Reading is Fun!

I had forgotten how much fun reading can be. So why did I stop? I suppose because it's slow. I'm a very impatient person. Why read an entire book (which takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for me) when I can read a bunch of blog posts or catch up on Facebook? That's been my philosophy for the last decade for so.

For some crazy reason, I made it a priority to read a book a month this year. This seemed "doable." I didn't want to overwhelm myself by setting too lofty a goal. It kind of sounds wimpy now that I see it written out like that. Oh well, I'm not going to judge myself too harshly on this. It's more than I was previously reading. Now that I've set my mind to reading it seems I'm never lacking books to peruse. That's just it - I have the opposite problem. I can't determine which book I want to read next. Instead of only reading an occasional book, now I want to read all..the..time, to the exclusion of sewing, cleaning, coloring, watching TV and just about anything else.
 

My current obsession is Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay. It's an engaging book about a young woman named Samantha Moore who suffered greatly as a child and turned to books to cope with her life. She uses the characters in the books she's read to help her process and articulate life, especially relationships. As an adult, she's discovering that she needs to find her own voice. All of this takes place as she sends letters to a generous benefactor in her life. It's clever, funny and touching. I'm totally engrossed in Samantha's life. I want her to succeed in her career, her friendships and in love. In my mind, this is how a good book works. A good book transports you out of your world and into the life of someone else. Since I'm in the middle of the book, I don't yet know how it ends. Dang!

I really must get some things done around the house. I think a terrific reward would be to finish reading Dear Mr. Knightly. Suddenly I'm motivated.

I think I see a trip to the library in my future.

Starting the Year with James

I'm thankful for the opportunity to study the
book of James with this book as my guide...

Our small group at church is going to be studying James. I just happen to have this book I got received last Christmas on the book of James, Growing in Wisdom & Faith, by one of my favorite bible study authors, Elizabeth George. She has a great way of breaking the passages down into bite size chunks and then posing thoughtful questions to help you see what the writer of the passage is trying to say. I need help in this department, because it's not always clear to me. By studying before our group meetings, I hope to be a better participant. Gotta go...it's time to study.

Thankful for Mini Habits (the book)

I stumbled across a book a few weeks ago. I don't even remember now where I found it. The is called Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results. It is about setting stupidly small goals and how just getting started will often spur a person on to do more and thus achieve more.

This premise is truly fascinating. Start small and be content with achieving that small goal, but be encouraged when that small action is the catalyst for further action. I've read several books about habits. It's intriguing how the mind works. Mini Habits spends a little time going into the mechanics of memory. Because it lays that groundwork, starting small makes a lot of sense. So that is the impetus to kick-start the blog.

Let's see where this road leads.

A Good Book

Recently I finished reading The Frugal Duchess by Sharon Harvey Rosenberg.


Since I've been a reader of Sharon's Blog, The Frugal Duchess of South Beach, for quite a while I was excited to hear that she came out with a book. Sharon has a down-to-earth approach to saving money. But she's not just another penny-pinching mama.

This gal has style and tells some great stories. I especially liked reading about her personal life and growing up years. It was fun to see how those things shaped her and helped make her into the person she is today.

Sharon also tells of her dream home in Miami Beach, Florida. She doesn't actually own the home, but she just might some day. Since she practices what she preaches I'm betting her savings account is steadily gr owning into the down payment she needs.

This book is chock full of great tips and strategies for saving money. This is practical frugality at it's best. I didn't get the sense that Sharon feels deprived at all. Quite the contrary. This is a gal who appreciates luxury and knows quality when she sees it. She's found ways to have those things and save a few bucks too - hence the subtitle How to Live Well and Save Money.

I'm thankful for good books that are also great resources.

What r u thankful 4?