I have read some great novels this summer. One of my favorites was Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True, a story about two twins, one of whom is schizophrenic. I've had it on my bookshelf for a very long time, and I was always turned off by it due to its length (almost 1000 pages). I'm so glad I tackled it this summer, and I really enjoyed it. I also really liked Joshua Henkin's The World Without You which was about a family getting together to mourn their son/brother who died in Iraq. It sounds depressing, but it was really good and a very character driven story which I always love.
This is my stack of books that I'm working on. I think you will get the idea:
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Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter is about food. I am having a hell of a time feeding Trey this summer. During the school year he eats great at daycare, so I don't really worry about it. Since he's been home with me more than normal this summer, I am trying very hard not to make his diet consist of snacks and mac and cheese, but it is really hard when he won't eat. Satter says that the parent decides what and when the child eats, and the child decides how much. Trey has that down really well.
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood and 1-2-3 Magic are about behavior for toddlers (and up). My pediatrician recommended the 1-2-3 Magic book and I have only read a little bit. One tidbit that I have already related to is that the number one mistake parents make is that they think of their child as a little adult and proceed to treat them that way when they are having behavior issues. I certainly don't think my two year old is a little adult, but I can definitely see myself falling into this trap in the future. I also liked what they said about how one problem parents have with discipline is too much language and too much emotion. The authors recommend taking both of those things away when disciplining your child to make things more effective. This is another thing I can see myself becoming victim to as Trey gets older.
The next two books have to do with sleep, of course. I have read parts of Weissbluth and Ferber's books from the very beginning, and I go back to them again and again as I need them. My goal for the rest of the summer is to stop talking about Trey's sleep, so I won't belabor the issue much here, but let's just say his napping has NOT improved over the summer, and it has been very unpleasant. The week daycare was closed (that was two weeks ago) was probably the worst week I have had all summer. As much as I love spending time with Trey, his napping problems (or I guess they are really MY napping problems) are causing me to look forward to going back to work in a big way. This, of course, makes me feel sad and bad because what kind of mother wants to go to work to have time away from her child? (A normal one is what I honestly think.) While I use these sleep books as a resource and they give me great information, what they really do is make me feel like a shitty parent.
The bottom two books on my stack are much more enjoyable. The Mama's Boy Myth is really interesting and the premise is that sons who have close relationships with their mothers have stronger relationships in their adult lives. She writes about how men need to be able to emotionally connect and communicate in order to be successful in the work place and how mothers are the ones who often teach them these skills. She also writes about how boys who have strong relationships with their mothers are more secure and confident which causes them to be more academically engaged and less aggressive and violent with their peers. As someone who has been accused of coddling her son and someone who loves the closeness that Trey and I currently share, I am eating this book up. Love it. Also, at the very bottom is the novel I just finished called Newlyweds. I enjoyed this book a lot and am still thinking about the characters as if they truly exist. This is my favorite kind of book.
Since leaving Annie Bloom's, I have to work harder at finding things to read. One website I really like is supported by independent booksellers. I go to their Indie Next List regularly to find new things to read. I also read the newsletters that I get from Goodreads and Barnes and Noble (gasp - I won't link you to that), and I check Powell's frequently to see what is being highlighted as well as who is coming for author's events. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and, on that note, it's time to go to bed and read.
The bottom two books on my stack are much more enjoyable. The Mama's Boy Myth is really interesting and the premise is that sons who have close relationships with their mothers have stronger relationships in their adult lives. She writes about how men need to be able to emotionally connect and communicate in order to be successful in the work place and how mothers are the ones who often teach them these skills. She also writes about how boys who have strong relationships with their mothers are more secure and confident which causes them to be more academically engaged and less aggressive and violent with their peers. As someone who has been accused of coddling her son and someone who loves the closeness that Trey and I currently share, I am eating this book up. Love it. Also, at the very bottom is the novel I just finished called Newlyweds. I enjoyed this book a lot and am still thinking about the characters as if they truly exist. This is my favorite kind of book.
Since leaving Annie Bloom's, I have to work harder at finding things to read. One website I really like is supported by independent booksellers. I go to their Indie Next List regularly to find new things to read. I also read the newsletters that I get from Goodreads and Barnes and Noble (gasp - I won't link you to that), and I check Powell's frequently to see what is being highlighted as well as who is coming for author's events. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and, on that note, it's time to go to bed and read.
1 comment:
Wow you don't mess around..LoL. I hope you can get something out of all the Trey directed books. Enjoy your pleasure reads!
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