What Luke is reading:
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
From Luke: So I've decided that this winter break is the "Winter of Tolkien" (reminiscent of the "Summer of George", for you Seinfeld fans). I just love Tolkien's stuff and am very interested -- so I re-read The Hobbit, then read Tales from the Perilous Realm, a collection of his novellas, and now I'm on this biography...here's cool stuff you didn't know about Tolkien: His elvish languages came long before his elves, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were not even really near the beginning of his work on Middle-Earth, and he and his wife have a very sweet love story, full of forbidden romance and a thwarted engagement. Cool!
Next I'm reading either The Children of Hurin (another of Tolkien's Middle Earth books - I already read the Silmarillion), or C.S. Lewis' autobiography, Surprised by Joy. Probs I'll stick with the first one so that I finish my Winter of Tolkien properly. You should read with me!
-L
What I'm reading:
The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith
My brother, Aaron, bought me this book for Christmas and it is so so good. I ate it up and enjoyed every minute of reading it. Myquillyn's blog Nesting Place will give you a good feel for what the book is like. The Nesting Place covers a bunch of different topics, like being content with your home, taking risks in decorating, and making your home really live-able. I think the thing I love most about Myquillyn's writing is that she doesn't try to promote one type of style or give a bunch of rules to the reader. For that reason, her stuff is so empowering and it makes the wheels in my head start turning like crazy. She's known for the motto "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" and that proves so true throughout the book. Chairs with little tears here and there, lots of fixed-up thrift/craigslist pieces, and other imperfections all come together to create a really, really beautiful home.
I get the sense, after reading the book and her blog, that another thing that contributes to the beauty of her home is the welcoming heart she has toward her family and guests. I can't say enough good things about this book. Beautiful design, totally encouraging, and good for the soul too.
What Bekah is reading:
Me and My Dad by Alison Ritchie
Even though Bekah can't actually read, this is definitely her favorite book right now. :) First, it's beautiful and so cute. Second, it's a padded board book which makes it durable. There are no pointy edges and there's really no chance of it getting destroyed - which we love because this book is so good. Me and My Dad is our go-to because of the fun rhyme scheme and sweet story about a baby bear and daddy bear. Bekah loves sitting on the floor with the book propped up in front of her. She pulls it down on her lap and chews on the corners.... maybe it's her way of enjoying a good book. :) I'm so thankful for Luke and the kind of Dad he is to Bekah. Because of that, it's really special for me to read her this story that encourages a good relationship with dad. It feels like a very simple way to encourage our family and I like that a lot.
As a funny side note, I noticed that on amazon someone is selling their used copy for $500. I wouldn't suggest buying that particular copy. :)
What are you and your family reading?
Love,
Bonnie