Neglecting my creative side

Somehow, in the hustle and bustle of the fall semester, my more creative pursuits have fallen by the wayside.  I haven't picked up a crochet hook in over a year, haven't posted on this blog in months (though I have two drafts waiting to be finished and posted).  Even my usual holiday pursuit of baking a gazillion cookies fizzled for the first time in decades; I was lucky to roll out and bake the gingerbread dough that I managed to throw together at some point last month.

One thing that I have been doing pretty steadily is READING.  Reading for work and for personal pleasure.  Reading social media posts, blogs, online articles, holiday cards, and cookbooks. On Facebook, I posted a Christmas book-of-the-day every day from December first through the twenty-fifth, and have continued posting reading-related websites for the Twelve Days of Christmas (which ends tomorrow).  If anyone is reading this post and wants the lists of holiday books and reading websites, just comment below and I'll get them to you.

I've been reviewing how my 2014 played out, and laying plans for 2015.  The lack of creative pursuits stuck out like a sore thumb, so I'm going to work on blogging (and crocheting) more regularly.  I've also resolved to limit my spending to needs, which bodes well for the HUGE pile of to-be-read books that have taken over our coffee table, my nightstand, and in some areas, the floor.  More reading means more material for blog posts--a win-win!

Here are some of the recent books I've read:


Women Food and God:  An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth


Doll Bones  by Holly Black


The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn, as part of The Christmas Chronicles

 On my to-read pile:

The Land of Stories: A Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh 

Zing! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators and Students by Pat Mora

Outliers:  The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (I keep restarting this book, need to finish it!)

Open a World of Possible:  Real Stories About the Joy and Power of Reading edited by Lois Bridges

And those are just the tip of the iceberg...I'm sure I'll be reading much more fiction this coming semester as well.  What is your most recent favorite book to recommend?  What's next on your to-read pile?

(Crochet photo courtesy of Liz Lawley.)