Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby.  I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book.  Here are my reads for February, 2015…

Lila (Gilead #3), by Marilynne Robinson – In December, I read Gilead, Marilynne Robinson’s lyrical novel about a dying pastor’s relationships with his father and grandfather (told through the vehicle of a letter to his young son).  Lila is the third novel set in Gilead (the second, Home, I haven’t read yet, but it’s not a series that needs to be read in order) and I liked it even better than Gilead.  Lila focuses on the pastor’s wife – her history, how she came to Gilead, and how she ended up married to Reverend Ames.  I loved Lila’s voice, and her story was raw and heartbreaking but uplifting at the same time.  The writing, of course, was spectacular.  My only wish (not a complaint) was that Robinson would have shown more of Lila actually falling in love with Reverend Ames.  It’s clear by Gilead that she loves him very much, but in the beginning of their marriage she always seemed to have one foot halfway out the door.  I’d love to see their relationship develop in the six years between the end of Lila and the beginning of Gilead.  Perhaps Robinson is holding onto that story for a future book?  Let’s hope so.

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #14), by Alexander McCall Smith – I always love a visit with Mma Precious Ramotswe, and it had been quite some time.  This installment (the penultimate thus far, but I’ll be reading the most recent very soon, and then I’ll be all up-to-date again) was eventful as usual.  Mma Ramotswe is called upon to investigate the true identity of the purported heir to a prosperous farm, and also to uncover who has been threatening a local beauty salon.  The difference is that for most of the book, she’s flying solo, because her Associate Detective, Mma Grace Makutsi, is out of the office on maternity leave!  Mma Ramotswe is a little overwhelmed without her trusted colleague, and the scene of her crying at her desk was heartbreaking – for me and for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, who responds by attempting to take a course in how to be a modern husband (one of the funniest scenes in the book).  As always, the mysteries took a backseat to the characters’ lives, and I wouldn’t have it any other way with this series.

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr – I’d started this one back in November and set it down in the early chapters, because I wasn’t able to renew my library copy.  I bought my own copy but had no sense of urgency in tackling it.  Once I finally cleared my library stack, though, it was time to get back to this one, and when I got into it, I loved it.  Marie-Laure Le Blanc is a blind girl living with her great-uncle in the walled seaside city of Saint-Malo after fleeing Paris with her father as the Nazi army advanced into the city.  Werner Pfennig is a German engineering genius who is swept by powers far greater than himself into that same Nazi army.  Marie-Laure’s and Werner’s stories unfold in parallel until one day, their fates come together.  The writing was beautiful, the story captivating, and once I got through the relatively slow-moving early chapters I couldn’t put the book down.

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You, by Jessica N. Turner – I’ve been struggling a lot lately with finding time (and attention) to pursue the things that I’ve always enjoyed doing.  Part of that problem is of my own making – I certainly fritter away too much time on social media and don’t use my spare time effectively – but much of it is the result of juggling a full-time job, a full-time toddler, and a full-time pregnancy.  When I saw The Fringe Hours reviewed enthusiastically on other blogs, I knew I had to see what it was all about.  Jessica, a full-time working mom and successful blogger who manages to find time for herself each day, is the perfect cheerleader for any woman (mom or not) looking to reclaim some time for herself.  Some of her tips aren’t really relevant to me right now, but others I’m already implementing and I’ve noticed a definite uptick in the amount of time I’m spending on my own happiness.  (That’s an uptick from next-to-none to a-little-bit, but it’s something.)  I’ll have more to say on this topic next week.

Four books again in February… not as much as I’d have liked to read, but it was a short month and I enjoyed everything, so I can’t complain!  The highlight was definitely All the Light We Cannot See, which I can’t recommend highly enough.  Reading pace is still relatively slow as I try to squeeze in baby preparations and make plenty of time for family activities with Peanut before her little brother arrives sometime in March.  (Ideally late March, because we’re still nowhere near ready.)  I also had a clogged currently-reading list (3-4 books instead of 1-2) most of the month, which always slows me down some.  But I have some good stuff to read in March – I’m hoping to get caught up on two mystery series, and I’m midway through a new release that I’d been itching to read and am loving so far – so stay tuned for updates at the end of the month!