“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
~ Mark Twain
Do you love to read?
In January a group of us embarked on the inaugural Cauldrons and Cupcakes Reading Challenge.
Already we have read some fine books, and learned about new reading possibilities from our friends who have posted their own recommendations. My personal reading list is now long enough to get me through until next year, and it was a wonderful resource when it came to loading up on e-books and audio books before I came on holidays.
For those of you who are just joining us now let me explain the Challenge to you. It’s pretty easy!
It involves four simple steps:
- Read or otherwise consume a book each month. You might borrow a book from the library, or buy one. It might be gifted to you, or it might have been waiting for you in some pile beside the bed since who knows when… Or it could be an e-book, or an audio book. It can be any kind of book at all. A novel, a romance, crime, children’s or young adult’s, a non-fiction book like a memoir or a cookbook or a travel book. It could be a graphic novel. Or even a textbook.
- Post the name of the book you are currently reading here on the blog or over on our Cauldrons and Cupcakes Facebook or Instagram page. Feel free to suggest another book that you have already read and enjoyed. That way you’ll be adding to a list of books that we can all dip into and choose from. I love finding new reading recommendations!
- Download the Reading Challenge Bingo Sheet. Each month write the name of the book you have read in the corresponding square. If you read two books in one month it’s fine to allocate one to another month. Or add the extra book to your existing month. Then add a small amount of money to a jar for each book you read. It could be as little as ten cents per book. Here’s the Bingo Sheet for you to download – just click on this link: Book Reading Challenge Bingo Sheet Then start filling it in when you’ve read your first book.
- In December I am going to ask you to use the money you have saved to buy and donate a book to a charity for a Christmas gift OR donate the money to a literacy project or similar. (Even if you only saved ten cents each month $1 will buy you a decent second-hand book just about anywhere.) It will feel great to help someone else to experience the pleasure and comfort that reading brings. The world needs more readers. If you want to team up for this challenge that’s a great idea too!
For those of you who are already participating, I can’t wait to hear about your book recommendations! Pop them in the comments below.
But if you haven’t joined us yet, it’s not too late. And I’d love you to get your friends involved too, so please feel free to share this post far and wide.
On the first Saturday of every month I’ll post an update here on the blog, and ask you what you are reading and if you have any recommendations to share.
All year we will practice kindness to ourselves by reading.
At year’s end we will pass some of that kindness on to someone else.
Do you want to join me?
Go ahead and write your name below, or pop over to Facebook and join me there.
Happy Reading!
Lots of love, Nicole ❤ xx
It is a great idea to share about your reads. One doesn’t have an idea about all the possible genres but this way you can actually get better advices and reviews. I just completed ‘the secret’ series and it definitely made me think deeper than usual. I started connecting the dots of my life. But most of you might already know about it.
So i want to introduce to an awesome fictional series that I am reading right now. It is ‘The Shiva trilogy’ by Amish Tiwari. Well he is an Indian novelist and has done a great work on an intriguing, nail-biting, jaw-dropping adventure of an uncouthed man whom legend turned into a God. His endeavours and troubles as a perfect family man and a god like stature for his folks with twists and turns at every step. A sure fun to read!
This is a great idea, so happy I found post, downloading calendar now and joining also sharing with my group on FB
Cheers
Thanks so much for joining us!
As partially expected, my February reading slowed down (due to travelling here and there).
I procured a copy via my library of Meeting Fairies: My Remarkable Encounters with Nature Spirits by R. Ogilvie Crombie (ROC) as recommended by yourself. I would dip in each night and enjoy the words and the experiences (no surprise there were quite a few head nods throughout).
I also finished Introducing Time: A Graphic Guide (Graphic Guides) by Craig Callender, Ralph Edney – which was a basic entry level read about the concept of time from both the physics and the philosophical point of views. The language and the illustrations made it easier to get a grip on concepts (which means I’m better ready to keep going with the Sean Carroll book From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time – which I’m reading very s-l-o-w-l-y).
March sees the resumption of uni reading (organisational business knowledge management o.O ) which means the keeping leisure/fun/for-me reading up will be important.
Since my first post I’ve read The Three ‘Only’ Things by Robert Moss, which is about tapping into and honouring our dreams, coincidences and imagination.
Then I read Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, by Simon Winchester. I love his informative and witty style (and his The Map That Changed the World is one of my favourite books).
