Tag: books

quick lit – next page, please {february 2019}

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Per usual, I’m linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy to discuss what we have been reading last month.

Currently Reading

  • This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide by Geneen Roth. Yep! Still going. It seems like I get more and more from it. Amazing, isn’t it?
  • The Life-Changing Habit of Tidying Up and Spark Joy by Marie Kondo. I’m rereading these because I am working on my intention to “create home” in our first ever Enjoy Life Project. I have finished clothes (which I invite you to check out) and books (post coming soon).
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I love books about books and that’s what this is with a lot of mystery thriller thrown in, which is not my typical genre. It was recommended in Anne’s post, 20 Books About Books and Bookstores. I thought I had read a good number of them; turns out, I have only read three or four. The mystery part has got me a bit and even though the writing is excellent, this one is feeling like a bit of a slog.
  • Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee. I was on the fence about whether I would finish this one. It looks like I haven’t yet.

Read

  • Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. So, last month I stated that this one didn’t grip me like her most recent novel, Almost Sisters. I spoke too soon. It was excellent. I did NOT see the twist coming. I have been thinking about it a lot recently. Liked it very much.
  • The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by Anuschka Rees. I have been working my way through this book for over a year. Meaning that I have been completing her recommended exercises, compiling a style mood board on Pinterest, and determining Looks I Love.  After cleaning out my closet using the KonMari Method, again, (shameful promotion coming up, LOL) you can read about that over here, I was able to breeze through the rest of the book. I will be referring to this one often.  I like that it is different from most style books by not placing the reader in a box, like Bohemian, Chic, etc.  You determine what you like and experiment to find what works for you.

On Hold/Abandoned Reading

Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process will probably be down here next month.

What have you been reading?

enjoy life…

 

quick lit – next page, please {january 2019}

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Quick Lit {January 2019}I’m happy to say that I am getting back into the grove of my reading life after the Holidays. Here’s an update, which includes the return of an old favorite – did the pic give it away?

Currently Reading

  • This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide by Geneen Roth. The astute readers of the blog will note that I read this one last month, and the month before that. Yes, I’m still reading it-savoring it slowly. Not wanting to miss anything this go-around. Have you ever read a book like that?
  • Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. Her most recent novel Almost Sisters was tied for my best book of 2018, so naturally I was curious enough to read her backlist. I’ve got to tell you, this one isn’t gripping me like Almost Sisters did but I am just over halfway through so there is still time.  The setting of Alabama remains the same, and there is an interracial couple as well. And, of course, there’s been a death.  I’ll have to see how I feel at the end.
  • Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee. Have you ever read a book that seems to go over your head? Well, this is that one for me. His writing style is so (what’s the word I’m looking for) elevated? Most of it is slipping past me.  But I wanted to read some more books on the writing craft and maybe, I am not to his level of writing expertise which is why I am struggling through these essays.  We will see if I am able to finish this one.
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I love books about books and that’s what this is, with a lot of mystery thriller thrown in which is not my typical genre. This book was translated from the original Spanish and I don’t know if that is what is making the book feel older than it actually is.  Published in 2001, the story is set in the late 1940s but with the sentence construction, I feel like it’s actually taking place pre-1800s.  I am scared of this one (the mystery thriller bit) but the writing is excellent and the storyline is fascinating.
  • The Life-Changing Habit of Tidying Up and Spark Joy by Marie Kondo. I’m rereading these because I am working on my intention to “create home” in our first ever Enjoy Life Project. I’d love for you to pop over and read about it if you haven’t already done so.

Read

  • I’ll Be There for You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller. I got hooked on the TV show Friends while in college. I love this show. My hubby bought me the complete collection while we were dating.  And I love behind the scenes insights of just about anythings so picking this up was a no brainer.  It was also fascinating to discover that the writers and producers think that if there had not been a 9-11, the show would not have lasted as long as it did.  For you other Friends fans out there, do you have any thoughts on this?
  • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. A reread of the first book that I read about books. I HEART this book.

