Don't Waste Your Leisure post). And I totally agree with her thoughts about TV and how it doesn't provide a lot of bang for your leisure buck.
On the other hand, I was a little annoyed with Vanderkam's perspective on a few things. For one, she doesn't seem to value quality spouse time too highly. That only got a small mention, while work and time with children were covered far more thoroughly. In fact, she recommends having a shorter work day, coming home to spend time with the children, and then putting in a few more hours of work (paid work) after the children go to bed. To me, it seemed like time with the children was being put at a higher priority than spouse time, and I think that's a mistake.
She also has a very different perspective than I do on the value of staying home. I feel like her thought process is that it's better to outsource cleaning, cooking, and childcare so that you can spend more hours working, and can spend your free time with your kids (and let it be known, I'm certainly not opposed to quality time with children!)
She cites the fact that most stay at home parents do only spend an hour or two of quality time with their kids each day. That may be true, but I don't think quality time is all that counts...being there to comfort, encourage, and discipline children all day is all important work too. And involving children in the cooking and cleaning process means that you can get those things done while also spending time with your children (and while not having to outsource those tasks).
Anyway.
I found myself nodding my head most of the way through the book, but then whenever her thoughts on the priority of childcare and marital maintenance came through, I soundly disagreed.
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I checked out Cinderella Ate My Daughter from my library after Cate Linden talked about it. Like 168 Hours, it was a well-written, entertaining read, and it didn't take me long to get through it.
The author comes to the table with a fair number of ideals that I don't share, but I knew this going into it. Her ideas about womanhood are different than mine, and some of the things she hopes for her daughter are not things I hope for my daughters (like that they will have an active intimate life long before they get married).
Oddly enough, though, we do share a lot of the same thoughts about little girls and what is appropriate and helpful for them and what is decidedly not. For instance, I am opposed to this trend of girls growing older younger (6 year olds now are interested in what 10 year olds used to be interested in a while back), I don't think girls have be nothing but pink and sparkly (do we really need pink legos? and pink strollers?), I think girls should think and study, I don't think little girls should be bombarded with sexy role models, toys, and clothes, and I think the girly-girl culture places too much value on appearance and not enough on character.
Fortunately, because my girls are homeschooled and watch very little TV, they haven't been exposed to a lot of the girly-girl culture, and after reading the book, I felt more and more glad of that. Though my girls do like sparkles and nail polish and such, they've whiled away many hours playing with our (primary-colored) duplos and wooden blocks, they love their blessedly-unsexy Calico Critters 
, and their favorite stuffed animals (Build-A-Bears) are delightfully cute, round, and cuddly.
My girls will grow up soon enough, and I'm glad for the ability to keep them young for a while.
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The The Hour that Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal
is a book that was sent to me for review. It's written by Les and Leslie Parrott, two psychologists, and two mothers who started a freeze-your-meals business.
I'm already a big fan of cooking and eating a meal together at home every day (hello, big money-saver!), but I still enjoyed reading about this topic. It reinforced my thoughts about how important a shared meal is, and it was interesting to read how many studies linked a variety of benefits to the simple practice of eating dinner together.
The book covers the history of family meals, talks about why you should even bother making a family meal a priority, and offers advice about how to make the table atmosphere pleasant and welcome, how to encourage conversation, and how to use mealtime to instill values and manners in your children (I didn't agree with all of the parenting advice, but I still found the book to be valuable. Chew up the meat and spit out the bones, I say!)
Also, at the end of every chapter, a make-ahead, freezer-friendly recipe is included (and there's a picture of each recipe!).
If you're having trouble feeling inspired enough to make family meals happen at least a couple of times a week, this would be a helpful read for you.
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What have YOU been reading lately? And if you've read any of these three books, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!
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Today's 365 post: Then and now (I didn't plan this, but my 365 post today is about reading too!)
Joshua's 365 post: A Giant and His Counterparts
Amazon links are my affiliate links.
Hi, I have just discovered your site. THank you for book recommendations. I love the read. I belong to a book club so a lot of my reading is geared to that but I would read the first book you reviewed here. I have to find a good David Sedaris book (didn't really enjoy him years ago when I first read one), and am about to start Freedom (Jonathan Franzen). I would recommend Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy..most people I know could not put it down..something different. I am following you now.
