Shifting away from survival mode? Um, nope!

So...I note that my last post was about all the books I was going to read in 2015! (And didn't.)

To be fair, I have read a few books.

But at the moment, the things I am making sure I do is eat and sleep. And no, I'm not pregnant.

Oh yes, and sometimes I even clean.

You know that time when you have two kids under the age of two, or a newborn in a family of three, and you are smack bang in the middle of survival mode for a long time.....

And that law, I've forgotten to whom it's attributed, where as soon as you have time, you fill it up with something?

My girls are now 10 and a half, 9, 4 and a half and 2 years old. And I feel like I'm in survival mode. (I haven't even blogged in months!!!! Although I don't think anyone noticed!!!) How did this happen?

When 4thSister was in day nursery for one day, I felt it was cheating to sit and watch Downton Abbey or Call the Midwife on catch-up TV, so now I'm a volunteer ward visitor for the Chaplaincy at our local hospital one morning a week. When I say local, it takes at least 1.5 hrs door to door to get there in a morning, and by the time I get back it's almost time to pick the kids up from school, so bang goes getting else done on a Tuesday.

And the last few months of 2015 haven't disappeared, but being affirmed by the Diocesan Director of Ordinands that I likely do have a calling to the priesthood has meant a whole lot of extra study...

And I'm now leading our Junior Church once a month...

And I'm now on the leading and preaching rota....

Which means I am writing sermons, which because I have the luxury, takes more than a 5 hour day....

And the one time I sat down to read a theological book before bedtime, I ended up spending pastoral care time with my ten year old...

So novels, and even parenting manuals, can pretty much do one!

I feel I've missed out so much, like the dance show 2nd and 3rdSister did for which I ended up doing about ten hours worth of costume sewing (and I don't do sewing), and the concert I had a (extremely tiny) solo in that took a lot of rehearsal time, and the time I'm trying to spend cooking semi-wholesome food for a family of 6 and discourage a 2 year old from potty training herself RIGHT THIS MINUTE because I haven't got the time to supervise accidents.....but that would probably just transfer my anxiety to you!

But let's just say -

It feels right - or I wouldn't be doing it.

God makes time for everything, or gets someone else to do it (thanks, FabDad.)

There really is a season for everything.

Even though I feel I should be out of survival mode, I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD and even if I only had a 2 year old and no other children, I would probably feel the same!

And finally - I read two really good science fiction books - The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine l'Engle, which I thoroughly recommend. And also Playful Parenting, which is encouraging in that it helps me interact with the children rather than, erm, clean. And there's been some theological reading along the way. And nobody, nobody but me is counting.

Amen.

Books of 2015: A vague reading plan for the next year

As I mentioned in my previous post, Haley's Reading Plan at Carrots for Michaelmas inspired me. Not to want to read more, because I love reading and always want to do more of it, but to have a think about what I am reading in order to have a reading focus. I discovered that although I adore fiction reading, I don't do that much of it unless it's for a specific reason e.g. researching young adult fiction. And obviously I'm reading lots of theology because that's what I'm studying, and parenting advice because I'm a parent, but there might be other non-fiction topics out there other than autobiography I would enjoy.

So here is my vague reading plan for 2015!

January

Finish Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth and not jump so quickly into the pile of non-fiction books on my bedside table or the science fiction literature that has been delivered to our house in the last week

February onwards

Now, it's funny, FabDad & I have always been huge sci-fi fans and read classics like Dune, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Iain M Banks culture series. But I know there are classics we've missed, and new, interesting books in the genre. And 1stSister is doing Space & Moon Exploration for her topic this half term, so I've ordered some books (both from the library and second-hand purchases) which are kind of her but mainly for me. And I'm trying not to leap right into them but pace myself, if possible.

Arthur C Clarke: A Fall of Moondust February
Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time April
Robert Heinlein: Have Spacesuit, will travel May
Alfred Bester: The stars my Destination June
Mary Doria Russell: The Sparrow July
Alastair Reynolds: Pushing Ice August
Dan Simmons: Hyperion September 
John Barnes: Orbital Resonance October
Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game November

Similarly, I've got a pile of non-fiction books, some of which I've already dipped into such as Quiet which, as a leader and an introvert is immensely readable, and Playful Parenting which, you never know, might catch me enjoying the playing I do with the girls instead of running for the computer instead. Plus, I'm studying Leaderships and Misison & Evangelism as part of my preparation for my priesthood interview, So I've got some other books for that aspect including Mission Shaped Church which I read chapter one of today. I am going to try and pace myself but the thing with parenting books is that I think "must read that now so I can sort that aspect of my parenting out immediately and things will improve for us all" which, surprisingly, generally works, so they tend to get read first.

Lent

If you are eagle-eyed, my reader, you may have noticed there wasn't a science fiction book down for March - this is because I'm going to try and read something different for Lent. I'm not quite sure what yet, because I need to do some of that holy discernment type shizzle (= technical term). It may possibly include fictional stuff by G K Chesterton and/or similar (not C S Lewis this time I don't think), and/or a wider exploration of a different theological topic.

I hope this helps keep me on track and provides me, at least, with some inspiration!