On Hold/Abandoned Reading

  • Becoming Michelle by Michelle Obama. I own this one so when my library holds come in I must reprioritize, am I right? I have no doubt that I will get back to it soon.

So, what do you think of my list? And how about you? What have you been reading? Head over to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s to see what the MMD community has been up to.

enjoy life…

spark joy: create home thru konmari

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photo credit: @booksamillion

In the first Enjoy Life Project on the blog, we are working on Creating Home, one of my intentions for 2019. The first step for me is to purge my home of the unnecessary. I am choosing to use the KonMari method, developed by Marie Kondo, a Japanese decluttering guru and author of two book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up {LM} and Spark Joy {SJ} that I read over three years ago. (You can check out my intro about why it took me three years to do this.) After completing her first two all important steps: (1) Commit to the process and (2) Visualize our destination, our next step is to purge our belongings.

Before we jump into the criteria for purging our belongings, I wanted to share with you guys what happened when I took some extra time to visualize my destination. Marie strongly encourages us to make this visualization as vivid as possible.

I was continuing my research in preparation for this project, and I happen to do some right before I went to sleep.  While I was sleeping, I had the most vivid dream.  I was preparing to leave my home for the day and I opened my closet was greeted by an overwhelming sense of serenity.  Everything had its place and everything was in its place.  My beloved faux leather jackets (yes, I love them so much I purchased two of them) hung next to perfectly fitting jeans. Underneath, my shoe collection waited patiently for me to select which pair would support me that day.  I opened a drawer lined in a beautiful light-colored patterned which contrasted beautifully with my folded black tops and underthings.  On the dresser was a lovely picture of the Buddy and the hubby, my favorite perfume, and a vase of flowers. What was the most palpable was the sense of sheer happiness and tranquility that I felt in my spirit. I woke up with that feeling, wanting that feeling to stay with me. That’s what this whole project of “creating home” is all about.

*******

The ability to keep what sparks joy and chuck the rest. According to Marie, this is one of only two skills necessary to put the house in order.

She points out, “people cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking” and instead of focusing on what to get rid of, she recommends one tiny tweak. We are choosing what to keep.

SIDEBAR: Worried that perhaps you haven’t yet changed your mindset? No worries. According to Marie, tidying in one go (within six months) can do that for you because the change is so profound that it touches your emotions which changes your mind for you.

We chose what to keep by deciding to keep those things that “spark joy”.

That’s it. There are no other criteria.

In fact, she states that the moment you begin to think about how to decide what to keep, that is the moment that you are off course and headed for rebound-the necessity of having to complete the entire tidying process again. Personally, I don’t want to clean out my closet again. I have been doing cleaning out my closet for 17 years! I am tired of it.  Aren’t you?

In Spark Joy, Marie states:

Feelings of fascination, excitement, or attraction are not the only indicators of joy.  A simple design that puts you at ease, a high degree of functionality that makes life simpler, a sense of rightness, or the recognition that a possession is useful in our daily lives – these, too, indicate joy.  [Emphasis provided]

But for other things, joy will be indicated by the thrill of the touch. You will just know. A la my leather jackets. The process of discarding is also called a “joy check”.  I really like that.

If you are afraid that you do not know what gives you joy, she recommends finding something that you know you really really really like.  And then compare how you feel about it to the other item that you are not sure about it.  As you go through this process your “joy meter” will be honed and distinguishing what gives you joy will become easier and easier.

I feel that I have a pretty good idea about what sparks joy for me.  My difficulty will be in “chucking” the rest.  I tend to be a bit of a pack-rat. I always think that I will need something or that I will wish that I had kept it. I think this will be my main challenge.

I’m excited! Let’s see how we do. Do you know what sparks joy for you?

The first category is clothes, which I intend to do this weekend.  As stated above, per Marie, the process of tidying the entire home should take place within a six month period.  On her show on Netflix, I saw a couple complete it within a month.  There may have been some sleepless nights involved with that one. Momentum is very important and she recommends that once you complete one category, you move on to the next one on her list quickly, using the same criteria: does the item “spark joy”. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take me but I would like to be finish in about three months.

enjoy life…

Next post in the series:

Clothes, Part I