I'm Still Alive!! (and I've been reading..)

I'm stealing a moment while the baby's asleep (briefly) to post here. I miss blogging SO MUCH, but there just isn't the time at the moment. Benji's been having an awkward few days -he has a bit of a cold/virus type thing so he's been ridiculously clingy and eating like all the time. I literally have barely been able to put him down the past few days! I'm still reading people's posts and trying to comment as much as usual but often I'm distracted half way through writing a comment by crying/the need to eat/nap/put stuff in the steriliser/washing machine/tumble dryer/clean the house before the baby wakes up!

Anyway, quick update on what I've read since he arrived, as I've been able to do more reading than I thought I would due to the incessant feeding thing! I'll also probably never get around to writing proper reviews, so here's a quick summary!

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch
I think I've mentioned this already. I ordered it from the library and it arrived about two days before Benji did. I really enjoyed it, although it wasn't what I was expecting in terms of bookishness. It was beautifully written though and had some lovely thoughts on literature and life. Gone on my favourites list. 

Last Christmas by Julia Williams 
Picked this up from the library because it looked like a fun, quick read. It was, and it was 'heartwarming' and made me feel happy, despite my hatred of the word heartwarming....

The Pi**ed Off Parents Club by Mink Elliot
Again grabbed this from the library because it was on the stand just inside the door and I think I've mentioned my obsession with books with the word 'club' in the title. So much of an obsession that I actually made a list on Goodreads of these books... Anyway, it was again an easy ready, and pretty enjoyable. 

The Politically Incorrect Parenting Book by Nigel Latta
I haven't quite finished this yet, but I WILL be writing a proper review of it at some point (who knows when though), as it is brilliant. I don't like parenting books in general because I think they're ridiculously prescriptive, and honestly, why do parenting 'experts' not realise that all babies are not the same??! But this guy does. He really really does, and he makes you feel like you're not a total moron for not knowing anything. Brilliant.

Some other things I'm in the middle of/waiting for at the moment:

Commencement by J. Courteney Sullivan - after loving and adoring Maine a few months ago, I finally got hold of Sullivan's first novel and am halfway through at the moment. Loving it so far. 

A Life's Work by Rachel Cusk - arrived today from swap and I've read the introduction so far. The book is apparently 'controversial', and Cusk was accussed by some of not loving her children enough and being an unfit mother after writing this memoir of her experience of motherhood, so I'm intrigued to read it... 

Peaches for Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris - I'm waiting for this from the library and I'm really excited about it. I love Harris, and Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes are some of my favourite books. Also my mum read it and says it absolutely brilliant, so there's that. 

Moranthology by Caitlin Moran - also waiting for this from the library. Despite some differing opinions on this, I'm still really adoring Caitlin Moran in a serious hero worship kind of way, and I'm really looking forward to reading it. 

So that's that. And here's a picture of Mr. Cuteness himself so you'll all go 'awwww' and forgive my absence...