January reading.

January has been a good month for reading. Last night I started my seventh book of the year, which must be some kind of record for me. I remember last year—I think it took me nearly two months to finish “Cutting for Stone,” a beautiful novel and one of my favorites. But, the stress of moving and starting a new job pushed luxury reading to the back seat for me. I think the seven books I’m plowing through this year really show how differently I’m approaching life in 2012. Making time for things I love, things that relax me, things that bring me peace.

So I thought I’d share my reading list in case any of you are stuck in a reading slump or looking for something to add to your library: (Also, I know I blogged about a few of these before in my 2012 Reading List post, so if you’re bored, just skip over it.)

“Chosen” by Chandra Hoffman was my first book of 2012. I stumbled upon it after reading a Jodi Picoult book last year. It was in the back of the novel as a recommendation for readers who liked the book I was reading. It must have the same publisher. But I didn’t really have anything first on my list for 2012 at that time, so I picked it up. It’s an interesting perspective on social work, relationships and creating a family. It made me thing about all of the different ways there are to start a family and how many different types of families there are. It made me appreciate the simple-ness of my own family, even when it seems like we’re crazy. There’s a lot to be thankful for.

“Bittersweet” by Shauna Niequist. Ya’ll know by now how much I love  Shauna. She’s made me reopen the Bible, think about scripture and strive for a life of grace. “Bittersweet” (which I think I’ve blogged about before) is a book of essays about finding the sweetness in sad, bitter moments. It’s about learning to grow and thank God for giving us opportunities to grow out of sadness. So beautiful.

“Bossypants” by Tina Fey. I listened to this one on audiobook. So, so funny. She’s smart, cheeky and beautiful. Love it.

“The Marriage Plot” by Jeffrey Eugenides. As I’ve said before, “Middlesex” is one of my favorites. I’m not sure that this one could hold a candle to “Middlesex,” but I really enjoyed it none the less. However, through the second half of the book, I wanted to sit the protagonist down and tell her to pull her life together. Somebody needs a little more of a backbone. Still totally worth reading—I learned a lot about mental illness, and I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to be in an intimate relationship with someone so burdened by disease.

“Blue Nights” by Joan Didion. I read this one at Shauna’s recommendation, and I’m sad to say that I was a little bit disappointed. It’s a memoir that details the writer’s life in the months after she lost her mother, her husband and her daughter in a very short span of time. I’m trying not to judge because I cannot imagine that kind of sadness. Maybe because of that, I wanted it to be more emotional, more raw, more open. I found it a little bit reserved, and I didn’t feel like I knew the author at all by the end of the book. But since she’s such an acclaimed essayist, I’m thinking about giving another one of her books a shot.

“Nantucket Nights” by Elin Hilderbrand. I love Elin. She writes some of my favorite chick-lit. Generally, I don’t find myself reading too much of this genre, but I cannot get enough of her. I think I need to sprinkle in some lighter novels to mix it up every once in awhile, and Elin is one of my favorite ways to accomplish that.

“Committed” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was one of those people who instantly wanted to forego a real career after reading “Eat Pray Love” and immediately buy an open ended plane ticket to Bali and not look back. Then I remembered that I hate flying over water, struggle when I’m lonely and am not great at making friends. A year of solo international travelling might not be for me. Regardless, I’m already enthralled in Gilbert’s newest book. After rejecting the institution of marriage (not shockingly after her bitter divorce), she’s forced to marry her new love in order to get him legal residence in the United States. She’s honest and funny, and I like that she’s not afraid to tell you exactly what she’s thinking.

So those are the books on my Kindle right now. Last night I also picked up another Elin Hildebrand (don’t judge…even Shauna raves about “The Blue Bistro”) and “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I’m going on a ski trip this weekend, and considering I don’t ski or go outside in cold weather, I think I’m going to have lots of time for reading. Can’t wait!

To snuggling up with new books,

Lia