An Un-Bookish Reader's Guide to Falling in Love with Fiction

It's always a pleasure to guest post over at my friend Haley's blog, Carrots for Michaelmas.  She describes herself as "bookish" and as much as I'd love to have that describe me, it just doesn't.  If it doesn't describe you either, then maybe my post today will inspire you to read anyway.  Here's a little excerpt:

"Imagine the quintessential “bookish woman.” In your image, is she sitting next to the fire or in a comfy armchair with a cup of tea in hand? Is she reading Austen? Shakespeare? Fitzgerald? 

I am not that woman. I’m ambivalent toward tea at best.  I love to read, but I’m much more likely to lose myself in war history than a classic. Not only do I struggle to enjoy literature, but I regard myself as a fairly lousy fiction reader.  I struggle to find underlying themes or analyze literary devices.  

We’re often told, “Follow your passions,” and “pursue your strengths.” But what about the things that we aren’t particularly passionate or skilled?  Is it worth the effort to find ways to enjoy and pursue endeavors to which we are not innately drawn? While I don’t get excited by exercising or eating healthy, I actively look for ways to make these them more enjoyable because I see their value.  I’ve also done the same about exercising and feeding my mind through literature. Literature is not something that is a natural passion of mine but because I see the value of incorporating literature into my life, I’ve found ways to enjoy it and to become a better literature reader...continue reading at Carrots for Michaelmas

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If you're looking for a little non-fiction to break up your fiction reading, don't forget about the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.  Save 95% off 80+ resources! And please, please, please save yourself some money by buying the PDF version and sending the files to your Kindle/Kindle app yourself.  You can see my how-to post here. 

As a little thank you for buying through my affiliate link, I'm giving away a Lilla Rose Flexi clip to one randomly chosen person who does.  After you make your purchase, email a copy of your receipt to messywifeblessedlife@gmail.com to be entered.

How to Send Ebooks (or Other Docs) to Your Kindle/Kindle App

If you are at all involved with the blogging world, you've heard of ebooks.  Instead of purchasing print versions of books, you can often buy it as an ebook for a little cheaper.  Bloggers also offer ebooks as incentives to sign up for newsletters, as a bonus to those who pre-order their books, or to  share their expertise without having to go through the formal publication process.

I will admit that I've largely not seen the purpose of ebooks until just recently.  The main reason?  I've downloaded most of them as PDFs and then they've just sat there on my desktop.  I spend too many hours on the computer already that the idea of being chained to my computer to read is unappealing.  My first choice is still to read a physically real paper book, but I am perfectly happy reading an ebook on my Kindle Fire or, most often, the Kindle app on my husband's iPad - especially if the book is free, much cheaper, or only available in digital form.  

So, when I found out there was a way to email a PDF ebook to my Kindle app (and that the process took only seconds), all my problems were solved!  In case you would find this as useful as I do, here are the quick and easy steps for emailing a document to your Kindle reader.

The following directions will work with the following document types: Microsoft Word (.DOC, .DOCX), HTML (.HTML, .HTM), RTF (.RTF), Text (.TXT), JPEG (.JPEG, .JPG), Kindle Format (.MOBI, .AZW), GIF (.GIF), PNG (.PNG), BMP (.BMP), and PDF (.PDF)

1. Go to Amazon.com. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under "Let Us Help You" at the right click on "Manage Your Kindle".  (You may have to log in at this point if you haven't already.)

2. From there, click on "Personal Document Settings" located in the options along the left under "Your Device and Settings".

Notice I have some ebooks that I sent to my library recently. The "author" comes up as the email address I sent it from.

3. Check that your email address is on the "Approved Document E-mail List".  Only emails on this list are able to send documents to your Kindle/the Kindle app on a device.  If yours in so there, you can add it by clicking on "Add a new approved e-mail address" at the bottom.

4. Now, take note of the email address* for your device.  If you have multiple devices (for example, I have a Kindle Fire and an iPad with the Kindle app), you may have a different e-mail address for each one.

