“So why does our writing matter, again?” they ask. Because of the spirit, I say. Because of the heart. Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.” – Anne Lamott from Bird by Bird
How to Join:
- Send me an email at amanda@homesongblog.com saying hello and that you’d like to join our book club.
- I will add you to the list at the start of our next read.
- Hope aboard the rich discussions every other week on this journal.
- Tag #homesongbookclub as you read and share!
Homesong is starting a book club lunching March 20th – the first day of spring! I am so excited to jump into this new project with you as we feed our souls together and deepen this community through the power and beauty we find in books. I am a long-time lover of reading, and the way Anne Lamott expressed the value of spending time with one’s nose in-between pages speaks volumes to me. I know we cannot gather around a coffee table full of good food and wine in my home, fire rolling and laps covered in blankets as we discuss our current read, but we can do something of sorts here in this space. We can gather. We can read. We can share. We can grow – together. Each one of us comes from a vast landscape of different experiences and has a unique story to share as we explore themes relating to love, family, faith, grit, spirit, courage and hope. I hope you’ll join, either as an active participant or as a quiet contemplator, but if anything, feel more encouraged and inspired to read in your home.
How is this book club going to be organized? Because we do things seasonally here, that is the measuring stick we are going to use. Each spring, summer, autumn, and winter we will choose 3-4 books to read, one from each of the categories listed below. Some of the books I have laid out for you to chose from are much longer than others, some rather short, so we will aim for 900 pages per season, which puts us at roughly 10 pages a day.
That will be your goal: 10 pages a day.
You can do it. I believe in you! We will keep on another accountable and we will share our reading experiences as our book unfolds. If you want to read ahead, go for it! If you want to keep a steady pace, that’s fine too. This book club is not a race, nor is it designed to stretch you too to the point of discomfort. You should feel a bit of a pull though, this means you’re growing. I also highly recommend you purchase a hard copy to have in your hands. I know many who disagree with me on this, but I happen to think writing in our books is wonderful thing to do while reading. Scribble away when you feel inspired – underline your favorite quotes and star beautiful prose to share back when we meet up. I want to know what gems you’ve uncovered and what treasures you’ve dug up between the pages. This is what makes a book club so special – the sharing. The connection.
And lastly, I welcome you as you are. I welcome you whatever season of life you are currently in. I am a mom, I am busy like you, and I want to read more. I want to sink into writing that makes me feel more less alone and more understood. I want to learn more about life from those who are living it differently than I, and I crave this escape to get to know myself better in the process. I believe a well-lived life is lived in the details, so let’s surround ourselves with heaps and heaps of them, shall we?
Shayla Cornett - This is exciting!!
Well hi. 👋🏻 I’m Shayla, mama to two girls (4 & 1), going to school for herbalism, slowly trying to rid our house of plastics and on a journey to becoming (slowly) a no waste home. My favorite books are the kind that make you believe in magic. Anything by Sarah Addiaon Allen is ok in my book, though Garden Spells is my all time favorite.
Honestly, any of these titles sound wonderful to me! I’m in regardless of choice. If I had to pick the three that stand out to me most, I’ll pick: “a homemade life” , “The book of SHE”, and “the hidden life of trees”.
I’d totally be open to questions and discussions here. I hope to get more me time out of this! It’s been audio books on the go for me the past year and I’m ready to get back to pampering myself with the smell of book bindings and my cup of earl grey.
admin - Shayla, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Hannah Haas - Hello!
My name is Hannah. Im from MN. I’m a momma to one boy who is 20 months (and born June 26, close to Alfie’s!! Oh my lord how they seem so similar in everything). I’m also 22 weeks pregnant with a baby girl. I’m a piano teacher but will become a stay at home starting this summer! I absolutely love reading and writing and am so excited to start this with you. Basically just discussing the books will help me read them since I’ll want to join in. My top books from each category: tender at the bone, a homemade life, and no drama discipline (I was actually about to start reading this). The book of SHE, the lonely city, and the view from the cheap seats. And the broken way, on the move, and the hidden life of trees.
admin - Hannah, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Kelsey Bell - Mama to two boys (ages 1 & 3). I like books that are light to read as it will probably a page here and there but have enough depth that you take something away in the end. Top 3: tender at the bone, the view from the cheap seats, & upstream. I like guided questions but also an area for open dialog. I love hearing other perspectives.
admin - Kelsey, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Heather Legge - I would love to participate. Honestly I’d be good with any of the books. I have not read any of them. The book I would add is Moments & Days. I just ordered it and it looks amazing!
Aubrey - I’m really excited about this new opportunity. I am from Cincinnati, OH and love the book suggestions you have made so far! I love writing and journaling about the books I’m reading and tend to read A LOT of books at one time. I just surround myself with oodles of titles and pick up whatever calls to me on any given day. I am a Montessori teacher and love to read about anything that will help me live a conscious, well-led life, and be a conscious, well-loving spouse/parent.
Parenthood + Homemaking: *Simplicity Parenting; No-Drama Discipline; Tender at the Bone. I’ve started reading Heaven on Earth (Sharifa Oppenheimer) and want to finish it this year.
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living: Hope in the Dark; The Book of She, *The Abundance. I’d also like to finish Big Magic (Elizabeth Gilbert) this year.
Spirit + Nature: The Broken Way; *H is for Hawk; The Hidden Life of Trees. I would love to finish Autobiography of a Yogi (Paramahansa Yogananda) this year.
I love the journal prompt aspect to this idea and I also would be interested in talking about the readings in a small group or even one on one. I hope to learn a lot and potentially meet some really sweet, interesting people along the way.
Thank you, Amanda for caring enough to put this together! I’m excited to get started 🙂
Bethany - Hi Aubrey! Glad to see a fellow Ohioan (I’m in between Dayton and Cincy).
Sarah Scott - Hi there, I’m a first time momma to a 1 y/o and a military wife. I work as a paramedic but that’s not where my heart is.. we have a long time dream of owning a homestead and are on a journey to prepare us for that one day. I’ll be honest I don’t read a lot and often find myself lost in the book store but I saw this post today and felt excited to be apart of this. top picks would be a homeade life,the book of she and the broken way.
admin - Sarah, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Katelin Joy - YAY! I am so excited about this.
Anyways, Hi! I’m Katelin. I am a wife and a stay at home mama birdie to one little sunshine boy Rowan Psalms (13 mo) in Michigan.
I love to read a variety of things. Being a new mama I have currently been gobbling up all sorts of parenting books, and soul books because Lord knows my new mama heart needs it!
My favorites:
-Simplicity Parenting*
-No drama discipline, the Whole Brain Child
-An Ever lasting Meal
-The view from the cheap seats
-The book of She*
-The Abundance
-The Broken Way*
-Upstream
-The Hidden Life of Trees
A book to add:
Switch On Your Brain- The Key to Peak Happiness by Caroline Leaf
Accountability:
I would love check ins and an open forum discussion!
Thank you dear one<3
admin - Katelin, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Samantha M - Hi there! I’m excited to participate with you all.. I just love your Homesong blog.
Right now I am mostly reading parenting books – I have an almost-3-year-old and a just-turned-one year-old boys. I actually just started reading Simplicity Parenting two weeks ago 🙂
I’m fully in the “I have small children taking over my life” season (Is that a thing? Lol) and my brain is turning to mush.
-parenting and homemaking: *simplicity parenting, no drama discipline, and everlasting meal (coincidently the first three you listed :-). And my added title is elevating childcare by Janet Lansbury
– creativity and wholesome living: *lonely city, cheap seats, and the books of she. My added title is big magic: creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
-spirit and nature: *the broken life, upstream and the hidden life of trees. And my added title is Buddhism for mothers by Sarah nepthali.
I’m open to journal questions and forum discussion. I would love to use this to make some reading time (i.e., me time) a propriety, read some things I wouldn’t pick up on my own, use my brain a bit, and make some new friends. Can’t wait to start!
admin - Samantha, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Ashton - Oh, I am so excited about this. I have such a hard time finding time (maybe lacking discipline) to sit and read. Even though I have a mountain of books I want to read. So, I am a stay at home momma to my two little girls: Eden (almost 3) and Evie (4 months). But, outside of that role I love playing music and singing, writing, and conversations that can go deep. Intellectual discussions? 😉 I love reading non-fiction and books that focus on personal growth or that really make me pause and think. Anyways!
Here is my list:
From Parenthood+Homemaking:
*Simplicity Parenting, No Drama Discipline, and A Homemade Life. My 1 book: Parenting by Paul David Tripp.
From Creativy and Art of Wholesome Living:
*The Abundance, The Power of She, Hope in the Dark.
From Spirit and Nature:
*The Broken Way, The Hidden life of Trees ( I have a fascination with trees so this book looks amazing), Upstream. My 1 book: You are What You Love by James K.A. Smith
Also, I would love some form of accountability whether it’s discussions on here or taking some notes to discuss!
Lexie Breeden - Hey Amanda!
I’m a mom to two (2.5yr Emma and 6mo Isaac), a wife, a Christian, an RN turned SAHM. I love home design, nature, cooking, running, and reading. I adore your blog and am eager to be a part of this book club. Favorites…Section 1: Simplicity Parenting*, No drama Discipline and Tender at the Bone. Section 2: The Lonely City*, The Abundance, Book of SHE. Section 3: Upstream*, the Broken Way, and the Hidden Life of Trees. As far as another suggestion, I’ve wanted to read “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust” by Immaculée Ilibagiza. I’m not quite sure what needs to be in place for accountability. I think those who choose to join will be self-motivated enough to continue along, jumping in whenever possible.
Brittany J - Hi! I’m a first time mom and my daughter is almost 5 months old now. I’m back to work a couple days a week and am now trying to find room for “me time” as my partner and I get a routine going. I miss reading and have been on a strict audiobook and NPR diet these days. I love fiction but am craving informative non-fiction; these categories you have chosen are exactly what I am looking for! I’m excited to learn and participate in something like this with so many moms and like-minded women. Thanks for extendeding so much inclusion in this venture.
Simplicity Parenting*, A Homemade Life, Tender at the Bone
The Book of SHE, Hope in the Dark*, The Abundance
Upstream, H is for Hawk, The Hidden Life of Trees*
My contribution is The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori because I am interested in finding a childhood education method that suits our family best and I don’t know enough about the specifics of Montessori education. Also I’ve had this book for like 9 months and still haven’t started it!
Open discussion and journal questions both sound good to me!
Lizzie - Hi there! Liz from California, stay at home mom to two wild girls who will be 5 and 1 in two weeks (same birthday!) Honestly, I haven’t read much since my youngest was born. I’ve been bad about carving out time for myself (what’s that?!), and this sounds like a delightful way to do that! I usually gravitate toward non-fiction books that connect me with my inner child, help me to see the good in people, and give me a sense of hope in this scary world because sometimes my anxiety and my pessimistic nature take me to a dark place.
My top three in each category: tender at the bone*, simplicity parenting, no drama discipline // the lonely city*, the book of she, hope in the dark // the broken way*, the hidden life of trees, upstream. I just got The Danish Way of Parenting and it’s next on my to-read list.
I love the idea of journal prompts. Open forum discussions would be great too. Something I could set aside time for at the end of a long day. I haven’t been very nurturing of myself since becoming a mother, and this would be a great way to reconnect with myself and the things that used to light a fire in me. I also love the idea of connecting with other moms…I’m a total introvert, so I don’t really get out and get involved with traditional mom’s groups.
