Just a little practical bookish sort of wish list

I’ve been posting a lot of book lists lately. Maybe it’s because I’ve actually had time while I’m staying with my parents (and before that, my mother-in-law’s) to think about books and consider how I’m going to spend the extra brain time I’ll have when we get settled in Austin and we don’t have commitments yet. (It probably won’t last long, so I’d better take advantage of it.)

Here are the books on my non-literary wish list:

Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices by Julie Clawson – This has been in the back of my mind for a while and I have general convictions about how my family should care for the earth and for those who are most vulnerable on this earth. But I feel like there are a lot of blurry places in my mind that I need to clear up and know where I stand. What stores should I shop at? How do I know which clothes I buy are made in sweatshops? I really need to invest some time in forming my convictions about these things…

Mercy Rising: Simple Ways to Practice Justice and Compassion by Amber Robinson – Samesies

To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration by Gertrud Mueller Nelson — My friend Nancy from Mom’s Group in SF recommends this in the course she and her husband teach on building a “missional” family.  As my boys get older, I want them to experience the beauty of ritual and ceremony, especially as it’s understood in the Church calendar. I want us to live deliberately and presently in every season of the year.

The Spirit of Food: 34 Writers on Feasting and Fasting toward God edited by Leslie Leyland Fields. We love food in the Hohorst house. Chris and I bonded immediately over our passion for eating well. And I fell in love (partly) because that boy knew how to feed me! (All I know about cooking, I learned from him-FYI, my mom tried to teach me growing up but I rejected her attempts…sorry Mom.) I know we would both love this book but I’m imagining the Mister will bask in it. (One of his favorite books of all time is The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection by Robert Farrar Capon.)

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider — Growing up my mom described her style of housekeeping as “lived in” and I’m unashamed to say that my home tends to be “lived in” as well. Though, there can be too much “living” and not enough “putting away.” (Why is “putting away” in quotes? Don’t ask me!) I want to be an organized person. I want to be a straightening type. But I have a problem with getting things into their places. Let me blame it on being an ENFP and feeling instead of doing all the time, okay? But in my head I am all about being “intentional” and I am all about decluttering my life and home. So, my plan is to read this book and get a grip…

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley — I would describe myself as “Medium Crunchy” as in: I diaper my babies in biodegradable diapers but feel a little guilty that they’re not cloth. I use paper towels and then console myself with the fact that I can compost them. I’m all for local, fresh and seasonal food but you can still find me buying grapes for my kids out of season. I’m the same way about babies. I “wear” my babies and breastfeed for over a year (which in my hometown makes me freaky and in San Francisco makes me conservative), and I’ve “co-slept” with all my babies. I don’t usually write about parenting issues because I don’t like taking a stand on what I think is the right way to parent. I’m constantly unsure about what I’m doing and I know that anything I feel passionate about today could be up for debate tomorrow. August slept in our bed until he was four months old and then I followed the advice of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to help him begin sleeping on his own without needing our help. But the “crying it out” prescription has never set well with me, even though the book really helped me understand and put into practice the importance of good sleep for him. Yesterday, I just read a post at Emerging Mummy in which she recommends The No-Cry Sleep Solution. The crunchy in me says: “Can it really be true?!” The practical, sleep is important part of me isn’t convinced good sleep is possible without the stern parent stand. I’ll let you know what I decide after I read it.

Now I just have to convince the Hoho Budget that, Yes! Of course we can afford to buy six more books!