Thursday, January 22, 2009

Behind

I was fortunate to receive so many good books over the Christmas holiday but I haven't yet had a chance to even read the introductions on any of them. People always ask me "HOW do you find time to KNIT with the two kiddos?!" and I reply, "I don't know, I just do!" But I can usually turn around and ask the same question to many of my friends (and blog friends, you know who you are) about reading. HOW do you all find the time to READ so much?!

I guess it's just a matter of choices.

But I'm looking forward to my 2009 reading pile, even if some of it includes "leftovers" that I never finished reading in 2008.

(presented only in the order in which they are stacked on my shelf...)

It Itches, Franklin's new book - Admittedly, this book shouldn't take any adult reader very long to complete--considering that it's just a bunch of cartoons and essays!--but if you don't start reading, then it never gets finished...

Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling - Dan and I both gave each other this book for Christmas, yet neither one of us has read it yet. Time to visit Hogwarts again.

Free-Range Knitter by you-all-know-who - Very excited for this one. Thank you, Dan!

Everyday Wholesome Eating by Kim Wilson - This was a gift from my sister and is also the cookbook that changed her bad-eating ways. A little bit of preaching to the choir for me, but I'm dying to dive in and read what she read and try some of the recipes that she raves about.

The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & the Comforts of Home by Jane Brocket - I saw this on some blog (which one?) and casually mentioned it to Dan. I forgot about it, but he didn't! A nice surprise under the Christmas tree, even though the title makes me wince. (Why? I AM domestic. I'm a million other things too, but I am definitely domestic. A post for another time...let me read the book first, then we'll talk.)

Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving - OH YEAH! Kristina sent this and I'm just so excited to start canning all over again. (See? I'm not exactly hiding my domesticity!) :)

Homemade: How to Make Hundreds of Everyday Products You Would Otherwise Buy from Reader's Digest - My mother-in-law sent this for my birthday this year. She knows me so well.

Mason-Dixon: Knitting Outside the Lines by Ann & Kay - Happy Birthday to me from Dan! I'm still dying to grab some tea, pull up the ottoman and crack into this one. I love Ann & Kay...

Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition by Terri Shea - A Christmas present to myself, of sorts. Dan's Christmas present involves a pair of mittens knit from this book. Guess I'd better start reading the book.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Should-Have-Been-Food-Czar Michael Pollan - It's held my bookmark since last fall, but was not put down due to lack of interest whatsoever.

Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton - Oh. Yeah. I read the knitting mysteries. (Guilty pleasure!) But I didn't finish this one before Christmas and can definitely feel the steam dissipating. I didn't even get to the murder yet...should I just pack it away until next Christmas or read on even though the seasonal references will not grab me in quite the same way?

Singing the Living Tradition by the Unitarian-Universalist Association - My friend picked this up at a thrift shop and thought I would like it. Like it?! I love it! It's the song/verse book from my church and I always wish that I could bring it home to peruse the teachings during more leisurely moments at home. Have I done that yet? No, not yet...

The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule - I'd been on the waiting list for this book from my library for ages and my name finally popped up. I have to read this one soon: no renewals!

The Audacity of Hope by President Barack Obama - I gave this to Dan for his birthday in November, but I want to read it too. Hooray for President Obama!

So I'm behind in my reading. But it's all about choices, right? My knitting is still flying and that makes me happy. Expect another FO Report soon!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My sister gave me the same Ball preserving book. I am SO excited to use it - there are some great recipes in there! I've been using the Ball Blue Book for years and it'll be nice to add some new stuff to the repertoire! I hope you like it too!

Aunt Jenny said...

YOu will love the Ball book..I have had several versions over the years and loved them all.
And Free Range Knitter is awesome. I got it right after Christmas with a gift cert. from my sister to Barnes and Noble and read it right away...I quickly read a couple more of her books and need to read them all....I am hooked on her blog now too.
Your list looks great!! I still dont' have the first Mason Dixon Knitting..and they were out of it when I went to BandN in Nov. Maybe next trip up north I will be getting it. I know how I find time to read and knit both..I don't sleep much.