Excited to get started! Thanks for taking the time to organize this…I’ve been following you for a while and you’ve always felt like a kindred spirit!
Gina - Hello! My name is Gina and I am a librarian from the Illinois prairies. I love cooking, singing and reading. I tend to read intense thrillers or literary fiction (I just recently finished Lincoln in the Bardo and loved it!).
My picks are (already on my too read list so that is convenient):
Parenthood + Homemaking:
A Homemade Life: Stories and recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old & New by Annie Dillard
Spirit & Nature:
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
I love the Spilled Milk podcast and would love some motivation to push Molly’s memoir to the top of my too read list (plus I love reading about food). Also, Annie Dillard is one of my favorite authors and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is my favorite book so I would love to read Abundance!
I think knowing that I would have to come back here and respond to discussion questions by a specific date would keep me accountable?
Katherine Roberts - Hi! I live in Kentucky. Wife, mommaaa (as my son would proclaim) to two boys (3 m/o and 2 y/o) and lover of all things creative! I love this idea. I vote for An Everlasting Meal bc I think it would elicit amazingly relevant conversation. The Broken Way bc I have heard great things and have been waiting for it to become available at my library (about to amazon prime it already!) andddd can’t quit remember the last one. Looking forward! Love your heart for attention to detail and inclusivity.
Katie Novikoff - Oh I love these beautiful suggestions! So many of them were new to me. I think having the high commitment but low pressure of this online book club will be perfect. What a treat! Oh, I am Katie – in Memphis. Wife and mama to a spunky 1.5 girl named Lizzy. Loving Jesus, starting my first garden, being a stay at home mom, learning and growing in all things health-related (The Microbiome Solution is a must read!), reading and NPR and walks and birds and trees – aka lots of classic introvert stuff.🤓
Of these book choices, my faves are *No Drama Discipline (I love The Whole Brained Child); Simplicity Parenting; and I’d add either of Janet Lansbury’s parenting books – Elevating Childcare or No Bad Child (she also has an excellent podcast called “Unruffled”). Next up: *The Abundance — Looks so good! Her writing is gorgeous. Then: *The Hidden Life of Trees; The Broken Way; Upstream.
Thanks for putting time and energy into cultivating this! Can’t wait to dive in together!! ❤🎉
Katie 🙂
Claire A - Hi, My name is Claire. I am actually from your hood, born and raised in Kansas City. I am a stay at home mom to two kiddos (Lilly 2.5 and Abe 8 months). Things are hectic and crazy but it is so nice to have places like this to turn to and escape for awhile. I used to teach preschool and have now transitioned into full mommy mode. I mostly read parenting books but still love to learn about education and how these young minds function. I’m also a big reader in all things Spiritual. A little Jesus every now and then is good for the soul. My Top Picks : No Drama Discipline, The Abundance, and The Broken Way (been dying to read this one). Adding The Awakened Parent by Shefali Tsabary. Her first book was amazing and such an eye opener for this mama. Love this idea and can’t wait to get reading! I would love to answer questions and have some sort of discussion as we go or after.
admin - Claire, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Carolyn - Hello! On a recent OnBeing podcast Elizabeth Gilbert talks about leaning into your curiosity – instead of your passion. I think this book club could be just that for me. I am so curious about all there is yet to discover and the idea of connecting with others over shared books sounds like just what I need in this season of life.
I’m home part time with my two year old son and also do communications/marketing work for a radio program featuring sacred choral music … and I do a little freelance writing when I can. I live in Minnesota and find inspiration in the changing seasons (even our harsh winters!) and beautiful landscapes, but am originally from New Jersey so have a little east coast in me too! I love reading anything that makes me pause and grab a pen to make notes. I love learning!
I’m happy to read any of the books you listed. I’m actually reading Upstream right now! Page 57-58 =❤️ I second someone else’s suggestion of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
admin - Carolyn, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Kali - Hi there!
I’m Kali, mama to sweet Emmett (14 months), wife to a third-generation Oregon berry farmer, and book nerd from way back. I’m so excited about this! Thanks for taking the time to put it together and sharing some of your favorite books.
I read Simplicity Parenting (at your recommendation) in the early months of my son’s life and it was so inspirational and such perfect timing. So much of my parenting style has been built from that book and I’m so grateful you shared it!
I read A Homemade Life on an airplane a few years ago and remember sobbing right there in my seat reading the chapter where she loses her father. It’s such a beautiful book and really spoke to my soul. I actually met Molly at her restaurant that year too, and totally gushed all over her about how much that book meant to me.
Here are my choices for book club:
Parenthood + Homemaking:
*NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE: THE WHOLE-BRAIN WAY TO CALM THE CHAOS AND NURTURE
AN EVERLASTING MEAL: COOKING WITH ECONOMY AND GRACE by Tamar Adler | 272 pgs.
TENDER AT THE BONE: GROWING UP AT THE TABLE by Ruth Reichl | 320 pgs.
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE by Olivia Laing | 336 pgs.
THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS by Neil Gaiman | 544 pgs.
*THE BOOK OF SHE: YOUR HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FEMININE POWER by Sara Avant Stover | 320 pgs.
THE ABUNDANCE: NARRATIVE ESSAYS OLD & NEW by Annie Dillard | 304 pgs.
Spirit & Nature:
*UPSTREAM by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: WHAT THEY FEEL, HOW THEY COMMUNICATE—DISCOVERIES FROM A SECRET WORLD by Peter Wohlleben | 288 pgs.
ON THE MOVE: A LIFE by Oliver Sacks | 416 pgs.
I’m hoping to find a sense of community by participating in this club, as well as the external motivation to make time to read something other than a cookbook, Montessori learning or parenting book. I think journal questions and a discussion board would be great!
A few books on my list to read this year:
A River Runs Through it by Normal Maclean
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel
Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living
by Krista Tippett
Thanks again! So looking forward to it! 🙂
admin - Kali, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Danielle Blue - Hello! I’m Danielle, momma to Bridgette 3 & Benjamin 1. I enjoy making my house a home, gardening and cooking. I’m looking for meaningful conversation & thoughts.
Parenthood + Homemaking:
* Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne | 256 pgs
* An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler * (I have the first addition, I’d love to read this and be able to discuss it!)
* A Homemade Life: Stories and recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg | 352 pgs.
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
* The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing | 336 pgs.
•Annie Dillard
The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New*
•The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman | 544
Spirit & Nature:
* The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life by Ann Voskamp | 288 pgs.*
* Upstream by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
* The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben | 288 pgs.
* One to add- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
I think journal prompts would help me the best. Thank you for putting this together, such wonderful books to choose from!!
admin - Danielle, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Caeli - Hey Amanda!
These would by my picks and additional suggestion for each category:
Parenthood & Homemaking:
No Drama Discipline
Simplicity Parenting
A Homemade Life
Suggestion: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist (read it and loved it) or The Life Giving Home by Sally Clarkson (haven’t read yet, but just picked up at the library)
Creativity:
All of these are very new to me, and are not normally books I’d choose to read, but these looked the most intriguing:
The Lonely City
Hope in the Dark
The View From the Cheap Seats
Suggestion: Love Lives Here by Maria Goff
Spirit and Nature:
The Broken Way
H is for Hawk
Upstream
Suggestion: Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
Looking forward to seeing what you choose!
admin - Caeli, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Caeli - And I forgot part 1! Oops!
I’m Caeli and live in Minnesota with my husband of 7 years and our 2 year old daughter. I stay home full time with her now. I love reading, but also love me a good netflix show! 🙂 Thanks for organizing this book club! Love your blog and instagram.
Melissa Perea - Hello <3
My name is Melissa and I am a full time SAHM to three daughters ages 6, 3, and 1. I'm a writer, blogger, and self-published YA novelist. I read everything from Gillian Flynn to Stieg Larsson to John Green and am trying to get back into the classics like Bronte and Dickens. I love to read books so engrossing I finish it in one sitting. Nothing grabs my attention better than a good love story with beautifully flawed characters. Me Before You is a great example.
Parenthood + Homemaking:
**No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Development by Daniel J. Siegel | 288 pgs.
An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler | 272 pgs..
A Homemade Life: Stories and recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg | 352 pgs.
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit | 184 pgs.
**The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman | 544 pgs.
The Book of SHE: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power by Sara Avant Stover | 320pgs
Spirit & Nature:
**The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life by Ann Voskamp | 288 pgs.
Upstream by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald | 320pgs
I recently read Raising an Original and felt like it was amazing for the ages of my children and my personal goals as a mom.
I think journaling and group discussion would be great tools for accountability. I love reading and discussing life with women who want to better themselves and get down and dirty while doing it. Passionate hearts in large numbers pushes me to better myself.
admin - Melissa, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Emily Musgrove - Hello Hello!
I have been wanting to join a book club and this opportunity came at such a perfect time! I am a second year in college, leading a bible study, loving the lord, outdoors and working in a cute and cheerful coffee shop. I love to read books of any and all sorts. historical fiction, magic, mystery, true stories, anything that will make me laugh or cry preferably!
Jesus, trees, and wind feed my soul. Along with holistic health, journaling and drinking tea.
Parenthood + Homemaking:
AN EVERLASTING MEAL: COOKING WITH ECONOMY AND GRACE
A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE
*TENDER AT THE BONE: GROWING UP AT THE TABLE
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE
HOPE IN THE DARK: UNTOLD HISTORIES, WILD POSSIBILITIES
*THE ABUNDANCE: NARRATIVE ESSAYS OLD & NEW
Spirit & Nature:
THE BROKEN WAY: A DARING PATH INTO THE ABUNDANT LIFE
UPSTREAM
*******THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES
Recommendation: Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner!
I also love the journaling prompt aspect! I loved your new years questions and would love to continue with that style of questions. I want to delve into slowing down, noticing and learning more about myself and others out there, and I hope to expand my community to women in different stages of life. I would love for this to be a place to share & learn and receive wisdom.
admin - Emily, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Brandi Van Dinter - Hello ladies! My name is Brandi I am a soon to be college grad, actually a lit/education major. I don’t have any kids but already have a huge passion for childbirth, homemaking, and parenting/teaching. I am in a couple other online bookclubs but they aren’t super interactive so I’d love to be apart of this community!
These are my top books!
An Everlasting Meal
Book of SHE
Abundance
Upstream
Just Kids by Patti Smith is my favorite book of all time but I’ll leave some other suggestions, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Blue Nights by Joan Didion, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I have a passion for American Literature but would love some other material!
admin - Brandi, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
mindy Culmore - My name is Mindy Culmore and I stay home mom in Seattle, WA with my son (2) and daughter (4). I love reading books about spirituality, bringing up children, cooking, romance, light hearted fiction…I could keep going. Some things that feed my soul are cooking, eating from our garden, transforming spaces in my home into something lovely and authentic, and watching my children in all their many stages.
Parenting and Homemaking: No Drama Discipline, Tender at the Bone*, A Homemade Life
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living: The Lonely City, The Book of She*, The View from the Cheap Seats
Spirit & Nature: The Broken Way*, Upstream, On the Move
What I would like to get out of this is provoked thoughts, a different point of view (or the same!) I want to find myself pondering when I’m not reading the book. And, of course, the experience of knowing you are all reading the same thing!
