Books from My Nightstand - March Edition

It took me the first five days of the month to finish my first book, but it was well worthwhile. I enjoy non-fiction, and I enjoy the occasional fiction book as well (as you'll see below), but I also enjoy books that challenge me to change, push me to think differently about things, and help me to grow as a person. March was full of such books, and others, that kept me on track with and even well ahead of my 2024 reading goals. 

And with the weather warming up, I'm already looking forward to some nice spring days, sitting under the newly budded trees, book in hand, to continue working towards the simple goal of getting back to my bookworm roots. What are you looking forward to as spring begins? What simple goals are keeping you active? What books are making you think and grow, much like the plants and grass and trees all around us? Hit me up in the comments with your book recommendations and spring dreams!

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

1. 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam - ★★★★ This book had been sitting on my shelf for eleven years because I hadn't "had time" to read it. Ironic, eh? I wouldn't say there was anything mind blowing in this, but it was a good nudge to really look at the ways in which you spend your time. Are you filling your 168 hours with mediocre projects or activities, leaving no room for the things that really matter? Could you cut out TV (a suggestion she gives time and again, much to my delight) in order to make more room for reading, spending quality time with your kids, or finally writing that book you've always said you wanted to write? Whether you fill out her forms and follow the process, or simply take another look at the hours in your day, I think there's something for everyone in here. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
2. The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith - ★★★ I wanted to like this. I love most of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books by the same author, though I did walk away from the "Isabel Dalhousie" series, and lost interest several books into the "44 Scotland Street" set. So maybe it shouldn't have come as a big surprise to have some disappointments here. The premise was interesting, and the writing flowed so easily (as all his books do), but there were some aspects of the story (while historically accurate) that I could have done without (the pre-marital kind, but in no way graphic). However, if these things are not a hangup for you, the book was a quick, enjoyable read. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
3. Delay, Don't Deny by Gin Stephens - ★★★★ I purchased this book back in 2020, when the weight first started to pack on. It sat on a shelf for the last four years until this month, when I was hunting for my next reads and stumbled across it. I'm giving it four stars, not because it's so well written (the author clearly states at the beginning that she was embracing a casual writing style - and she did!), but because of the encouragement I received from reading it. She isn't a medical doctor, but she shares her personal story with dieting and intermittent fasting, and she shares book recommendations by physicians who back up her experience. The timing of this book was perfect, as just two days prior I decided it was time to try fasting again, and then this confirmed it and gave me new steps to include. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
4. The No Spend Year by Michelle McGagh - ★★★★ Read this book in two days. McGagh shares her "no spend year" experience, what that looked like for her, what she learned from it, and then gives ideas that the reader can try (or not). She is British, so all the money is in £ rather than $, and the advice regarding home mortgages and retirement and saving plans are all pertinent to the U.K., but it would be easy enough to translate that advice and make it make sense for your location. Plus, since living in the U.K. at some point in my life is still on my bucket list, I appreciated the U.K.-specific insight. Not sure I can get my family on board for a "no spend" year, but maybe a "no spend" week or a month...we shall see. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link) 
5. Clearing the Fog by James C. Jackson, PsyD - ★★ The full title of this book is Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long Covid—A Practical Guide. I first heard about it on Instagram from a woman who is living the nightmare of Long Covid. I don't doubt her story for a minute, nor the fact that she felt seen by this book. I, however, was looking for more medical research and outcomes, and less of the mental health aspects, so I think this is another case of misplaced expectations. Chapters 1-3 were more along the lines of what I was expecting, and chapters 4-10 were primarily mental health focused. Two stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
6. Death Beside the Seaside by T.E. Kinsey - ★★★★ This is the sixth book in the "Lady Hardcastle" mystery series. Like the rest of the series, this was a quick, easy read, and an entertaining story with well developed characters. In this particular book (filled with spies, government cover-ups, and intrigue), we get some additional background on Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong (explaining why Flo is so adept at physical combat). With the bonus of finding out how Ellie and Skins first meet (which you'd appreciate if you read the companion series "The Dizzy Heights Mysteries" - about a group of musicians who solve murders on the side). Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
7. Square Peg by Todd Rose and Katherine Ellison - ★★★ This was Todd's story, and my impression is that Katherine was the non-ghost ghostwriter. I could have gone with two stars as it didn't really follow through on the second half of the subtitle (My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries, and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers). Oh, it did cover his story (which is actually why I could also have given it four stars), but not so much the insight for raising innovators, visionaries, and out-of-the-box thinkers. As a mother and teacher of children who struggle with many of the things he discusses, I was encouraged to hear it from his side. As a second generation homeschooler, I was unimpressed that his only option was to "fix" the public school system using technology. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
8. Irena's Children: Young Readers Edition by Mary Cronk Farrell/Tilar J. Mazzeo - ★★★★★ My first "five star" book of the month, but man was this one heavy. I had wanted to read this for a while (although I still haven't read the original, adult version), specifically before I had my kids read it for school. Despite believing I had a decent grasp of WWII history, I was still stunned by the numbers in this book, covering the events in just one country. Over six million Poles (both Jews and Gentiles) were murdered during the Nazi invasion of Poland and ensuing holocaust. The torture, although toned down for the YRE, is almost more than my mind could grasp. I feel these are such important stories to tell, read, and remember, because forgetting will only take us back to that same place in the future. Five stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
9. An Act of Foul Play by T.E. Kinsey - ★★★★ This was officially my half-way book, taking me half-way to my goal of 48 books for the year. Feeling pretty good about that, if I'm being honest. And feeling pretty good about this fun little mystery as well. I always appreciate a book that surprises me with plot twist at the end, as this one did. I loved the addition of Flo's twin sister, Gwin, and the mixture of simple village puzzles and big city murders. Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong don't disappoint in this 9th installment, and if you're looking for a quick, easy read on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I would recommend any of the books in this series, including this one (I've read them all on Kindle). Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)

