I‘m doing the disciplined thing and finishing my assigned reading in the book on the right (A Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis) before moving on to the #NYRBBookClub selection for this month. 😍 The OT book is surprisingly good! It‘s all about unpeeling the layers of literary nuance and the history of interpretation of the biblical text. Still…I‘m really looking forward to moving on to Malcolm‘s offering!

In other news, Clara Jo‘s favorite activity is reading (of course) and her big sisters are loving their intentionally diverse arts- and science-focused public charter schools. The pandemic sucks, but we are all living with intention and doing our best. Missing my Litsy friends and I‘m hoping to have more time to interact here! ♥️

Semester one of my graduate degree in (Christian) Spiritual Formation is complete and I‘ve begun semester two! It has been quite a journey. Last semester was a deep-dive into personal identity, enlightenment, and the problems of the White supremacist evangelical patriarchy & the western Christian world‘s systematic destruction of the earth and human community. Now onto the mystics and feminist/womanist/liberation readings of the Old Testament! 😅

My reading life has been all over the place lately, often in the form of following a scooting baby around the house with a borrowed ebook in hand. 😆 This series is fun. It‘s been nice to read some light fare lately (lots of YA) interspersed with the NYRB picks and psychology & spirituality books for my continuing education. Perhaps I‘ll post a review or contribute to a discussion again soon! Then again, maybe not… 🙃

This baby girl genuinely loves books, even in the bath! She gingerly turns pages and babbles out a story. It‘s wonderful. 🥰

This sweet potato turned one today and we had a little get together with some of our besties! Her favorite things are books and the packages that toys come in. 🥰🥳 Happy birthday, Clara Jo!

This girl loves books. She has a funny way of scooting around on her butt and she will scoot at full speed to get to a board book and then spend a few minutes turning pages and looking at the pictures.

Not pictured is the pile of her big sisters‘ books that she pulled off the shelves upstairs. 😅

What time is it? It‘s naked reading time! I can never choose one book to read, either, Clara.

It‘s a nice day to read in the park!

I didn‘t have time to grab a book for myself at the library before Lucy‘s violin lesson, so I‘ll be reading one of her picks for the next half hour. Needs must! 😄 (Why don‘t I keep books in the car?! Dammit, Marie Kondo, you‘ve ruined me...)

Here‘s my #bookhaul from So & So Books. The bottom two are for my husband. Weather and Disappearing Earth were recommended by the co-owner, Charles. He seems like a really excellent human and runs a bookstore as a side job that generates no income.

Visiting Raleigh on a little anniversary getaway without the big kids, found a super cool bookstore, bought (probably an inadvisable quantity of) books!

We made a fully vaccinated, socially distanced trip to Greensboro, NC this weekend and I discovered a lovely independent bookstore. I was delighted to find a new book by an author I love, Rivers Solomon, and to learn that they would be presenting at the (virtual) Greensboro Bound Literary Festival on my birthday!

I found a brand new bookstore in my downtown (Wilmington, NC) today! The owner is a book hoarder just like the rest of us and opened up what is already my favorite local bookstore. ♥️

This book is a trip! Aside from the obnoxious “male gaze” description that lasted waaay too long, I appreciate the interior deep dive and the pretty wordsmithery that Williams is bringing, thus far. There is a quirky cast of characters, but the book is really only about Art, albeit on many levels.

Happy Easter, everyone! We‘re having perfect weather and our kids‘ epic treasure hunt ended in a locked box of treats and books. Now they reap the rewards of their clever clue-solving with some lovely Sunday reading. 📚🐣🌷

Halfheartedly doing some #Trollopeing, but mostly just enjoying the squish enjoying some applesauce. Wonder if it‘s good for the scalp because there is plenty in her hair, as well. 😅 #BandofTrollopes

Morning light on the patio with a reread of Rising Strong. It feels good to rumble with my story in such a lovely, peaceful setting. ♥️ Thinking of you, @LauraBeth

“I am never lonely, Galahad. Or rather I never suffer from loneliness. I suffer much from the idea that my loneliness might be taken away from me by a lot of mercilessly well-meaning people...”

#NYRBBookClub

Not sure how to feel about how much I‘m relating to Marian. 🤨 This book is endlessly quotable!

Sisters who read together...

This. Book. I got about 100 pages in a few years ago, but had to put it down as I was not prepared for the revelation it was bringing. But now, my body is ready, and I am learning so much that is enriching and enlightening all of my prior study of psychology and the brain. FASCINATING

I have laughed out loud three times in the span of reading the first five pages. #NYRBBookClub

“Indeed I do have a short grey beard which conventional people would find repulsive. Personally I find it rather gallant.”

I‘ve taken an unintentional Litsy hiatus because #lifeandreasons, but I‘m back and happy to be here with my favorite reading friends! Looking forward to #trollopeing to Barchester Towers and going on a wild ride with the #NYRBBookClub and Leonora Carrington. 🥰🥳

#whoops #babybrain #nyrbbookclub 😆😴🤷‍♀️

I am LOVING our #NYRBBookClub pick for this month. The photo is just for you, Michele. Our Clara-girl is blowing so many zerberts for you! 🥰

I‘m enjoying my current view while soaking up yet another wonderfully rich book on learning & home education. It‘s a gloomy day here, but I love it.