This is exciting. I really don’t afford myself the time to get to a traditional book club. Thanks for the invitation.
admin - Mindy, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Chloe - Horray Amanda! My name is Chloe’. Im a mom of two (4 & 2) and one on the way due in October. I am also a full time healthcare recruiter. The three i chose although i liked all of the titles are Simplicity parenting, the view from the cheap seats and upstream. I just recetly started the magic years, how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk and the whole brained child. I am making time to read more. I have always had a passion for books that i feel ive set aside for the past 3 years.
admin - Chloe, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Naomi - This is so exciting! I’m Naomi and I live in Australia with my husband, 12 month old boy and baby girl in my belly (until June). Before motherhood I taught Year 2 here in Aus and in London. Amanda, your beautiful space has helped me so much in this new season and rhythm, and I’m so grateful. I love reading about teaching philosophies, slow living and wholesome food, travel, the arts…
I just read ‘Bread & Wine’ and a book by Timothy Keller which I love. I love writing too and enjoy interviewing couples about their marriages for my blog, so any books about writing/language would interest me too.
P&H – Simplicity Parenting*, An Everlasting Meal, The One-In-A-Million Boy (+ Green Kitchen Travels – by David Frenkiel).
C&tAoWL – Hope in the Dark, The Abundance*, The Lonely City (+Creativity Inc. – by Ed Catmull)
S&N – Upstream*, H is for Hawk, The Hidden Life of Trees (+Nothing to Prove – by Jennie Allen)
xx
Naomi - Oh, & I forgot to say that I’m open to anything – journal questions (I’m more of a pen and paper girl), and forums are great too. xx
admin - Naomi, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Caity R - Hello there! My name is Caity. I am currently living in Texas and I love to read theology, creative nonfiction, and Flannery O’Connor. My soul is fed through spending time with others and learning their stories. I love each of these categories because the common theme seems to be the fostering of relationship – with our families, with ourselves, and with nature.
My picks are:
Parenting+Homemaking: An Everlasting Meal, A Homemade Life, and Tender at the Bone
Creativity+Wholesome Living: The Lonely City, The Abundance, Hope in the Dark
Spirit+Nature: Upstream, The Broken Way, On the Move
My suggestion is The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon.
Looking forward to getting started!
admin - Caity, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Jennifer - My name is Jennifer, and I’m finishing my PhD in English literature at the University of Iowa. I love reading and am looking forward to reading for fun again after I finish my dissertation this spring. I’m open to forums, journal questions—you name it!
Parenthood + Homemaking:
SIMPLICITY PARENTING by Kim John Payne | 256 pgs.*
AN EVERLASTING MEAL: COOKING WITH ECONOMY AND GRACE by Tamar Adler | 272 pgs.
NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE: THE WHOLE-BRAIN WAY TO CALM THE CHAOS AND NURTURE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT by Daniel J. Siegel | 288 pgs.
And my addition:
The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids by Jessica Joelle Alexander
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
THE GIVENNESS OF THINGS: ESSAYS by Marilynne Robinson* (my addition, though this would also work for the Spirit & Nature category, I think)
THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE by Olivia Laing | 336 pgs.
THE BOOK OF SHE: YOUR HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FEMININE POWER by Sara Avant Stover | 320 pgs
THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS by Neil Gaiman | 544 pgs.
Spirit & Nature:
THE BROKEN WAY: A DARING PATH INTO THE ABUNDANT LIFE by Ann Voskamp | 288 pgs.*
UPSTREAM by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
THE ART OF THE COMMONPLACE: THE AGRARIAN ESSAYS OF WENDELL BERRY by Wendell Berry (my addition)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: WHAT THEY FEEL, HOW THEY COMMUNICATE—DISCOVERIES FROM A SECRET WORLD by Peter Wohlleben | 288 pgs.
admin - Jennifer, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Meggie T - Hi! I’m Meggie. I’m a graphic designer & stay at home mom. My husband & I, along with our 8 month old son call New York State home. I am a sucker for a good love story (The Notebook will forever be my favorite). I am so open to reading just about anything though & really enjoy being introduced to books that normally wouldn’t catch my eye.
Favorites:
No Drama Discipline
An Everlasting Meal
The One in A Million Boy*
The Book of SHE
Hope in the Dark*
The Abundance
The Hidden Life of Trees
Upstream*
The Broken Way
Books to add:
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou
Accountability:
I love the idea of journal prompts, but open forum discussions would be great as well! I look so forward to diving into one of these books & connecting with other sweet mothers!
Can’t wait to start & thank you!!!
admin - Meggie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Cathy Downing - First off, what a beautifully curated list! I want to dive into every single book and could not be more excited to start! I am an interior designer turned stay at home mom to my 2 beautiful girls ages 3 and 8 months. We live in San Diego, Ca. I love all things creative and am actually trying to bring more creativity back into my life. Reading has always been a huge part of what fills me up. I am an only child, so books somewhat served as my siblings! I love all books, but depending on where I am at I enjoy cozy mysteries, historical fiction and memoir’s. Cannot wait to begin!
No Drama Discipline*
The One in a Million Boy
A Homemade Life
The Lonely City*
The Abundance
The View from the Cheap Seats
The Hidden Life of Trees*
H is for Hawk
The Broken Way
I am open to journal questions. Maybe an open discussion forum of some sort? From this I hope to carve out a little more time for me to be inspired. From the books and from the discussions.
admin - Cathy, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to the list to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Meghan - Hi Amanda!
Long-time reader here, first-time commenter/participator. My name is Meghan and I’ve recently been uprooted after spending the past 6 years moving throughout 6 different states. I’ve been wanting to join a book club forever and create a sense of community and belonging, so this is perfect. I am currently 38.5 weeks pregnant with my first so participation might be a fanciful whim, or just what I need for the upcoming long, sleepless night. My books include:
Parenthood + Homemaking:
-Simplicity Parenting*
-No-Drama Discipline
-An Everlasting Meal
My 1 book recommendation:
-Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More by Erin Boyle
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
-The Abundance*
-Hope in the Dark
-The Lonely City
My 1 book recommendation:
-The Artist’s Way: a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
Spirit + Nature:
-Upstream*
-The Hidden Life of Tress
-The Broken Way
My 1 book recommendation:
Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott
I would love to be involved in some sort of group discussion/forum, journaling, etc. Can’t wait to get started.
admin - Meghan, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Katie D. - So excited about this! My name is Katie and I am mamma to 17 month old Camilla and expecting baby #2 in July. I work full time and am so jealous of SAHM’s. That’s my goal some day :-). My top picks would be Simplicity Parenting (because I’ve had it for ages but haven’t made myself read it yet!), Everlasting Meal, No Drama Parenting and Upstream. I love parenting, homemaking, simplicity type books. I’m up for anything though! Thanks so much for setting this up!
admin - Katie, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Erin - I don’t have much to add but, I ordered Simplicity Parenting Wednesday and it is due to arrive today!
Regardless, I will participate in this because, well, I need it. I’ll go off the recommendations provided! 🙂
admin - Erin, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Caitlin M Cress - 1. Hi, I’m Caitlin, and I love this idea! I’m from KC, I work for a big corp as a tech writer by day, and I am an avid reader and occasional blogger by night.
2. *A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE by Molly Wizenberg (love Molly!)
The French Chef in America by Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child’s nephew
* THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE by Olivia Laing
Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution., Brene Brown.
* H IS FOR HAWK by Helen MacDonald (I got this for Christmas and havent dived in yet!)
Lab Girl by Hope Jaren
3. I don’t think that I need an accountability system. I don’t have kids yet, so I have time to read every day 🙂 But I am totally willing to participate to keep others accountable. I love the idea of journal questions!
I love having a place to talk books and ideas with other women!!!
Jessica - I’m Jessica, I’m a mom to 22-month old twins, and I’m expecting our third child in early June. I’m also a recovering English teacher, and currently, I work from home as a project manager. I like to say that I wrangle projects by day and children by night 😉
Despite the fact that I’ve always been a reader and spent 9 years teaching English, I haven’t done a whole lot of reading over the past two years. That said, I actually *just* checked out Simplicity Parenting from the library, and I started it last night.
I’ve typically enjoyed reading historical fiction and fantasy (The All Soul’s Trilogy is the best of both worlds, I think), but lately, I’ve found myself drawn to personal narratives, sometime I used never to enjoy.
As far as accountability, I can’t say, though both of your suggestions sound completely reasonable.
Thanks! 🙂
Alissa - Hi!
Mom of three – a 7 year old girl, 4 year old boy, and a 7 month old girl. Born and raised in Hawaii and just recently (this past September) moved to Colorado. I grew up being a big reader then kind of stopped for awhile, having kids really throws things out of whack, haha. But ive been getting back into it lately. While I don’t have any suggestions for books I am interested in reading Simplicity Parenting, The Lonely City, and The Secret Life of Trees. I would love journal question prompts 🙂
Kaitlin - Hi!! I am so excited about this idea! I am open to any of the books listed, most excited for the category of parenthood and homemaking! I typically reach for inspirational books like ‘Bread and Wine’ by Shauna Niequest. Currently reading ‘Present Over Perfect’ and in my pumping bag I just started ‘Bird by Bird’!
I am a mama to a feisty 2 year old girl, Elsie and the sweetest 3 month baby boy, Jack! I’m a RN in the ICU and a wife to my husband, Shane!
Christina - What a fabulous concept! I’m Christina, mom to two girls (5 and 8…going on 15). I work part-time doing residential and commercial interior design. I have only heard of a handful of these books but I am open to anything. A few books that I currently have on hold at the library are Chasing Slow, The Danish Way of Parenting and Unbound by Steph Jagger. I find motivation in reading what others are reading and love recommendations from friends. Maybe this “club” will motivate me to finally get a proper reading light by my bedside. 🙂
Libby - I can’t wait for this, so excited!
1. My name is Libby, I’m a student midwife in England. I love to read any and every fiction book, nature books and anything related to childbirth.
2. The one-in-a-million boy*, a homemade life, an everlasting meal
The view from the cheap seats*, the book of she, the abundance
The hidden life of trees*, Upstream, H is for Hawk
My picks: Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering (Buckley), Zakka Embroidery (Higuchi) and Eating on the Wild Side (Robinson)
3. What will help me stay accountable would probably be encouraging posts and the prompt of journal questions.
Thank you!
Amy Graham - Hi! My name is Amy mama to four boys ages 9, 7, 3 &1. I am a homeschool / stay at home mom and am very excited to participate in this book club
Parenthood + Homemaking: A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE by Molly Wizenberg ** | TENDER AT THE BONE: GROWING UP AT THE TABLE by Ruth Reichl / NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE: THE WHOLE-BRAIN WAY TO CALM THE CHAOS AND NURTURE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT by Daniel J. Siegel
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living: THE BOOK OF SHE: YOUR HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FEMININE POWER by Sara Avant Stover ** / THE ABUNDANCE: NARRATIVE ESSAYS OLD & NEW by Annie Dillard / THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE by Olivia Laing
Spirit & Nature: The HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: WHAT THEY FEEL, HOW THEY COMMUNICATE-DISCOVERIES FROM A SECRET WORLD by Peter Wohlleben ** / THE BROKEN WAY: A DARING PATH INTO THE ABUNDANT LIFE by Ann Voskamp / UPSTREAM by Mary Oliver
My additions would be ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE: A YEAR OF FOOD by Barbara Kingsolver / BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR by Elizabeth Gilbert
I really like the idea of journal questions. I can’t wait to see where this will go. Thanks Amanda
Jackie - Hello, and thank you so much for putting this together. I admire the options you’ve given here and I’ve added many titles to my TBR list from the commenters as well. Does anyone listen to the podcast What Should I Read Next with the blogger Modern Mrs. Darcy? Some of it is not my cup of tea, but I really enjoy hearing Anne and her guests talk about books. My name is Jackie and I have 3 sweet sons: Van, 5 1/2; Bowie 3 3/4; and Jude 13 months. I want a daughter so badly, but not sure if it’s the cards. I was a writer and cookbook editor in NYC/NJ for almost ten years and recently switched over to Waldorf early childhood education. My family just moved to Baltimore where I am a Parent Child teacher at the city’s Waldorf school where my oldest attends kindergarten.
