November was a better month for reading! It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of the year already, yet here we are. You never know how big life changes like a new baby will affect your everyday routines, let alone hobbies like reading, so it feels like a relief to find that I still have some extra time to do the things that make me feel like myself.
I’m no longer tracking my reading with daily photos, but I started an old school pen-and-paper journal to keep track of what I’m reading. It’s surprisingly therapeutic to write it down by hand! You can check out what I’m reading (including a handwritten review from my journal) on my Instagram feed @ladykatiestitchery
November 2019 Thoughts
Finished:
Start date: 10/16/2019
Finish date: 11/9/2019
Genre: Nonfiction/Parenting
Source: Kristen
4 stars
It’s not surprising that anxiety has become an epidemic, and I saw myself over and over again while reading this book’s depiction of how and who anxiety affects. So glad I found this book now, to start thinking about breaking the cycle of worry before we hit the school-age era of parenting. The counselor writes from a religious viewpoint (just FYI) and manages to give both practical and empathetic advice to help your daughter defeat the “worry monster” on her own, with tools and support from adults. The best part of reading this book was discussing it with a group afterward, especially hearing from mothers of grade school and teenaged girls. I’ve only just begun this parenting journey but it’s so helpful to know others in the same lifeboat. Looking forward to reading more by this author!
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Yummy Baby Food, by Amy Palanjian
Start date: 11/22/2019
Finish date: 11/23/2019
Genre: Cookbook
Source: Instagram @yummytoddlerfood
4 stars
Here we go again! It’s funny how you forget everything and when I need a refresher, I still prefer a book to internet research. The first time around we did BLW exclusively, with no purees at all, but I feel like we could have done a better job offering more variety than our typical meals at home, so I’m interested in doing things a little differently this time. I like the author’s straightforward no-labels approach; she offers plenty of free recipes and ideas on her Instagram account and website so I don’t necessarily think this eBook is essential, but it’s nice to have it all in one place (and support someone whose content I routinely enjoy!).
If you’re interested, here’s more Yummy Toddler Food on Instagram and Online!
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The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes
Start date: 11/9/2019
Finish date: 11/28/2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Book of the Month Club
4 stars
In 1937, Alice impulsively marries an American to escape her claustrophobic English family, and soon finds herself volunteering to deliver library books to her new neighbors in the rural mountains of Kentucky. The “packhorse librarians” became fast friends and their adventures were enjoyable… and I tried not to let it bother me that the good guys were perfectly progressive on several complicated issues – segregation, pollution, women’s rights, mining conditions, etc. – and just enjoyed the happy ending. A good old-fashioned historical fiction novel was exactly what I felt like reading, and finishing it up over Thanksgiving was my ideal kind of holiday.
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Currently Reading:
L’Chaim and Lamentations, by Craig Darch
Start date: 12/1/2019
Genre: Short Stories
Source: Mom
A family friend wrote this collection of short stories and I started reading them on the car ride home after Thanksgiving in Mississippi. I love the “slice of life” feeling and varied characters.
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Books read in November: 3
Books read in 2019: 29
Currently reading: 1
So that’s what I’ve been reading during the eleventh month of 2019!
I’m always looking for more book recommendations – are you reading any good books?
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