5. Go to your email and send your ebook/document to the Kindle email address* associated with the device you want it on.  The subject line can either be left blank or you can type "convert" in the subject box if you would like to convert to document to Kindle format. Then just attach your document and press send.  You can have up to 25 attachments in one email so if you have many ebooks sitting on your computer, you can transfer them together in one email.  (You can also send to up to 15 separate emails to get them to all your various devices at once.)  

Once you know the email addresses for your devices, you can send documents anytime starting with the last step!  There are also several other ways to get documents onto your Kindle/Kindle app, including USB and an app on your computer that would allow you to right click on a document and choose "Send to Kindle".  For more information on your other options, see this info on Amazon.com or this helpful blog post. 

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If you are looking for some books to fill up your Kindle, there is a HUGE Ultimate Homemaking Bundle that goes on sale today. (Affiliate links below.) My sweet friend Haley's ebook, Feast, is one of the ebooks in the sale and if it is any indication of the quality of books involved, it's well worth the $29.97 (for over 80 ebooks!).

Don't get caught up on the word "homemaking" - these books are not all about the best way to vacuum but about what truly makes a home - marriage, health, homeschooling, working from home, motherhood, food, finances, pregnancy, faith, and more.  Even if you were only interested in the books in a few of the categories, you'd be getting well over your $30 worth and filling up that Kindle with a library of books to reference in your future homemaking.

To see a list of the books included and to purchase your copy, click here or on the button below.  There is a Kindle option for a little bit more but now that you know how to send the PDFs yourself, save the difference and use it toward putting some of the ideas in these ebooks into action.  This sale is only six days, so be sure to purchase your copy by April 28th.

As a little thank you for buying through my affiliate link, I'm giving away a Lilla Rose Flexi clip to one randomly chosen person who does.  After you make your purchase, email a copy of your receipt to messywifeblessedlife@gmail.com to be entered.

*IMPORTANT: Documents sent through the Kindle Personal Documents Service are delivered over Whispernet. Amazon charges a small fee ($0.15 per MB) for Whispernet delivery. To avoid this fee, change the address to @free.kindle.com instead of @Kindle.com.  This will ensure documents are delivered over Wi-Fi, which is free!

Pregnancy Loss Resources: A book about the science behind miscarriage

Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth about Miscarriage by Jon Cohen

Coming to Term is a different type of miscarriage book - it's purpose is not to comfort women or share personal narratives and coping strategies; instead it explores the scientific research behind miscarriage which, in it's own way, can be a comfort to those who have experienced pregnancy loss.  The author, Jon Cohen, is a journalist who, after having gone through his wife's multiple losses, noticed that doctors seemed to have very few concrete facts about miscarriage and set out to discover the scientific truth behind miscarriage himself by piecing together the scant medical research on the topic.

I read Coming to Term after my first miscarriage and was a bit ambivalent about it; after having a second miscarriage soon after, I'm grateful to have read it.  Knowing some concrete facts about the causes of miscarriage and some of the potential treatments kept me from losing hope after my second loss.  I still often repeat to myself the statistic that Cohen shares: a woman who has a history of repeat miscarriages - three or more - still has a 70% chance of carrying a pregnancy to term without medical intervention.

Perhaps the biggest lessons to be learned from this book is that miscarriage is more common than it was once thought, is largely still a mystery, and most miscarriages cannot be prevented.  Those are some tough facts to face for women that want answers and treatments, but can also be a comfort to know the truth, especially for the many men and women who are told conflicting, outdated, and non-evidence-based information from various medical professionals.

In additional to the hopeful statistics for future pregnancies, the two additional pieces of information that I have felt most useful to me are: 1) Research shows that approximately 50% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities, which couples have no control over.  These losses are, essentially, just "bad luck" and do not raise the risk for future miscarriages. 2) Blood clotting disorders cause a significant number of miscarriages and the use of heparin and aspirin during pregnancy has been shown to raise the chances of successfully carrying a baby to term.  Because I read this book, I was able to ask my doctor about testing for blood clotting disorders.

