Books,  Littles,  Mama

Reading Lately

Here’s a look at some of the books the kids and I have been enjoying lately! This isn’t everything I’ve read in the last month or so, and it’s certainly not every single picture book we’ve read recently, but I wanted to share a few favorites.

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Mama

Risen Motherhood, Emily Jensen & Laura Wifler

I’ve loved the Risen Motherhood podcast for a few years (okay, basically since becoming a mom), and I actually read this book back at the beginning of 2020 when I was super duper pregnant with my son. They released the gorgeous (seriously, look at it) deluxe edition last year with bonus chapters added, and I knew I’d want a copy. I worked my way through a chapter here and there in the mornings and savored it because it’s just lovely all the way from the truth in the words to the floral artwork and linen cover.

Queen of Our Times, Robert Hardman

“Chunky biographies” is not my typical reading genre, but it’s one I wanted to challenge myself to try this year. I started by picking up this one on Queen Elizabeth II since I’ve been watching through The Crown on Netflix and was feeling like I wanted to read about her in a way that wasn’t written for tv and wasn’t focused on the drama. I loved this so much. I’m so inspired by the Queen’s life of faith, duty, and service to her subjects. I know the far more popular royal family book at the moment is Prince Harry’s memoir, but I can’t say I intend to read it. I thought this article from The Gospel Coalition had an insightful take on the topic.

Anything is Possible, Elizabeth Strout

This is the only fiction book I’ve read so far this year. It’s second to My Name is Lucy Barton in a loosely-tied yet well-woven series. I read the first book back in 2021. I hardly remembered that one, which didn’t prove to be an issue. I was expecting this to be a novel like the first, but I didn’t realize until after the first “chapter” that it was actually a short story collection! I love a good book of short stories, and this one was lovely. I’m adding more Elizabeth Strout to my TBR list this year.

The Wisdom Pyramid, Brett McCracken

I read this book in early January, and it has stuck with me since then. My husband read it too, and we’ve gotten some good discussion out of it. The basic premise is looking at our intake of information kind of like we would the food pyramid. The author argues that certain sources of wisdom or knowledge, like Scripture itself or the church, should fill that larger, foundational bottom chunk of the pyramid, while internet sources and social media should reside up in that “sparingly” category at the top of the pyramid. Sources like books, beauty (art), and nature fill in the middle sections of the pyramid. I will say that the nature chapter felt a little out of place with the rest of the book to me. I think I was expecting the author to really convince me to get out in nature more, but that’s not really the direction it took. Overall though, I thought this was a great read that gave us quite a bit to chew on.

Littles

If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Laura Numeroff

This one was bound to be a hit with our son who loves pigs and pancakes. The library copy has been replaced with his very own copy, a gift for his third birthday, and he finishes all the sentences when we read it to him.

The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf

I know it’s a classic, but I was still hesitant when I saw the black and white illustrations, wondering if it would hold my son’s interest. He hasn’t seemed to mind the lack of color, and he loves this sweet story of the bull who would rather smell the flowers than fight.

Winnie the Pooh 5-Minute Stories

My son has had a stuffed Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger since before he was born, but when my husband was reminded of an old Winnie the Pooh episode he’d watched as a kid, it sparked a real love for Pooh in this house. This book of stories was a Christmas gift for our little guy, and he loves reading them at bedtime.

Little Blue Truck’s Valentine, Alice Schertle

Valentine’s Day is not my favorite, but of course we still own a Little Blue Truck book for the occasion! These have been favorites in our home since our son was a baby.

That’s all for now! I hope you’ll pick up a good book soon. ☺️

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