Now I’m reading The Lives of Margaret Fuller by John Matteson. Admittedly I didn’t know anything about her before I picked this up and thought I’m only up to her 20yr old self, I’m a little but in love with her. When I read historical biographies I see them from the perspective of how they lived their lives according to their spiritual purpose here on earth, and it seems to me that the stronger their fulfilling of this purpose them more sacrifices have to be made to achieve this. Her life so far is quite extraordinary, and her connection with spirit very strong. I’m looking forward to finishing it.
In February I read a couple of books, and had a few pleasant surprises!
I re-read a gorgeous gardening and cookbook ‘The Edible Balcony’ by Indira Naidoo. It’s a book written by a well-know Australian journalist and TV presenter who creates her very own edible kitchen garden on the tiny balcony of her Sydney apartment. For beginner gardeners and city dwellers it’s a supportive and inspirational read.
The second book I read was my own. I read the fifth draft of my memoir, roughly titled ‘Aunty in the Night Sky’, about my year in the Kimberley. It documents my psychic awakening, health unravelling and relationship disintegration while I lived in the remote Outback, and how a group of kind elderly aboriginal women took me under their wing and supported me through that hard time. This time I was finally able to see what changes I need to make, and how to improve my manuscript in a final edit. I saw where I need to be braver on the page, and which bits need to be stripped back or removed. It has been a long slow road, but taking my time with this story has been worth it. My hard copy is now covered in red ink, ready for the next big task – the final re-write.
The final book I’ve read is also another of my unpublished manuscripts. This one is the first in a children’s series about pirates, dragon, fairies, magic and changing the world. I had forgotten how much I love these characters and this story. I’m itching to get back to it, but first I have to finish my memoir and get it out into the world.
I figure that reading my own books still counts as books read. So that’s three for me. Hooray!
I can’t wait to read ALL your books Nicole! I know you have so many fabulous stories in you just waiting to be shared and I just know that they will all be so worth the wait xx
Oh! Thank you!!! I hope I don’t let you down. xoxo
Totally counts as books read. Also a huge yay on both fronts of memoir (typed as meow LOL) and the children’s book 😀 You’ve totally got it re the final re-write (and always happy to be eyes or eyes or tea sharer). <3 <3
I am in the process of reading a series of books written by the late Sir Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, entitled “The Long……” series. The first starts with The Long Earth. It is about a series of alternate earths that can be reached by “stepping” sideways. Each sideways jump takes the person to an earth slightly different from the Original.
It has some wonderful theories and insights into human nature. It also has its moments of humour (no doubt due to Terry’s input) It deals with racism (speciesism) relationships, Buddhism, interplanetary travel amongst other things.
I have now read “the Long Earth” “The Long War”, “The Long Mars” and am now reading “The Long Utopia” which only leaves me “The Long Utopia
I still haven’t read this series, Mary. Might have to put it on my 2018 reading list!
I can lend you them. No problems.
woohoo! thank you xx
Hi Everyone
I adore the books by John Lewis-Stempel, an English natural history writer with an exquisite style. I devoured Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field and also The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland. His books are beautiful observations of nature.
My kind of books. More for my reading list!
Finished (in January) “A Duel Adventure Book One” This was the first read since Ed finally published it to Amazon Kindle. Read it 15 times before while it was being edited and corrected) Finished this last month “Pick your potion” bu CC Dragon, “A Winter’s Tale” by Kathi Daley and have started “Wolf’s Cross Book 4 ~ Loki’s Wolves” by Melissa Snark of which I am 16% through.
Did it make a difference reading Ed’s book for pleasure rather than as a work in progress needing your input? I’d love to know! xx
Yes it did. I told him he has to find someone else to edit his next three! Though I did enjoy the suptle changes with each revision. Not having to look for the corrections was a more pleasant experience. Unfortunately I can’t always switch of the urge to make corrections!
In January I read the Light between Oceans by ML Stedman and now I am reading travel writer Mark Shand’s book River Dog. It is about his epic journey with his dog from the head of the Brahmaputra to the Bay of Bengal.
I love the sound of River Dog, Margot. I might just use that as a Lucky Dip for myself in April!
I cannot join you as I am swamped with reading material. You might want to check out http://www.lithub.com. You can receive daily or weekend news regarding book releases, interesting articles about authors, how they think, etc.
Thanks so much, Jan!