I’m going through a process of simplification right now to make more room in my life for things that are important to me that haven’t been getting done right. As part of my simplification process I’m reducing my published list of TBR books to five only. I may read more than that, but will add them as I get to them, if I get to them.
My November Word of the Month
Simplicity
My November Haiku of the Month
A reading day is good
Quiet contemplation, peace
Chilled air stays outside
Bible Verse of the Month
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” – Philemon 1:25
My November reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
☆ – I own the book and am ready to read.
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
DNF – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.
↓ – I didn’t even start. Complete fail!
My Personal Challenge This Month
Last month I reduced my “currently reading” list at Goodreads to only five titles at a time. This month I’d like to stay with the reduced list but will be more conscious about my book choices. There will be one fiction, one nonfiction, one art or writing book, one Christian book, one diet book and one audiobook. That’s a total of no more than six books at one time. I’m trying to be reasonable with my reading life.
Getting Serious About the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge
I have only two more months to finish this challenge!!
Right now I’ve read 39 books out of 50 – so, 11 more to read. Here’s my Goodreads list of PopSugar Reading Challenge books.
A few book choices for this month
✓ Juvenile Fiction: The Headless Cupid, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
I started this.. but didn’t finish yet. I’m reading this for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt 23 – A book with something broken on the cover. I chose this Newbery Medal winning book for the older cover:
Obviously, something’s broken.
✓ Juvenile Fiction: Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories, by Isaac Bashevis Singer
This is for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #32: A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”. Those are few and far between so I was thrilled to find one on the Newbery list. This is a Newbery Honor Book from 1967.
✓ Christian Nonfiction: The Kneeling Christian, by An Unknown Christian
I’m reading this for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #25: A book that was published anonymously.
✓ Juvenile Nonfiction: The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik Willem Van Loon
This is being read for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #45: The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time, because it was the first Newbery Medal winner. It won the Newbery Medal in 1922.
✓ Juvenile Fiction: Bright Island, by Mabel L. Robinson
This is a random book pick. I’m reading this for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #48: A book from your TBR list chosen at random. I used a random number picker to choose this from the Newbery list. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 1938.
✓ California Nonfiction: The Barbary Coast, by Herbert Asbury
I’m still reading this. I had to stall on it for a bit during the last month but I’m picking it up again now. I’m currently on page 172 out of 314. That’s more than half-way through. I’m reading this for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #49: A DNF book from your TBR list. I DNF’ed this book years ago, but in this second attempt at reading it I’ve passed the point at which I originally DNF’ed it.
DNF Art: Artists’ Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages, by Lynne Perrella
This is my current art book, for inspiration.
∅ Health: Thin Within, by Judy Wardell Halliday
My sister recommended this weight loss book. I actually have an older edition, not the one pictured.
✓ Christian Classic: The Pursuit of God, by AW Tozer
My current audiobook in progress. I’m thinking I’d learn more if I got a printed copy to go with it. UPDATE: I discovered I have an official “immersion reading” copy of this. It coordinates the Kindle copy with the Audible copy automagically.
My November 2021 Reading Diary
November 1 – I finished reading The Outsiders at 3 am, and reviewed it at Goodreads. My next fiction book will be The Headless Cupid. It has been on my reading list for two months, so it is now a priority. I also started reading Artist’s Journals and Sketchbooks and Thin Within today. I read another chapter of The Kneeling Christian.
November 2 – A fun day – I discovered some older women on YouTube making “Tea Tuesday” videos with hashtag #teatuesday – and I joined them! I watched most of their videos and made one of my own. I also walked at least a mile, going down Highway 96 to Second Avenue, then back on Indian Creek Road just before dark. That’s the longest walk I’ve taken in months. Definitely a good sign. Here’s my Tea Tuesday art video.
November 3 – I read chapter five in The Kneeling Christian and then two sections of chapter eight in The Barbary Coast, which was very sad – about the slavery of Chinese teenage girls imported to San Francisco from about 1850 to 1914 to be used as enslaved prostitutes in cribs and parlor houses, or sold to wealthy Chinese men. Many were sold into slavery as infants, with no hope of escape. They normally died by the age of 20. This continued until a law in 1914 outlawed this kind of slavery in California. I also read more of The Pursuit of God.
November 5 – Still reading …
November 7 – Church this morning … again I left right after the service was over. I just wasn’t in a mood for fellowship and visiting with people. I went to my cargo trailer and found my inks which made me very happy, so I can make more art in my new fountain pen journal. Also I spent the afternoon reading – first in Thin Within chapter one, then in The Barbary Coast, most of chapter nine. I didn’t quite make it to the end and now feel that I’m too tired to read more this evening. There are three more chapters after this. I’m so glad I’m nearly done with the book.
November 8 – I focused on reading The Barbary Coast because I’m near the end and want to get through the rest of it soon. Today I painted this:
November 9 – I made another Tea Tuesday video – this time with a mail haul – something I’ve never done on my Booktube channel before.
November 11 – I joined an art collab… this time painting round Artist’s Trading Cards with Christmas themes… and I also mentioned a few Christmas books I’d like to read in this video:
November 12 – I was distracted this week by attending the Artists Rise Up Masterclass at a Facebook group. This involved a lot of focus on art this week so my reading didn’t get done, for the most part. I ended the week by joining Matt Tommey’s art mentoring program for Christians.
November 16 – Nearly done reading The Barbary Coast. Ready to move on to something else.
November 17 – I created a new video today:
November 18 – I finished reading The Barbary Coast and reviewed it at Goodreads. Since I’m done with that, I turned to my fiction… a juvenile novel, The Headless Cupid, and am reading that.
November 25 – Today I finished reading two books: The Pursuit of God and The Headless Cupid.
November 28 – My end-of-month video…
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