I love to read EVERYTHING, seriously. I didn’t read much for a few years, I think, in the early years of having children, but now I’m back at it. I love fiction, non-fiction, parenting books, self-help-ish books, political, YA, all of it. I just finished Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, which I liked more than I’d expected to; Elif Shafak’s Honor, which is SOOO good; and a middle grade novel, Wolf Hall. I’m currently reading They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement; Alain de Botton’s The Course of Love; Heaven on Earth; and Mary Oliver’s Why I Wake Early. The library is definitely one of my favorite places on the planet.
OK, moving on before this turns into a novel itself!
*Simplicity Parenting (Kim John Payne talked at our school recently – he’s fantastic)
An Everlasting Meal (one of my favorite books, would love to re-read and discuss)
No Drama-Discipline (love it, could definitely read again)
Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer or The Soul of Discipline by Kim John Payne
*The Book of SHE (thank you for introducing me to The Way of The Happy Woman!)
The Lonely City (so speaks to me right now -I am definitely going to read this no matter what)
Hope in the Dark (great On Being episode with the author)
Essentialism by Greg McKeown or Black Milk: On the Conflicting Demands of Writing, Creativity, and Motherhood by Elif Shafak
*The Hidden Life of Trees
Upstream
The Broken Way
Warrior Goddess Training: Becoming the Woman You are Meant to Be by HeatherAsh Amara (don Miguel Ruiz wrote the forward – you know it will be good!) or Invincible Living: The Power of Yoga, the Energy of Breath, and Other Tools for a Radiant Life by Guru Jagat (holy moly, subtitles these days!)
I love book clubs and lately have been disappointed with my local ones that cancel meetings last minute. Simply put: I just want to read good books and discuss them with people. Gain some new perspectives. Hear about people’s stories and experiences. Feel not quite so alone! Moving is tough. Being a SAHM most days, while containing splendor and joy, can also be so lonely and monotonous.
Lastly, if you’re reading this far, Amanda, I connected with you in the comments of your beautifully open post about your adoption and wanted to mention the book Primal Wound. I haven’t yet read it, but it’s at the top of my list via a recommendation from a friend who said it’s the most important book she’s read as an adoptee.
Jackie - Oh, and I loved people’s mentions of Janet Lansbury on here. I think her work is amazing and her podcast and posts have been EXTREMELY helpful for my husband and me in parenting our littles.
Madalyn - Hello Amanda,
My name is Madalyn. Minnesota is my home and i am a SAHM and also homeschool my three boys ages 11, 8, 4 1/2. I love to read your blog, and I think I’d be okay trying any book on this list. I am an INFJ, and reading is really important to me. Its something I don’t do enough of, and that’s why I think this is a great opportunity!
One book that I am planning to read soon is Floret Flower’s “Cut Flower Garden.” I pre-order it as it doesn’t officially come out until the 7th, I believe. But other than that, I’d love to add some book club books in as well.
The couple I did see on the list that really grab my attention was The Everlasting Meal, and The Life of Trees.
Sorry this isn’t exactly what you asked for but I hope it does help.
Thanks for organizing this!
Madalyn
Chelsey - Oh goodness, I am so excited you’ve reached out with this book club idea! I too am a busy mom who loves to read but meeting in person can be like jumping through hoops with a toddler. My name is Chelsey and I am a stay at home mom to a spirited little woman called Gwynneth, expecting another in November. I love to garden, listen to podcasts, and be outside. I love to read anything that challenges my way of thinking or believing in deep ways, bringing things to the surface; forcing me to confront.
2. No Drama Discipline
*Tender at the bone
Simplicity Parenting
Hope in the Dark
The view from the cheap seats
*The book of She
(my pick) Americano by Chimamanda Ngozi
*The broken way
Upstream
On the move
Journal questions as well as the forum would both help me to maintain some accountability. I just want to fill my cup and maybe help to fill someone else’s through discussion. Being a mom is so life-giving that I feel like I am lost to myself at times. A sense of community and solidarity in this motherhood gig would be great too! Thanks again Amanda
Brianna Blacklock - 1. Ohhh, this is going to be awesome! You have a great list & a lot going on in the comments! I have read a few of these suggestions, but would definitely be open to reading again, esp given the opportunity for discussion. I’ve already gone ahead and put most of these on hold at the library.. . I’m Brianna. I’m still very much figuring things out. After grad school, I jumped ship from a photography company in South Carolina to a soap making factory in KC. We are just a skip away from you down in OP. I currently stay at home with my two-year-old wide eyed, silly boy. Mothering has been quite the shift for me, as he was far from planned & hardly stops moving. I love to read and write, but struggle making time for myself, so this is just the motivation I need. I mainly read creative nonfiction. Memoirs, travel essays, cook books/food related, parenting, teaching methods/Montessori.
2. P&H-
An Everlasting Meal*, A Homemade Life, No-Drama Discipline (I’ve been trying to get through this one, even have it as an audio book. I can tell it’s worthy of reading, but need that kick in the pants to stay dedicated to it) My addition: Whole Child/Whole Parent by Polly Berrien Berends.
C&AWL-
The Lonely City*(loved this description), The Book of SHE (I’ve almost full circled on The Way of the Happy Woman, and started my mother on it too!), The Abundance. My addition: The Third Plate by Dan Barber (this could fall into a different category?)
S&N-
The Hidden Life of Trees*, The Broken Way, Upstream. My addition(s): Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers by Leonard Koren & You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein
3. I am all for any type of journal questions/prompts as well as open discussion here on your blog. It does take me a little while to get through/keep up on reading everyone’s comments though, so I hope time will be allotted for that. I also don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by having to set these things up for us all of the time? If you do, say the word! and maybe we can brainstorm some ideas to make it more manageable? Not saying I think you can’t handle it, I’m just picturing myself taking on this role with only one kid running about and my eyes are sort of widening 😀 Much love!
Tracy - I just recently discovered your site and I am in love – it is warm and homely and beautiful 🙂
I love the idea of the book club and would love to be involved. The books you have chosen are amazing and the quote you used reminded me I’ve been meaning to read Bird by Bird – about to hop into bed and start reading!
From your list:
SImplicity Parenting
No Drama Discipline
The One in a Million Boy
And I’d add one of my faves, Connection Parenting by Pam Leo
The Hidden Life of Trees was a Xmas gift and I can’t wait to read
Upstream
The Broken Way
And I’d add The Golden Spruce
Excited for this book club! Tracy xx
Mallorie - Hello from philly! I’m a momma to my 4 yr old daughter Layla,wife and 27 wks pregnant with our baby boy. I work full time as a psychotherapist and feeling the need for more connection and accountability with my love for reading and sharing and gaining wisdoms from others . Looking forward to any of the great reads listed. I have to say no drama disapline has been on my book shelf for months and I would love to crack it open. I value any time spent reading and connecting to others. I would be interested in any open forum chat and journal prompts to help keep me committed-in all seasons- to this goodness!
Kate - I am Kate, a young adult on the brink of becoming a wife, and hopefully a mother. I love to read about ways that I can bring peace into my life, because it can be absolutely insane sometimes (college, full-time job, relationships, etc!). I also find satire and labels to be comforting as well, because you are stepping out of the real-world for a moment, but still opening your mind to ideas and commentary.
Parenthood + Homemaking:
-Simplicity Parenting
-No Drama Discipline
-An Everlasting Meal *
Creativity + The Art of Wholesome living:
-The Lonely City
-Hope in the Dark
-The Abundance*
Spirit + Nature:
-Upstream
-Hidden Life of Trees*
-The Broken Way
I think rather than being kept accountable per say, a place where we can come together maybe once a week or so and discuss what we have read that week and how it impacted us would be so nice.
Thank you Amanda for this great community you have created! It is completely inspiring to me to be able to look forward and see that it is possible to create an intentional life, even if you are in the early stages of it like I am.
Kate
Liv Clark - I’m from Torrey, Utah and a stay at home mama to 3 young boys. I taught yoga for years and am interested in teaching yoga at our elementary school here. I can see how it really benefits my 6-year-old who has an abundance of energy! I chose ‘No-Drama Discipline’, ‘The Abundance’ and ‘On the Move’- cuz I just finished ‘Gratitude’ by Oliver Sachs and loved it. I’d like to add ‘Gilead’ to the list- I know it’s fiction but I think it would fit nicely into this group. If not fiction- I’ll include Guy Claxton’s book, ‘Intelligence in the Flesh’.
Liv Clark - Sorry- looks like I need to add to my list 😉- under the first catagory-
-No-Drama Discipline*
-A Homemade Life
-Simplicity Parenting
-my choice- Yoga for Children by Lisa Flynn with a kids book added to that called Peaceful Piggy Meditation (so cute!).
From the second catagory-
-The Abundance*
-The View from the Cheap Seats
-The Book of She
From the third-
-On the Move*
-The Broken Way
-Upstream (Mary Oliver of course!)
-my choice- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson or In the Flesh by Guy Claxton or My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen.
Natalia Chouklina - Hello! I’m Natalia. A mom to beautiful baby girl, a wife, a knitter and lover of all things crafty. I’m from Vancouver, Canada. Excited about this book club..
My picks:
Parenthood + Homemaking:
Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne | 256 pgs.
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Development by Daniel J. Siegel | 288 pgs.
*An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler | 272 pgs.
The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood | 336 pgs.
A Homemade Life: Stories and recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg | 352 pgs.
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl | 320 pgs.
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing | 336 pgs.
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit | 184 pgs.
The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman | 544 pgs.
*The Book of SHE: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power by Sara Avant Stover | 320 pgs.
The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old & New by Annie Dillard | 304 pgs.
Spirit & Nature:
The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life by Ann Voskamp | 288 pgs.
Upstream by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald | 320 pgs.
*The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben | 288 pgs.
On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks | 416 pgs.
Camille - Hi. My name is Camille, 25, from Lafayette Louisiana. Momma to 3yr old Hudson Rowan. I am the secretary for a big home health company here in town.
I’ll probably end up reading all of these books you posted but my top two are: simplicity parenting* and the broken way
Other books on my list to read are one thousand gifts and I’m currently in the middle the whole brain child.
admin - Camille, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Kirby - Hi Amanda,
I’m a mother of three (Harper 7, Everson 5 and Alfie 13mths) and live in a small country town in Australia. I am a Secondary School Teacher who at the moment is all about simplifying our life. Your blog often gives me so much wonderful inspiration and I thank you for allowing us to have a glimpse into your world.
