August Books

Y’all, I read three books this month. Three. That’s less than one a week. Part of it is because of how much I’ve been working. Part of it is because of school starting and now I’m reading homework. Part of it is because I decided to watch Season 2 of ‘Jane the Virgin.’ But, given that I read one of my three measly books in about two days, my reading-per-day has really plummeted. For me, that’s more disappointing than the number. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the conversation of “just read five minutes a day.” People tell you they “don’t have time to read” or they’re “not a reader” and you say, “yes you do” and “you just haven’t read the right book yet!” So you recommend a really good book and tell them read for five minutes (or even only two!) right before they fall asleep at night and promise they’ll make progress. Seriously! I read Anna Karenina in five minutes a day; it works.

But this month I have not been reading five minutes a day – not of a book. I’m reading, sure: emails, blogs, my newsfeed, neighborhood newsletters, the like. But I didn’t finish The Voyage Out this month as planned because I quit reading a few pages each night before I fell asleep. So I’d like to change that, coming up. Starting week after next, I’ll be working fewer hours, closer to home. I’ll be taking the bus more, so I can capitalize on my commuting time. But, I’ll also have homework, and it won’t be reading novels. So I don’t expect my numbers to be anywhere close to what they were in the Spring. But, I do know I’ll be able to find pockets of time: 5, 10 or 20 minutes, to read a book.

The books I did read, though, I liked quite a bit!

I heard about Portia de Rossi’s memoir, Unbearable Lightness, a few months ago and, as I’m a fan of memoirs and “Arrested Development,” it piqued my interest. I enjoyed it, and it’s a pretty quick read. A really fascinating look at the obsessive nature of eating disorders and the havoc they wreak.

In a weird juxtaposition, I followed Portia’s book with Eat With Joy by Rachel Marie Stone – a cohesive Christian look at sustainable, ethical, communal eating. As I love food and fellowship, and books about food and fellowship, this was an easy one to like. Because I’ve already read quite a bit on the subject, it wasn’t really new information, but I appreciated it – especially the prayers at the end of each chapter.

But, by far my favorite book this month was A Woman’s Place by Katelyn Beaty. I loved it. I loved every single part of it. It's the first book in my reading log to get a 5/5. I couldn’t read it fast enough. I borrowed it from a friend and had already decided to buy my own copy by the end of the first page. This book combined so many of my favorite things in conversation: women, work, vocation, the Church, community, inspiring success stories. I felt so affirmed in all of my life choices while reading this book. I read Lean In last year, and, in my opinion, A Woman’s Place complements Sandberg’s work so well – providing the why behind the how in women’s work. Plus, I’m a super fangirl of Katelyn Beaty and all of her work and writing for Christianity Today, which just made the whole experience even better. Seriously, y’all: go read this book (and it is not just for women!). I just got my hardback copy, so I’ll be re-reading it again soon. 

Now, I'm going to read five minutes before I go to bed...