Ann Leach

Books The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith -- a book put together by a blogger about decorating - it doesn't have to be perfect. Why We Get Fat  by Gary Taubess -- a book about the science behind why carbohydrates are a larger part of the problem than fats and calories. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning -- the best book I read this week, and I highly recommend it! "W hen America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. In 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war. These Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land a...

WHO has time to read? I mean really.. between running the children here and there, work, errands, meeting with friends, cleaning, and everything else...  who has time to read??!! You do. And I believe reading, whether it is for enjoyment or education, work or pleasure, is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. And your children. By taking just 30 minutes to read every day, in one year, you will read 182 hours. How many books can you read in 182 hours? 40? Probably. How much could you learn? How many times would you LOL? (Wait maybe I'm the only one who LOL when reading.) How much more relaxed might you be? Take the time. Every day. And read. Books Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- a stand-by that I always enjoy diving back into for some escapism Talkers, Watchers, & Doers  by Cheri Fuller - a talk about learning styles, how to identify them, and the strengths & weaknesses of each How to Teach Your Child: Simple Tools for Homesch...

Books How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish Illinois, Indiana,  Ohio Month-by-Month Gardening  by Beth Botts Kindle Books While cleaning up my kindle this week, I came across some books I had started, but not finished. So while I didn't read these books in their entirety this week, I did (finally) complete them. Radical Frugality: Living in America on $8,000 a Year  by Nic Adams Objectivism: What Ayn Rand Left Us  by Ashton Cruise How to Write Great Blog Posts that Engage Readers  by Steve Scott Let's Go! Field Trips for Teachers, Homeschoolers and Active Families  b Traci Matt Blogs   The Non-Consumer Advocate  by Katy Wolk-Stanley   down to earth  by Rhonda Hetzel What are you reading this week?  Please share in the comments. Peace -- Ann

I do! And I love it!! It's been probably 3 or 4 years since I first came across  paperbackswap  in a facebook group I enjoy. Most people were singing its praises (endless supply of desirable books at minimal cost), and some where sharing their own frustrations (the pressure of getting a book in the mail in a timely manner). I checked it out, explored the FAQs, costs, etc. and decided it was for me. Weeee! Membership in the club is free... sort of. There is no charge for joining, but there is a swap fee for every book you order after your first two (2) which are truly free, well after you post your first 10 books. Confused? Let's try that again. The Standard annual membership fee is $20 which allows the member an unlimited number of swaps received at no extra cost. The Limited annual membership fee is $12 and allows the member 30 swaps received at no extra cost. And the Ala Carte annual membership (this is the default setting) which costs 49 cents for each sw...

Here are my books for this week: Pinch it Like You Mean It:101 Ways to Spend Less Money Now by Dr. Penny Pincher. This book was an easy read and lightly educational. I did get a few new ideas for saving money, but mostly he just confirmed the choices I am already making. Even if you're already a penny pincher, I do recommend reading this book. Even though you may have already read many lists or even written your own, I believe there is always something to take away from someone else's list. The Secrets of Happy Families  by Bruce Feiler. I LOVE this book! which I've read before and keep coming back to for ideas. In fact, I am so taken with this book that I've asked my local library about starting a discussion group around it, but I'll save that topic for a blog post on another day. *wink  I actually only read one section, "The Buck Starts Here: The Warren Buffet Guie to Setting an Allowance" because we decided to start giving our daughter ...

 This week, I have somehow ended up with two books for entertainment, and none for education or enhancement. Not exactly sure how that happened as I do have some other books selected and even on my table, but I didn't open them for some reason. For next month's book discussion group, the book is "The Humans" by Matt Haig. I'm not sure what to say about this book. I guess it has me stumped. It's a sci-fi book with an alien visiting earth, taking on a human form and inserting himself into the life of the (now dead) human. And when he first arrives, he makes some profound observations about (western European style) human culture. And it doesn't take him long to start questioning his main objective and finding value in the messed up lives that humans live. At this beginning, I really like this book with it's observations of our culture, but as the alien acclimated, these stopped happening and the story was a moderate story to me. ...

I picked up Minimalist Parenting thinking I'd get through it in a couple days, and sadly I was mistaken. There is a lot of (good) information in this book, and it was a lot to take in so I only got about half way through. And I'm good with that. I'm going to set it aside (return it to the library, my off-site book storage unit), and work on some of the suggestions. If you're looking to make life simpler by cutting back in commitments, working hours, housekeeping hours, stuff, etc; this book can be a good help. I wouldn't recommend reading the whole thing and trying to do it all though. I'd focus on just one area. What did you read last week? What are you planning to read this week? Let me know in the comments. Cheers! Ann

Books, books, books...  I love books. I love to read them, and I especially love to talk with friends about them. Bowling Fundamentals  ....   Hi my name is Ann Leach, and I bowl on a league. There I've said it. It's true. I joined a daytime women's bowling league last autumn, not because I am a great and dedicated bowler, but because I needed something fun and social to do. Bowling meets both those criteria. And yes, I picked up a book about bowling technique from the library, not because I want to be a great bowler, but because I thought I was making some of the same simple mistakes over and over which were costing me points. And I was right! By reading this beginner book and taking away from it just two pointers, I have increased my average by about 15 pins per game. And that's pretty darn good for this beginner bowler. If you're a beginner bowler, like me or just enjoy bowling for fun, but want to have fun rather than all gutter balls, I do recom...