Dear blog readers, how have you been? What’s on your mind and heart? Share your monthly review in the comments, or any other thoughts, and I’ll be sure to follow up. In this time of distancing, lockdown, and just wintry coldness, I appreciate our interactions all the more.
Literature
I read a lot of books this month! The first one I finished was a looooong epic novel of Caucasian Georgia that I’d been working on for weeks (The Eighth Life); the last was another substantial chunk of nonfiction that I’d been working away at since my last Make Me Read It poll in November (The Language Instinct). Between those imposing bookends I mainly stuck to lighter, shorter and more diverting reads, with some notable exceptions. Click the links for my posts or Goodreads reviews.
I continue to have great pleasure in participating in #Narniathon21, moving on to the second installment with Prince Caspian. And this month I joined the Support Book Bloggers challenge, sharing the last ten book blogs I’ve followed. If you missed that post, I do hope you’ll check it out and, well, support some book bloggers!
Books read in January
- The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili – Around the World
- Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
- Phantastes by George MacDonald
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders
- Voting Day by Clare O’Dea – Around the World
- Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairie McFarlane
- Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Falconer by John Cheever
- Beswitched by Kate Sanders
- Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano – Around the World
- Writing My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor
- Gut by Giulia Enders
- The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book and Bluecrowne by Kate Milford
- The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker
Language
Falconer was a book I read along with an advanced English student, after we’d read and enjoyed John Cheever’s short story “The Swimmer.” I don’t think either of us quite knew what we were getting into with Cheever’s dark and expletive-ridden vision of prison as a hellish and yet strangely redemptive experience. But we survived! My student can feel proud to have completed a challenging work by a master prose stylist, and I do too. An article from the Guardian also provided us with some insight into “The Demons That Drove John Cheever.”
Life
This month I joined another new project, the One Word community hosted by Lisa Notes. I also became part of a small group to share reflections and encouragement around our words — mine is CONNECT. It’s already brought me a lot of positive energy to share this intentional practice with others. Connections are powerful!
I posted about some of my challenges with eating and diet in My gluten-free life. I know lots of people struggle with some kind of health issue, often in silence; we don’t want to bore people with our sob stories. So I tried not to complain too much, while acknowledging this is a real issue that affects my life in many ways. I appreciate your support and understanding, as always.
What is bringing you energy and purpose this month? What helps you to feel more connected?
Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon hosted by Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Your January was an excellent reading month. I’m reading along with Narniathon, too. I’ve always wanted to read all the Narnia books, and this is a good excuse to do so. I’m reading Braiding Sweetgrass over three months with my naturalist group. I’m completely taken with the idea of reciprocity. I hope to do a blog post about it when I get to the end of the book.
I chose the word “love” for my One Word this year. I was afraid it would be too overused to have meaning, but as I have found myself in difficult situations, I’ve let that word guide me in my actions, and all has been well. I painted the word on a rock as a reminder and that’s been effective, too.
It was quite a month! I do enjoy all the Narniathon posts. I’ll look forward to your thoughts on Braiding Sweetgrass. The examples illustrating the principle of reciprocity were quite striking. Love in action!
Good luck with your gluten-free journey! Great job on reading! Happy February!
I need to read more books by George MacDonald. I read The Princess and the Goblin and such a sweet book when I read it as a kid.
I love George MacDonald, although many of his other books are quite a bit darker. For a charming fairy tale, read The Light Princess.
Good reading for Jan for you, well done! My husband has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and this last month has been full of him getting himself one of those in-arm blood glucose monitors and carefully eating each thing he likes to see if it spikes. He’s done really well with it and has a good list of things he can still eat but it’s been a struggle to change his breakfasts etc. and we’re also jack sprat and his wife as I eat low-saturated-fat to keep my high cholesterol down!
Oh no, that is a hard diagnosis and adjustment to make. I hope it goes smoothly and there will still be lots of things he can still eat (that he likes). It is difficult when different people in a household have very different dietary requirements!
He’s doing really well, thank you – he’s found some good substitutes. Phew!
When I was in around third grade, The Princess and the Goblin was my favorite book and I read it over and over. When I read the sequel, The Princess and Curdie, I was so disappointed that I cried and cried. I’ve never read another of his books. Maybe it’s time.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Some of his books are very dark and/or strange. Phantastes was weird! As with Marianna, I recommend you at least try reading The Light Princess. It should make you smile and leave you with good MacDonald memories at least.
Lory, it looks like a great month of reading, in particular you are making me want to go for a Narnia re-read too! As someone who is lactose intolerant, I hope you starting to get into a routine and pattern with your gluten-free food and cooking. Take care and happy reading in February! 🙂
Thanks, I’ve gotten quite used to it by now. Cooking is fine, but eating out is a challenge (good thing we hardly ever do it!)
I’ve read three of Steven Pinker’s books (The Better Angels of Our Nature; Enlightenment Now; The Sense of Style) and gleaned so much from them, but I’ve not read The Language Instinct. I read Writing My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor a few years back; he really made an impression on me!
One thing that’s keeping me connected this month is writing a series of letters to my granddaughters that I’m storing in a special box until one day they can read them (Lord willing).
That is a lovely thing to do.
wow, reading all these books and finishing The Eighth Life, that’s a feat! Congratulations, and happy February reading!
I’m tempted by The Eighth Life, but maybe not ready yet to commit, because of its length.
Here is what I read in January: https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/01/31/2022-january-wrap-up/
The Eighth Life requires some time to get through. I mostly read it in December, only finishing it on January 1 or 2. And after that I needed some light reading to balance out all the tragedy. But it was a worthwhile experience, I would be curious what you think.
I love that you do reads with students! Sounds like this one was a bit more than you bargained for. 🙂
It was quite a harrowing read, but we were both glad we had read it. However, time to read something a bit lighter. I’ve just read Beverly Cleary’s autobiographies and that was relief.