Recently Read

I made a goal this year to read “fewer books, with more intention“. This means that I’m hand-picking titles that really meet a current need in my life. (I abandoned 3 books that I started because they didn’t make the cut.)

Here’s what I read in January and February.

I reread these two parenting classics: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk and Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too by Faber & Mazlish – It’s my third reading of the former and my second of the latter (I decided to get a free copy from PaperBackSwap so I can reference it daily if I need to!). I am not a huge fan of parenting books generally, but these two have wonderful tips for improving relationships with your children with empathy.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown – I think this book may have suffered from over-hype syndrome. (You know how, when you watch a movie that everyone is raving about, it’s a letdown? Yeah, that.) While the book was excellent, I was expecting a life-changing experience. I didn’t get it.

Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Foot Wear by Katy Bowman – I’ve talked a lot about Katy’s work (starting with this interview, I recently updated the link so you can download the audio). She’s one of my favorite peeps on the Internet. I’ve learned and benefited so much from reading her blog and books. This book, like her previous one, will be assigned reading for my kids (homeschool “health” class).

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood  by Jennifer Senior – Here’s a book that has been on my wish list for ages, and my library finally got a copy. I enjoyed it very much. It answers the question “Why, according to many studies over the last few decades, are parents (by their own measures) so unhappy, when those same parents, looking back on their lives, recount their parenting years as their happiest?” This is a conondrum that makes happiness researchers nuts, but it’s easily explained. In the book. Which you’ll have to read. (I’m so mean aren’t I?)

Body by You: The You Are Your Own Gym Guide to Total Women’s Fitness by Mark Lauren – Let’s just say that the baby weight isn’t coming off quite so easily this time as in previous postpartum periods. Maybe it’s because of the stress I’ve been under. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 40 this year. Anyways. As in years past, I hit the weights when I want to lose. (It’s so much more effective and efficient than cardio.) Mark Lauren designs routines that use NO gear. All you need is your own body. I love that idea. You make the exercises progressively more difficult with slight adjustments in position. I downloaded his app so I don’t have to reference the book. It’s awesome. You can check out over 200 bodyweight exercises here on the Mark Lauren site.

What have you been reading lately?

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