So many books, so little time

What did I read in March?

The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Excellent for anyone interested in cellular biology, immunology in particular. To really understand the subject you really need a background in biology. Long. 

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce. Historical fiction. Set in London during the Blitz. 

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama. Interesting information about her family, her life, and her personal philosophy.

What am I reading now?

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone, 1932-1940 by William Manchester. (FM read aloud book)

The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton (JMM read aloud book)

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley

The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl

 

Signs of Spring

 

Redbud Tree

Fringe Tree

Barn Swallows

Redbud Tree

Bridal Wreath Bush

What I am not showing is the thick layer of yellow oak pollen which has JMM’s allergies astir. 

Things I Like

 

Sunrise this morning

Things I like

Susan Branch admonishes us to find as many things to love as possible. She’s absolutely right. 

Books

   Way, way too many to list

Kittens/Cats

Puppies/Dogs

Food

   Cookies right out of the oven

   The bread and salad at The Olive Garden 

   My son-in-law’s burgers

Movies

   Miss Potter

   The Harry Potter series

   The Godfather series (Totally out of character for me, but true.)

My home

   Folding warm clothes right out of the drier

   Organizing a drawer or shelf 

   A clean kitchen

My family

Places

   Anywhere in Italy

   Anywhere in the UK

   Anywhere along the California, Oregon, Washington Coast

Sounds

   Classical music

    Bees on flowers

   Waves on the seashore

   Morning birdsong

Art

   Impressionists-Monet and Van Gogh

   Vermeer 

Botanical Gardens 

Birding especially in the Rio Grande Valley or the Texas Gulf Coast

Quilting

Smells

   Almost anything in the oven

   Roses

   Fresh Linens

   Fresh sea air

I’m a bit late in posting my reading for February but better late than never. 

   Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus by David Quammen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is a bit dated and doesn’t go much into the clinical aspects but was very interesting in the hunt for the reservoir of the virus. It was heartbreaking in the parts about the deaths of the great apes from the virus. 

   Honest Aging by Rosanne Leipzig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent lists of resources. Much of the book I was already familiar with (eat right, exercise, get enough sleep) but learned several helpful things (kidneys don’t concentrate urine as well, need to consume more protein as we age).

   Graceland, at Last by Ruth Renkl. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️How I enjoy her essays on life in the U.S. South in the NTTimes! Having a whole collection of them to read at my leisure was a real treat. The book came out a couple of years ago and she now has another book of essays out that I am looking forward to reading. 

 

Book Lists

 

The lovely Brenda @ It’s A Beautiful Life had a blog post on Book Lists and since I am a very listy person, I couldn’t resist making my own lists. 

Book Lists

1. A favorite (or 2 or 3) from your childhood

  The Little House books (all of them)

  The Louisa May Alcott books (all of them)

  The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace

2. A book you read once but couldn’t stop thinking about

3. A book that shaped your life

     Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

     Today Matters by John Maxwell

     Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez & Vicky Robin

4. A book you couldn’t put down

5. A book with a favorite heroine

6. A book that creates a safe place 

     All of the Miss Read books. I go to Caxley or Thrush Green or to Fairacre to have tea with Miss Clare. 

7. A book that lifts your spirits and makes you feel happy 

8. A book you like to read over and over 

     I have read the Miss Read books countless times.

9. A book you just finished and loved

     Tom Lake by Ann Pachett

10. A book you just started and know you’re going to like

     The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama