Library

I’ve had my nose stuck in a book since I was a wee little one, and I have the goggle glasses to prove it.  When I was a kid and got into fights with my brothers, they would often sigh “just go to your room and read a book,” so I did.  Now, as a parent, sometimes I fantasize about this banishment.  If you can “just go to your room and read a book,” you might try some of the following.

Parenting:

Bright from the Start:  This is where I learned, much to my husband’s chagrin, that television for the under two crowd is a no-no, but overall this is not a book that scares, just makes you feel better about not having all the expensive toys.  You really truly don’t need them.

The Happiest Baby on the Block:  Okay, I cheated.  We watched the DVD.  It made colic at least a little bearable.  Every new parent needs to read/watch this.  I’m not kidding.  Go to your room right now and read this.

When Your Baby Won’t Stop Crying:  I read a lot of books on colic and this was the most comforting.  This is one woman’s story; her son had colic for 9 months.  She presents and analyzes the main possible causes of colic; however, this book was most helpful in giving my deep dark thoughts and fears a voice.

Baby Led Weaning: Purees are fine, but they aren’t the only option for introducing solids to your baby.  Don’t let the name fool you.  This isn’t about breastfeeding your baby until he/she is ten, but rather about skipping purees and rice cereals.  Intrigued?  So was I.

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: I’ll be honest, the tone of this book annoyed me. The authors treat us (the readers) like we are the same age as the young children we are trying to discipline. However, despite the annoying tone, I found the actual logic of the book convincing. It teaches you how to discipline your young child (think ages 1 1/2 to 6 years) without shouting, without lecturing, without losing your cool at all. I hope it works!

History:

Dream Babies:  This is a look at three centuries of advice for moms.  A lot is packed into the book and some clear parenting biases are evident, but overall a nice historical account of the back and forth that has been happening for centuries.  Who knew the mommy wars were so old?

A Consumer’s Republic: This isn’t a parenting book, but a couple chapters deal with women as consumers.  I happen to think the history of consumption is interesting, especially as it relates to national identity.  Perhaps this is a niche topic, but if social history is your thing, read this book.

The Duchess: Some Amazon readers complain that this book was boring, but they couldn’t be more wrong. It is a fascinating account of the life of Duchess Georgiana Devonshire who was hugely popular and influential in 18th century England. Scandals abound. This is a well-researched history book, so don’t expect a novel, but if you have any interest in women’s history or just in a juicy story, check it out.

Women’s Bodies:

Lose Your Mummy Tummy: I had a 9 pound 11 ounces baby girl and 19 months later a 10 pounds 7 ounces son  (and I’m petite), so I definitely had (okay have) a “mummy tummy.”  I also have a diastasis.  I don’t always do my tuplers (read the book to learn what they are), but at least I know not to do sit-ups and just make my belly worse.  There are probably better programs for closing a diastasis that are more reasonable, but this is where my education started, so I still recommend the book. Did you know sit-ups are bad?  If not, you need to check this book out.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: I am convinced this book is the main reason I got pregnant one month after getting married.  Enough said.

Literature:

Never Let Me Go:  This novel by Kazuo Ishiguro made me cry, possibly because I listened to the audio book while nursing my weeks old baby and had tons of hormones streaming through me, but more likely because it is beautifully written.  The author also wrote The Remains of the Day, a sign that the pace is slow but touching, personal but universal.  If you are looking for a novel that isn’t like all the rest, please read this.

Science:

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer: Are you thinking, “A biography of cancer? What is that? It sounds oppressively boring.” This is what I thought when I kept on hearing the title pop up on best seller lists and some reviewer talk about the wonders of the narrative. I bought it to see if it lived up to all the hype, and it so totally does. Parts of the book are technical, but I’m not a science person and I still found the story of cancer amazing and interesting. The author, Siddhartha Mukherjee, approaches cancer from historical, medical, human, and political perspectives. This book isn’t obviously about moms, but many of the patients were moms and he spends a good amount of time talking about breast cancer. When finishing this book I felt smarter. Sometimes when I read a science minded book I get so frustrated at my inability to follow anything and other times I get so mad that the technical information has been insultingly dumbed down. This book is the porridge just right.