Along similar lines to Cinderella Ate My Daughter, is another great book called Girls on the Edge, by Dr. Leonard Sax. He has also written two other books. One is called Why Gender Matters (his first), and Boys Adrift (his second). My husband and I have found them hugely invaluable in understanding our children (we have 3 boys and 1 girl), as well as how the current environmental, cultural, and education milieu affects them for good or bad. We first heard about Dr. Sax when listening to a delightful mp3 recording by Andrew Pudewa (creator of the Institutes for Excellence in Writing which would be familiar to quite a few of you homeschoolers out there) called "Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day". Andrew summed up some of the research of Dr. Sax in that talk, which led us to get the books out at the library. Excellent, fascinating stuff. I would highly recommend anyone with children to read (or listen) to Dr. Sax. My husband requested that I get the Why Gender Matters book on CD out from the library again, since we feel we benefit from listening to it every year or so.
So that's what I've been reading. 🙂
I've been re-reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books - the set I was given 38 years ago! Just finished The Long Winter. I love the descriptions of life in the 1880's and am so grateful for a warm, stout house; enough food to eat; and a variety of foods among other things. These books reinforce to me the concepts of simple living, a cheerful contenance, and appreciating what you do have.
I love those books! I need to re-read them too.
Oddly enough I had a conversation with my mother about these books today when we were discussing classic books that my 9 year old daughter would love. She said they were ideal, except for the story where Laura is jealous of her baby brother and he dies..too sad 🙁 she is on Anne of Green Gables at the moment.so we've got to finish that series before we move onto the rest (and I'll be borrowing it when she's finished!!).
Oh, that's actually not in the books. The books don't talk about her baby brother at all. Perhaps you're remembering something from the TV show?
I can vouch - there is nothing in the books about Laura's brother dying. In the Wikipedia entry for Laura, there is a baby brother listed who died very young.
My mother read these books to us - one chapter a night - sitting on the floor in the upstairs hallway. We ranged in age from three to eight in age. I remember it being a HUGE treat!
I read those for the first time a few months ago, and I loved them so much! I still think about them often. I recommended them to my dad, and he and my mom have been reading them together. Then my mom gave them to my 5 year old niece, so she and my sister (her mom) have been reading them together. It has brought our family together in a fun way. (We live in different states.) It has been really special for us to do this. I kept insisting that my dad read them, just b/c I was reminded so many times of stories I'd heard about his childhood in the apalachian mountains, and I'm so glad he finally started reading them when he did. He was diagnosed with cancer in that period, and I cherish anything that brings me close to him right now. 🙂
All that to say, I'm glad you mentioned those books here, and I hope that many people pick them up again (or for the first time). There's so much to learn about frugality, but also about love, life wisdom, and even the Providence of God.
I haven't read any of these books and I'm not doing much reading these days besides my Bible, but I wholeheartedly agree with eating dinner as a family. I am not married and do not have kids yet, but I would say growing up, we ate dinner together 4 nights a week. We didn't every night just by being busy with after school and weekend activities, but my brother and I both greatly value the time that the 4 of us spent around the dining room table.
And yes, we ate in our formal dining room for YEARS! Which is why I absolutely want a dining room in my own house one day.
Hi Kristen,
I was inspired by your purchase of Duplos on eBay for one of your child's Christmas gifts (last year or the year before?) and I was wondering how you typically purchase the Calico Critters. Is that something you just need to buy new, or could that also be found in good condition on eBay? Do you find them on sale? Just curious... really trying to stick to a budget this Christmas.
I'm finding e-bay isn't what it used to be. The sellers are pretty savvy these days and know what prices Calico Critters along with other popular toys sell for in stores and I've looked, and quite honestly, I haven't really seen many bargains. You could look, but I'd go with ordering on Amazon along with free shipping. Toysrus often has deals on them like, buy two, get a third free or I think now they are spend $100 and get a free family(about $20). Target also sells them online and you get free shipping if you spend $50. I do sometimes buy them at our specialty toy store, but they are more expensive there.
The girls saved up their money and bought their Calico Critters at a small local toy store, actually. I think they're worth the money, personally.
As a full time student, I've had no time for leisure reading *at all*. My two favorite textbooks (no seriously they are!) are:
Fundraising for Social Justice (Kim Klein) - for my Fundraising class. Super interesting read on fundraising strategies for non-profits. No really. LOL. It is.
The Power of Collaborative Solutions (Tom Wolff) - for my Community Change class. I am enjoying this class the most this semester and the author does a fascinating job of outlining his success in working collaboratively to bring about social change.
