As soon as I got inspired by the 5×5 reading plan that I mentioned in my last post, I collected most of the books from around my two-storey house that were in stacks and not on shelves, and spread them on the dining table. I started to arrange the appropriate ones according to topics, and the two categories of “Women” and “Church History/Saints” were quite overloaded.
As I perused this scene, I recalled that in the last few years, many books I’ve read have been by audio — and few of those on the table were of the sort that are easy for me to attend to, by the “ear gate.” I wondered, “When will I sit and read all these books, most of which are too big to read in bed at night?” Quickly my mood also went into the Overloaded/Overwhelmed category and I climbed the stairs to bed.
Soon I decided the 5×5 plan is not for me. Clearly it wasn’t designed for me, but for young homeschooling mothers who need to read more books and look less at screens, who need to develop the habit of lifelong learning. I picked out several — not 25 — that I want to try extra hard to read in print this year.
Hmm… I almost forgot these I want to read after that first bunch. Altogether I see that they add up to about half of 25:
My two long-time friends Cori and Di came to visit for a couple of days last week, and because I planned for us to eat at the smaller table near the kitchen, I left my book mess as it was. They each brought dozens of titles for show-and-tell, give-or-lend. The warmth of the wood stove drew us to the nearby love seats, where we talked about all the volumes they brought out of their bags, a broad variety of genres and titles that would make the Scholé Sisters proud.
Many of Di’s offerings had Cori in mind, because she and her husband had lost their extensive library when their house burned down, in one of the many northern California fires of recent years. The only books I kept from this trading session were small paperbacks that I can easily read lying in bed, while my mind is turning off just before conking out for the night.
Our gathering was a festival, and a marathon
of talking and thinking, laughing and even weeping.
Now, it’s time for the reading to begin.
Gladsome Lights 
This sounds like a wonderful gathering of like-minded people!
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You have some of my favorites there – and some I also want to read!
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What a fun post, Gretchen. I don’t know about reading “plans” — I have friends that do that. I’m more of a “pick up what looks good to me at this moment,” more often than not something a little different from what I just finished. You have some diverse and very intriguing titles on the list and it will be fun to hear what you think of them.
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It really does sound wonderful! Jody told me about Well Read Moms and I have all the stuff and I have read two of the books for the year (Year of the Seeker) but I haven’t had the organizational oomph to start a group at this time. I LOVE to talk books with our oldest son and I realize that I do not access my literary enthusiasm often enough. Thanks for the boost, GJ!
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It’s really hit me recently just how important it is for women who, shall we say, thirst for the spiritual and intellectual have female friends who also thirst after the same things. It’s also got me playing with the idea of encouraging certain women (you included) to come to the Touchstone conference this fall and do a little get-together of our own and maybe add a couple of church visits to the roster after the official events are over. I don’t know; just thoughts going through my head after spending time talking to a couple friends roughly my age saying that they hardly know very many people who they can talk to about spiritual/intellectual things. You do a wonderful job of hitting that place with this blog, and I’m glad I get to follow it. :)
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I have many times thought about going to that conference. Now that you have put the idea in my head again…. 🙂
Last week I told my friends, whom I rarely see, that the ideal would be a coffee shop where one could go regularly and know that on a certain day, or days, of the week, people would be there who liked that kind of discussion. How many people have said that how many times!
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If that coffee shop ever came to be, roomie would be there in a heartbeat. What a lovely time you all had over your books and conversations and laughter.
Of your piles, I only know a few of the fiction (I love Dorothy Sayers). Thank you for the glimpse of your unshelved books 🙂
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What a nice post. You have an idea there, to take out all the books and figure it out. I have too many here I haven’t read.
I recently heard about groups of friends who get together with books each are reading and all sit together and each read their own thing, and then reading passages aloud when something strikes them. With snacks. Different kind of book club.
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A few years ago I began creating annual “reading challenges” of my own. I do it for fun and it presents a sort of challenge I must require at this stage in my life. A big part of the enjoyment for me is choosing the genres and selecting the books.
I like the idea of friends getting together with books to share and loan.
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I do love that last painting. And the idea of women friends sharing books. I’m so impressed with your book choices to be read but those in your before sleep time would be what I’d turn to. For many decades Dorothy Sayers was the only mystery writer I would read. And I read through each Michener as it was released but don’t recall this one. I never thought I would be listening to audiobooks but they have been such a help to me since my daughter-in-law set me up on a Libby app last year. They help get me through chores around the house in the late afternoons and evenings. I’ve been going through books on my bookshelves lately, pulling off least favorite to donate and naturally finding ones I’ve set aside on my bed table to reread one more time before donating. A few will probably go back on my shelves. I do love the reading plan that encourages young mothers to read more. It’s such a busy time of life and books in today’s social media glut must make it even harder to choose a book instead of scrolling.
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