I would caution women from reading this book right after a miscarriage.  Give yourself a few months to heal and read some of the more compassionate experience-sharing books first.  (I recommend After Miscarriage and Angels in my Heart.)  I found Coming to Term at times to be very difficult to read because it approached miscarriage in a clinical way.  In addition, there is frequent reference to abortion (there are some very strong links between abortion and miscarriage research), fertility treatments that do not respect the dignity of life, and surrogacy, all of which bring up ethical/moral issues and may be difficult to handle soon after a loss.

A consumer-focused view of parenthood runs throughout the book, though it certainly isn't the author's focus or even his intention; he simply includes stories of real couples, many which unfortunately include elements of this.  It is worth reading this book for the valuable medical information it contains; however, make sure you have healed enough and are prepared to be confronted by these issues.

Five Favorite Usborne Books

I'm hosting an online Usborne Book party right now and I thought this would be a great time to share how much I love Usborne book!

{1}

La cama grande de Sofía

My favorite Usborne book is this little Spanish book. It's the cutest little book about a little girl who is nervous about leaving her crib for a bed. We read it all the time especially now that Lucia is just transitioning to her big girl bed. We also sent it to our goddaughter who is a month younger than Lucia and her name is...Sofia! (And she speaks Spanish.) I also love that this book isn't a board book, but the pages are much thicker than regular pages so they can't be torn by toddler fingers. I know not all of you speak Spanish, but if you do, as a mom and a former Spanish teacher, I love the Spanish books offered by Usborne!

{2}

Sticker Books

Lucia has this sticker book and LOVES it.  A little birdie told me she might be getting the Easter First Sticker book and the Colors Sticker book in her Easter basket.  I also have my eye on the wipe off books.  In fact, Usborne has about a million activity books that I have my eye on.

 

 

 {3}

 Encyclopedias/Dictionaries

 

Lucia has the First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life and loves it.  The Usborne non-fiction books are awesome for curious toddlers and (I hear) homeschooling.  David can't wait to use several of the science titles with Lulu once she gets a bit older.

{4}

 Story Collections

These two are on my wish list, but there are so many other collections of pirate stories and princess stories and stories for boys and stories for girls and some illustrated classics.  Gorgeous books for your bookshelf!

{5}

Patterns Coloring Books

Is it embarrassing to admit that I want these coloring books for me? I love coloring to relax but the simple little cartoons in Lucia's coloring books don't do it for me.  I adore just coloring patterns.  And lo and behold, there are whole coloring books of them.  Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Christmas Patterns.  I want them all!

If you want to chat with Molly (of Molly Makes Do) and me about books, the live party is on Facebook on Saturday at 9 EST.  You can RSVP here.  You can buy these and other Usborne books through my party link here.

Linking up with the lovely Hallie.

Whispering Random Nothings of Fridays and St. Patrick and Books and Everything, Like, Such As #7QT

Name that titular reference to pop culture and we might just be able to be friends. 

--- 1 ---

Have I ever mentioned that David uses a different nickname pretty much every time he addresses Lucia and me?  It's very obvious that he makes them up on the spot.  Sometimes they are really cute and sweet, other times  they are...questionable.  The other night he asked, "Can you help me move Lady Longtail to her bed?"  Still not sure how I feel about that one.

--- 2 ---

I finally took my sewing machine out of the box.  I got it for Christmas...of 2012.  I've been wanting to learn to sew since I was a little girl but have felt like I just haven't had the time to devote to learning the basics.  Well, no more.  I figured it would be helpful for me to have a hobby to keep me busy over the next year or so while we wait to conceive again.  I think that women have an innate desire to create and if we are not able to create life, it's helpful to channel that creativity into other areas.  I feel like I still have to get several of the "sewing things" (scissors and needles and bobbins and thread and fabric...and...and...) before I can start but it is going to happen soon. 

--- 3 ---

I have a post brewing about the Eminem/Rihanna song "Love the Way You Lie".  In many ways, this post is several years in the making and I've started writing it several times, but I've never quite completed it.  I've not talked much about it, but I was in a very damaging relationship for years while I was in college, and while it's not something I often talk about, I still sometime notice the scars I carry with me.  Years ago, I started a Broken series about damaging relationships.  That series has been collecting dust, but I'm feeling ready to finally share my own story.

