It’s Friday and it is the last day of January. I can hardly believe it. I keep hearing so many people talking about how long January is and usually I feel like I agree. But this year, January flew for me! I only got half of my goals for the month completed and I seriously cannot believe the month is done. I really don’t want the rest of this year to feel that way.

I snapped the photo above a week ago on Market Day. It was wet and overcast and so chilly. But I turned a corner in the Back Fold, as this particular part of town is called, and this bright pink mirror greeted me from an antique shop window. It was too cheery not to stop and admire it, grabbing a blurry photo of my green coated self at the same time.

JANUARY READS

I got a bit of a late start to reading this month as my parents were still visiting for the first week of the month and we kept busy with them as well as getting the girls settled into the new school term. But I finished four books and am nearly done with two others. Here are my thoughts.

The Riches of Your Grace by Julie Lane-Gay

What a great book to start the year. I originally bought the book in December via a friend’s recommendation and I intended to give it to another friend, but I decided to read it first. I’m so glad I did. This is a bit of memoir. Julie Lane-Gay walks us through her days using the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful look at how this very old prayer book gives a script for big and small moments of every day and guides us to walk through it all with the Lord. I found parts of it very challenging to rethink my own prayer life and other parts I cried through. Hearing other people’s stories can be so moving. We very much miss our beloved church in NYC and we especially miss the liturgical worship style, so it was a gift to listen to another’s way of incorporating more liturgy into their daily life.

Ernestine by Pauline Innis

I happened upon this book in a tiny bookshop in the Cotswolds this autumn. I could not resist the slim volume and the light pink with the fun illustration and typography. What a delight! This is a book from 1963 that is just a treat to read. It is a true story about a pig that author Pauline Innis owned as her war effort when she was 16. It is humorous, historical, and just delightful. And the hardcover hiding under the dust jacket was the cherry on top!

“It takes a lot to upset the equilibrium of the domestic pig.” p 77

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I would never have picked up this book in the US. But that is only because I do often judge a book by its cover and the US cover makes this book look like a girly beach read. A few months ago however, I read a fascinating email (or maybe just an IG story) from Elizabeth Holmes about the various covers this book was getting in different markets. The one I have above and on my bookshelf is the British edition. Holmes’ thoughts and poll about the cover not matching the novel intrigued me to think I might actually want to read the book. So when I spotted it in a local charity shop last month in this brilliant British cover, I couldn’t grab it fast enough.

It is not a short read at 386 pages, but it was hard to put down. I think it could almost be classed as historical fiction as the plot is based around the 1960s when women’s rights were low, scientists should always be men to be taken seriously, and there was a rise in cooking shows on television. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, reminds me a lot of Temperance Brennan from Bones – scientific, brilliant, socially awkward, and gorgeous. I was fascinated by the storytelling, including details about chemistry, cooking, rowing, and all the fantastic characters. I found myself furious at the sexual harrassment so many women endured in that time and I still continue to think about all the comments made about religion and Christianity. At one point I paused reading to look up Bonnie Garmus as I was curious what her worldview is and where the book was ultimately taking me.

I found the ending to be a bit too tidy than I was wanting, but it was ultimately satisfying and I may have just not wanted to say goodbye to the characters yet either. My favorite is of course the dog whom she named Six-Thirty. Definitely enjoyed this read a lot and continue to mull over all the science vs religion comments throughout.

Oh, and don’t miss the “undies” hardcover on this brilliant edition either. It makes the book worth it even more.

“it was her confidence, the certainty of who she was. She sowed it like a seed until it took root in others.” p 356

One last note, I am aware there is a show based off of the book, but I don’t plan to watch it. From the few clips I have seen, it veers too far away from the book for my liking.

10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin

This is a top of the list book this year already. I absolutely loved this book. It is laid out brilliantly and very clear and concise. McLaughlin deeply encourages thinking critically and asking hard questions about Christianity and she shares great research, science, and illustrations to talk through the answers she presents. This is apparently the condensed/teen version of her other book Confronting Christianity, which I should probably move further up my to-read list. Though this book was fantastic on its own, I would be curious to read more from her first book of a similar vein for adults.

I loved the tone McLaughlin writes with and how personal she gets with some of the questions and her own journey of finding the answers. She covers some heavy and major issues about Christianity and she does it incredibly well. She is wicked smart and has done the work and I cannot wait to pass this book on to many teens in my own life. I would be giving it to my oldest daughter in a few months for her birthday were it not for the major Harry Potter spoilers that I don’t want to ruin for her as she is still reading through the series.

FRIDAY LINKS

*Sunset on our street last night in Wales.*

THINGS I BOOKMARKED

As I’ve been reading more slowly on the internet, I’m finding more pieces to savor and cannot wait to share and hopefully chat about over coffee or a video call.

A Liturgy for Beginning an Artistic Work – I need to come back to this often, before every work.

Let’s Get Coffee: Navigating the Existential Angst of Loneliness – Gave me lots to think about: being the new person so often here, and also not being the new person in many spaces too.

All The Difference: An Interview With Skye Peterson – My Apple Music roundup from 2024 listed two artists that I obsessed over last year: Caroline Cobb and Skye Peterson. This interview for Skye’s newest album was a joy to read.

why go to church, anyway – So many good things here. I practically read the article out loud to Mark when trying to summarize it.

How to be a Friend — Advice about friendship from an older woman, an absolute joy.

The Consoling Alchemy of the Humble Winter Soup – I keep coming back to this one. It felt like a warm bowl of soup to read, and it encouraged me to make soup and more in my own kitchen.

THINGS I LISTENED TO

I don’t consider myself the best music finder or resource, but I have music that I love. In the event you might enjoy it or need it too, here are my current faves on rotation.

All The Difference by Skye Peterson - I listened to this album the day it came out. And I loved it even more after reading the interview above.

Tried By the Centre Court by Flanders & Swann - an oldie that I was recently introduced to and it makes me laugh so much.

Micah 6:8 by Slugs & Bugs - this is our church’s verse for the year and Mark and I have been teaching this song to our congregation every Sunday evening. It is a good song and gets stuck quite easily. I’m curious how this theme plays out in my year.

All Is Vanity by Caroline Cobb - can’t get enough of this song this week.

THINGS I FOUND

Occasionally I find some great things at charity shops or the market or even online. Sometimes they are just too exciting to not share!

Uncovered these beauties for a pound each at the market yesterday! They were filthy and in a box of odd jars and mugs. Absolute joy and such gems. I cannot wait to make delicious things to eat out of these “Strawberry Cream” dishes.

Another market find this week. I’ve never seen this collection of short stories from A.A. Milne and I was completely charmed by it. It’s from 1939, has a super brief inscription, and some lovely sketchy ink illustrations by A. H. Watson. Delightful.

THINGS I MADE

My deep work time has been non-existent this week. It’s frustrating, but I’m still figuring out the rhythms of this new year, place, time… I painted this little robin in a quick sketchbook warm-up last week. The robins are plentiful this time of year and they always make me smile.

Yesterday morning I found myself painting these flowers while helping at a toddler group and chatting with some new mum friends. Finger paints and some really crappy brushes, but making art without much thought. It’s joyful and it reminds me that spring is coming. There is hope. Happy end of January friends. See you next month! 💚

January books & Friday links