Pages of Parenting | Favorite Books From Year 5

It was another wonderful year of books in our home! We enjoyed timeless classics, discovered so many new-to-us titles, and started audiobooks in the car. It was also the first year the twins started requesting specific books and reciting words and lines :) Here's my curated selection -- the ones I want others to know about!

Favorite Author of the Year

Eric Carle

Best of the Best: Today is Monday

Favorite Illustrator Discovery

Carey Sookocheff

Best of the Best: Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems

Audiobooks

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, read by Douglas Hodge

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, read by Meryl Streep and a Full Cast

Best of the Best: Mouse Tales Aduio Collection by Arnold Lobel

Illustrations Only

The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller

Best of the Best: Field Trip series by John Hare

Nonfiction

Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler

Feathers Together by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

Building our House by Jonathan Bean

Best of the Best: Water is Water by Miranda Paul

Seasonal
It's Halloween by Jack Prelutsky

A Christmas Stocking Story by Hilary Knight

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, Illustrated by Loren Long

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer

Best of the Best: Sing a Song of Seasons illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

Rhythmic/Lyrical

Here We Come by Janna Matthies

A Day so Gray by Marie Lamba

Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino

Best of the Best: When the Moon is High by Alice Schertle

Preschool Central

Time to Sleep Sheep the Sheep! by Mo Willems

Birds by Kevin Henkes

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

Goose by Laura Wall

Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox

"Hi, Pizza Man!" by Virginia Walter

May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers

K is for Kindness by Rina Horiuchi

Best of the Best: Seven Bad Cats by Moe Bonneau

Playful Fiction

Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant

Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty

Puffin Peter by Petr Horáček

Forty Winks A Bedtime Adventure by Kelly DiPucchio

Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya

Maybe... by Chris Haughton

Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie

Best of the Best: Garcia & Collete Go Exploring by Hannah Barnaby

My Pick of the Year

A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends by Philip Waechter

Mr. Fleece's Pick of the Year 

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

NLW's Pick of the Year
Who Would Win? Extreme Animal Rumble by Jerry Pallotta

EDW's Pick of the Year

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle

CCW's Pick of the Year
Stanley's series by Willaim Bee

A house full of books,
-SJW

Previous favorites below!

2022 -- Favorite Books From Year 4
2021 -- Favorite Books From Year 3

Around the Corner & On my List | Fall 2023

So many celebrations ahead! Things we're looking forward to, planning for, and would like to do. 

Around the Corner
- Four family birthdays
- SK's 40th Birthday 
- Visit from Mimi and Poppa
- Visit from our friend JH
- Celebrate five years of parenting!
- West Seattle Silent Book Clubs (11/2, 12/7)

Fall Bucket List
- Breaking out our Tuffos and splashing in puddles
- Looking for "Spooky Scaries" in our Neighborhood
- Trick-or-Treating
- Another year of "no-plans November" 
- Friendsgivings
- Christmas Tree farm 
- Luminaries at Greenlake (12/9)
- Wild Lanterns at the Zoo
- Hyak Sno-Park Sledding 
- Host a Winter Solstice Party 

Fall Adventures
- Kirkland playgrounds
- Saltwater State Park 
- Pumpkin Patch
- Kelsey Creek Farm 

Fall Reading List
I hope to finish ten more books before the end of the year! Here's what's on my list: 
Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Book Club, Audiobook)
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (Audiobook)
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (Audiobook)
Untamed by Glennon Doyle (Audiobook)
Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson 
Emma by Jane Austen 
True Grit by Charles Portis (Audiobook)
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin 
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Leaves on the ground,

- SJW

February Feature: From the Front Porch | Podcast

I was first introduced to Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, a bookstore in Thomasville, GA, on the Little Women episode of Novel Pairings. She shared her enthusiasm for Louisa May Alcott's heroines and character-driven novels in general. In turn, she sparked my interest and I started listening to her podcast, From the Front Porch. I particularly enjoy her monthly reading recaps and conversations with Hunter McLendon. As a modern day Kathleen Kelly, she emphasizes how a book makes her feel over specific page-turning plot points. In short, Annie's a lovely person to listen to and she's skilled at describing books!

The first episode of January 2023 features her favorite books of all time and is a quick way to get a sense of her reading taste.

Thanks to Annie B. Jones, these titles are on my list: 

Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette
But You Did Not Come Back by Marceline Loridan-Ivens
Flight by Lynn Steger Strong
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
The Road by Corman McCarthy 

Podcast
Website

Here are a few other bookstagrammers whose content I enjoy: 
@lizisreading_ -- her 'top 20' stories have lots of great titles
@michellereadsbooks -- like the format of her monthly review posts
@diversespines -- love their mission and corresponding book

Reading every night,

- SJW

February Feature: FictionMatters | Public Reader

Whenever I listen to the Novel Pairings podcast, I'm struck by Sara's insight into books, particularly her focus on themes, style, and structure. Like her, I value writing and language and I'm just as interested in how a story is told as I am in the story itself. Sara's love of literary fiction and mythology draws her to introspective, often dark or weird novels, and she prioritizes well-drawn characters over intricate plots. I appreciate her mix of new releases and backlist titles, and inclination to explore weighty subjects like grief, complex relationships, family dynamics, and race in America.

