Read and reading

I love to read, though I haven't been doing too much of it lately. I used to read just about everything, but have become much more discriminating about what I spend time reading. No more romance novels and serial killer books for me. I do love them, but they're way too addicting, and hours and hours pass with nothing to show for them.

We are getting ready to go on vacation on Friday, so I do need to find some things to read while I float around the pool on my raft. Think I'll head to the library tomorrow and see what I can find.

All that to say, I read way more nonficiton than I used to. (Actually, I never used to read nonfiction except for work. I was a book editor/copywriter in my pre-children days.) And I find I enjoy it more than I ever thought I would.

I recently read Robert Benson's Digging In: Tending to Life in Your Own Backyard. Robert is one of my favorite writers and this book offers lots of life lessons as he chronicles the journey he and Sarah made in landscaping (and relandscaping) their backyard. After reading it, I'm up for dinner on his patio any time!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"We had an old house to live in and a new home to make."

"My gardening expertise has some limits, but I do know this much: any patch of dirt, no matter how large or how small, if tended a little bit, holds within it the possibility of enough beauty to take your breath away. It can grow something that will catch your eye and touch your heart. It can give you something to look forward to when the days are dark and cold."

"If we are to have any roots at all, we must find them in the places where we are now, on this day. If we are to make a home, if we are to deeply belong to the places in which we find ourselves, we must dig ourselves in somehow."

Makes me excited to start some work on the backyard when we get back from vacation...

I've also started reading Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life by Margaret Kim Peterson. I'm not that far into it yet, and am saving the rest for the trip. But so far, I really like it. Here's a quote from the preface:

"Keeping house can be a very mundance activity. It is certainly repetitive, and the kinds of work that it involves are varied enough that few people enjoy all of them equally. But at the very same time, housekeeping is about practicing sacred disciplines and creating sacred space, for the sake of Christ as we encounter him in our fellow household members and in neighbors, strangers, and guests."

Comments

[Marla Taviano]

Wow--I'm so with you on being more discriminating about what I read. Time is precious, eh? I must say that your blog is one of those things that is well worth my time!

I was just on Robert Benson's blog a couple weeks ago and saw that book. Looks good. The other one sounds good too. Keep recommending books! That saves me even more time--reading something I already know will be worth it.

Like Living Simply, for example. (by some Joanne Heim chick)

Have fun on vacation!!

[Lisa R-P]

Have a good vacation. I am with you on being a discriminating reader. I have limited time to read, so try to chose wisely. I have been reading the Left Behind series and also reading through the adelente book club series for AAUW. There are so many good non-fiction books in that book club to chose from.

On a side note...today my daughter graduated from Kindergarten. I think that I have finally stopped crying. The program was wonderful. Her teacher is awesome and she made a beautiful movie of the kids with photos taken throughout the year set to music. She gave us each a copy. My husband even got a bit teary eyed. They really do grow up too fast.

[Janine]

I just finished Robert Lurson's book, "Shaddow Divers." It is non-fiction but reads so easily. It is about deep sea diving and the discovery and identification of a WWII U Boat. We have a U Boat here in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry. I learned so much about WWII U Boats and was fascinated by the exploration of these 2 men. It was so interesting. I have to say that I perhaps enjoyed it because it is exactly the kind of book my father would have read and recomended!

Have fun! Janine

[Julie]

Sounds like two good books! Keeping House sounds especially interesting... I've been hearing more and more about housework blessing the family and honoring Christ. Have a wonderful vacation!

[relevantgirl]

Tomorrow I'm sending out my two novels to bunches of people. Would you be interested? If so, send me an email at maryedemuth at sbcglobal dot net.

Here they are:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576839265/qid=1133722651/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/102-3484477-0104960?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

http://www.amazon.com/Wishing-on-Dandelions-Mary-Demuth/dp/1576839532/sr=1-1/qid=1157452081/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4116291-0267150?ie=UTF8&s=books

[capello]

i'm finding my reading groove again. i read a book in less than a week, ran out to the library to get another one and haven't opened that one yet. ah, well.

have a fun trip! floating around on a raft sounds lovely.

[christina]

Im new to your blog, but I have enjoyed looking at it every day. I have a few good reads for you, as I am an advid reader myself. Although having 6 kids makes it sometimes tricky. Quaker Summer by Linda Samson is a great book. So are any books by Dee Henderson, and now I am reading The Good Nearby by Nancy Moser. Grace Livingston Hill books are good, and so are Sharron Ewell Foster books. I am looking forward to getting your book about Living Less In A World Of More. Our library doesnt have it, but I hope to purchase it soon. Im enjoying all the crafts I see you make, and some Id like to have patterns too. My daughter is wanting me to sew American doll clothes, so that will be a new challenge for me. :)
God bless,
Christina

[Holly Smith]

Here is a good fiction book for you, Joanne. It is my very favorite book to read and share and discuss. In fact, I've given it away twice and need to re-purchase it. It's called "The Book of Hours" by T. Davis Bunn. It is quite a good vacation book, filled with mystery (and a godly book, too!).

I'm about to take yet another nap...boy this VBS is getting me tired! But so very worth it :)
Love you!
Holly