As to the other topics. I also feel that as a SAHM, I did a lot of everyday things with my children that wouldn't necessarily be classified as "quality" time, but it WAS time spent building our relationship. Now that my kids are older (Nearly 21, nearly 18 and 13), I crave time with them - older kids don't typically value that time as much as we parents do 🙂 So I would say, enjoy that time with your kids while you have it. They will be grown up in a flash. Trust me.
I am very interested in the Fundraising for Social Justice. My husband and I just filed paperwork for 501c3 for our non profit and are now researching fundraising ideas so we will be ready to go when it is official.
I will have to look for that book. Thanks!
Juliette - I've worked with charities for years, and was still impressed when I read Relationship Fundraising by Ken Burnett (after being in the 'business' 10 years at that point). A little tip - You have to ignite your potential supporters imagination (focus on the donor primarily rather than the cause - similar strategy to customer focused retail rather than product led) when it comes to good sustainable ideas - look at those personally affected by your cause first to start the ball rolling and spread the word. Jo
I just finished reading Money: An Owners Manual by Dennis Deaton (http://www.amazon.com/Money-Personal-Financial-Enhanced-Expanded/dp/1881840069). My dad recommended it a while back. For those of us with sound financial principles and budgets already in place, it's nothing earth shaking. But it was in line with a sermon series given by my church about money and simplicity, so the timing of the two together did inspire me to do a complete family-finances-audit!
I strongly recommend the book. I don't agree with a few of his examples, but his points are solid. His principles are time tested. His advice is simple (but sometimes hard to stick to!).
I read "168 hours" and had a similar reaction to you in regards to marriage. Your spouse and your relationship don't seem to be factored in at all. I work outside the home but when I'm home-I'm home. Child and husband are the priority.
I am thinking of getting a housecleaner in once every two weeks simply because I'm finding I'm spending a lot of time on Saturdays scrubbing while I really want to just play with my kiddo. I was able to keep on top of things until my father-in-law moved in but now I'm struggling to keep up with an 89 year old.
On the reading list right now:
1) "Loving Frank" for bookclub and really not enjoying it.
2) "Matched" for my students-not sure how appropriate it is quite yet but keeping an open mind.
3) My trusty, 100 year old bible that my Gran had as a wee girl.
4) "The Other Side of the Bridge"-next bookclub.
Gosh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that way about 168 Hours!
A friend of mine in our homeschooling community started a mother-daughter book club. We get together one Saturday a month to discuss the book we've read. We've just finished the Tale of Despereaux and previously Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
In my women's book club, we just finished Haven Kimmel's "She got up off the Couch", a sequel to "a Girl named Zippy"--light and entertaining. Our favorites, however have been "Hannah Coulter" by Wendell Berry and "Jayber Crow," also by Wendell Berry.
In our Bible Study group, we just finished "a Thousand Gifts" by Ann VosKamp. It was thought provoking and inspired us all to have an attitude of thankfulness.
I'm reading aloud the Little house books to my 10-year old daughter. You never get too old to listen to mom read to you! We are just about to start the Long Winter--this one is not my favorite because of the suffering they endured, but I agree with the comment above about the wonderful descriptions in the Little House books! So enjoyable.
And now I'm looking for the next book to read, too!
I haven't read any of these books but I agree wholeheartedly about time with your spouse. If it was more of a priority with people we would have less divorce and happier families. My husband and I both agree that in our lives priorities are: God, spouse, and then children. All three need time given to them. While sometimes it is a balancing act, it is worth it.
Those all sound like interesting books!
Interestingly, my husband and I have recently been making more of an effort to eat dinner at the table every day. It's so easy when it's just the two of us at the end of a long day to collapse with dinner in front of the TV, but we both grew up knowing the value of family meals. It's something we want to instill at home together before we have kids so I'd be interested in reading this book. Thanks for sharing your views!
I think that starting now is a great idea! When we got our first place we didn't have a table for five months. We still struggle to sit at the table 13 years later. 🙁
Thank you, for these honest and insightful reviews.
We just love Calico Critters at our house, too! We happen to have pink legos, but only because our daughter was the first interested in playing with them. The pink set turns into a delightful cottage...you might not know what you are missing. Ha! We find that our kids do tend to gravitate toward "boy" or "girl" marketing labels no matter what, but we love that what they all prefer are stuffed animals. OH THE HOURS we have spent with our sweet collection of stuffed animals.
I haven't had time to comment recently, but your Aldi posts were an eye-opener for me...I shop at Aldi, and sure wish one of the newer store models would open up here. It looks lovely. But the test kitchens...oh my...very pretty. 🙂
Have a great day.
