Happy Friday! This week I’m sharing a special early morning moment, my son’s recent library pick, a “page a day” reading recommendation, how I utilize multiple book formats, and my 2023 reading recap.
• Rainbow Sunrise •
I’ve been walking regularly for several months now and I have found that when I do something every day, I start to notice all the small things. I notice the weather and how the light shines through the trees depending on the time of year and cloud coverage. This week, I saw this beautiful rainbow. It was awesome to experience at all, but it was even more fun to experience it in real life with the other people on the trail. Everyone said, “Look at the rainbow!” or “Did you see it? Wasn’t it beautiful?” It was there one minute and gone the next. That afternoon, my son told me how he went outside at school to look at it with his teachers and classmates. My husband told me that everyone in his office was talking about it. It’s a good reminder to look for the good things and share them with other people. I can honestly say that the whole experience made me happier and feel closer to other people in my community.
• 1st Grade Reads •
My son is in first grade and has library day each week at his school. It is so fun to see what he chooses to check-out for the week. Last week, it was a nonfiction book about sharks and this week it is The Pigeon HAS to Go to School by Mo Willems. When my son reads out loud, he really uses his voice and inflections to tell the story. Where did he learn to be so dramatic in his storytelling? I guess we’ll never know. 😉
• Page a Day •
I recently started reading one or two pages per day from a nonfiction book called Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. I’ve found that I pay closer attention and interact with the content more this way than if I were to read it all at once. It takes me less than five minutes every morning and I always walk away with some gems of wisdom to start my day! One of my favorite passages from the book (so far):
“But while choice is infinite, our lives have time spans. We can’t live every life. We can’t watch every film or read every book or visit every single place on this sweet earth. Rather than being blocked by it, we need to edit the choice in front of us. We need to find out what is good for us and leave the rest. We don’t need another world. Everything we need is here, if we give up thinking we need everything.”
• Reading Formats •
Oh, how I wish I could just read hardcover books in coffee shops all day long. But, alas, that is not my life. Unless I’m flying solo on a plane across the country, there is no way I can get through a hardcover in a timely manner these days. (And who even has the space for a hardcover on a plane?) So, how am I actually getting through all the books? The fastest way for me is to read the same book in multiple formats. Sometimes I have the same book in the paperback, audio, or e-reader versions. I may buy a book in one format and then see if another format is available via my local library. It really helps if I have a version on audio or e-reader. I listen while I’m doing stuff around the house or I can read on my phone via Kindle if I find myself waiting at an appointment or at my son’s practice. Here are a few books I’ve read on my Kindle!
• 2023 Reading Recap •
As we near the end of the year, I tend to look back to see what I’ve read. So, before we get to recapping 2024 later this year, I’ll do a highlight each week from a recent reading year. Check out my 2023 reads below.
That’s it for this week, happy reading!
