My February Bookshelf
“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”
I’m working less these days so I try to be mindful of my spending. On my morning walks with the dog I gift myself a weekly oat milk latte at my local coffee shop. My husband and I also enjoy walking to the pub a couple of times a month to enjoy dinner and a pint. And I’ve been known to indulge a few dollars every now and then at a lovely independent shop in the village that sells the most exquisite journals and wonderful, colourful felt pens. But when it comes to books there is no controlling me! Budget, what budget? If I see a book I like, I buy it! It isn’t like I don’t have access to free books - I have a membership at two libraries and always have a pile of murder mysteries by my bed or on my iPad. I also regularly exchange books with my daughters and a couple of friends. But I can’t walk by the book display at Costco without buying something – their books are so inexpensive. And Indigo and Amazon just make it so easy to buy books! Many of my favourite authors release books in the UK 6 -9 months before they are available in Canada, and I am always quick to place my order - even with the exchange and delivery cost the price is usually comparable to what I would pay at home. I have no patience to wait for a book. I maintain a long list of books and their release dates on my iPad and regularly pre-order books so I don’t have to wait. Books are also my only impulse buy, if I read about a book that I think I would enjoy and it’s not available at the library, I buy it. It’s not unusual for me to get three to four Indigo packages left at my door during the week.
Let me share with you what is sitting on my bookshelf this month.
A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader (Maria Popova & Claudia Bedrick, eds)
This was a Christmas present from my daughter and her boyfriend that I dip into when I want something short to read. The brilliant Maria Popova of Brain Pickings and Claudia Bedrick reached out to some of the people they most admired inviting them to write a short letter to young readers about how reading sculpted their character and destiny. I expect this book will rest on my bookshelf until I can one day share it with grandchildren.
Circe (Madeline Miller)
I don’t usually read historical fiction but this book comes highly recommended and when reviews mention family rivalry, goddesses and storytelling then it’s probably a good bet that I’ll enjoy it.
Foxfire, Wolfskin and other stories of Shapeshifting Women (Sharon Blackie)
I am intrigued by the interplay between women and nature. Sharon Blackie’s name also keeps serendipitously appearing in writings I follow, so I think this book needs some exploring.
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Lost (Margaret Renkl)
This book of essays… a portrait of a family - and of the cycles of joy and grief that inscribe human lives within the natural world… sounds absolutely captivating.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
This is another book that has intrigued me for a while - essays by an indigenous botanist about how plants and animals are our oldest teachers, offering us gifts and lessons.
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life (Parker J. Palmer)
Several years ago I attended my first Courage and Renewal retreat based on the teachings of Parker J. Palmer. It was a defining moment in my life. I have recently been accepted to train as a facilitator for the Soul of Aging, a community of mutual support to explore the spiritual dimensions of aging. This well-worn book has lived on my bookshelf for many years and I am dusting it off to re-acquaint myself with Parker’s wisdom in preparation for my upcoming journey.
Have you read any of these yet? I’d love to know what you thought! I’d also be really interested to know what’s on your bookshelf this month!