--- 4 ---

Fridays are my favorite weekday.  Mostly because Laura's Mary Margaret spends the day with us.  (Laura's blogging again, so check it.)  I've been asking some advice from other moms recently because Lucia is so needy-needy, clingy-clingy all the time and I can't get anything done during the day because I can't be more than an inch and a half away from her at all times.  From what I gathered, it's pretty common for firstborns to be this way though, obviously, temperament plays into it a bit.  Anyway, when Mary Margaret is here, Lucia is very content playing with terrorizing her all day and mama gets a little bit of a break.  So win-win all around there.  It gives me a little taste of what it would be like to have two kids close together in age (as much as 8 hours a week can give you any real indication of anything - I'm fairly certain I get all the benefits and none of the difficulties in those 8 hours) and I have to agree with the many people who have told me that the best way to stop your child from being so dependent is to give them a sibling to play with.  Not helpful advice, but seemingly accurate. 

--- 5 ---

Another reason I love Friday is probably the reason most people like Friday - it's almost the weekend!  I've heard a lot of people snicker when stay-at-home moms say they like the weekends, because isn't every day a weekend for a stay-at-home mom?  Ha ha.  Ha ha ha ha.  Not quite.  Plus, I just miss my husband every second he's at work and summer cannot come soon enough.  Every day all day with him sounds like heaven.  

I look forward to the weekend even when I don't have any plans, but this weekend is looking to be better than most.  Sunday is my birthday and tomorrow David is treating me to a spa day while he watches Lucia and does the taxes.  I usually insist that David gets me nothing or next to nothing for my birthday because, even though my love language is gifts, I hate the thought of money being spent on me.  But this year I relented.  I have a feeling that I'm not going to be thinking about the money spent as my worries are massaged away.

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If you are looking for some St. Patrick's Day picture books, here are three we're enjoying right now:

A Fine St. Patrick's Day // Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland // St. Patrick's Day

(Not affiliate links.  If you are going to order any of these through, please click through the blog of your favorite blogger with Amazon affiliates before making your purchase.  It's a great way to support a blogger without doing anything you wouldn't already do.  Let me know if you'd like a list of my favorite bloggers who have Amazon affiliates.)

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Speaking of books, I'm hosting an Usborne Book party online.  My friend Molly of Molly Makes Do recently became an Usborne consultant and when she asked me about doing the party I couldn't think of a reason why I wouldn't want to share my favorite book company with friends.  I really am not exaggerating when I say that I absolutely love Usborne books.  Lucia has several, including her favorite ever sticker book (and a little birdie told me she's going to be getting the Easter Sticker book in her Easter basket).  If you'd like to join the Facebook event to ask questions, learn more about Usborne, get personalized book recommendations from Molly, and possibly win prizes, you can RSVP here.  Or shop my party at the Usborne website here. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Book Suggestions, Loquacious Lucia, & Better Links #7QT

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Earlier this week, I asked on my Facebook page for some suggestions of chapter books to read to Lucia.  At 27 months, I'm not quite sure she's ready for chapter books, but I'd like to try it and have a few options around the house for when we are ready to start.  After getting some amazing ideas, I decided to order Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wind in the Willows.  On my list to buy next are:  Frog and Toad books, Charlotte's Web, and Little House in the Big Woods. Can you believe I haven't read any of those books before?  I'm excited to read them for the first time with my little girl!

--- 2 ---

I've read a few great posts this week.  May I share them with you?

Why miscarriage matters when you're pro-life at The Lewis Note
Small at Surviving Our Blessings

The naming of things also at Surviving Our Blessings

Felicity Marian: A Birth Story Part I at Catholic & Crunchy (I usually don't like reading birth stories, but this is a friend and her baby who I'll be meeting next week! It's also super encouraging for women who want as natural as possible births when they have to be induced.)

