on my nightstand...

here's what's on my nightstand -- actually, they are not all on my nightstand at all times, mostly they are strewn about the house, waiting for a stolen moment where i can try to squeeze in a chapter, or even a glance. i am a certified bookworm. i adore the written word, in so many forms. i will read fiction, non-fiction, romance, sci-fi, horror, comedy, cookbooks, craft books, magazines, catalogs, children's books, and the list goes on and on. granted, i do not have as much time for reading as i did years ago. while i never regret where i am, and who i am today, sometimes i remember with longing the days in college when i would come home from work at night and just read for hours.
these days most of my reading is to the children, which i am not bitter about at all...i am working hard to instill a love of reading in them, and so far i think i am succeeding! ella is a voracious reader, she has read some of my favorites this school year, like charlotte's web & some of beverly cleary's books. max is really starting to get into books this year as well. he loves to look at books about volcanoes, sharks, the human body, and other cool non-fiction books like that. and sam...well, with sam it depends on his mood, sometimes he is just too busy for books. but when he does sit down to read he enjoys books where he has to find something...for example: waldo, or i spy. nothing makes mama smile like seeing her babes reading books.
the challenge is finding time for me to read books of my choosing. as you can see, the pile of books is quite high right now. one of my favorite (and quite honestly, one of the few) times i have to read is while nursing prince henry. i have gotten quite good at balancing a book in one hand and the babe in the other arm. sometimes if he is fussy i might even read aloud to him. it is a calm, peaceful & sweet time for me, and i always feel refreshed (and accomplished) after squeezing in a chapter here and there.
my book selections right now (top to bottom):
herbs & spice make everything nice ~ a cookbook that my sister bought for me at findlay market, i cannot wait to delve into this and hopefully garner some new recipes from it!
harry potter & the chamber of secrets ~ this is our family read-along book right now, the three older children love listening to the adventures harry potter and his friends have at hogwarts.
the time traveler's wife ~ i have just begun to read this book (and now will put it down for just a bit, since a long awaited library book came in today) -- and so far, so good. it's an interesting tale, mabye just a tad confusing when reading late at night while sleep deprived, but i cannot wait to pick it back up again!
catching fire ~ this is the 2nd book in the hunger games trilogy by suzanne collins, which i just finished reading, and can't stop thinking about. when someone first recommended the hunger games trilogy to me i kind of shuddered, because (spoiler alert)...it's about children killing each other! but once i read the first book i realized that it is about so much more than that. these books are fascinating, and they really pull you in. i have now passed them on to michael, and he is enjoying them as much as i did.
dead in the family ~ hot off the presses, i just picked this book up at the library today and cannot wait to dive in! it is the 10th book in the sookie stackhouse series by charlaine harris. the true blood series on hbo is based on these books. i am addicted to this series!
the creative family ~ this book was written by amanda soule, author of the blog: soulemama. i have found inspiration in both the book and the blog. i recommend this book for every family, there is much to be learned in reading it.
simple italian sandwiches ~ because the panini press is feeling neglected. i love paging through cookbooks. it's an activity that always makes me hungry.
bend the rules sewing ~ there are sooo many projects in this book that i am dying to do, when the time is right. in the meantime i will continue to flip through this book on a regular basis.