Books I Read in February

Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor **

I liked this book a lot.  I love The Secret Life of Bees and it was interesting to read a little bit about how that book came about.  I admired these two women and their relationship and intelligence.  Towards the end of the book though, it did start to wear a little thin.  They both had a lot of dreams that they retold with amazing clarity.  They dreamt a lot about things like Joan of Arc or Greek mythology and then their dreams would guide them in their lives.  Since reading this book, I've been paying more attention to my dreams and trying to internalize the lessons I've learned from them.  I don't remember many of my dreams but:

I dreamt Adam brought me a Diet Coke. (lesson:  I love you Adam!)
I dreamt I was asleep in a pillowcase (?) and there was a cat asleep in the bottom of it.  It was a scary dream.  (lesson:  I don't want a pet)
I dreamt I made my children peanut butter and peach jam sandwiches and put raw onion on them.  (lesson:  there's no end apparently to the ways I can mess up parenting)

29 by Adena Halpern **

This was a light and entertaining read.  It's about a 75 year old woman who makes a birthday wish and becomes 29.  Her best friend Frida was my favorite character.  I loved her!  It was a funny and happy book.

I'm conflicted about the ending though.









Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah***

I loved this book.  It was the kind I had to hurry and finish reading so I could be a productive citizen again and do things like dishes.  It did end a little abruptly but who am I to complain?











Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider****

This book may have changed my life.  It changed the way I thought about my house and organizing it and even my finances (and you can ask anyone, I'm the worst accountant in America).  I even went so far as to break my solemn vow with Amazon and I bought this book.  I want to read it and mark it up and read it again.

I will however, not be making homemade deodorant any time soon.  Or toothpaste.  Or rinsing my hair with vinegar.

Have you ever smelled vinegar?  For fries?  Delightful.  For hair? No.  Sorry Tsh.

 



The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz***

Amazing book!  I learned a lot about Russia (and why I don't want to vacation in Siberia or the Gobi Desert or the Himalayan Mountains).  I was impressed by the incredible drive and spirit of the people and the generosity they encountered from strangers.  I also gained a continuing appreciation for my lot in life.  My security and freedom, bed and bathtub, and Costco.









Books I'm still reading:

The Book of Mormon

Weather of the Pacific Northwest by Cliff Mass (this is slow going though because Adam introduced me to Cliff Mass's blog which gives me my weather fix).

Books I abandoned:


Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman

This is an important book and one I hope to never need.  It is supremely depressing about the minefield that some teenage girls experience.  It wasn't my experience though...I had a relatively wonderful teenage life compared to the examples in this story.  (Big shout out to my parents!!!)

I hope Emma's will be equally uneventful.  But if it's not, I'll keep this book on my shelf.