September Reads

I felt like I wasn't reading very much in the month of September, but looking back I read a variety of books.  Here they are- in no particular order:
1. The Last Girls by Lee Smith
- based on true story of college girls taking a raft down Mississippi River (newspaper article copy about girl's trip found before you start reading the book)
- My Mother in-law loved it and sometimes when someone says they love a book than high expectations are put forth (note to self if I really want someone to "love" a book I "love" don't praise it :)).  So I didn't "love" it, but it was a good, easy read, but felt like it took me a while to get through. 
- I liked the flashbacks and flash-forwards throughout the book and the strength of some of the female characters. 
- O.K. read

2. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
-Book club book for September
- I hadn't read anything by him and I enjoyed it
- Different reading experience because it was written as a play so you read it as a play
- Liked trying to envision the scenes on stage
- Look forward to seeing it on stage sometime

3. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
-Have read this, I think, three times total (once a year over the last three years)
- Look back at previous post on this book for all my favorite quotes
- Love how timeless her writing is.  Despite being first published in 1955- the subjects she writes about: motherhood, independence, creativity as a women, marriage, etc- aren't any different from today's mothers, women, wives. 
- If you haven't read it- READ IT!

4. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
- I really enjoyed In Cold Blood so had been meaning to pick up another Capote novel.
- This one was nothing like In Cold Blood, but I enjoyed it still
- Holly Golightly is a character!  I somewhat struggle to envision Audrey Hepburn playing her, but will definitely rent the video sometime soon to watch the screen version. 
-It was light/entertaining, but had depth too. So that if you wanted to read it to see a more serious/sad story you could, but if you wanted to read it like fluff you could also. 

5. Screamfree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool by Hal Edward Runkel
- I read this in two days.  I think I needed to read it that quick to find out all the great ideas to parenting my kids better.
- I really thought his parenting view was logical, straight forward and realistic.
- I wish I had read this sooner and like and need reminder of it so much I will likely look for it the next time I'm at a book store. 
- If you are struggling or feel challenged by your child(ren) I really recommend reading this. 

6. Wonderstruck by Brian Sleznick
- I really enjoyed Hugo Cabret so have been meaning to pick up this book that followed Hugo.
- I think I liked the story line more than Hugo Cabret.
- Awesome pictures throughout the book, but I think I paid more attention to the story this time and less to the pictures, because I really wanted to find out what was happening.
- At the beginning I was a little confused by the two different story lines, but as the story went on it all fell in together to make a great book.  Due to the confusion I experienced at the beginning of the book I decided that my kids may need awhile before they'd get it, maybe I'm wrong and underestimating them- which is likely :). 
- GREAT BOOK!

So now I'm off into October- I'm almost done with one book, and getting ready to start another, seems to be the story of my life.  I've really decreased my reading to the kids due to mainly my oldest reading to himself now and wanting to read "his" books before bed.  My goal for this month is to get back in the habit of reading out loud to both kids.  Need to find a good kid book- great excuse to head off to the library today. Happy reading!