One of my fellow bloggers (thanks, Sharon!) picked up this weekly post idea from another blogger, who got it from another… and since I love books and reading, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon too. By taking part in the W… W… W… Wednesdays post theme, I hope to share answers to these same questions every Wednesday:
– What I’m currently reading
– What I recently finished reading
– What I think I’ll read next
As a mom, I thought it would be a good idea to share the books I read on my own, as well as those I read with my kids and think other young kids would enjoy. Our house hosts about 50 library books at any time, so I’ll share the best of them each time. Here we go!
My bookshelf
1) What are you currently reading?
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
I should be done with this book today and it’s been very insightful. I’ve learned more about where our food comes from than I ever wanted to know, and how messed up the corn industry really is. This explains why there’s corn everywhere, from our food, to pet food, livestock feed, even car gasoline (ethanol, anyone?). I also learned that “organic” doesn’t always mean “mom and pop farm”, quite the opposite. While the author shares his personal experiences with food, he includes a lot of facts and research and doesn’t condone anyone for eating meat or some other questionable foods. If you want to know what’s really on your plate and your kids’ plates, this is a great place to start.
2) What did you recently finish reading?
Holes by Louis Sachar
What a great read! I’m buying a permanent copy for our home bookshelf, and I can’t wait for my boys to be old enough to read this book. This is what great writing looks like, and the kind of juvenile literature that will give kids (and adults alike) a genuine love for reading.
3) What do you think you’ll read next?
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
I had no idea the famous movie was a book first. Since most books are a lot better than the movies they inspire, I thought, why not try it.
My kids’ bookshelf
1) What are they currently reading?
After I read The Tale of Despereaux on my own, I realized Kate DiCamillo has a series of books with attractive illustrations about a pig named Mercy Watson. So we’re currently reading Mercy Watson To The Rescue and Mercy Watson Goes For A Ride. My oldest loves these books and my youngest, who’s just over three, is now patient enough to sit through the whole story (the vivid images help a lot). I definitely recommend Mercy’s adventures to little ones!
Some other new favorites are Rita and Whatsit and the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold (great book series for early readers).
2) What did they recently finish reading?
We’ve read most of the Mr Putter & Tabby collection by Cynthia Rylant. Our favorite picks so far are Mr Putter & Tabby Pick The Pears and Mr Putter & Tabby Paint The Porch. Both storylines along with their illustrations are simple hilarious. Where else can you see a pink squirrel and a blue chipmonk?
3) What do you think they’ll read next?
I’m not sure.I’ve ordered lots of books at the library and don’t know what’s coming next, but I hope for some more Mercy Watson.
What about you? What’s on your bookshelf or nightstand these days? Any books you may recommend for me or my kids?
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Perfecting Motherhood 
What a great meme! I am an avid reader and always enjoy hearing about what others are reading. (I’ve enjoyed keeping up with your picks on Goodreads as well – you’re quite the fast reader!)
I am a big fan of Michael Pollan. He has a clear point of view, but he also seems to understand the importance of small, incremental change. I also think he’s a terrific writer (love that chapter about the mushroom forage!).
Unfortunately I end up sacrificing sleep for reading time, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. :-)
My next Pollan pick is “In defense of food” – looks quite interesting. I heard recently on Wait, wait, don’t tell me, saying that humans are the only species who has to be told exactly what to eat. This guy has quite a sense of humor.
You’re right, his mushroom search was quite an adventure. I liked the comparison between Americans (mycophobes) and Europeans (mycophiles). Throughout my childhood my family gathered mushrooms in the wood, knowing which ones were edible. I’d never dare doing the same for my family for risk of poisoning them!
I love your choice of books and I love the choices for your kids too, Sharon is such a great writer and I follow her faithfully. Thanks for sharing these great reads.
Thanks for your feedback. I think this is a great post idea, so I’m glad Sharon picked it up and inspired me.
YAY! I’m glad to see you liked this idea and decided to do it, too! :)
It’s a great way to find out about books we all may want to read. Thanks for picking it up first!
Your enthusiastic mini review of Holes makes me want to get a copy for my niece!
Here’s my WWW Wednesdays (June 1) post!
Even though the story in Holes takes place at a boy camp, I think most girls would enjoy the premise and writing. Any child 9 or 10 and over should really like this book and want to read more from Louis Sachar afterwards. Glad to see you’re back on the WWW Wednesdays after stopping for a couple of months.