The books I’m most interested in (however, I would be happy to read any as they look amazing!) are:
P + H:
No Drama Disciplin
An Everlasting Meal
The One-in-a-Million Boy
C + A:
The Lonely City
The View from the Cheap Seats
The Book of She
S + N:
H is for Hawk
The Hidden Life of Trees
On the Move: A Life
I don’t have three book choices, however, I have had these two books sitting on my beside table for months
Fight Like a Girl- by Clementine Ford
The Keeper of Lost Things- by Ruth Logan
Journal questions or open forums sound fabulous to me and would be happy to do either or both!
Kirby
admin - Kirby, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Lissa Chleboun - 1. My name is Lissa. I am 30 years old, am a program director for a nonprofit working with refugees and immigrants, and I am a wife. I mostly love reading non-fiction – anything about the body, health, spirituality, parenting (even though I’m not one), or memoirs. But, I’m trying to love novels.
Category 1
No Drama Discipline*
An Everlasting Meal
Simplicity Parenting
Category 2
The Lonely City*
The Abundance
The Book of She
Category 3
H is for Hawk*
The Hidden Life of Trees
On the Move
3. Open journal questions or forum discussions would both be helpful and enjoyable. I’d like to get simply get back in the habit of reading regularly – even if only in bite-size quantities.
admin - Lissa, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Chelsea - Hi there!
I am very excited that you are starting a book club 🙂 My name is Chelsea. I am a stay at home mother and first time mum. I am also a freelance dance artist and dance teacher. I love to read many different types of books- love stories, engaging stories with lots of plot twists, parenting, self-help, housekeeping, inspirational… I enjoy a range of topics.
Parenthood + homemaking:
*A Homemade Life
Simplicity Parenting
The One-in-a-Million Boy
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living
The view from the cheap seats
*The Book of She
The abundance
Spirit + Nature
The Broken Way
*The Hidden Life of Trees
Upstream
I would love for this to get me reading more again. I’d like to spend more time reading books than checking my social media. I also have a hard time finding books that I truly enjoy on my own. If they don’t grasp me right away then I get bored… I feel that I miss out on a lot of great books because of this. So I would love to be part of the discussion about these books. Journal questions would be fun too! Just a way to check in with everyone and feel involved.
Thank you!
Chelsea
Alexandra Bourgeault - Hi!
I’ve been following this blog for a while and I think this is a great idea. I love reading and this book club looks like what I need. What an awesome opportunity to discover great reads!
Here is my list of titles:
-No-Drama*, Tender at the bone, Simplicity Parenting
-The book of she*, Hope in the dark, The lonely city
-The hidden life of trees*, The broken way, H is for Hawk.
I am very opened to questions and sharing our thoughts about the book. Thanks for starting this!
admin - Alexandra, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Caren Wallis - Hidden life
Upstream
*A broken way
Lonely city
Abundance
*The book of she
*Simplicity parenting
No drama disciplining
Tender at the bone
I’d like to add:
Down to earth: a guide to simple living
The little book of Hygge
The food lab
My name is Caren and I’m a stay at home mom of three boys here in Kansas City My husband and I have a two year old and just welcomed twins in December. The last couple years since birthing my son I’ve enjoyed reading parenting books. Bringing up Bebe was a favorite because it brought parenting to another culture. I also enjoy most homemaking books. Since I have twin newborns and a very active toddler it’s hard to find time to read but I’m sure if I’m honest with myself there is always time for a little reading a day. Forums would be nice. I’m more likely to finish a book if I have others joining in and who can discuss it with me. My hope for this club is to take more time for me so I don’t get consumed by motherhood which is apart of me but not my whole person. ❤
admin - Caren, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Rachel LaPlante - Hello! I am a mom of 2 girls (ages 3 and almost 2) and due with our 3rd babe in June! I have always loved to read, something my mom and dad passed down to me, but finding time…should I say making time, for reading has been tough. I have set a personal goal of 2 books per month- usually 1 fiction and 1 non fiction- but I know this book club will help keep me accountable.
1. SIMPLICITY PARENTING by Kim John Payne | 256 pgs.
2. ***NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE: THE WHOLE-BRAIN WAY TO CALM THE CHAOS AND NURTURE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT by Daniel J. Siegel | 288 pgs.
3. A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE by Molly Wizenberg | 352 pgs.
4. (my addition) Parenting by Paul David Tripp
1. HOPE IN THE DARK: UNTOLD HISTORIES, WILD POSSIBILITIES by Rebecca Solnit | 184 pgs.
2. THE BOOK OF SHE: YOUR HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FEMININE POWER by Sara Avant Stover | 320 pgs.
3. ***THE ABUNDANCE: NARRATIVE ESSAYS OLD & NEW by Annie Dillard | 304 pgs.
1. ***THE BROKEN WAY: A DARING PATH INTO THE ABUNDANT LIFE by Ann Voskamp | 288 pgs.
2. UPSTREAM by Mary Oliver | 178 pgs.
3. ON THE MOVE: A LIFE by Oliver Sacks | 416 pgs.
4. (my addition) Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner
admin - Rachel, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Logan - Hello! My name is Logan and I am 23 years old. I live in Huntington Beach, California. Although I do not have my own kids yet, I am a nanny to three kids ages 1, 5, and 7. And i am in school for child psychology.I live and breathe everything kids and I love your blog! All of these books look amazing and Im very excited. Thank you!
admin - Logan, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
kate - Hello! My name is Kate, I live in Australia and work as a freelance writer and photographer. I don’t have children but do have a sweet grey cat named Hazel. In terms of books, I am open to reading just about anything but have a special place in my heart for poetry, history and beautiful writings about food (think Nigel Slater).
An Everlasting Meal*
A Homemade Life
Tender at the Bone
–
Hope in the Dark
The Book of She
The Abundance*
–
The Broken Way
Upstream
The Hidden Life of Trees*
–
My additional choice would be Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien – it is at the top of my library cue.
I have never been in a book club before but always enjoy your reading choices and feel comfortable in the virtual company of the lovely homesong community you have created.
admin - Kate, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Toni Cathryn - Oh I’m really excited about this! I’ve been keen to join a book club but just havent been able to find the time. I’m an Early Childhood Educator with an MSc in Applied Child Psychology so I tend to read a lot around the topic of child development. I’m a new mama to a 2 month old little girl so I’ve thrown a lot of parenting books into the mix recently. I love books that give me insight into the way others live and give me something to aspire to. I enjoy anything that inspires a slow, simple and sustainable way of living.
I’ve been wanting to read Simplicity Parenting* for a while now but I’d be happy to pick up any of the books listed.
The Book of She and The Abundance jump out at me.
One book I’d add is ‘Between Parent and Child’ by Haim Ginott, which was recently recommended to me by instagrammer Rachel @dear_franny
admin - Toni, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Jenny - Hello, my name is Jenny. I am so excited to be apart of this. I have never committed to a book club or commented on a blog, but this sounds right up my alley. I am a momma to a 21 month old baby girl, Molly, and I am special education teacher to middle schoolers. I love to read about family and nature. Here is my list.
Parenthood and homemaking: A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE *, AN EVERLASTING MEAL: COOKING WITH ECONOMY AND GRACE, TENDER AT THE BONE: GROWING UP AT THE TABLe
Creativity and the art of wholesome living:HOPE IN THE DARK: UNTOLD HISTORIES, WILD POSSIBILITIES* , THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS,THE BOOK OF SHE: YOUR HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF FEMININE POWER
Spirit and Nature: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: WHAT THEY FEEL, HOW THEY COMMUNICATE—DISCOVERIES*, ON THE MOVE: A LIFE, UPSTREAM
I have been really interested in reading Grow Create Inspire: Crafting a Joyful Life of Beauty and Abundance – by Crystal Stevens
Thanks for the inspiration!
admin - Jenny, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Alexis - Hi,
My name is Alexis and I live in New Hampshire. I am a mom to two teenage boys but was a stay at home mom for the first 7 years of their lives. I am really excited about this book club and look forward to discussions on all these wonderful titles!
Parenthood:
A Homemade Life *
An Everlasting Meal
Tender to the Bone
any of Katrina Kennison
Creativity:
The Abundance *
The Lonely City
Hope in the Dark
Spirit and Nature:
Upstream *
H is for Hawk
On the Move
admin - Alexis, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Jameson Nenn - Hello! I’m a mother to my sweet one year old daughter and a freelance photographer. I am so excited for this book club as I have always wanted to be a good reader, but find that life gets in the way. Hoping that this community will help me stick to it! Her are my selections…
-Simplicity Parenting*
-An Everlasting Meal
-A Homemade Life
-The Book of She*
-The Lonely City
-View from the Cheap Seats
-The Broken Way*
-The Hidden Life of Trees
-Upstream
One book I would like to read this year is “Bringing up Bebe” by Pamela Duckerman. I started it when I was pregnant with my daughter and really enjoyed the first half and have been meaning to finish it ever since!
Ps-thank you for all of your work here!
-Jameson Nenn
admin - Jameson, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Amy - Hello. Amanda, thank you for starting this book club. I admire both your kind heart and energy! I am a stay at home mum from Australia and live with my husband and our two boys who are 6 and 4.
All the books sound worthy but these stood out the most – Simplicty Parenting, An Everlasting Meal, The Lonely City, Hope in the Dark, The Broken Way and The Hidden Life of Trees.
One book that has been on my “to read” list for a while is “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t stop Talking” by Susan Cain. It might be a book that would appeal to many of us x
admin - Amy, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Robyn Gonser - So excited for this! I’m a stay to home mama to our 16-month-old daughter. We live in Alaska, love to live as natural as we can and spend a great deal of our time outdoors exploring. I used to love to read and spent many hours on end doing so, but since becoming a momma I can’t seem to, “find the time” but I’m ready to start making time for myself and for reading again. So this seems like the perfect start!
Parenthood + Homemaking
Simplicity parenting*
No drama discipline
Tender at the bone
Creativity
View from the cheap seats*
The lonely city
Hope in the dark
Spirit + Nature
Upstream*
The broken way
The hidden life of trees
My suggestions!
Magnolia Home
Present over Perfect
I’m open to anything really! I am just hoping to read more in 2017. ☺
admin - Robyn, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Kellee Lewis - Mama to a 3 year old girl and 1 year old boy. I love reading, but have really fallen behind since becoming a mother. I love all sorts of books, but books on parenting and self development are my top areas of interest right now. Thank you so much for setting this up!
Simplicity Parenting*
No-Drama Discipline
Tender at the Bone
Waiting for Birdy (Newman, Catherine)
The Lonely City*
The Book of SHE
The Abundance
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in my Head… (Harris, Dan)
H is for Hawk*
Upstream
The Hidden Life of Trees
All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr, Anthony)
admin - Kellee, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Stefanie Phelps - Hello friend,
My name is Stefanie. I was born and grew up in Quito, Ecuador where my parents were and still are missionaries. I came back to the states on a soccer scholarship for college and stayed in Kansas City all these years. I work for a non-profit working in international child development. I love my coworkers and the purpose for the work that I do, even though it is often times sitting at a desk. I am married to a wonderful man whom I met her in KC and we have a beautiful little boy named Charles Atlas (1 1/2 years old). I didn’t know about the body builder named Charles Atlas when we named him after my grandfather. Oops! I am very excited about your bookclub and have enjoyed reading your blog these past few years. I am looking forward to connecting through the sharing and reading of these books. I just love to read, I feel like I don’t take enough time to do it. A few years ago when Borders went out of business I have to say I went a little crazy and bought all kinds of books. Some I have read other are still waiting on my shelf for me to dive in. This is just the push I need.
