This morning I was catching up on the blogs that I follow. If you listened to this week’s podcast you know that I am going to make a blog roll to share some of my favorite bloggers with you. Today I am sharing a blog post that inspired me to bring back my book club posts I was doing last year. On the Simple Simon & Company blog post they are doing a January challenge to finish a book you have started. Since I have 3 of them at the moment it seemed like a fun challenge to take part in and share with you all.
I really want to spend less time online and more time reading books that are inspiring or interesting. The kids and I have been making weekly trips to our local libraries and I have 3 books on the go right now. I just finished my first book of the year which is exciting. It’s called Find Your People by Jennie Allen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). The book has some really great insights and suggestions but if I am honest I am not sure I am fully on board with all of it. Still if you are someone who is seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships with a Christian focus you might like to check this one out.
The other book I am reading is “The Storyteller“ by Dave Grohl (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). You may be thinking, “that’s a bit different than a Christian book about finding community.” You would be right. I love to learn, I love to read all sorts of things even if I don’t fully identify in any one way. To be honest, I’m not sure I am meant to. The previous book I mentioned had me thinking about the beauty in picking a path and just forging forward no matter what. Still, I think that life is meant to be a unique experience for all of us and I struggle to pick a camp and just stay there. If I am honest-that can make finding relationships challenging but I am just trusting in the path I am walking and open to where it leads me. How about you?
I think if I am being honest I relate a bit more to “The Storyteller.” Not because my life has at all resembled Dave Grohl’s but I like the honest way he rights and what I am perceiving as his view of life, work and creativity. I never listened to Nirvana-I was more a New Kids on the Block fan (still am) and I never got into the Grunge scene in the 90’s. I wanted to read this book because I have read several quotes by Dave Grohl that I added to my quote book and I thought it would be fun to read a whole book written by him. I loved the fact that he went on record to say he actually wrote it rather than giving interviews to a ghost writer and letting them write it which I thought was pretty cool.
I am about half way through the book and it’s a fun read. Not having any previous knowledge of his career path I was wondering if I would enjoy it as much but I really am. I also am not one who reads biographies but this was definitely one I am glad I picked up-or checked out as it were 🙂
The other book I am reading I found through Substack and it’s called “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore) by Mason Currey. It’s really interesting learning about the process of so many artists. A little sad sometimes reading the darker sides of their lives but if you like hearing about the routines of creatives it’s an interesting read. It also led me to an artist I wasn’t familiar with-Al Hirschfeld and that lead me to checking out a book all about his artwork. I am going to be sharing more about how I am inspired from that in a future blog post so stay tuned!
The third book I am working on is called, “Unoffendable” by Brant Hansen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). This book along with “Find Your People” came in an email from Money Saving Mom. I requested it from the library and when it came in I couldn’t remember why I picked it-does that happen to you? I don’t consider myself as someone who offends easily and this book is geared towards Christians specifically but if I were to guess I think I was intrigued by the idea of just letting things go. I’m only a few pages in but it’s humorous and well-written so I am looking forward to it being my 4th book read of January.
I am also reading the “Complete Works of H. Emilie Cady”-or rather re-reading it. I love her wisdom and I read a bit during my prayer and meditation time in the afternoons along with A Course in Miracles (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). They are both filled with such wisdom and I find something insightful each time I read. I haven’t finished A Course in Miracles yet but I hope to have it done by the end of the year.
So that is my January book club list. Are you reading anything special? I would love to hear! Do you have a favorite genre? Have you set a monthly reading goal for yourself? This year I am really trying for a book a week but recognize that may not happen so it’s more of a fun goal rather than something to stress about. How about you? Please comment below and let me know!
Until next time…
-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante
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