I recently listened to a Coffee & Crumbs episode all about media, and between that and our lively discussion about Where the Crawdads Sing and Educated on my last post (and the planning underway for my book swap!!), I thought it might be fun to keep rolling on the reading train. So today, all about my life as a reader… and I want to hear about yours!

What do I read?

Right now I’m averaging about 20-40 books in a year, or 2-3 per month. About half are non-fiction, and half are novels. I love…

…(good) parenting books
…pop psychology and behavioral economics books
…personal finance books
…books that give me practical ways to live out my faith
…books that deal with the intersection of technology and family
…novels with exquisite writing.

And of course I read the Bible! Usually this version.

How do I read?

I exclusively read physical books, for a few reasons.

I prefer the experience of real books – seeing the typography on the page, feeling the heft of the book shift from right to left as I page my way through.

I am a visual learner, so I tend to retain more from a paper page – even if I haven’t marked it, I can often recall where a certain quote I paused over was (top left corner, bottom right) many days later.

I want to live in a home with books because I think they’re beautiful and because I want where I live to be filled with things I treasure. Environment is a strong way of imparting our values to our kiddos, and there is almost nothing I more want to give them than a love of reading.

On that note, I read physical books because I want my kids to see my reading. I want that to be one of the most common sights of their childhood, me curled up with a book, to learn from my example that reading is a delicious past-time, one of the most delightful and worthy ways to spend an hour. I could be doing anything with my phone in my hand, but when I’m holding a book, my priority is clear.

When do I read?

At this stage in my life, most of my reading is done right before bed. This is both good and bad. If I’m reading a book that’s sucked me in, I’ll eagerly head to bed early to squeeze in a few more chapters. However, if I’m reading a book that’s sucked me in, I’ll often stay up too late to squeeze in a few more chapters :) Some nights I read for 15 minutes, some for an hour.

I’m also diligent about leaving a book in my car or packing one in my bag if I’m heading to an appointment so I can read on the go instead of scrolling on my phone. I imagine this will become even more helpful when our kiddos are in activities that require my chauffeur services!

Where do I find books to read?

Fiction I almost exclusively borrow from the library – I tend to only read it once, so to me it doesn’t make quite as much sense to buy! Nonfiction I prefer to buy (on Amazon or Thrift Books), because I’ll often read favorites multiple times. I also like to underline quotes or ideas that hooked me (often for use in EFM posts later!) and am an eager lender of my favorites to friends and family members. (Stephanie has my copy of The Coddling of the American Mind right now and when I get it back I’m sending it to Kim!)

It also helps that one of my benefits at work is a book library, which is $15 a month to spend on the “personal growth” book of my choice! As an Enneagram 5, lifelong learner, and avid reader, this is heaven :)

I keep an iPhone note on my phone for “Books to Be Read” as well as a list of the books I read each year (they are some of my most-referred to notes!). I add great suggestions to it from my Articles Club ladies, from my siblings, friends-in-real-life and on Instagram, from EFM readers in the comments, and from a few favorite blogs (Cup of Jo and Everyday Reading especially!).

More posts about reading:
My thoughts on reading in 2014 (a few things have changed!)
25 favorite picture books
25 favorite chapter books
My favorite parenting books

I think my next reading post will be about the books I recommend most often – though of course, if you’re an avid reader of this blog, I’ve probably already recommended them to you :)

In the meantime, I’d love to hear: what are your favorite types of books to read? And when do you read?

Affiliate links are used in this post!

Tonight is the third anniversary of Articles Club!

When Stephanie and I launched our experiment three years ago — by inviting total strangers into our homes, no less — this introvert had no idea what to expect and was more than a little nervous. What a happy surprise and abundant blessing our monthly gatherings (and the ladies who gather) have been to me ever since! More than the articles we read, the gift is in tucking in around a table with ladies who are different in many ways — younger, older, married, single, mamas and not — but all united by their curious minds, care for one another, and interest in our world.

