February's Resolution: Reading
I'm going to be honest: February's resolution was a bit of a flop. Why was reading every day so hard? I basically read every day in January! I'm feeling especially embarrassed because a friend of mine just texted me the other day to tell me that my resolution plan has inspired her to set time aside to read every day. All I can say is she is my inspiration. I may have to bring the Reading Resolution back around for one of the summer months. In the meantime here are a few books I've read recently or have loved for a long time.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith is one I have been meaning to read for years and finally finished in January. It's on nearly every book club list I've ever looked up and I can now say, it lives up to the hype. I love the meandering, true to life, story-telling of this book. It's really a perfect read for any season.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows is my all time favorite book. I've read it every spring since I was sixteen. My mom's book club was reading it and I snagged her copy when she was done. I now own four copies of my own. I'm particularly excited to read it this year since the movie version has been announced. I know it probably won't be exactly the same as the beloved book but the cast they have selected has me hoping for good things. We shall see! If you're looking for a related, yet different, read I would recommend Annie Barrows' The Truth According to Us which I read last Spring with another book club.
This Impossible Light by Lily Meyers took me one day to read. It's a novel written in verse, like Sharon Creech's Heartbeat, which I used to read every year on the first day of summer break. I really like how this format can make hard topics, in this case eating disorders, manageable and understandable for younger audiences. I think the poetic novel also tugs on my emotions a little more readily than traditional prose.
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend is my nonfiction pick for this winter. I have to admit, I am only halfway through. It's a lot of emotional homework! Still, it's been good to think through my relationships and see how I can be better at setting healthy boundaries in my life. I like to please people, but I don't want to turn into a bitter, deflated people-pleaser. I would recommend this book to anyone. No one is perfect and everyone has at least one relationship with a family member or friend that could be improved.
How about all of you? Anyone read any good books this month? Are any of you setting mid-year resolutions? What did you accomplish in February? Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram (@rehearsal_collection) if you're recording your goals there! My accomplishment for this month: I got a summer job :)