Sara's reading list is impressively broad, and she often provides "mood recs" on Instagram. If you're ever in a reading rut, just take a look at her stories!

Thanks to FictionMatters, these titles are on my reading list:
Fun Home:A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey 
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Nevermoor the Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
Zorrie by Laird Hunt

At the start of this year, I joined the FictionMatters Patreon and have enjoyed listening to her members-only "Books that Matter" podcast, as well as the episodes in which she ranks every book she read each month. I never thought I'd pay for bookish content, but I'm happy to support Sara's work and join the community of thoughtful readers she's fostered through her book clubs and other reader-focused events.

Website
Patreon
Newsletter
Instagram

Pausing on Dewey Decimal, 

- SJW

February Feature: Novel Pairings | Podcast

A year ago, my college roommate introduced me to Novel Pairings and it quickly consumed my earbuds. The podcast is hosted by two former high school English teachers that feature classic books and pair them with contemporary titles that contain similar themes, topics, or styles. They often refer to books being in conversation with one another, particularly when one has shaped a genre or led to various adaptations. Tuning in is like eavesdropping on a cozy and intellectual book club between friends -- whether they're defining literary lenses, speculating genres, sharing a 'pick of the week', recommending audiobooks, or sharing personal reflections, the show is an absolute delight!

When first listening, I chose episodes with titles I was already familiar with -- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Little Women, but soon after decided to start at the beginning and listen straight through in order. I genuinely think you could start with any episode, including their current semester of Children's Literature, but I've grouped some of my favorites below. 

Classics I picked up because of the podcast -- these all became favorites!:
Passing by Nella Larsen
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson 
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (inspired by their J-term covering Not Without Laughter)

High school required reading that I enjoyed revisiting through their conversation:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

'Short Story Club' Episodes that were fun to quickly read and then listen to:
Speech Sounds by Octavia Butler
All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Titles I don't necessarily intend to read, but still enjoyed their discussions:
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay
There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

Episodes I'm waiting to listen to until after I read the book:
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Additional titles I picked up from their recommendations:
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott

Their Quarterly Favorites are especially fun and help provide a sense of their reading tastes. I'm often intrigued by Sara's fiction and Chelsey's nonfiction selections. Their podcast helped revamp my reading life and is my go-to resource for determining what to read next. I'm so smitten that I joined their Patreon Community in order to support their work and receive access to an archive of classes, lectures, seminars, and bonus episodes. 

Podcast
Patreon
Blog
Instagram

Effusively gushing, 
- SJW

February Feature: Lindywell | Pilates Instructor

Another February brings another round of February Features! 

I'm kicking things off with a long-time favorite, my online Pilates Membership platform. Originally 'The Balanced Life', the company was rebranded to Lindywell last year. I joined while pregnant with NLW and am coming up on 5 years with the program. It's been a staple in my exercise routine and is the number one way I build strength and flexibility. 

Lindywell's founder is Robin Long, an encouraging, positive advocate for short effective workouts, plus a mother of fraternal twins! Her membership package provides access to an archive of videos and a curated monthly workout plan. Each day I just log in, and click play for that day's video -- typically 10-15 minutes on MWF and 25+ minutes on TTH.  It's realistic, convenient, fun and at just $19/month, fairly inexpensive. 

While I have long dips in my consistency, I appreciate having a go-to plan that I can pick up at any time. I recommend it to everyone and have had several friends join the program -- occassionally I can even get Mr. Fleece to do a workout with me :)

Website
Podcast
Blog
Instagram
14 Day Free Trial

Every time I create space to breathe, stretch, relax, and move my body, I notice the mental and physical difference. Along with connecting with friends, taking walks, and reading, Pilates is a core way that I personally restore and recharge!

Remember to breathe,

- SJW

Dog-earred Pages | 2023

I found my monthly reading categories from last year a helpful "placeholder" for planning out books I'd put on my to-be-read list. I also embraced my perpensity toward mood reading and liked designating summer for that! Here are my updated categories for this year:

January: Self-Help + Recommendations
February: Anti-Racism
March: Memoir
April: Poetry + Short Stories 
May: Literary Fiction
June: Graphic Novels 
July: Mood Reading
August: Mood Reading
September: Mood Reading 
October: Motherhood
November: Nonfiction
December: Classic 

As for specific books, these are on my shortlist:

I'd also like to read more by the following authors: 

Amor Towles, Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, Gabrielle Zevin,
Isabel Wilkerson, James Baldwin, and Kevin Wilson

With a dreamy far-off look,
-SJW