If you’ve ever wanted to start something like this, do it. And if you just want to follow along at home, read on – I’m sharing a few of the articles we read together in the last year! :)

Patriotism
John McCain’s Farewell Letter
Straining to Keep Faith with America

Routines
Lessons Learned from 98 Morning Routines
Routines: Comforting or Confining?
I Tried Seven Different Morning Routines – Here’s What Made Me Happiest

Sustainable Fashion
Why Consumers Forget Unethical Business Practices
Behind a $13 Shirt, a $6-an-Hour Worker
What is Sustainable Fashion and Why is it so Expensive?

Race in America
What Does it Mean to be White
Action Items for New Allies
When White Parents Won’t Integrate Public Schools

Parenting Now
How to Raise an American Adult
Seven Reasons We Hate Free-Range Parenting
12 Rules for Life

The Magic of Summer
How to Celebrate Like the Nordics
Going for a 1970s Summer
Fireworks are our Shining Stars of Summer

Being Stuck
How You Get Unstuck
Why We Feel Stuck in Life and the Secret to Dealing With It
Feeling Less than Grateful? Some People are Just Wired that Way

The Mystery of Personality
Inside the Enneagram
The Combination to Your Team’s Recurring Problem
Personality Tests are Popular, But Do They Capture the Real You?

Beauty
The Truth About Beauty
Aging and My Beauty Dilemma
What Makes a Pretty Face?

Grab Bag :)
My Year of No Shopping
The Best New Year’s Game
You May Want to Marry My Husband

If you’re so inclined, I’d love for you to share an article or essay in the comments that you’re itching to discuss with someone! Maybe you’ll see it show up in next year’s Articles Club recap :)

P.S. How to host an articles club, and what we read our second year

I feel like it’s trendy right now for people to say that they don’t read or like parenting books… but I unashamedly love them! I think if you don’t like them, you might not be reading the right ones :) Just because I finish a book doesn’t mean I agree with everything in it, but I find it valuable to have my parenting ideas challenged, encouraged, and refined through exposure to other perspectives.

If you’re looking for the good kind of parenting book, I have a few suggestions! In alphabetical order…

All Joy and No Fun | You guys are probably sick of hearing about this book, ha! I think the author and I have a similar desire to confront conventional wisdom and some of the “sacred cows” of parenting, and to examine them in a way that empowers parents to chart their own course. The author is also great writer, and the way she weaves together family narratives and hard data will keep you engaged!

Bringing Up Bebe | I will admit that before I read this book I did not have high hopes – it seemed like a kind of “pop parenting” book that might not jive with my style or offer any interesting insight. Boy, was I wrong. Beyond offering a fascinating glimpse into another culture and being (again) very well-written, there were tons of actionable ideas I plucked from Pamela and tucked into my own parenting toolkit.

The Fringe Hours | This book isn’t for just parents — it’s for anyone who struggles with finding time for herself — but I think it’s earned a spot on this list for obvious reasons. Jessica and I are kindred spirits: we both think people should stop saying they’re busy, we like calendars with lots of white space, and we don’t feel guilty about doing things we love. If you like EFM but struggle with these things, you will probably like her book. I wrote about it here, too.

How To Celebrate Everything | For me, one of the most magical parts of being a parent is creating magic for my children. (The secret here — and the beauty — is that kids are so ready to see the magic in everything!) This is by far the best book I’ve read on creating traditions and cultivating a rich family life in the most doable, joyful, real-person way. One of my favorite gifts for new parents!

Last Child in the Woods | This book took awhile for me to get through, but I loved the reminder of how vital our children’s connection to nature is. This is something I already believe in passionately, but I welcomed the reminder to dig in and make this happen despite all the factors that conspire against it! If you dream of your kids growing up in nature but have concerns about how to make that happen, this book is for you.

The Lifegiving Home | Judging by the sheer number of quotes I saved from this book in my “good words” folder, it’s a slam-dunk inclusion on this list. With four grown children, Sally has actually created the home so many of us desire – one filled with love, joy, meaning, and purpose, that launches children who are confident, kind, full of integrity, and in love with God.

Nurture Shock | This book was fascinating!! In addition to having eyeopening research, I loved the specific and actionable suggestions for all sorts of topics, from encouraging early vocabulary to fostering sibling relationships, cultivating executive function in preschoolers, and arguing with a teen :) This reminded me of Freakonomics or one of Malcolm Gladwell’s books.

The Opposite of Spoiled | I don’t expect John and I will find it difficult to talk about personal finance and generosity with our kids (it is, after all, one of our favorite topics!), but, being extremely practical and action-oriented, this book gave me some new tools for our kit. I took it out of the library, but imagine I’d like to re-read it when our kids are different ages!

Parenting with Love and Logic | If I had to pick one book that most closely aligned with my overall parenting and “discipline” philosophy, it would probably be this one. I love the author’s focus on teaching children responsibility through logical consequences, resulting in kids who are confident and motivated and parents who maintain healthy control, simply. I have recommended this one to SO many people since I’ve read it.

Simplicity Parenting | I found that I already agreed with and intrinsically knew the premise of this book — “the power of less” to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids — but it was still a worthwhile read. I skimmed a lot of this book (it’s a little repetitive), but was happy for the reminder and encouragement! If you find yourself fighting the temptation to do and be more, more, more as a parent, this could be a great read for you!

The Tech-Wise Family | This easy-to-read but impactful book had me exclaiming “yes!” and reading passages to John all the way through! (In fact, since it’s short and digestible, it’s a great one to encourage your husband to read if you want to start a more open parenting dialogue!) Even as someone who already identifies as fairly anti-technology in terms of parenting, this book expanded my horizons and gave me so many great points to consider.

To Kill a Mockingbird | Yes, my favorite book of all time is partly my favorite because of all the parenting wisdom it imparts! If I had to choose one fictional character to model my parenting after, it would be Atticus. I find a new nugget every time I re-read it.

Whew! I think there’s something there for everyone, so happy reading, friends! :) You know I’m never done, so here are a few of the ones next on my list: Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, French Kids Eat Everything, Screamfree Parenting, Babes in the Woods, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, The Lifegiving Parent, and Hands-Free Mama.

I would love to hear a favorite parenting book of yours in the comments!!

P.S. I am working on a follow-up post to this one that shares bite-size favorite takeaways from some of these books – look for it in the next few weeks! :)

P.P.S. My pregnancy reading recommendations

Affiliate links are used in this post!

Articles Club is tonight, and it’s a special one — our two year anniversary! This group is always a highlight of my month. Last year I shared a bunch of the articles we read in our first year, and I thought it would be fun to do so again!

I included tips for hosting your own club in that first post, too — the only difference is that now we eat dinner together instead of snacks! In January we got to talking about lasagna, and I insisted on making my favorite recipe to share its glory with the group. After we realized it’s even MORE fun to chat over a delicious meal, we never looked back! So far, we’ve done Mexican (several times!), Greek, Indian, and American cookout :)

Here are a few of the articles we’ve read in the last year…

Mindfulness
Stop Hustling and Get Your Life Back
The Luxury of Silence
Should Schools Teach Kids to Meditate?

Money
Can Money Buy You Happiness?
4 Women with 4 Very Different Incomes Open Up About the Lives They Can Afford
Want to Be Happy? Stop Being So Cheap!
How FOMO Can Ruin Your Finances

Poverty
The Pope on Panhandling
How Utah Keeps the American Dream Alive

Work
Is There Life After Work?
How to Close the Gender Gap
Career Tips from Entrepreneurs

Aging and Dying
Why I Hope to Die at 75
How to Become a “Superager”
Before I Go

Self-Improvement
New Year, New You? Forget It
The Cost of Holding On
What Do You Like About Yourself?

Minimalism
Welcome to AirSpace
The White Wall Controversy

Just two great reads :)
The Ghost Ship That Didn’t Carry Us
When Your Child is a Psychopath

Sound like fun? We’re always happy to welcome new gals, so if you’re into eating, chatting, and reading and live in the Triangle, we’d love to meet you! And don’t think you’d be the only one — after the similar post I wrote last year, three new ladies emailed and joined our group! Just send me an email :)