I'm not much for non-fiction books, so right now I'm reading Divergent by Monica Roth. It's new, her first book and part of a series and even though I'm only 4 chapters in, I love it!
I am currently reading "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers for Bible Study. It parallels the book of Hosea in the Bible and I highly recommend it!
I'm expecting a boy in February so I just finished "Women Leaving the Workplace" by Larry Burkett. I especially like the compilation of women's stories about how they decided to stay home and how it worked for them.
I just started reading "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by the La Leche League International. Hope it's insightful!
P.S. Both of the last two books I found at garage sales for $1-2 each! Yay!
Right now I am reading "The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes." I am saving money to someday build my own home on my family's ranch and this is early research into what kind of house I want to build. I haven't gotten far into it yet, but it is quite fascinating.
I am also trying to read a book called "Teach What You Know" for work since I am involved in a mentoring program, but it is not a subject that really grabs me.
I had similar criticisms of 168 Hours. For the most part I really loved it and thought she was spot-on with her time management tips, but I really disliked her attitude toward food, homemaking, and spending time with your spouse (and kids to a lesser extent). She seemed very pro paid work at the expense of healthy homecooked meals, doing things yourself (I have serious issues with her opinions on outsourcing!), and spending time with your spouse and kids. I feel like spending time with family was really tossed in as an afterthought.
I'm glad that you mostly liked Cinderella Ate My Daughter! I didn't agree with the author on everything, either, but it was truly eye-opening. I'm always shocked when I see things like pink Legos, pink shape sorting blocks, pink bead mazes, etc, because they seem so pointless. What is wrong with the original primary colors? The pink ones are always touted as the "girl" versions. And I don't think there's wrong with having a couple of those items...we have pink toys just like we have toys in other colors. But I've seen so many parents basically surround their daughters in pink from birth, and it kinda creeps me out.
Yes, exactly...like if you weren't getting paid to do it, or it wasn't something that you were highly skilled at, it wasn't worth doing and you should outsource it.
I'm not reading anything nearly as insightful. My husband gifted me with a Kindle earlier in the year and it's filled mostly with crime stories, mysteries and some romance. When I sit down to read for pleasure it's to escape for a while, I don't want to...well...spend much time thinking.
I'm glad that's not just me. 🙂
In regards to pink. My daughter is seven, she's a girly girl. LOVES pink and purple. Her room is done in pink, purple and teal. She has Barbies and all the pink stuff that goes with Barbie. Pink marble run, pink tinker toys. I don't see anything wrong with it. It is possible to be girly and studious. She's incredibly intelligent and excels in school. I don't think pink defines her, it's just a small part of who she is, a very small part.
I think it's different if that just happens to be what your daughter likes (mine is 2 1/2 but has a soft spot for pink), but I find it bothersome how many parents buy pretty much ONLY pink things the moment they find out they're expecting a girl...or panic if their sons like pink too.
I don't have anything against pink or sparkles, definitely! My girls like that kind of thing, but they also like things that aren't so stereotypically girly. So, I'm not worried about them.
It's not unusual to find our daughter decked out in a pink dress sitting in the woods (we have a third acre of trees in our backyard) making mud pies. Or carrying around snakes and catching bugs. HAHA!! So, while she's a girly girl she's not afraid to get dirty. All I can say is thank goodness for Shout or I'd never get the dirt out!
Hahaha! That is awesome.
I had a bit of a splurge on The ereader earlier this year and am still getting through them. Note to self - only buy one book at a time! Very silly... Anyhow.. loving this post, great to get some idea as to what is out there. Whilst we are on the subject of gender, if anyone has any good recommendations about raising boys particularly when they have female older sibling/s, I'd appreciate it!
ps - Quality time as a SAHM encompasses many things - baking, laundry and yes even dreaded housework! Life skills that we learn along the way... My Big Sis mentioned the other day that school were amazed I could make pastry as a child - apparently I was the only one who knew how! Wish I was still as adept now... my shortcrust was rubbish last Friday 🙂
Jo just touched on this above - time with the kids doing housework isn't just important because it gets the work done and lets you spend time with them, it's also important because it teaches the kids how to do those tasks! Kids who grow up in a house with a housekeeper or cleaning lady or cook or what have you don't learn how to do those things, then have trouble with the lifestyle deflation that happens when they go out on their own and have to do it themselves. For me as a mother, one of my most important jobs is to raise strong self-sufficient citizens.
