I’ve said it many times and it bears repeating. Havin’ fun aint’ hard when you got a library card. Or even better, when your library card number is written on a sticky note next to your keyboard. I love being 33 and owning life.
I don’t know how, but there always seems to be a theme running through whatever pile of books is on my bar cart. (Regular people stock liquor on these things.) The theme of the month is authors taking vague and etherial concepts and writing them in plain out English. Writers amaze me.
Here’s what I’m reading (and you should too):
Design Mom by Gabrielle Blair
Styled by Emily Henderson (which I talked about here), is my life’s decor guide. But frankly there is nothing kid-friendly in the whole book. Sure, I love a mid-century flea market find as much as the next blogger, but what I also need in my life right now is plain talk about plastic toys and toddler beds. This New York Times Bestseller, written by a mom of six who lives in San Fransisco is indeed, “where design and motherhood intersect.”
She also has a series on her blog entitled Living with Kids, which features the homes and lifestyles of families around the world. Her goal is to showcase a wide variety of homes, so there’s always something new and interesting. I am addicted to this feature and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Also, we have emailed. And my house is on her blog.
The New Bohemian by Justina Blakeney
Bohemian is a new buzzword in the design world that no one (until Justina) seems to have really defined. The most memorable part of this book for me was learning of the historical origins of the Bohemian lifestyle. History always helps to define styles and why they exist. Justina Blakeney does a perfect job of breaking this floaty concept down in both word and image. Part of my minimal self is drawn toward off-beat spaces and funky collections, so I found this guide very helpful in my quest for the perfect curated shelf.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
I’m on a mission to read all of Brene’s books by the end of this summer (I read Daring Greatly in December…talked about it here). She’s a qualitative researcher, so she has become the QUEEN of nailing down and connecting the dots of such intangible concepts as shame, authenticity and vulnerability. Her dot-connecting is just unendingly satisfying to read. And since I don’t have her gift, copied and pasted Amazon’s summary of this book for you:
“In The Gifts of Imperfection, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living—a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.”
Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott
There was a time six days ago when I thought that Anne Lamott was a khakis and loafers Baptist devotions author. This was shown to be 100% incorrect after like two pages of reading this book. I just couldn’t stop thinking about her words for days after I read them. I have all her books on hold and have just moved to 49th in line for her piece on writing, Bird by Bird.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
I’m an official fan girl of Gretchen after reading her book Better than Before (which I talked about here). For one year, she conducted a giant experiment to find out if she could be a happier person. She read all the books and did all the things and then summarized it in The Happiness Project. These are just the sort of things my foolish heart loves. I relate with Gretchen on the level of being a voracious reader and having the compulsion to follow a trail of information down to its origins before I am satisfied. It’s possible that I also have an embarrassing fascination with her lifestyle as writer living in Upper Eastside Manhattan.
Now that you are TOTALLY PUMPED, get out your library card and start placing holds!
If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll love my free download, The Ultimate Homeschool Mama Book List!
For an archive of I’ve read through the years, you can go here. To see all of the curated book lists on my blog in one place, click here.
To receive short reviews and recommendations of what I’m reading each month, sign up for my newsletter.