My choices would be:
Simplicity Parenting
A Homemade Life*
An Everlasting Meal*
The Book of She*
The Broken Way
The Hidden Life of Trees
I would be fine with reading any of these, as I know you have taken the time to pick them especially for this group. I love the idea of questions and open discussion through your blog. I think you made it easy 10 pages a day, when you break it down that way anyone can do it ; ) I think the main thing I want to get out of this book is camaraderie and support as a mother and friend. So many of my lovely mother friends are younger and moving out to the suburbs and it feels like they are moving on a bit, whereas my closest friends I grew up with are all spread out across the US. So I guess in a way I am looking for inclusion, encouragement as I take on this thing called motherhood and life. I also have always just wanted to do a bookclub and what better way then with a fellow group of woman on the same journey!
Thank you so much for your words and heart shared so vulnerably here.
Your friend,
Stefanie
admin - Stefanie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Katie - 1. I am also a lover of books. I am a high school history teacher at an independent school in Baltimore, and mom to three young children, including a 7 month baby. I love to balance fiction and non-fiction, depending on whether I need to escape/nurture or if I’m curious about learning something completely new. My favorite genre (perhaps no surprise) is a combo– historical fiction!
2. I’m breaking your rules, but I’ll list my top of each category: No-Drama Discipline, The Abundance, Upstream
3. I prefer journal prompts and even though I may not respond to the blog, I will respond on my own and read others’ entries. And ps: I love the way you are framing this entire book club with a little bit of inspiration, a little bit of challenging your readers, and some cheerleading— you’re clearly a teacher yourself!
admin - Katie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Suzanne - Hi Amanda,
I’m Suze from Gisborne, Australia. I’m a wife and mum to 2 girls (7 and almost 5) I came across your blog approx 6 months ago and I am so hooked, I love everything you write about as it speaks so much to me and makes me feel so warm and happy. I have listed my book preferences below. I am fairly new to reading as I have always felt a little unsure about what I want to read about, I’m also a slow reader so I have never had much confidence but I am really looking forward to the challenge and to be apart of your book club. 10 pages a day is going to be my new reading goal. Thank you so much, Love Suze xx
Parenthood + Homemaking:
1/ Simplicity Parenting
2/ An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace
3/ The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
4/ (My Choice) – Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford http://www.handsfreemama.com/onlylovetoday/
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
1/ The Book of SHE: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power
2/ The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old & New
3/ The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
Spirit & Nature:
1/ Upstream
2/ On the Move: A Life
3/ The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World
admin - Suzanne, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Zasha - Hello
I am Zasha from NJ and I am very excited to join this book club. – thanks for organizing it. I was a literature teacher for 13 years but bow i am lucky to be a stay at home mommy to my 3 kiddos — 13 yo Nico , 3 yo Sofia and my almost 2 Noah. I am also a part time yoga teacher ; I love reading everything and I’m looking forward to any of the titles from your list. My all time favorite thing to read is anything by Ralph Waldo Emerson – I go back to his writing and it always leads to amazing reflection.
My picks are
Simplicity Parenting
The Book of She
The Broken Way
I think journal questions or forum discussions sound cool !
Can’t wait to start!
Suzanne Downer - Hi Amanda,
I’m Suze from Gisborne, Australia. I’m a wife and mum to 2 girls (7 and almost 5) I came across your blog approx 6 months ago and I am so hooked, I love everything you write about as it speaks so much to me and makes me feel so warm and happy. I have listed my book preferences below. I am fairly new to reading as I have always felt a little unsure about what I want to read about, I’m also a slow reader so I have never had much confidence but I am really looking forward to the challenge and to be apart of your book club. 10 pages a day is going to be my new reading goal. Thank you so much, Love Suze xx
Parenthood + Homemaking:
1/ Simplicity Parenting
2/ An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace
3/ The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
4/ (My Choice) – Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford http://www.handsfreemama.com/onlylovetoday/
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
1/ The Book of SHE: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power
2/ The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old & New
3/ The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
Spirit & Nature:
1/ Upstream
2/ On the Move: A Life
3/ The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World
Thank so much
Amy Gavitt - Hello there! My name is Amy. I’m a follower of Jesus, a lover of simplicity, living a slow life in our old creaky farmhouse. I’m a former nurse turned stay at home mama to my darling 4 month old twins, Odette and Everett. I’m beyond excited for this book club, what a treat! I enjoy reading a variety of books,from the inspirational to nutritional studies and so much in between. In all honesty I have yet to put any books in my basket for the year. The list of books you’ve compiled above sounds like just the ticket!
Parenthood + Homemaking:
*Simplicity Parenting
No-Drama Discipline
A Homemade Life
Creativity + The Art of Wholesome Living
*The Book of SHE
The Abundance
The View from the Cheap Seats
Spirit + Nature
*The Broken Way
Upstream
On the Move
I think both journal questions and open forum discussions would be great! This book club will allow for some much needed “me time”. Really getting the chance to dig into these books and get to understand so many different view points is exciting.
I can’t wait to get started!
admin - Amy, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Andrea - Hello! I’m Andrea, stay at home mama to a spunky 1.5 year old girl (who has inherited my love for books!) and another little one on the way. I live in Vancouver, Canada. I love outdoor adventures, good food around the table and time spent with family. I love books of all sorts, but mostly read fiction, though I also thoroughly enjoy thought provoking books, poetry and beautifully written prose. I haven’t read any of the books on the list. My top ones are:
Simplicity Parenting *
No Drama Discipline
A Homemade Life
The Abundance*
The Book of She
The View from the Cheap Seats
Upstream*
H is for Hawk
The Secret Life of Trees
I don’t really have any other suggestions to add. Looking forward to this. Thank you so much for organizing!
admin - Andrea, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Alisa - I am not going to be able to commit to the bookclub at the moment but would love to in the future and will probably be reading some of the books from your list anyway! I just wanted to say thanks for putting this together! What a wonderful way for so many to come together via your beautiful space online.
admin - Alisa, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Jessy - So excited for this! I always love your book recommendations! I am a stay at home mama to twin girls, homesteading on our little property in Montana. Things that feed my soul: “me too” moments, good books, time with family, time with God, good books, music, nature.
My favorite choices:
Simplicity Parenting (I’m currently reading this one! :))
No Drama Discipline
A Homemade Life*
Hope in the dark
View from the cheap seats
The abundance*
The broken way
Upstream*
On the move
3 books I would add: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist, Becoming Human by Jean Vanier, and The Artisan Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus
Journal questions and open forum discussions sound fantastic!
admin - Jessy, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Tara B. - Hello! My name is Tara and work full-time as the Photography Collection Manager at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in KC. I have two kids (ages 6 and 3) and would love to be a part of a book club that gets me back into reading again!
MY FAVORITES –
Parenthood + Homemaking:
1.SIMPLICITY PARENTING by Kim John Payne
2.NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE: THE WHOLE-BRAIN WAY TO CALM THE CHAOS AND NURTURE YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT by Daniel J. Siegel
*3.A HOMEMADE LIFE: STORIES AND RECIPES FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE by Molly Wizenberg
+ Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis
by Robert D. Putnam
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
1.THE LONELY CITY: ADVENTURES IN THE ART OF BEING ALONE by Olivia Laing
2.THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS by Neil Gaiman
*3.THE ABUNDANCE: NARRATIVE ESSAYS OLD & NEW by Annie Dillard
+Blue Highways: A Journey into America
by William Least Heat-Moon
Spirit & Nature:
1.THE BROKEN WAY: A DARING PATH INTO THE ABUNDANT LIFE by Ann Voskamp
*2. UPSTREAM by Mary Oliver
3. ON THE MOVE: A LIFE by Oliver Sacks
+The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden
by William Alexander
Thank you!
admin - Tara, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive bookclub emails! x Amanda
Katie - Hi there!
1)
I’m a momma to two kids (6 and 3), full time working mom, lover of all your blog and yearning for a more simple, quiet, intentional life.
2)
Parenting & Homemaking
*No Drama Discipline
Simplicity Parenting
An everylasting meal
(my choice) out of control by shefali tsbary
Creativity
*The book of she
The abundance narrative
The lonely adventures
(my choice) Big Magic
Spirit & Nature
*upstream
The broken way
the hidden life of tree
3)Journal questions or prompts would be great. An easy way to discuss items in an open forum would also be great. Looking for a way to motivate me to think more deeply about my life and add more joy and intention.
admin - Katie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Tabitha Morris - This sounds like fun!
I am a momma of two. Beautiful kind boy(3) and adorable sassy girl (1). I currently live in a small rural town in North Central KS. I commute daily to a larger city where I work with kiddos ages 0-3 and their parents (Parents As Teachers). In short I educate parents, screen kiddos, and help build strong families. I too love the simple life which is why my family has chosen to commute to a small rural town daily. I simply love rural living. As a working mom I struggle with fitting everything I need to into one day, but I love it al the same.
I honestly would enjoy any of the books you have listed. I have not read any of them and they look like books I would enjoy.
admin - Tabitha, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Sara - Thank you for putting together such a great list of options. I do not have any of these books on my “to read” list, but I am going to add many of them! I am a Kansas City mama to 2 girls, 3 1/2 and almost 2. I work part time as an employee wellness coordinator and am anxious to find more time for my own well-being. Here are my selections:
Parenthood + Homemaking
– *A Homemade Life
– Tender at the Bone
– Simplicity Parenting
Creativity + The Art of Wholesome Living
– * The Book of She
– The View from the Cheap Seats
– The Lonely City
Spirit + Nature
– *On The Move
– H is for Hawk
– The Broken Way
I would add Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
admin - Sara, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Christina - Amanda – This is such a great idea! I love the idea of an online book club. As much as it would be great to meet face to face with a book club, finding the time when you have a little one at home is difficult (as I’m sure you know). I have personally been struggling to commit to reading a book (those I have a stack of them), and would like to join the book club to keep myself accountable for reading! Thanks for pulling this together. I am excited to see the list of final book picks.
admin - Christina, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Carli Baum - Hi Amanda! My name is Carli and I am a stay at home mama to two girls (Navy (2) and Willa (4 months)). I also work from home, part time, in marketing, branding & communications. Reading books on wholesome living, spirit/nature, whole-hearted living (just finished the Gift of Imperfection and wholehearted was Brene Brown’s word…loved it) all feed my soul. I love books that are visceral, uplifting, gently in their delivery but urgent in their message. The topics that most engage my heart and mind presently are intentional mothering, essential self care, nourishing food/food practices, present parenting and the practice of gratitude. Thank you so much for initiating this book club! I can’t wait!
*Simplicity Parenting
No Drama Discipline
Tender at the Bone
The Lonely City
*The Book of She
The Abundance
The Broken Way
*Upstream
The Hidden Life of Trees
admin - Carli, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Sophie Kröher - This is so great, Amanda. Thank you. I do hope I will manage to take part in it, and I’m up for everything. Can’t wait for March 20th!
admin - Sophie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Alaina - Hi! My name is Alaina, I am mama to one busy 21 month old boy. Before I became a mom I was a preschool teacher in a toddler classroom, but now I work part-time at a children’s clothing consignment store.I spend the rest of my hours playing with my boy, keeping house, cooking food and being outside (the basic stay at home mom stuff… ;)) In terms of books Barbara Kingsolver is a win for me… although I’ve recently gotten into all things Ireland and reading anything by Frank Delaney. But back in the day when my brain was fully functioning I always enjoyed child development related literature…
My book choices are as follows: Simplicty Parenting*, No Drama Discipline and Tender at the Bone; Hope in the Dark, Book of She*, and The Abundance; Upstream*, The Hidden Life of Trees and The Broken Way.
