Saturday 25 July 2009

books

I used to be quite an avid reader, but over the last year or so I have been concentrating my efforts more on being the best mum I can be, and creating a 'creative' life for my family, and so my reading has suffered. But I do miss it, and of course to be the best mum I can be requires me to take a little time for myself and be a little selfish at times.

We generally visit our library weekly, but unfortunately recently the only ones checking books out have been the boys. So I decided to change that today. The first book Life of Pi by Yann Martel; I remember when this book first came out, I was living in the US then and Alex was but a year old, and I must have checked this book out of one library or another between the US and UK some 7 or 8 times, but I never got to read it - that is about to change NOW. The next book The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson; this sounded interesting and the last book is The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith, part of the Ladies No.1 Detective Agency series. I have read all the series of books so far and have loved them all, so look forward to digging into this one. I find these books very easy to read and a good way to get back into reading after a book hiatus.


Here was some of the boys choices. The Secret Path by Nick Butterworth, Adrien loves the Percy the Park Keeper stories. Captain Small Pig by Martin Waddell & Susan Varley, The Black Cat by Allan Ahlberg & Andre Amstutz and lastly a very sweet story of a frog looking for a home, Home Sweet Home by Caroline Pitcher. This book was also good because at the back was notes to parents/teachers for ideas to extend the story beyond the book.
What are you reading? I love recommendations and am always interested in what others are reading.

8 comments:

Victoria said...

I also have "the life of pi" at home and have never managed to start reading it! Maybe I should read it too :) Right now I'm reading "See you in a hundred years", I'm loving it. Its about a family who decide to live a whole year as in the 1900, self-sufficient, no running water, no car. Very interesting!

Mary Beth said...

Have you ever read "The Time Traveler's Wife"? I loved it. It's on my mind right now because it's being made into a movie and I saw the trailer for it the other day.

Francesca said...

To be the best mom you can be, you need to be the happiest woman you can be, I believe, at that given moment in time. Reading has been a life saver for me. I read the New Yorker, curtesy of my mother-in-law, which I love, and my not so recent favorite non Italian authors are: Ruiz Zafon, Yehoshua, Amos Oz, and Pamuk (Istanbul). But, as I write this to you in the uk, "a child in time" and "atonement" come to mind, and, well, they are great novels!

Francesca said...

PS It took me an hour and half to write the above comment, and I can assure you I wasn't reading any books in the meanwhile:)!

Francesca said...

It's me again, Mary Beth's comment wasn't there when I started writing, and I agree with her, the time traveler's wife is beautiful and moving (the novel).

Samantha S said...

Thank you for your recommendations. I have read the time traveller's wife a couple of years ago and loved it too! Can't wait to start devouring.

Wendy R said...

I loved reading several of your posts at once and they reflect a sweet life of someone who is having a wonderfully creative time alongside her lucky children. It's many years since I did the same thing and rescued time from other pressures to read wonderful stories to and with them, as you are. I also read for myself when they were asleep and found some time to write too. From this distance I can't imagine how I did it, but it happened.
Thank you for raising those happy memories for me.
w

Anonymous said...

I just discovered your blog via your comment at Salt and Chocolate. My children too seem to need slot of my attention when they play. My 5 year old is much better now which helpsy younger child. My nearly 3 year old plays well but needs my attention.

I agree with Mary Beth's assertion that fewer toys encourages creativity. I find the mire I edit the more my children create with blocks and what we call the "village" toys (animals & trees).

Glad to discover another lovely blog. I am starting Linda See's Shanghi Girls.