Books of 2014: Last Year's Reading

Haley's post inspired me to draw up a list of the books I want to read this year. But, me being me, before that I need to reflect on what I read in 2014! Off the top of my head, I think that my preference for fiction over non-fiction has been turned upside down in recent years, with most of the books I read being factual, and mainly theological or parenting books. But let's see! (I promise I won't extensively review every single thing I read, just the highlights, or we'd be here a long, long time.)


First off, I should say that my husband winningly purchases a carefully selected load of graphic novels each December for reading over the holiday period. These won't necessarily get finished, but there's normally one or two I relish during our Christmas break, which kickstart my New Year's reading. It also inspires me to tackle something new.  In January 2014 I was literally immersed in Blankets, a beautifully bittersweet geeky coming of age graphic novel. My memories of that period include refusing to speak to any family member until I'd finished Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, which was a lot better than I expected, joyful in its prose and feeling.  That same holiday I also read Longbourn by Jo Baker. I got all excited about this Pride and Prejudice 'servants' perspective' book - for the first two-thirds I was completely enamoured and was going to tell everyone to read it. But while its setting, characters and writing are wonderful, once I had a horrible realisation what the plot 'twist' was, my stomach churned...Jane Austen would never have allowed it! Not worth the read. The Goldfinch was far subtler in its own referencing and exploration of Great Expectations, but the more fulfilling tome.

February 2014 saw me thinking about issues one of the sisters was having, so Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD and Autism and Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndroms and other learning deficits are on the list. Happily, I also booked a trip to France (which I never posted about. Knickers.) so The Rough Guide to Brittany & Normandy and DK Eyewitness Guide to Brittany were purchased.

   

In March I was longing for that holiday season of graphic novels again, and bought The Suitcase by Dan Berry, which like many graphic novels is strange and unusual, but fairly enjoyable. I also read The Sleepwalkers which I purchased for the kids to read but didn't pass it on straight away as it was very weird and a little scary!


My April Amazon purchase was The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer which was obviously a good investment as I'm still using it now.

May half-term holiday must have brought some hide-from-the-kids-and-read time, as I downloaded Santa Montefiore's Secret of the Lighthouse, The Sleeper by Emily Barr and Penny Marshall's My Mother Was Nuts. It was a joy to discover Santa Montefiore, her books make you think a little but are still an easy read, and I went on to read others. The Sleeper, like Gone Girl, was one of those books that makes you wish you hadn't read about the ugliness of the world, which I prefer to avoid. And I didn't read My Mother Was Nuts until later in the year when I was ill, but it's Penny Marshall (of Laverne & Shirley and movie director fame)'s autobiography and full of laughs.

June I began looking in earnest for good young adult books for 1stSister and came across The Fault in our Stars by John Green and Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. We both lapped up the entire John Green oeuvre (not sure whether my favourite was Looking for Alaska or An Abundance of Katherines) and I read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson too, although I thought these were a little too adult for my daughter. I remember reading these through the summer holidays in July & August. 1stSister and I thought Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell was absolutely wonderful, but I have to say, Rowell's book Eleanor and Park (again too adult for my daughter) was the best thing I have read in any fiction for a very long time. The writing of the hand-holding scene, which conveys all the meaning of first love, is still with me.

For our holiday in August I downloaded Bumping about Brittany and Flaubert's Over Strand and Field.

Then I must have really started taking my priesthood studies seriously because I added these to my bookshelf: The Cracked Pot: The State of Today's Anglican Parish Clergy, Being a Priest Today: Exploring Priestly Identity, and In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen, which I began when the girls returned to school after the long holiday.

I must have been ill somewhere in September because I remember reading Cheryl Cole's My Story on my Kindle and there's no way I would have indulged myself otherwise! I also read more books on vocation for my priesthood studies including The Christian Priest Today, The Life & Work of a Priest and How to Find Your Vocation by John Adair.

Then there was the gifted child having problems at school so I rushed out and bought a whole load of (extremely useful) books listed here in October. I also read a book on Unconditional Parenting which to be honest I feel has helped a lot of the issues were were having considerably, as well as revolutionising our parenting, and I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO HAS OR WORKS WITH CHILDREN!!!

In November I treated myself to another Santa Montefiore book and ordered the just-released ebook Sealed with a Christmas Kiss, the sequel to Sealed with A Kiss which was the first book I read after 4thSister was born.

And then back to December again, when I finally devoured How to Talk so Kids will Listen & How to Listen so Kids will Talk (and promptly ordered How to Talk so Teens will Listen.... too). Someone on a blog somewhere mentioned Simplicity Parenting which is good if you don't do it alread (to a large extent we do). And I ended the year exploring graphic novels again, including starting Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth which I think is brilliant but haven't finished yet.

I think 'researching' the young adult fiction for my daughter (who is now about to finish Les Miserables - English translation, but still hefty - after starting it in October) bumps up the fiction quotient but otherwise I feel like I've ploughed through a lot of travel, theology and in particular parenting books. These days books will sit on the bedside table and I feel more compelled to pick up something I will 'learn' something factual from, or a prayer or poem I will feel closer to God through using, than simply reading a book, because my reading time remains limited. But I still love reading anything and everything, so recommends are welcome - just need to fit it in between parenting, studying, baking, singing and everything in between!