Reading Round-up
A few pieces you might enjoy
One of the joys of joining Substack and writing more publicly1 is finding other writers who are interested in the same things. I’ve not only starting writing more, but I’ve started reading more, too. I’m also having more (polite! interesting! who knew that was possible on the internet?!) conversations in comments sections and on Notes.
This isn’t a plug for you to join Substack, if you prefer to stick to the good old-fashioned email inbox. Most of us don’t need more input, most of the time.
But I’d like to share a few things I’ve come across in recent months: things that have brought me joy or provoked thought or taught me something new. Happily, these are pieces that felt like they could be in dialogue with / share a folder with / sit on the shelf next to things that I’ve written, so I’ll describe them for you like that.
That way—since it’s a bit of an eclectic mix around here—you can then pick and choose what you want to peruse!
If you liked my meditation, Ash Wednesday and the Comfort of Death, you might like this beautiful poem by
: Two Funerals, Then Easter.When it’s sunny, we open the front door
to watch what is growing, what is green,
what is true despite true sorrow,
and we talk about Resurrection a lot,
like a dear long-distance friend
who we know still loves us
despite the distance.
He is risen indeed.
If you liked my post, Pairings .03 The Gifts of Masculinity, you might like
’s A Book a Week for 10-year-old Boys.Few people have a ready mental library of books appropriate for that in-between age of still mastering the English language to some degree as a reader but definitely beyond picture books. It’s a difficult time when not every book quite hits the mark of their development, and not every book in that developmental level is the right topic. To add fuel to the fire, more and more books are published with subversive elements.
Therefore, this post will try to provide a list of books that boys love and that your boy may love as well. The intention is also to give books that inspire them to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Maybe your son doesn’t have the endurance to read a book a week, and maybe a book a week wouldn’t be enough. In either case, I hope that this can be a place to start or at least a few forgotten titles ripe for the picking.
(Related: Seekers of Fortune: Six Outstanding Boy Protagonists by
- it’s behind a paywall, but if you want great ideas for kid’s books, she’s got you covered!)If you’ve liked any of my (gluten-free, dairy-free) recipes, like the easiest way to cook a whole chicken that will never be dry, you might like
's The Everything Free Life:Whole30, AIP, GAPS, SCD, gluten-free, dairy-free…. the list goes on. How do you sort through the glut of information, find what works for you, and not lose your mind doing it?
I do not have the answers for your life. What I do have is almost a decade of experience managing chronic illness with dietary changes, feeding my family on a single income budget, and trying to do it in a sustainable way.
I won’t tell you this is going to be easy. It probably won’t be. But it’s possible.
If you liked my essay, The Bodily Problem of Women, you might like
’s Are You Asexual or On Antidepressants?We talk endlessly about giving puberty blockers to children, which I think is important, but if we are worried about the chemical castration of our youth we also need to acknowledge the millions in Gen Z taking SSRIs during vital stages of their sexual development—and potentially being told their side-effects are a valid identity.
This seems especially true for girls and young women. In the US, 86% of those identifying as asexual are female, and 91% are aged between 18 to 27. Which is also the demographic with some of the fastest-rising rates in the use of mental health medication.
If you liked my reflection, A Week By the Sea Sans Smartphone, you might enjoy
’s Simple Acts of Sanity: A Seed Catalogue.We had a tremendous response to our request for readers to contribute their anachronistic practices. There were many that were named numerous times including: reading physical books, walking, biking, baking bread, keeping a journal, and using dumbphones. There were also some practices which seemed quite obscure, such as using a scythe instead of a lawnmower (two readers) or, incredibly, living without a fridge (also two readers).
One thread that carried through many responses was thankfulness for the encouragement to continue to swim against the digital deluge, regardless of how weird or anachronistic it may appear.
And although I’m not an artist, art historian, (or even—let’s be honest—a truly great appreciator of art) I do strive in small ways to continue my education in what is true, good, and beautiful. This lovely little piece brought me lots of joy: “At Breakfast.”
Finally, if you like round-ups,
’s weekly newsletter, Life Considered has probably single-handedly increased my reading of all sorts of interesting things by at least 75% in the last year. Think: women’s health, urban planning, faith, poetry, literature… it’s wonderful. Haley is a fabulous curator and offers a wealth of reading (without being overwhelming) each week.It’s such a privilege to have others give their time and energy to read my words: thank you for being here!
I’d love to know if you’ve read anything memorable recently, (on Substack, or elsewhere!) Please do share in the comments so others can benefit, too.
Finally, if you enjoyed this, would you consider sharing it with another kindred spirit?
I did have a blog once, many moons ago, and I shared its password with exactly 7 people, so no matter what the size of my readership, it always feels like big leap from that project.
I like what you’re doing with these pairings. :) Thanks for the mention, as always!