WHAT I'M READING V. 37

Yes I'm still here! Along with the glory and pain that is surviving the shift into colder and darker weather, I'm doing a lot of reading. Here are some I read last month:

1. Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D

This was the first of the sex books I picked up when I decided I wanted to read more about sex. We have a ladies night every month with some friends in town, and most nights we have a topic that we discuss. Recently, we decided on the topic of sex (which extended to two parts over the span of two months) and it motivated me to find some good books about sex.  This was one of them.  This book is insightful, well-researched and helpful for giving language to some of the topics that might be difficult to discuss with your partner.  It's also easy to read and has summaries at the end of each chapter that can serve as good prompts and discussion points!

2. Intended for Pleasure by Ed What, M.D. and Gaye Wheat

I also wanted to read a sex book that is written in the genre of "Christian marriage" and found this one to be highly rated.  I had some reservations at the beginning, but this ended up being an extremely helpful and practical book. I really appreciated how he starts with the physical anatomy of the male and female, puts names to all the things, and addresses a range of practical health and emotional issues.

3. Sex and Sensibility: The Parent's Guide to Talking Sense About Sex by Deborah M. Roffman

As I was reading the above two books, I posted on my IG stories asking if anyone had other good recommendations for sex book.  This one was recommended to me and I instantly picked it up because I was like, oh hey I am a parent and I need guidance talking sense about sex! Turns out, this one is a really good one. I know there are so many books out there about it, but this one is so thorough and walks through how important it is to you yourself know what it is you think about sex, what your values are, and whether you are able to communicate it to others, especially kids at their various stages of thought and development.  It's not just a "what" and "how" but a "why" sort of book about sex education that I really appreciate.

4. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

I started this one on Labor Day and read it in bits and pieces over the month of September.  There wasn't anything radical or new in this one that I didn't already know, but it was full of wonderful reminders of how to appreciate the very ordinary and simple things in life as the sacred things. For examples, her chapters are titled: Waking, Making the Bed, Brushing Teeth, Losing Keys, Eating Leftovers, Fighting with My Husband, Checking Email, Sitting in Traffic, Calling a Friend.  I underlined things here and there and this is one of those books that I will pick up for those gentle and friendly reminders of how to be mindful through these things.