May's books I'm reading/have read!
I love to read! The library, bookstores (especially Half Price Books) and the Kindle shop are a few of my favorite places! Even as a young girl I can remember the true bliss I felt walking out of the library with a huge stack of books, feeling excitement and anticipation. I couldn't wait to get home and dig in! I still feel that way! I don't get nearly as much time as I would like to read these days, but it is a very rare night that I don't fall asleep reading a good book. Many times I stay up way too late because I can't tear myself away from a great chapter! I love several kinds of books... contemporary and historical fiction, Christian nonfiction, biography, young adult and creative business books.
Now that the summer is shortly upon us, I'm looking forward to long lazy days of reading! We will see if that happens, but I am committed to having a scheduled reading time most days with my kiddos! It has always been so important to me to instill a love for reading in them. The summer is a bit less chaotic and allows for a little more down time. We also participate in the fun reading programs through the local library and bookstores.
Here are a few books I've been working through this month so far. I hope to finish a least a few before the month is up.
I picked up Art, Inc. because I felt it would be an awesome resource for my creative business and it did not disappoint! Lisa Congdon is an artist and creative business woman herself and speaks from great experience. She not only shares her story, but also has several interviews with other creatives throughout the book. She gives great advice covering all areas of creative business including getting organized, selling your work, involvement in shows, licensing, working with galleries and marketing using social media, just to name a few! This is a book I highlighted a lot and will stay on my shelf as a helpful resource for years to come!
Oh, this was a beautiful book! I truly loved this story and couldn't put it down. The book follows Victoria as she is emancipated from the foster care system at age 18. At times heart-wrenching, and at others heartwarming, this is Victoria's story of survival. As a coping mechanism she becomes fluent in the language of flowers and you see how this carries her throughout the ups and downs of life. Diffenbaugh tells her story with such realism, jumping between Victoria's past and present. This one has a sure place on my list of favorite books!
I've really enjoyed Courtney's blog, Women Living Well, and her online bible studies through Good Morning Girls. She offers great insight into the role of a Christian wife, mother and homemaker and her book takes these topics and expands upon them. I'm always looking for ways to grow in my roles as a woman and I really enjoyed Courtney's wisdom. She had some especially great ideas on personal growth and teaching spiritual truths to our children. This is another book I highlighted throughout!
I just dug into this book this past week and so far I love it! It is all about making your dreams and vision for your life happen. Klauser claims there is great power in writing down your goals, dreams, desires and hopes. When we write these important ideas down it plants the seeds to begin the growth and development of these ideas, taking them out of our mind and thoughts alone and putting them into reality. It is full of stories from other people, artists, actors, and business men and women, who share their experiences with what happened once they wrote their ideas down. I may write more on this book next month as I read further.
Finally, I'm diving into two fiction books this month, Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham, and Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight. I look forward to sharing more about them next month!
I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit this month! I love her website for all things reading! Check it out when you have a chance!
So, what is on your nightstand these days? Any recommendations?