As to what I'm reading, on my kindle my current book is With the Old Breed at Peleliu, the WWII memoir by E.B. Sledge. My husband loves military history and I watched The Pacific with him and was inspired to read the books that the series was based upon. My practical books right now are "Help, My Apartment Has a Kitchen!" and "Feast in 15" because my schedule is so insane I'm looking for QUICK recipes that I can get on the table quickly and that my near-12 year old can help with since she has expressed an interest in doing so. When I want total escapism, I read a host of mass-market mystery novels.
Help, my Apartment has a Kitchen has some great recipes. My DD makes the potato soup at least once a week in the winter!
I just wrote about my reading list actually 🙂
http://vitalmommy.com/2011/10/17/what-im-reading-2/
As a work-outside-the-home mom, I certainly see some value in outsourcing, (and said outsourcing doesn't offset my income at all) as I have little enough time with my son. (My one and only regret about working.)
I was actually really grateful when I found we are expecting another boy - the culture for little girls seems frightening to me. I'm not a girly girl at all, work in a profession where there are mostly men, and grew up a complete tomboy. Not that boys don't have challenges, I just find the challenges to be less... well challenging.
About the outsourcing: here in Holland there is much debate because most mothers do work, but often not more than 20-24 hours a week. Combined with fathers working less than 40 (e.g. 36 or 32 hours) this means that toddlers spend no more than 2 days a week in childcare and school children can go home without any extra care (school is out at 3) on most days of the week. People who have been to the States claim we would be better off with outsourcing, but the Dutch parents are very stubborn and refuse to give up the time with their children. Maybe less development careerwise, but more quality of life. Most jobs can be done in three or four days around here, with the exception of higher management. Interesting to hear Americans dislike outsourcing as well!
I just finished "The Ultimate Gift" by Jim Stovall and cannot wait to start "The Ultimate Life". They are small books but 'Gift' really had 12 things that I feel I should be doing everyday that I'm not. I have just started on a new path in life and I'm looking for inspiration where ever I can find it. My other reading has all come out of the Bible. This is the first time in my 26 years I've picked up a Bible to read (not kidding) and it is LONG overdue. I'm sure that I will be reading the Bible for years and years to come but this first time through promises to take awhile, as I want to really study it too.
P.S. I LOVE this blog! I don't have any children of my own but to read the stories with your kids is awesome. Not to mention all of the frugal ideas you give..so good!
Aww, I'm so glad you like my blog! 🙂
I just finished reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I had always avoided reading that book because the title made me think it was about a witch. It is actually about a girl who is accused of witchcraft in a Puritan community back in the 1600's ( she definitly wasn't!). It was very gripping and thought provoking (actually it won the Newberry Medal award for children's literature in 1967). Favorite thought from the book......"people are always afraid of what they don't understand."
Oh, I loved that book as a kid! I should give it another read.
My favorite book so far this year is called "The Shaping of a Christian Family" by Elisabeth Elliot. I ran across it in our church's library in January and have read it all the way through three times since. (After the first time I read through it, I bought my own copy). I love the fact that it is not a "do this, don't do that" set of instructions for living the Christian life and parenthood, but rather almost an autobiography. It's very encouraging in my Christian walk, as you would expect from Elisabeth Elliot. I'm an old soul at heart so I realize this book might not be for everyone, but I love it and was actually thinking about picking it up again!
I just wanted to let you know that I agree with everything you said about time with your spouse, and about the time to include the kids in the household chores, etc. In my opinion, nothing is more important than my relationship with my spouse, and that is always both of our priorities. We are working together to raise our children, so we need time together to communicate, destress and just strengthen our friendship. It's vital for us to be good parents and to work as a team.
I'm also home with my kids all day, and they are required to help around the house. Doing chores and helping is part of being in a family in our opinion. We don't pay allowance for doing chores either. Helping your family is not something you should get paid for. We did give our kids a small allowance, so they could learn to budget money until they were able to do small jobs outside of the house to earn it on their own. Even my ten and twelve year old daughters have a little chore business, where they do little jobs for friends and family to earn extra spending money. My parents didn't take time everyday to play with me, but I knew they were there teaching me and taking care of me. This expectation that is being put on parents right now for "quality" time is not right. I fully believe in doing fun things with your kids and listening to them, etc. I just think a lot of parents feel like they have to keep their kids entertained and play with them, so kids don't learn to entertain themselves.
stepping off my soap box now! lol!
