We are 11 days into the new year, and so far I’ve done an excellent job of sharing :) Let me explain below…
Just last week we boxed up the last of our Christmas decor, including our tree and allllll the ornaments. My husband and I received some really nice books as gifts so I thought I would do a post on what’s new on our bookshelf, along with what I plan to read that I already own.
At the end of this post I’m sharing my reading goal for the year. I’ve noticed I like to tell someone about the things that are important to me because hearing myself say them out loud has proven to be a really powerful form of accountability. Can you relate?
Zack received a book for Christmas that I’m eager to read (The Creative Habit), and he’s reading one of MY books received (a compilation of A.W. Tozer). Reading is a really important self-care activity, which I’ve written about here & here. I appreciate the quiet it brings. Motherhood has done a mighty work on my mind, my life, my faith. Not only am I mothering differently now than I was nearly eight years ago, but I am a very different woman compared to just five years ago. Reading has been an important part of this transformation, because I have leaned into the resources available to me.
I also like to keep track of the books I read each year in the back of my journal. It’s a nice way to document the space I made just for me. Below is a list of books I hope to read this year.
- Searching For Certainty by Shelly Miller
- Gospel Identity by World Harvest Mission
- Placed for a Purpose by Chris and Elizabeth McKinney
- Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn
- Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
- Awaking Wonder by Sally Clarkson
- Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Mere Motherhood (a re-read; I enjoyed this title so much in 2020) by Cindy Rollins
- Adoring the Dark by Andrew Peterson
Tell me — have you read any of these books?
Do you share with something with another family member, similar to how Zack and I share books? I’m also looking for some fiction recommendations, if you have any to share…
P.S. my reading goal this year is 30 books :)
P.P.S. I don’t have a secret magic trick for how I fit in reading, but I do think through what I want to do with what I actually do. For example, if I’m in the car alone I often keep the radio silent so that I can recharge my mind for once I’m back home. Then later, when time lends itself, I have the mental capacity to sit down and read. Or when I’m drying my hair, I recently chip-clipped a book open so it could rest on the bathroom sink. And, we watch very little TV.
And then lastly, I like to keep our bedroom as a place of rest and restoration. No kid’s toys. No family photos. No(t much) clutter. When I go into my bedroom at the end of the day and trade my daytime clothes for my sleeping clothes, I like being in my room to sort of send a signal to my body, now it is time to read and sleep. I hope that helps you as you look for opportunities to read more this year.
xx, Maggie
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