Currently...A Month in Review

Because I'm actually keeping track of my reading so far this year, I thought I'd at least start the year with the intention of doing a monthly wrap up in the same format as the Currently posts I've been doing and using these posts to review whether I'm keeping in line with my goals. In case you missed that post, and to remind myself these are:

* One in every four books is nonfiction
* One in every three books by a diverse author
* Read five of my own books before buying one.

Time and Place I'm scheduling this as I'm not going to have internet at home between 1st and 16th February! I'm hoping to snag occasional access at the library but who knows how much childless opportunity I'll get? Hopefully some to at least post the first couple of War and Peace updates! So, currently it's 9.35 am on the day before we move (January 31st) and I'm balancing in my hallway, between boxes, with the laptop on top of a set of shelves so Benji doesn't try to join in...

Reading This month I have finished FIVE books and started another three! This is totally amazing, unprecedented and pretty much unheard of since pre-baby days. Stats wise my eight are entirely gender split: four women, four men. I've finished one book by a diverse author (Drown by Junot Diaz) and started another (War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy for Hanna's readalong) and read one (incredible) nonfiction title (The Winter of our Disconnect by Susan Maushart - glowing review coming!). I've also started another nonfiction title (Gratitude Works! by Robert A. Emmons, for my One Little Word project). Honestly, I'm feeling pretty good about my January reading! In terms of the read 5, buy 1 project, I've finished three of my own books and am currently reading two more (War and Peace and Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons), so once I'm finished with those (or more likely, once I find a graphic novel I already own to distract me from War and Peace), I'll be just in time to have one whole credit to spend while book shopping with Laura and Katie at the end of February! 

Watching This week we've been entirely screen free. Although the TV is still unpacked, we gave up our TV licence over a year ago and so only use it to watch DVDs and iPlayer through the Wii, both of which were packed on Monday. Honestly, I was dreading it but Benji in particular has been so much calmer, more focused, and plays by himself really well which he never did before. I never thought we'd see a difference in four days, but we really have! It's strengthened my resolve to have at least one entirely screen free day a week and limit it the rest of the time. 

Over the rest of the month, Rhys and I finished Season 2 of Once Upon a Time (so good - can't wait until we get season 3!) and Season 2 of Mr Selfridge which I was convinced I'd see on TV but it quickly transpired that I hadn't, so that was a nice surprise. I'm sad because I know it can only go downhill from here - series being based on the life of a real person has it's downfalls as I know what happened to real life Mr. Selfridge and I love the character so much I just don't want to see it happen to him!

Listening I got Paolo Nutini's newish album, Caustic Love for Christmas so we've listened to that a few times. The boys are particularly loving their audiobooks at the moment which is great as they weren't getting much love when they were battling with the TV. We must have listened to the complete Large Family stories by Jill Murphy (read by the amazing Miriam Margolyes) at least six times in the past three days. We're also particularly enjoying a tape (yes, we have a tape player in our car, it's that old) of Dinosaurs which my siblings and I used to listen to when we were tiny. (In case you're interested, it features these lyrics: "Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, lived for more than a hundred million years and then they disappeared". Genius, right?).

Recommending Ninja Book Swap all the way! Check out the sign up post for the form you need to fill in and all the details. Also The Winter of Our Disconnect for anybody who has concerns over the way that media and technology are influencing society. Oh and also this month we went to Nathan Sawaya's Lego: Art of the Brick exhibit in Brick Lane in London. I would seriously recommend it - it's full of incredible sculptures made out of Lego and as a not traditionally artistic person, I found it really inspiring! It's also the most kid friendly art exhibition I think I've ever been to and it was extremely uplifting to hear how excited the (many) kids visiting it were getting about art. 

Loving Being allowed to eat more takeaway than we usually consume in six months, because we're moving house and can't be expected to cook. Conversely, loving thinking about all the yummy things I'm going to cook in our new kitchen! And our new house in general. Such excitement!

Making There's a post all about the loveliness of my January #yearofmaking coming up in a few days, keep an eye out! 

Anticipating After anticipating moving house all month, it's finally actually happening! Hopefully it will go well - we have all kinds of things going on in the new few days - locks being changed, new washing machines arriving, bookcases being painted (particularly looking forward to that one!), home libraries being organised (and that!), and eventually even new internet being connected! 

All things considered my January's been pretty awesome! How has yours been?