So that's my nine books for March. I was hoping to finish up one of the two I have going right now to make it an even ten, but life got busy and with Easter weekend, that didn't happen. But in case you were curious about how many books are on my ever-growing "Books to Remember in 2025" list...drum roll please...the current total is: 88. Yes, I have a problem. 

See you next month, and happy reading!

Simple Goals: Month Three

Time for a check in! How are you doing with your goals? Has the year gotten away from you? Are you falling back into old patterns and feeling discouraged? Sometimes the best laid plans can get waylaid by life and laziness. I've had several conversations about this with my eldest daughter recently, as she turns twenty this year and is trying to figure out adulthood, while I settle further into my forties and try to figure out middle-age. In many ways, we're not that different, even if we're miles apart in other aspects. 

Every season brings new challenges and changes. The real question is, how will we meet them? 

Beth MacDonald on Unsplash

As a quick reminder, these were some of the 24 #simplegoals I decided to work towards this year. Nothing earth shattering, but all things that I believed would add some value to my daily life and help me grow as a person (or shrink, in the case of trying to walk more and eat more fresh/less processed). 

Let's look at the failures first. 

By calling them "failures" I only mean that these are not things that I have chosen to prioritize. I recognize that I could be successful in all of these things if I had the self-discipline, willpower, or "want to" to make them happen. They are not, in and of themselves, things that are too difficult to achieve. They are, however, things that I have spent some time trying (or thinking about trying, in the case of the last item) in 2024, and have not successfully built a habit of doing on a regular basis...yet.

👎 Use the treadmill. I started strong. Twenty to thirty minutes, at least three days a week, usually over lunchtime. But then I had a week where I didn't feel good. And then a week where I just didn't feel like it. And then a week with another boatload of excuses. And the next thing I knew...it had been a month. This isn't something I'm giving up on, in fact, I started back again last week, 5 minutes here, 20 minutes there, but up until now it's not been something I've prioritized as I should.

