Motherhood changes you. You gain the most beautiful child, experience a love you have never felt before and an instinct to protect them at all costs. Yes, we gain so much through parenthood but we also lose. In fact, a lot of things become nonexistent. People warned me that I would lose my sleep, pre-baby body, and any spontaneity my husband and I enjoyed before having kids. Although this warning was unsolicited and irritating, they were completely right. One bit of information I would have actually found useful, but no one ever mentioned was the massive hit my reading life was going to take.
You may be thinking: reading? Are you seriously worried about not reading?
Well, yes. I used to read a lot. As a kid, I read anything I could get my hands on. I spent hours under my covers with a flashlight reading the latest Babysitter’s Club book, or scaring myself to death with Goosebumps. I enjoyed my advanced high school literature classes. As a young adult, I loved Hunger Games and anything written by Sophie Kinsella or Jennifer Weiner. A couple of years ago, in the thick of raising 4 kids, I realized I hadn’t read anything in years. Nothing. Not a single book. I had to break my massive reading drought. If you are going through something similar, here are some things that helped me prioritize reading over the other things begging for my attention each day.
First, I knew I had to set a goal. 12 books in a year. Setting a completely attainable goal with little parameters was exactly what I needed, and I ended up reading 29 books. For 2019 I made a goal of 24 books, intentionally aiming for more nonfiction.
Realize how much you DO read each day. All the scrolling, reading forums and comments. We must read hundreds of thousands of words each day. This realization helped me focus on keeping those words I do consume meaningful. When I looked closely at what I was consuming, It seemed as if I was filling my ‘word quota’ with meaningless chatter or arguments online. Think about it, if you only have the energy to read 100,000 words a day and are spending those words on random and mostly unhelpful sources then that’s not a wise use of your energy. Make sense?
Ditch the TV. This was a hard habit for me to start because I love TV. If this is you too, my advice is to start small. If there is a show or movie you’re interested in, see if it’s based on a book. Birdbox, You, House on Haunted Hill, 13 Reasons Why, even Tidying Up With Marie Kondo are all good examples of hit shows based on a book. Commit to reading the book before seeing the movie. Before long, you will likely only read the books- because they tend to be far superior to their cinematic counterparts.
Don’t forget about audio books. Maybe the idea of sitting down and reading after an exhausting day seems even more exhausting. How about an audiobook? I like to listen while I fold laundry or before I go to bed. This doesn’t have to cost you much money at all. Overdrive or Hoopla can be accessed with just your library card, or download Librivox if you don’t want to spring for an Audible subscription just yet.
Get momentum. Start with a genre you enjoy. Think back to those books you just couldn’t put down and search for something similar. I promised you some recommendations to help you get the ball rolling, so here are some books I have enjoyed lately.
Historical Fiction
The Nightingale: This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I am pretty sure nothing she has written can top it. This is a story about two sisters living in occupied France during WWII. Be prepared to fall in love with each character as they navigate the war, and make very different but very important contributions to their survival.
The Other Einstein: Have you ever heard of Albert Einstein’s brilliant wife? Yeah, me either. She is truly fascinating and completely under-celebrated by the general public. Getting a glimpse into her life and relationship with Albert was a great use of my word quota.
Daughter of A Daughter of A Queen: A beautiful and gut-wrenching story of Cathy Williams, a former slave and the first black woman to serve with the Buffalo Soldiers. My history book never taught me about her, so I am thankful to have picked up this book.
Thriller/Mystery
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – I just finished this book and ended up loving it. Basically, it’s about a man, who has 8 days to solve this murder. Each night Evelyn Hardcastle dies. Each day he is transported inside of a different host (a person attending the party) to try to solve the murder before it happens. Fair warning, it’s unusual and at times hard to follow, but keep just reading. The payoff at the end is well worth the effort.
Bird Box– I really enjoyed this book. If you watched the movie and liked it, I almost guarantee you will still find the book enjoyable. There seem to be a lot of plot differences especially among the relationships of the characters, which changes things quite a bit. One of those un-put-down-able books, with a satisfying ending.
Nonfiction
Devoted – This little faith-filled book has probably had the biggest impact on my mothering. It’s short and encouraging as it profiles the mothers of many well-known Christian missionaries, speakers and writers. As a mom of 3 boys, I found it so helpful while navigating something that can at times seem so foreign – being a boy mom. Such a reminder to give myself grace and stop expecting perfection in this area. That all of my efforts will be worked together for good, even if I don’t see exactly how.
I’ll Be Gone In the Dark– As an amateur laptop detective myself, I HAD to read this book. The author, while sleuthing in her spare time, became completely consumed by the case of the Golden State Killer. A person who terrorized the Bay Area for decades. This book is what she uncovered about the man who committed these crimes. What I loved about this book was that Michelle didn’t put the GSK on a pedestal as some true crime writers do about their subjects. She spoke with many victims and really did justice to keeping the book respectful toward them and the horror that they experienced while piecing together a profile of who this man is. It is absolutely heartbreaking that Michelle passed away just months before he was caught.
Audiobook
The Alice Network– I listened to this book for a few months before bed, and it was the highlight of each day. The narrator is so good. The intertwining fictional stories of Charlie and Eve is an exciting glimpse inside of a spy ring made up of mostly women in WWI France. I can’t WAIT to read Kate Quinn’s newest novel, The Huntress.
Code Name Verity– As you have probably guessed by now, I have a fascination with spies. This story is told from the perspective of a spy who is imprisoned and writing her confession. What follows is a story of friendship, loyalty, and of course secret missions. The main character is so authentic, it truly felt like she was my best friend.
Where the Crawdads Sing – A book with such rich descriptive language that it transports you straight to a marsh in North Carolina. This book made me feel everything. A teenage boy dies, and a little girl, living alone in the marsh- neglected by her parents, becomes a suspect. Very thought provoking and unlike anything I have ever read.
My favorite book OF ALL TIME!!
And Then There Were None– Agatha Christie is just the queen of mystery. That’s all there is to it. This is the quintessential set-up: a big mansion, a small party, guests start dying. I absolutely did not see the twist coming, and it is glorious. Not a long book, and impossible to put down until you figure out whodunnit.
What are your recommendations for those of us looking to end our personal reading droughts? Sound-off in the comments, I’d love to add your suggestions to my to-be-read list!
