I discovered some excellent reads in January, and came across more good books for February. You'll notice from my reading lists that I tend to stick with non-fiction books. Not that I don't enjoy fiction, I really do. But if I get into a good story, I have such a hard time putting it down. I tend to neglect other things that really need to be done, and neglect sleep as well, which is not good for a mama who needs to be present and patient during the day. So, no fiction for me, usually. But it's funny because I just realized that Millie is the same when it comes to a good story. I find reading to her to be simultaneously fulfilling and frustrating. I love seeing her become engaged in a story, but I never hear the end of, "can we please read now?!" until we've finished whatever book we're reading.Anyway, here's what I read in February:
A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family by Mary Ostyn - Some good tips here, a good read for families of any size. I really appreciated her common sense approach to parenting and raising a family.
Family Feasts for $75 a Week, also by Mary Ostyn - This book focuses on helping families cut their food costs. Some useful tips, though I didn't find much that interested me in the recipes.
Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller - okay, yes, I realize I'm about 7 years behind on getting around to reading this. Excellent book, like I'd heard many times, and I'm hoping to get around to reading his latest book in a more timely fashion.
Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko - I love this book, and may need to get a copy for myself. I usually throw a little bit of everything into the smoothies I make (veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.), but this book gave me some inspiration for a slightly different approach. Boutenko stresses the importance of dark leafy greens, and gives lots of recipes for incorporating these healthy plants into smoothies. The recipes are usually just greens, fruit, and water, which makes for a simpler, lighter smoothie, which our family has really enjoyed.
The Engine 2 Diet, by Rip Esselstyn - If you're a fan of Dr. Fuhrman and Eat to Live, you'll find this a good book to take a look at. The focus is nutrient-dense, vegetarian meals. There is more tofu and processed soy in the recipes here than what I'm comfortable fixing for my family, but there are some really great ideas here too, and I'm looking forward to trying out a couple of the recipes.
Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer - I started this a couple of weeks ago, and I'm about mid-way through. It's been really excellent so far, and I'm curious to see where it's headed. More great info, along the lines of Food Inc., about how food gets from the farm to our plate.
Too Many Cooks, by Emily Franklin - A memoir written by a mother of four, chronicling a year of feeding her children. It was fascinating to get an inside look at another family and how they deal with feeding young children, who can be notoriously finicky about food.
I am reading a couple of biographies as part of observing Lent, though I am really plodding along in those books. I'm wondering if I'll even finish them at all, but haven't given up yet.
This post is linked to:
Life as Mom
