WHAT I'M READING

I am back in the reading swing of things!

Nothing makes me happier than to know I have good books to read and maybe because of just that, I have found myself  in the midst of four books that I am really liking a lot and eager to plow through.

(Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of it!)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo

I kept seeing this book popping up as recommendations by designers and since one of my resolutions this year is to simplify, I picked it up.  Kondo proposes the notion that a dramatic organization of the home causes dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective and that when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and past in order, too. She suggests that you start by discarding, and that is what I plan on doing. I started a few weekends ago by going through my closet, and it felt so good to get rid of the things I know I won't use again and drop them off at the goodwill. I'm planning on going through the other parts of the house like this - shoes, makeup and beauty products, kitchen stuff, books, craft supplies, baby stuff, another sweep through my closet, etc. and I'm reading this book along the way for inspiration. 

An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor

Barbara Brown Taylor is my mom's favorite preacher (professor, author, theologian) and before this book I had read articles or heard sermons by her, sourced from my mom's recommendations. This is my first book by her and I can already tell it's going to be the first of many.  This is the primary book I'm reading right now, with Marie Kondo's book interspersed in now and then.

In the introduction, Taylor talks about how people are willing to look all over the place to look for More in their life, but that the last place people look is right under their feet, in the everyday activities, accidents, and encounters of their lives.  She says that, "The treasure we seek requires no lengthy expedition, no expensive equipment , no superior aptitude or special company. All we lack is the willingness to imagine that we already have everything we need. The only thing missing is our consent to be where we are." BOOM.

Department of Speculation, by Jenny Offill

The book is a portrait of a marriage and it's a walk through what it means to be a wife, mother and artist. It's made up of fragments, but the sentences are whole and the emotions, vivd. For this book, I get the sense that being able to observe way the words sit on the page and lean together in a sentence is almost as vital as taking in the beauty of the prose. I read a few pages and then immediately put it down because I knew I wanted to designate a time and place to focus on just reading through it. It's a really short book and can be read in an hour, apparently, so my plan is to set aside an hour when I know I won't be interrupted and read it all in one long sip.

Yes Please, by Amy Poehler

I only have gone a few pages past the introduction but I'm interested; mostly in her perspective as a woman in the world of comedy and entertainment, but also because I like her, and I like how she seems both strong and kind, while being successful.  I'm also paying attention to her tone, because so much of it is self-deprecating, and I'm reading in the way that one listens to a story told by a new friend about their lives, for its inspiration, lessons and hindsight.