but then high school was spent reading most of the western canon of literature--which i loved, but didn't pick myself--and i had little time for reading anything else. college, likewise, for my english major. oh and i was also reading all those novels and essays and philosophical treatises in spanish for rthe spanish major, and that was exhausting. then teaching, which not only required reading, but coming up with the lessons on how to help the kids realize in their own lives all these virtues and vices thrown at us from the Great Books.
it's a good thing i was made to read all that stuff. it certainly developed in me a pretty clear sense of what is Good, True, and Beautiful, and what makes up good literature. and taught me virtue in a way i believe is invaluable (i wrote a little about that here and here).
unlike that post from december of 2011, though, my babies sleep through the night now, and they are in their cribs asleep by 7pm every night. well, most nights. but this leaves me with my evenings free to chill with josh, watch a movie, knit, or read, even though the dishes probably aren't done, and the toys are strewn over the living room floor. after the kids are in bed, i'm done: it's time to rest.
mostly, i read. i love our quiet evenings where we're both in the same room, doing our own things, but enjoying being near one another, resting. and this is how i have read so much recently, and i'm reading stuff i've never read before. i could probably count on one hand the number of modern books i'd read before now. all the authors i generally read are long dead. but now i'm reading books whose authors, if not alive, at lived in the past 100 years.
goodness, i didn't mean to be so long-winded there. the point of this is to share some of the books i've been reading. this is by no means an exhaustive list, but i'll share more as i think of them.
so here you go--
Keeper of the Bees
oops, this one isn't quite so modern. and not as good as a girl of the limberlost, of course, but still, such an enjoyable read. and made me want to keep bees, lots of them.
Never Let Me Go
here is one that i have to say i wasn't crazy about. it kept me reading, but i was disappointed in the ending (i was expecting a twist but there wasn't one) and, i suppose, the overall story. there was a severe lack of...something.
Crossing to Safety
this one i would definitely read again. such a satisfying read about graduate school and having babies and professors-- things we were in the thick of when i read this.
Hannah Coulter
of course i can't say enough good things about this book, but i'm not giving synopses here. i'll just say, after reading it for the first time six or seven years ago, i've read it so many times again, and most recently a few months ago. it gets better with every reread.
Jayber Crow
another wonderful book. i read this for the first time a few weeks ago. it follows the life of the barber of port william and it's filled with his thoughts on everything--farming, community, love, life, heaven.
and these are the books i'm in the middle of currently--
The House at Tyneford
started this on the recommendation of another blogger. i'm just at the very beginning, but it seems like it promises to be exactly the sort of book i'm in the mood for.
Big Rock Candy Mountain
this one is slow going for me. a little less than half way through i put it down for a break when i realized how depressed it was making me. but it's a worthwhile read, and i'm enjoying it, especially now that it's not quite so hopeless.
In the Garden of Beasts
anna lent this to me and it's fascinating. about the american ambassador to germany during the rise of hitler. it follows the ambassador and his daughter, mainly.
there are so many more, but i'll save them for a later date. for now, i must make a cup of tea and get back to elise at tyneford hall.
p.s. i'm all ears for recommendations. please!
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