--- 3 ---

Can we go back to book suggestions? Any suggestions for a Lent/Stations of the Cross book for a little one?  I was looking at this one on Amazon.  Does anyone have any experience with it or another that you want to share?  I'm going to be reading Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit (got it last year after Lent and have been waiting, waiting, waiting, to read it) and Come Be My Light by Bl. Mother Teresa (I asked for ideas and that suggestion was already sitting on my bookshelf so it was the automatic winner).

--- 4 ---

Lucia loves to talk about Jesus after we turn the lights out at bedtime.  Usually it's something along the lines of, "Poor, Juju (Jesus) owies!" and she's often begs me to take the crucifix down to kiss the booboos on his hands and feet and side.  Last night, the conversation took a different turn:

"Juju has a thumb."

Well, actually, he has two.  Smart girl I've got, no?

--- 5 ---

Today, Lucia is spending the day with my friend, Kayla, and her daughter, Lucy.  When I woke her, I said, "You're going to play with Baby Lucy today."

Lucia: "No, Baby RABBIT!"

Not sure why she started calling Lucy "Lucy Rabbit" earlier this month but she did and it's pretty cute, so I don't discourage it.  She even found a rabbit stuffed animal to bring with her to play with "Baby Rabbit". 

--- 6 ---

Lucia has taken to drumming.  And yes, I know that she isn't ever wearing a shirt in the pictures or videos I share.  Probably because she rarely wears one.

--- 7 ---

Have you tried a Flexi yet? 

A friend of mine is hosting a Lilla Rose party as part of a fundraiser for Galilee House, a soon-to-open residence in our area for women experiencing crisis pregnancies.  In addition to her donating her hostess rewards, I'm donating 10% of sales to Galilee House. If you would like to try Lilla Rose products (or expand your current collection) while helping a really great cause, you can shop her party on my Lilla Rose website here. 

For more Quick Takes AND 7in7, visit blame Jen!

Our Favorite Christmas Books 2013

I'm going to give you a little more notice than my Thanksgiving book post which, published the day before Thanksgiving, didn't give you much time to make use of my book suggestions.  But less than a week before Christmas, this is probably one of those posts that's only going to be useful if it pin it for next year.

What can I say?  Lucia just turned two so this is the first year we're really reading Christmas books and there was no way I was on top of things enough to check out Christmas books before December in order to be able to select my favorite books.  No way I was even thinking about it.  Although if I had thought about it early enough, I would have been able to get more books, because Christmas books go like hotcakes at our library.  And here are the best gooey, buttery, delicious hotcakes this year.

Board Books

 Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

Kind Ox welcomes animals in from the cold saying, "There's always room for a little one here." The last of these animals is Tired Donkey who brings with him the Holy Family. There is a simple beauty and richness is the story.  Beautiful illustrations. One of my favorite toddler-level books this year.

The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry, illustrated by Rebecca Thornburgh

Explains the story of the first Christmas in simple language for little ones.

Stable in Bethlehem: A Countdown to Christmas by Joy N. Hum, illustrated by Dan Andreasen

A sweet rhyming book that counts down from 12. 12 drowsy doves, 11 cows, ...8 shepherds,. ..3 wise men, etc.  Another favorite for the youngest crowd, especially because the rhymes are true rhymes. (I have a problem with some of the "reaching rhymes" of children's literature.)

  A Child is Born by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

The prose of this one is beautiful, reverent, but simple enough for little ones.  Reminds me more of lyrics to a lovely Christmas song than the words to a children's book.

Through The Animals' Eyes: A Story of the First Christmas by Christopher Wormell

This book wasn't what I originally expected.  While each picture features the animals that would have seen the various events of the nativity, the words are a simple retelling of the biblical story.  (I had thought it would have been written from the perspective of the animals, but I liked it much better this way.)  The illustrations are beyond gorgeous.

Picture Books

The Friendly Beasts: An old English Christmas Carol illustrated by Tomie dePaola

I wasn't familiar with this carol and was delighted to encounter a old, very traditional sounding carol.  Lucia and I enjoyed looking up the carol and singing along with it while we looked at the pictures.  

