Fall Reading

There's something about fall (even the pretend Florida version of fall) that makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a good book and a large mug of something hot. I also don't turn down snuggling with children and reading out loud to them. In case you are on a similar wavelength, I thought I'd provide a few of our latest and greatest.

Just returned to the library this morning, Brendan Wenzel's A Stone Sat Still is first on our list. Honestly, I didn't want to give it back. The illustrations were beautiful, and I wanted more time to talk with the kids about the meaning and depth that Wenzel provides. In a nutshell: some things change and some things remain the same, but perspective is everything.

My other favorite picture book choice for the month was not at all deep or moving, but was definitely hilarious. Neck & Neck by Elise Parsley had me laughing hard, and it'll crack you up too. This is what happens when a giraffe gets jealous of a balloon.

Twinkle doesn't look entertained in this photo,
but that was because she was ready for her nap.

My favorite middle grade series this month were The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon (those illustrations! that story line! those fantastic characters!) and Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes and its sequel Sophie Quire and the Story Guard by Jonathan Auxier (because all the things!). I neglected to get good pictures for either of these, so basically, I'm the worst. Love me anyway. I will say, as a tease, that I just picked up another Jonathan Auxier book from the library today, Sweep, because I liked Peter Nimble and Sophie Quire so much. Beautiful writing, thoughtful and creative. The kind of book I wish I could write. Although I thought that reading The Doldrums too (and listening to The Benedict Society with the kids--but I wasn't planning to write about that tonight).

But here I am with my copy of book 2 of the Doldrums
that I talked the Man into buying while we were in Maine.
Our suitcase was much heavier going home.
Bookstores, man...

Next up, two excellent non-fiction reads to add to your list. First, War of Words by Paul David Tripp. I don't know how many quotes I sent the Man from this, but it was a doozy. So much to learn. So much to think about. So much to try to implement. I have never been more conscious of the many ways I fail when I communicate with others (and I don't just mean yelling at my kids or being passive aggressive with my husband). But it wasn't just a kick in the rear. It was a kick in the rear that gave me hope that I could change.

My other favorite non-fiction book this month was Christopher McDougall's Born to Run. An absolutely fascinating look at the history of running chock full of fascinating stories and mind boggling characters. I loved learning about the Tarahumara and getting to hear McDougall's own story. But it really stunk to read it when I'm not currently running myself. So read it, and then go for a run in my honor.

Twinkle is posing with Mr Popper's Penguins here,
but it was too cute not to include.

Finally, on the fiction front, I ran across a Madeleine L'Engle book I hadn't read yet, The Other Side of the Sun. It was one of those books that desperately cried out for discussion, and the Man unfortunately had to put up with my persistent need to bring up race relations in the post-Civil War South while we were trying to have romantic dinners together while flying sans kids in New England. If you happen to read it, send me an email letting me know what you thought. I'm still mulling it over even though it's been a week since I finished it.

But what about you? What are you reading? And if you're not reading, you now have multiple options to choose from, so what's stopping you? Hit up your local library (or fill up your suitcase with books the next time you have a fun trip) and then cocoon yourself in a blanket for a good read. Don't worry. The kids will fend for themselves just fine. And when they stop fending for themselves, you have read aloud options for them.