My choices for each category are Home Grown by Ben Hewitt (Parenting & Homemaking), Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Creativity & the Art of Wholesome Living), and The Compassionate Instinct edited by Dacher Kilter, Jason Marsh, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Spirit & Nature).
I think that open discussion forums would be the most fun way to connect and discuss books… more than anything I would love to have the opportunity to feel connected to mamas through this experience.
admin - Alaina, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Stacy - I have always wanted to be a part of a book club! 👏🏻 I am stay at home, homeschool mama to a 6 year old boy and 3 year old girl. I adore writing, reading, lettering , coloring, making my home cozy and anything creative, it’s what feeds my soul, along with God, yoga and nature. My votes are for simplicity parenting(I make it too complicated), Mary Oliver Upstream, and Annie Dillard essays. And yes to journaling prompts. Thanks Amanda!
admin - Stacy, do you have another email I could use? This one is not letting me send you newsletters, thanks! x Amanda
Rachel - Hi! So looking forward to this. I’m Rachel, and I stay home with my three year old and work as a potter out of my garage studio. I love cookbooks, and of course I could read Harry Potter a hundred more times. I have the illustrated copies and read them to my son, and at least one of us loves it. Carving out time to follow whatever creative passion I’m feeling that day is important to me, which can be difficult to do sometimes with a toddler at home. I’d love to read a book for creatives, maybe ways to include your children.
Simplicity Parenting
A Homemade Life *
An Everlasting Meal
The Giant Book of Creativity for Kids
The Lonely City *
The Abundance
The View from the Cheap Seats
In the Company of Women
Upstream
On the Move
The Broken Way *
A Wilder Life: A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature
admin - Rachel, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Meagan - Hello! My name is Meagan. I was born in NC and lived there for 25 years, then moved to Switzerland and now to India with my husband and cat. I never thought I would be an “expat wife,” but here I am! I am a chemical engineer by degree, spent 7 years climbing the corporate ladder before I quit. And now I have a one month old baby boy named Sterling. I am pursing a new career in Feldenkrais (mind body education) because it changed my life some years ago!
Here are my choices:
Parenthood + Homemaking:
The One-in-a-Million Boy*
A Homemade Life
Tender at the Bone
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
The View from the Cheap Seats*
The Book of SHE
The Abundance
Spirit & Nature:
Upstream by Mary Oliver
The Hidden Life of Trees
On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks*** (this relates to my Feldenkrais study and would love to read this!)
I haven’t had a chance to think much about reading yet this year, but I’ve been wanting to read The Goldfinch for over a year! Still sitting on my bedside table….
As a new mom, I need time and space for myself NOT to think about baby. Having a 30 minute is necessary for sanity, I am realizing! So my accountability would be my sanity checks 🙂
Looking forward to being a part! Xxx
admin - Meagan, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Emily Elle - Hello! My name is Emily, California lover, and I am a full time, joyful nanny, and have dreams of becoming an RN. I love to read anything I can get my hands on and am a passionate scribbler, page folder, and book lender. I enjoy learning about child raising and teaching and have dreams of being a wonderful mother one day. I love being outdoors, feeling sunshine, and am a true introvert.
-An Everlasting Meal
-A Homemade Life*
-Simplicity Parenting
-The Book of She
-The Abundance*
-The Lonely City
-Upstream*
-The Hidden Life of Trees
-On The Move
I suggest journal entry/reflection types to be held accountable.
admin - Emily, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Ashley - Hi there, I’m Ashley. I love to read, but have been struggling with making it a priority since having my two year old daughter. I currently stay at home and I am searching for some new words and ideas to reignite my interest in child development (my major in college) and just keeping a home in general. Over the past few years I have found myself seeking ways to live intentionally, incorporate nature into my everyday life, and walk a little closer with God in my soul. This is an idea that many people in my life do not support, and I often feel like an outsider in my family and group of friends. So I am hoping to…maybe get some validation…and some support from this group of women. Validation in a sense that there are, in fact, women who live this out day to day and find that it works for them. I was so excited when I found your blog because I found myself saying, “Yes! Yes!” to everything I was reading. So refreshing and inspiring. I feel like journaling and an online forum with questions will absolutely help with holding me accountable. I am SO looking forward to this book club
Simplicity Parenting, *No Drama Discipline, Tender at the Bone
*The Lonely City, Hope in the Dark
*The Broken Way, Upstream, The Hidden Life of Trees
admin - Ashley, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
admin - Ashley, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Courtney - Hi there! I’m Courtney, mama to a sweet 14 month old little girl, Violet. I know I’m chiming in a bit late so I won’t list my top picks, but I’m so very excited to be a part of this book club! I have a degree in English Literature and have always love loved books and reading. Old book stores are one of my favorite things! I’m all about writing in the margins of books or journaling as I go. And although I prefer holding actual books in my hands, I will also read from my iPad. I think all of these book choices sound like great reads, so I’m in no matter what! Thank you for putting this together!
admin - Courtney, hello and welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
admin - Courtney, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Bookclub Picks! | 2017-2018 » Homesong - […] been taking note of all of your preferred titles since this post, and have kept everyone preferred titles in mind. I also have grouped books based on similar […]
Alexis Manning - I am very excited for this opportunity to be part of such an uplifting community. I was just telling my cousin that we should start up a book club for the ladies in our family, and this will be a great place to observe the flow and pace. All of the books listed look great! I cannot wait to start!
admin - Alexis, what great timing! We are glad to have you. Thank you for sharing a bit of your time and energy and joining us for this beautiful opportunity to read and grow together. You have been added to the email chain dear! x Amanda
admin - Alexis, hello and welcome! Letting you know that you’re all set to receive the bookclub newsletter! x Amanda
Sara - Hi Amanda 🙂 I’m Sara …. I live in Arizona and stay at home with little Jude. I know I’m a bit late signing up here so I’ll skip sharing my top book picks …. but I will be excited for any of the books chosen! I’m so excited you decided to do the book group …. I always think about reading more and as silly as it sounds, being part of a group who are all reading and learning together is what will keep me accountable and moving forward. My mom was in a book group all while we were growing up and I still remember them getting together to share what they learned one a month. This is something I could use so much in my life right now, so thank you for putting it together
Much love, Sara
admin - Sara, hey girl hey! And welcome 🙂 I love that your mom was in a book club, too. Mine is as well and she’s always telling me their reads. Thank you for sharing a bit of your time and energy and joining us for this beautiful opportunity to read and grow together. You have been added to the email chain dear! x Amanda
DIetra Evans - Hello!
I am Dietra and would love to read along!
The 3 books picked our wonderful and I have already read no drama discipline
which will be a great reminder to reread!
Please add me to this wonderful book CLUB <3
admin - Dietra, welcome! How wonderful you’re already set with one book for this season. Thank you for sharing a bit of your time and energy and joining us for this beautiful opportunity to read and grow together. You have been added to the email chain dear! x Amanda
Ingrid - I’m so looking forward to being part of this book club. I am a doctoral student in Rhetoric and Composition (defending my dissertation by the end of the year… I hope), and I live in Wisconsin with my husband, our nine month old daughter, and two cats. What feeds my soul? Reading… writing… riding my bicycle… running… music… warm, sunny beach days… I also love teaching and working with undergraduate students — their energy and optimism and zest for life is contagious.
I do a lot of reading and writing for school, but I’m looking for a reason to do more FUN reading. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU for organizing this group in this lovely little space.
admin - Ingrid, you go mama! So inspired by you and your doctoral pursuit. Thank you for sharing a bit of your time and energy and joining us for this bookclub. You have been added to the email chain dear, welcome! x Amanda
Stephanie - Hi Amanda,
My name is Stephanie. I’m a language teacher. And a writer. Although I teach more than I write. At the moment I read even less than I write. During my first pregnancy I read a lot lot lot. So now that I’m pregnant for the second time, I thought it would be a great opportunity to pick up this habit again. I like to read books (mostly fiction) that challenges my imagination and give me new perceptions.
To answer your questions, I guess journal questions and an open forum would keep me motivated, perhaps posting mini blogs with a set hashtag as well. I’m really looking forward to this.
Cheers,
Stephanie (The Netherlands)
parenthood + homemaking
The one in a million boy – Monica Wood
An everlasting meal: cooking with economy and grace – Tamar Adler
A homemade life: life stories and recipes from my kitchen table – Molly Wizenberg
*Dan Barber the third plate
Creativity + the art of wholesome living
the lonely city: adventures in the art of being alone Olivia Laing
hope in the dark: untold histories wild possibilities Rebecca Solnit
the abundance: narrative essays old & new Annie Dillard
*The happiness project gretchen rubin
Spirit & Nature
The hidden life of trees Peter Wohlleben
H is for Hawk Helen MacDonald
Upstream Mary Oliver
*Sarah Manguso Ongoingness
admin - Stephanie, I love you three additional suggestions – Ongoingness is on my list. Thank you for sharing a bit of your time and energy and joining us for this bookclub. You have been added to the email chain, welcome! x Amanda
admin - Stephanie, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to receive the bookclub newsletters. x Amanda
Liz - Hi! I am Liz, momma to two wonderful children (2 and 2 months). I am a stay at home mom who lives in Texas. I am a huge fan of book and reading. I always feel better when I am in the middle of a book. But lately, I have not been reading as much as I would like (as in almost never). I love that this book journey is happening to get me reading again and to hopefully hold me accountable for my part. I find my soul refreshes by spending quality time with my people, drinking coffee or tea, reading an engrossing book, taking ballet classes, and spending time in God’s word.
Parenthood + Homemaking:
* Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne
* No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Development by Daniel J. Siegel*
* The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
* Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Creativity + the Art of Wholesome Living:
* The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing*
* The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman
* The Book of SHE: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power by Sara Avant Stover
* Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life by Lara Casey
Spirit & Nature:
* The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life by Ann Voskamp
* The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
* On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks*
* ???
I would definitely be open to journal questions (I’d actually love that) and would also enjoy forum discussion. I think both of those would keep my accountable and help me to get more out of these books. I honestly just want to get reading again and have a space to talk with moms about topics we are all interested and currently living out. I hope to learn things in each of these books that will stay with me and help me to be a better me, wife, mom and just person.
admin - Liz, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to receive the bookclub newsletters. x Amanda
Mary Salas - Hi there! I’m Mary, proud wife and new mama to my little Nora (who is 7 months old). I’m from Sacramento, California and I’m a stay at home mother, and striving for a slower, more intentional way of living. I’m really excited to join this book club, as reading has been put on the back burner for… 7 months 😉 I love writing and reading, and I want my children to grow up seeing me enjoy reading so that they would hopefully feel the same. I’m jumping in after the choices have been made, but I’m really thrilled about the books chosen. I generally lean towards the same genre of books, but this will be broadening my selection! Look forward to journeying this together 🙂
admin - Mary, hello & welcome! Letting you know you’ve been added to receive the bookclub newsletters. x Amanda
sarah - i’m late commenting on this post but i’ve been keeping my ears pricked to amanda’s bookclub idea for a while and i’m so excited to get started!
1. i’m sarah, stay at home mama to my 10 month old son and wife to my german hubby. we live in the palatinate area of germany but are moving to paris in may for three years for my husband’s work.