I'm reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck for my next book club meeting (last month was Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, which was fantastic). I'm really enjoying The Good Earth, too. I'm finishing up reading Little Women to my 9-year-old daughter, and then we're going to see a nearby college theater production of it this weekend! Can't wait! Guess who my favorite character is! I also read Holes this week because my daughter read it at school and loved it and wanted me to read it too. It is a fun read. And I'm rereading Anne of Green Gables to see if my 9-year-old might be able to handle that on her own or if I should read it to her (she's apparently at a 12th grade reading level--maybe thanks to a couple of years of homeschooling. ??!). Other than that, I read a lot of Magic Tree House books out loud to my 4 and 7 year olds. And oodles of other fun stuff to my 2 and 4 year olds.
Whoever mentioned Wendell Berry books earlier in this thread, he is one of my absolute favorite authors. Love everything of his that I have read. I also really like Chaim Potok and Anne Patchett as fiction writers. And Peter Walsh on topics regarding living more with less stuff.
One quick comment on the Little House books. I read them to my oldest a few years ago and she has re-read them a few times herself (and all the sequels about the Rose years, and all the 15 prequels about the Martha, Charlotte, and Caroline years--they are awesome background if you can still get your hands on them. I had to special request them from the library.). Anyway, one thing I didn't like about the books when I re-read them as an adult was the perspective on Native Americans. Ma says at one point that only good one is a dead one. Horrific. My husband teaches colonial American and Native American history, so I'm a bit more sensitive to the issues than some might be. But I do hope that as you all read these books with your children that you will point out that that is not an acceptable way to view others and that the mistreatment of the Indians should not be glossed over and forgotten. Thanks for allowing me this little soapbox.
Great blog, by the way. Thanks for sharing your life with us in this way.
One thought on your observation about Ma Ingalls' view on Indians..... it is not presented as the right way to view things, but as the actual way Ma viewed things. Also, sadly, this is the way many of the pioneers thought of Native Americans. Since Laura Ingalls Wilder's books are semi-autobiographical, she is recording the way things were, not the way they ought to be. And Pa Ingalls had a different point of view on the Indians. He seems to have a healthy respect and value for them. Of course I agree with you that one should point this out to your children, as they have a harder time discerning between right and wrong when expressed through fiction.
Oh yes, of course I talk about that with my children, and not just when we read those books. As we study history, starting even with Christopher Columbus, we've discussed how the native people here were mistreated.
I also agree with what Erin said...Laura is presenting the facts about how each of her parents viewed Indians, and I can't exactly fault her for that. It is what it is (or, was what it was!). There are a number of things I disagree with Ma about, actually, but as with most other books, you just have to sift through and leave behind what you don't agree with (and of course talk about that stuff with the kids).
Agreed. I guess I was just really surprised in reading them as an adult to see some of that in there when it hadn't really registered when I was a kid (maybe that's a good thing!).
Just finished 168 a week ago and I totally agree with the things you said!
I just returned from the library!
On my way in, I dropped off the following:
High Heels to Tractor Wheels [The Pioneer Woman] - looooooooved it
The Fates Will Find Their Way - did not like...did not finish
Here If You Need Me - quite uncharacteristic of my book choices, but I really enjoyed this memoir.
I picked up...about a half-dozen more!
Orange is the New Black - My Year in a Women's Prison
Normal Gets You Nowhere
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Memory Collector
Still Missing
Object Lessons
How to Breathe Under Water
Good thing I'm taking a sabbatical from employment...hah!
I've read "168 Hours". Two topics that I enjoy reading about are time management and frugality. I have noticed that "outsource/delegate" seems to be a common thread in productivity literature while "do it yourself" is a common theme in frugal literature. Seems like you just have to figure out the balance of what works for where you are in life and the things that you enjoy doing; i.e., if you can afford to outsource, then pay others to do those tasks that you don't care for if it means that you have more breathing room in your life.
I usually read non-fiction, too, though I still love stories, so I go more for biographies and autobiographies. Right now I'm reading Tea Time with Terrorists--it's not my typical fare, but it's about Sri Lanka, a place my husband and I were able to visit for ministry in 2005. My husband travels the world for ministry and I get to go with him from time to time, so a lot of my reading is about a place either he or we will be going or have been. I find it helps so much to understand the people and the culture, even if I don't remember the facts. I still get a general picture.
I'm also reading The Family Dinner and Grace Before Meals, both books I that, like some of these you read, I don't share the same world view with, but I have found a lot I agree with. I'm reading these books because my book Around the Table, will be out in January and I'm starting a blog to go along with it, so it was interesting to me that Les and Leslie Parrot have written a book along these lines, too. (Wow, Kristen, I'd love to have you review my book!)