👎 Create a repertoire of simple meals. I haven't honestly put a lot of effort into this. I've continued to make the same mix of meals that I've been making for months now. I've switched a few things up here and there, but, again, this is not something I have made a priority in my daily life.

👎 Use cash for certain expenditures. Much like the treadmill, I started out strong in January on this. I happened to have cash on hand, which made it easier to divvy up into envelops and when the envelopes were empty, that was it. This worked really well for eating out, until I ran out of money. I do like to use cash, but the fact of the matter is, I would rather use a card (that we pay off each month), because it's easier. I'm not giving up on this one, I'm just trying to figure out a good balance.

👎 Participate in teaching my newest driver how to drive. This is something that has crossed my mind, but there's never a good time. We're in a hurry, other kids are with us, she still needs to learn some of the basics (with the Hubs), it's raining, it's nighttime, we're in my car, etc. Let's be honest, as a recovering control enthusiast, I know this is something I should do (for my own practice), but it's definitely going to take some effort and planning (and more willingness on my part). 

And now let's take a look at some of the successes so far this year! 

These are goals that apparently hit a sweet spot. They just seemed to click, for whatever reason, and didn't really take that much work to turn into habits. It just took finding the "want to" as my husband likes to say.

👍 Read 48 books from my own shelves. This is probably the goal that I have made the most progress towards. Once I decided that it was something I wanted to be intentional about, it meant I was carrying a book with me everywhere. I read while waiting for the kids at their various activities, I read at night (rather than vegging out on YouTube), I read during the quiet moments of school - between questions. Because of that, I've read twenty books so far, and counting. 

👍 Save for a rainy day. Towards the end of January I made a digital checklist of things I wanted to do (e.g. read four books a month) or save for (e.g. a vacation). I broke down how much we needed to save each month to pay the taxes and insurance on our own home, a rental we own, our car insurance, our health insurance, plus savings for Christmas, vacation, and a "rainy day fund" for the unexpected. Once I broke that down, I separated our savings accounts into specific categories. Having a checklist (complete with cute emojis) has helped keep me on track with this. As soon as money comes in, it has a home to go to, and that helps keep the spending in check as well. 

👍 Eat the food we already have. This has been another big win. After the cash idea petered out, I fell back into old patterns of grabbing takeout when I didn't feel like cooking. This went on for a couple of weeks and I quickly realized this wasn't going to work, as takeout for six adds up quickly in 2024. With renewed focus (and building in allowed cheats - such as picking up Little Caesar's pizzas on Friday nights after all-day kid activities), I made a nice dent in our freezer and pantry stash, with plenty left to keep going, and hopefully encourage that creatively simple meal repertoire that has failed so far. 

👍 Put the phone down. I would call this one a work in progress. I have definitely become more mindful of the number of times a day I pick up my phone. It's not good. And I have set timers on my phone for social media apps, that I all too often switch up, when the time just isn't enough. I'd like to say I have more self discipline than my aforementioned nearly 20-year old when it comes to my phone, but it's just as easy an addiction for me as it is for her. However, I'm including it in the successes because it's something I'm constantly mindful of now (and wasn't before) and something I'm actively working on. 

*   *   *   *   *

We're halfway through the third month of the year. If you've set goals and stalled, start again! It's never the wrong time to try something new, to do something differently, or to simply restart a habit you paused for a season. And don't be afraid to make an entirely new list if you so choose! There are no goal police who are going to come knocking on your door because you said you would train for a marathon only to realize that walking your neighborhood fulfills your goal of becoming less sedentary. And maybe next year you'll walk a 5k, and the next year you'll run a 5k, and five years from now you might find yourself signed up for your first marathon. The point is, break it down into smaller goals, and celebrate the successes along the way. Goals are personal, so get out there and find your sweet spot this month!