2. i didn’t participate in the book selection but all of these look wonderful! i’m particularly excited about the first one and the one by ann voskamp (i’m working on 1000 gifts right now). i adore minimal living and have already noticed that it’s changed my life significantly since last year when i decided to try to break the addiction of consumerism and be more mindful about day to day living.
3. i like the idea of a kind of “bookclub homework” to keep me accountable; i studied at uw in seattle and really miss that forum style of conversation and bouncing ideas off of each other. (nerdy ladies unite!) teehee
looking forward to diving right in come march 20th and getting to know some of you awesome women better! xoxo
admin - Sarah, letting you know you’ve been added to receive the bookclub newsletters! x Amanda
Eleni - Hi! I’m Eleni, mama of two girls 3,5 and 1 years old. Too late to add my preferences but so happy anyway to read your choices! I just loved the idea of this book club! Thank you 🙂
admin - Eleni, you’re all set mama! So excited to start this up with you all! x Amanda
Emily - I know I am a little late to this..
I am a wife, artist, and student.. lover of learning, homemaking, gardening, and creativity. No kids of my own, but three darling nephews. I read anything I can get my hands on.. have Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion on my nightstand at the moment, but am so excited about the first selection. Many Many Thanks!
admin - Emily, not too late at all dearest! You’re all set to receive the newsletters! x Amanda
Aneta - Hi Amanda,
I’d love to join your book club, please sign me in. I used to love reading, but after having kids for one reason or the other this passion got buried. This book club seems way out of my comfort zone ( I’m on the shy side), but it would be nice to have a little nudge to get back to regular reading again. I’m a mama of two, 10year old girl and 5 year old boy. I live by the sea in the south coast of UK, but am originally from Poland. I work full time as a hotel accountant, though it’s a necessity rather than a career. What Makes my Heard skip are music, little travels and mini adventures, photography, food and beauty. Take care and thank You xxx
admin - Aneta, you’re all set to receive book club newsletters, love. I loved reading about what makes your heart skip – we sound like kindred spirits! Happy weekending! x Amanda
Kailee Rohde - Hello! My name is Kailee. I’m a stay at home Mama of two under two. I’m very sorry I’m late to join, but I am excited to be a part of this beautiful book club. Thank you so much!
admin - Kailee, you’re all set to receive book club newsletters, love. Happy weekending! x Amanda
Holly - Would absolutely love to be a part of this. I love right here in KC. I work part time as a speech pathologist at a local hospital and am married to an emergency medicine resident physician. Residency is EXTREMELY demanding and unfortunately, he is at the hospital 80-100 hours each week. This means that I am the one doing most of parenting of our 20 month old girl. Needless to say between work and parenting (mostly along), I don’t have much time for in person socializing, so this book club sounds perfect! Any of the books on the list sound great to me. Looking forward to this!!
admin - Good morning Holly! So great to hear from a fellow Kansas City gal, welcome! You are all set to receive the book club newsletters. Stay warm today! x Amanda
victoria shaw - Hi Amanda
Thank you for arranging this book club! I’m hoping its just what I need to reconnect with both myself and my opening up my mind to ideas. I’m late signing up but I hope I will still be able to join in. I’ve just ordered the first book and excited to get started. I’m based in London, UK, where I live with my 4 children (my youngest born the same week as Alfie!). I can’t see where to sign up for the newsletters/ prompts?? xx
admin - Hello Victoria! It’s not too late, welcome! You are all set to receive the book club newsletters by sharing this! You can also subscribe to this blog in the Contact section as well if you’d like, but you don’t have to. Enjoy your babes today…if your littlest is anything like Alfie, you’ll be on the move! x Amanda
Erin - Hello! I am late to the game, but wanted to say hi, and thank you for hosting this lovely book club. I am a HUGE reader, and need a little direction currently, so this is great timing for me. I am a mom to three young children, and I work for Beautycounter – helping to educate women about what goes into personal care products, and helping them make safe choices for their families.
I love to read almost anything – but especially non fiction, history, and historical fiction.
My picks would be:
*Simplicity Parenting
No Drama Discipline
Tender at the bone
(The Whole Brain Child would be my add-in)
No preference with the other categories. All look very interesting.
Others I’ve had my eye on:
Belonging and Becoming: Creating a Thriving Family Culture
The More of Less by Joshua Becker
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
A book I think you may enjoy: Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mother’s in a hurry by Katrina Kenison
Thanks again, and look forward to digging into these reads along with you and this community!
Erin
admin - Good morning Erin! WONDERFUL additions here. I’ve been waning to read Belonging and Becoming…this was a top contender. I think I may go ahead and read it anyways. 😉 You are all set to receive the book club newsletters. Have a beautiful week! x Amanda
Holly Wicker - I’m Holly, a 27-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida. I’ve been married to my husband Josh for almost 3 years. I recently became a SAHM to my 18 month old girl, Branch Eisley. The past few books I have read were geared towards marriage, so I am excited to hopefully join you all and switch things up a bit, digging into the categories you’ve selected.
I’m totally up for the journal questions and discussion questions! I often feel a longing for that sense of learning like I had back in college, so I love this, and there is just something about going through these in a structured way & alongside others that I find exciting. The ultimate goal for me is to dive into these and better myself in these areas of my life, and through participating with others I hope to inspire someone else and to be inspired!
For the topic of parenting, I’ve had Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman on my list for a while, so I’m hoping to read that one. In the area of creativity, I’m hoping to read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. And I haven’t really explored Spirit & Nature categories yet, but I do love Mary Oliver. 🙂
Alisha - Hello – my name is Alisha and I am living in beautiful Montana. I am a wife and mama to 4 kids – 14, 8, 6, and 3 and hitting every developmental stage currently haha! I love natural health and science, research, non profit work, stories of triumph, deep conversations, good laughs accompanying good food, baking, art, and slow days at home with my family.
All the books sound great and I will read any of them happily – though I will admit to reading 3 books at once and having hard time finishing certain ones. I take an artistic approach to reading I guess and read when the mood strikes. So I am looking forward to a format with some questions or prompts to keep me to the end of the book.
I would love to read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Rob Bells newest book, and I am Malala an autobiography.
🎉💜💜💜🎉
admin - Alisha, You’re all set to receive the book club newsletters. I’ve already sent out pre-reading journal prompts but the first official newsletter will go out on March 20th, so you’ll get that in your inbox along with all the other Homesong book club members! x Amanda
Ashli Kyanka - Hi there, I’m Ashli – a Canadian transplant, and new Mom living in Lee’s Summit, MO. I wish I had more to say about myself but the whole new Mom thing doesn’t leave a lot of energy and me time, just yet. Really looking forward to feeding my soul with some good reading. Thanks so much for doing this!
Rachel - I am really looking forward to joining this book club. A mama of two rambunctious little ones I crave some quality literature.
My favorites:
-Simplicity Parenting (I loved it)
-No drama discipline, the Whole Brain Child
-An Ever lasting Meal
Honestly the book list looks wonderful and I’d like to read them all.
Warmly
admin - Rachel, wonderful picks dear! You are all set to receive the newsletters on March 20th! x Amanda
Amy - Hi! I’m Amy and a mom of one little guy. I would love to follow along but probably won’t be able to commit fully since I’m still not committed to sleeping much through the night either (ha!)
Ashley Williams - Hi! I’m late to the party, but would love to join in. My name is Ashley, from Greenville, SC. I am a stay at home momma to my one year old boy, James, and 3 month old girl, Rosemary. Wanting to enrich my “me” time with things that will fill me up a bit more and I think this is a great place to start. I know the books have already been chosen so I’ll leave it at that 😉 Thank you so much for doing this! <3 xo
admin - You, my dear, are all set! I am resending the newsletter later this afternoon. Happy reading and welcome! x Amanda
Shelby Schreckhise - Hello! I hope I’m not too late to join! My name is Shelby, I’m a personal trainer/fitness instructor turned SAHM. My husband and I have two little cow girls (Bailey-2.5 & Heidi-4 months), 12 chickens, 1 guinea, 1 duck, and 1 dog. Our neighbors have cows we love to go visit too! Since having our second baby I haven’t found my groove quite yet so I feel like I’m pouring from an empty cup. That’s why I’m here ❤️. I am so excited to read any of the books on the list! I actually just ordered No Drama Discipline and can’t wait to crack it open! I honestly haven’t heard of most of the others, but they all sound fabulous! Lately I’ve been really enjoying mystery novels, homeschool, nutrition, and natural birth books. I am open to discussions and questions! Can’t wait.
LeeAnne Contreras - Hi!
I hope I’m not too late!! I just found your Instagram account and that led to your beautiful blog and I am so excited about this book club I had to post!
I am a stay at home mama to two wonderful boys- 4 years old and 14 months old. We live in Arizona where it’s hot and dusty but we have beautiful sunsets!
I am, as I am learning all moms are, struggling to put self care on my priority list and reading was something I decided had to be done. For me. I used to read 3-4 books a week before having my first son and then after the birth of my second son I stopped altogether… which I had hardly been reading after the birth of my first son. I missed it so and I am excited to put this at the top of my priority list!
I just spent all of my quiet time at nap going through each title- wow! Hard to find favorites! I would love to read them all!
My top 3 in each category:
*Simplicity Parenting, The one in a Million Boy, A Life at the Table.
I would love to read The Awakened Parent and The Awakened Family – I saw those both were also suggested in comments! So exciting!
*The book of SHE, The Lonely City, The View from the Cheap Seats.
*The Life of Trees(I see that’s started so I’m on my way to the library today!) , On the Move, The Broken Way!
I would love a forum to discuss or chat!
Thank you! I look forward to an email!!
Lacy - Hello, I just got my book today and hope I’m not too late! I’m a stay at home mom to my 3 kiddos Thomas (4) Jack (2) and Penelope (10 months). I’ve always enjoyed reading and have such fond memories of my mother reading to me when I was younger. I was a librarian before my first born, and the thing I miss the most is my long running list of books I wanted to read that I added too while I was shelving or when new books came across my desk. I’ve never been much of a nonfiction reader and I’ve never been in a book club. I’m excited to try something new!
Life on the Farm: Vol. 14 - Bird is the Word - […] in The Hidden Life of Trees, Cut Flower Garden, Farmer Boy, The Book of Joy (the latest read in our Homesong book club) and later this week I’m hoping to swing into town to pick up Molly on the Range from the […]
Madison stennett - Would LOVE to join the bookclub!!(:
seasonal spotlight || spring 2017 – A Mother's Window - […] Joined Homesong Book Club […]
Danielle Gohr - Hello!
I am Danie Gohr and I am the Founder of Catch This Mama. We are creating a book club over there as well. So, I love to be enriched in multiple facets with many different people who come from every place in life. I am a Mama to 3 beautiful girls and live in the heart of Iowa.
Thanks for having me!
-Danie
Kait McGuire - Hi! Thanks for your lovely blog & inspiration.
Hoping to join your book club! Is that still happening?! If so, I’d love to jump in.
xoxo
Kait
admin - Kait, I will add you to the list, dearest! x Amanda
Amanda - Well hello there! I’m trying to get hooked into the book club, I know there’s a new list now. I read Lonely City for February. Was there a discussion on it? I also subscribed to the email list, but haven’t received anything yet. I’d love to jump in! Thank you!
Kristina - Hello from upstate, New York! I’m chasing the same fulfillment that reading and journaling can bring. Looking forward to this new season! xo kristina