2020: the year I kicked panic disorder‘s ass, had a bébé, and drafted a whole damn book. It‘s been a helluva year and it makes me very cursey, but there have been some awesome things to come out of it. I‘m feeling thankful and full and ready for a new year, please, very much.

“During the third battle, Hsing-te was wounded and regained consciousness only as the wounds were being dressed by a comrade. He had no recollection of being struck. Probably it had happened after he had fainted. From these experiences, he came to the conclusion that going to battle was not so hard after all. After shooting his stones, he was free to faint or do anything else, leaving the rest to fate.”

I‘ve fired up the spreadsheet and started planning for 2021. Two reading challenges for the coming year sounds just about right, as I will be homeschooling my two tweens, nursing the bébé, and working on writing a book of my own. ? I am looking forward to it! #Booked2021 #POPSUGARreadingchallenge

I don‘t think I can do the tagged story collection justice with a review. Suffice it to say, it immediately made my 2020 favorites list. I want to write like Deesha Philyaw when I grow up. So. Good. (Photo completely unrelated, but too adorable not to share!)

This is how we all celebrate when there‘s a pandemic and we are just so tired from waiting for the outcome. BUT SO HAPPY! 💙💙💙

Well, this book was much more intense AND better written than I expected. It was a bit triggering and dark, but I thought it was well executed. Moriarty kept me guessing and turning pages throughout the book. I finished it up tonight as we watched early election coverage together as a family. It is just STRESSFUL, this whole crazy world in the last four years, and the tagged book turned out to be rather stress-inducing, too. 😑

“Isn‘t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive—it‘s such an interesting world.”

I‘d say Anne pretty well exemplifies that enthusiasm, even if she does match it with melancholy.

Love this game, Kristine! #litfortunecookie

Anyone else want to play?

Fell asleep reading again. 😴

I loved this book because of its protagonist & narrator. It‘s an excellent character study and the storyline takes a backseat to the quintessentially American Sally Jay‘s musings and antics as a young expat in 1950‘s Paris. Dundy shows us a scrapbook of a particular time & place, adding her own embellishments and creating a muddled narrative of tangible experiences and blurred memories. I found it to be hilarious and unique. #NYRBBookClub

Is anyone doing #NaNoWriMo next month? Is there already a Litsy group or shall I create one? #unrelatedbabyphoto

My current (delightful) view is a sleeping baby and a great book. I‘m loving Sally Jay and Dundy‘s meandering, vivid writing style. I plan to do NaNoWriMo next month and I‘m finding this book to be very inspiring!

I look forward to the discussion for #NYRBBookClub this month.

Clara‘s doing some light reading today.

I‘m thoroughly enjoying this book and Clara is thoroughly enjoying being adorable. 🥰 #NYRBBookClub #bookandbaby

I‘m about to start reading for this month‘s #NYRBBookClub in my little sanctuary, aka the closet nursery. I‘m also sunning out diaper stains next to some apt embroidery art. 😄

Sister reading time. 💕

This book is an excellent inspiration for simple painting projects inspired by the work of current artists. My kids tend to take the projects to the next level. 😆

#schoolofsmoores #homeschool

I‘m loving this history timeline picture book. It‘s told from the perspective of a boy who finds history boring, so his teacher gives him a magical notebook that transports him to different times in the past. There are interesting facts and profiles of famous people and it is, refreshingly, not a whitewashed version of history. And the illustrations are beautiful!

#schoolofsmoores #homeschool

This year, on the first day of homeschool, my older girls woke up to a letter from the esteemed headmistress (baby Clara) of S‘Moores School of Innovation & Inquiry, inviting them to enter the parallel world of a boarding school where “magic is in the mind.” They were each placed in a house named for a famous woman innovator (Grace Hopper & Temple Grandin) and began their journey of imaginative exploration for a new school year. 👇

The new homeschool year is in full swing, as evidenced by the beautiful mess everywhere. We are studying early modern history, animals & evolution, and reading, memorizing, & learning all about Shakespeare. The tagged book is our first read-aloud and it is excellent—sort of a cozy mystery steeped in history and tween angst. There are some neat intergenerational friendships and commentary on social mores. Plus lots of cinnamon toast! 🤤

Well, I‘ve made it to Part Two. I had no idea what to expect, but I‘m glad to report that it‘s intense, hilarious, compulsively readable, and so seriously f*cked up. So.

My hold *just* came in for this one, unfortunately not in time for the #bunnyread, but I‘m still excited to read it!

Side note: This is my accountability post to say that I will be prioritizing more of my own reading if it kills me!

Clara, after catching a glimpse of my TBR pile.

In other news, she‘s balding and growing chins like a tiny old man and it‘s hilarious. 😍

I‘m still not reading, but here‘s a picture of a new baby, one very happy daddy, and two smitten sisters.

Dear current reads,

I‘ll get to you eventually.

Sincerely,
The Milk Maker 🐄