books on my nightstand

I like to read. And I also like to not read. (I go in phases...) I kindof have a pretty narrow tunnel of books that I enjoy reading. I'm a big Nicolas Sparks fan, but my dear husband doesn't consider Nicolas Sparks books as "books". And I like Twilight. Ahhh, Twilight. (I'm Team Jacob.) Other books that top my list would be the Harry Potter series, Redeeming Love, anything about Ramona Quimby, and all the Babysitter Club books (I'm kicking myself for gettin rid of them years ago....) So, perhaps my taste in books is a bit juvenile, but that's just how it is. I ALWAYS seem to have a stack of books that I want to read or am currently reading. I'm real bad at just reading one book at a time. Something about being a woman and trying to multi-task....so here is a rundown of the current stack of books I'm working through. And they aren't literally all on my nightstand (is nightstand one word or two?). The truth is, if I try to read a book in bed, I automatically fall asleep. My husband is opposite. If he lays down to read a book, HOURS later, he's still wide awake reading. I don't get it.

Matt thinks I only like to read self-help type books. And this is true to a point. I like reading non-fiction books, MOST of which help in some way for me to be a better person. But I'm not searching for answers in the big cosmic new age kind of way. One book that I just finished yesterday is a FANTASTIC parenting book. Its called Parenting From the Heights by Anne Wiggins and Linda Williams. I read it as a part of a women's Bible study through our church. It was more of a book study than a Bible study but it was just really good. This book gives helpful tools and solid information on discipline and parenting in general. The techniques taught in this book help parents teach their kids right from wrong while building up solid character traits in our kids. Cultivating their hearts from within to create positive outward behaviors. Seriously, its a good book. I HIGHLY recommend it for all parents. Its one of those books I want to carry around with me while I'm grocery shopping at Walmart at midnight when there are other parents there dragging their overly-tired and whiney kiddos around the store and the parents keep yelling and spanking their kids for "not behaving". I'd like to give this book to them. It challenges us as parents to change OUR parenting techniques to create postive changes in our kids. Just read it. You won't be disappointed.

Another book I've started reading is Food Matters by Mark Bittman. I'm going through this one slooooowly. Mostly because I know it will provoke many changes in the way we eat. And, to be quite frank, big changes sometimes scare me! You see, our family has been on a "green living" kick for a good year or so now (more on that later, I promise) and we've been slowly changing many areas in our lives to be more Earth-friendly. We've already changed many of our personal care products and cleaning products. We are making better choices in what we purchase and are generally creating less waste. The next "step" in our family's journey on becoming "green" is changing how we eat. In this book, Mark Bittman offers some eye-opening information on what we are eating and how it affects the environment and our bodies. And, most importantly, how to make changes in our diets that won't break the bank and are easy to do for most people. Like I said, I'm reading it slowly! Its a lot of information to digest.....no pun intended.....

I Capture the Castle (not pictured because it literally IS on my nightstand and I'm downstairs) by Dodie Smith is actually a fiction book (whoa!) that I'm getting ready to start per request of my husband and friends, Erin and Evan. All of those people are book lovers. So.....we'll see. I read the first page but I was kindof in a bad mood, so I'm gonna need to start over again. And I have this wierd thing about not liking books that others recommend. I should get past that soon, because apparently this is a super good book.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This is one book that I've had among my stack of "books to read" for years now. I've started it about 12 times and each time I'll get to around page 40 and then I can't read anymore. Pride and Prejudice is my FAVORITE movie and I've literally watched it 348 times, so its really hard for me to read the book since I've seen the movie so many times. But I'll keep trying....

Matt, my husband, and I are leading a life group in our church and we are currently studying a church-wide topic called "Life on Purpose". Its based on the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Its all about figuring out what purpose God has intended for each of us. Its a daily devotional book. Good stuff.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Fran Chan, as we like to call him. This is a crazy good book that was super challenging and I need to read it again. Its about living a radical life for Jesus.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison. This is a mother's memoir about realizing that life is about the little things and stepping back and realizing what is important in life. I haven't started it yet but love the idea of finding important life moments in the middle of an ordinary day.

So, there you have it. My life in books. This post took way too long for me to write. All that time I could have been reading....