The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen Berger
Our favorite this year.  This is the epitome of children's literature filled with symbolism and poetic beauty, showing that something understandable by a child can at the same time be complex.  I don't want to say more than that, because I feel like reading it for the first time without knowing exactly what to expect enhanced my surprise at the beauty in the pages.

The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola

Every morning, the birds of Bethlehem gather in the fields for breakfast. On the morning of the first Christmas, they tell of the marvelous things they have seen. This picture book is simple enough for toddlers with engaging pictures. 

Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Alison Jay

All the animals and plants of the world announce, "It is time! He is come!" A refreshing Christmas book that isn't yet another retelling of the nativity but the more broad story of salvation.

Waiting for Noel: An Advent Story by Ann Dixen, illustrated by Mark Graham

Noel was born on Christmas Day.  As her family lights the Advent candles each week and prepares for Christmas, her father shares the story of the year that they prepared for her birth as well.  I've always found the parallels between the Advent and pregnancy/expecting a child to be beautiful insightful and this book beautifully expresses that parallel through poetic prose.

Four Friends at Christmas by Tomie dePaola

This book is a purely fun one about Mister Frog who usually sleeps through the winter but stays up this year to celebrate his first Christmas.  Lucia loved it, so it's toddler-approved.

Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola 

Strega Nona is much loved in our home, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read her Christmas tale.  I found it to be surprisingly reverent and beautiful.  Strega Nona refuses to use magic at Christmastime because "Christmas has a magic of its own." Instead, she busies herself lighting the Advent candles and preparing her home (and heart) for the Christ Child.  Tomie DePaola is the only children's author I know who writes wonderful, mass-appeal children's literature that effortlessly weaves in elements of the Catholic faith. 

The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola

I first heard about Befana few years ago from a friend, but didn't know much about it other than it's an Italian tradition for Befana to bring treats to children on the eve of the Epiphany (similar to St. Nicholas on his feast day or Santa Claus on Christmas).  After reading this book, I'm thinking Old Befana may be leaving Lucia a little something this Jan 6th.

An Early American Christmas by Tomie dePaola

As a history major, I can't pass up this book that tells the story of the introduction of Christmas celebrations into towns where many Christian denominations avoided the observance of the holiday.  This was completely new information to me and I enjoyed reading with Lucia about the paper ornaments and popcorn balls and traditional cookies that marked early 19th century celebrations.  Toddlers can read history too! 

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

This is the only book we've read this year that I remember reading as a child.  This was one of my favorites.  Probably more for an older child than Lucia, I made her undergo the torture of sitting through it to please mama.  I'm sure she'll do better in a few years. 

For Every Child a Star: A Christmas Story by Thomas Yeomans, illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Way too advanced for my toddler, I read this one myself and loved it.  A beautiful story of a lonely old man that is tangential to the nativity story.  Would probably be best for school aged children or older.  

 
Looking over a list, I have a few observations about this year's choices:

• All but one are pretty explicitly religious.  This wasn't intentional.  While we do like to focus on Christ during this season, I think there is space for some more secular Christmas stories as well.  I reserved a ton of books from the library based on a variety of recommendations, without knowing what many of them were about.  Several books I didn't reserve because the wait list was too long and I'm still on the wait list for many others - and I'm guessing that many of those were non-religious because they appeal to a wider variety of folk?
• A huge chunk of these books are by Tomie dePaola.  Also not intentional.  It's not my fault that one of the best children's book authors and illustrators loves Christmas and writes all the Christmas books!
• Children's Christmas books, especially those for toddlers, are obsessed with animals, especially the animals present at the nativity.  Kids do love animals, but if you can write a good story about people, they like those too!  
• I was kind of sad to see that several of this books seem to not be currently in print.  (I couldn't even find a decent picture of For Every Child a Star.) We would love to have any and all of these books in our book collection, but I'm grateful they are at least available at the library.

Next year we'll probably request a few of our very favorites and then try our hand at finding some new favorites (and there were several books that we got that didn't make the cut for this list and will not be in rotation for future Christmases).  When you look at my list, are there any books that are obviously missing?  What do I have to keep in mind for next year?