In my last post I whined about not getting enough sleep, spending too much time online “learning”, having too much on my plate and pretty much having zero life outside of my job. Instead of continuing to whine, however, I decided to actually do something about it by destressing at the end of the day rather than continuing my business education. I recently finished reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project and she talks a bit about her love of children’s lit…
First of all, I thought it was just me. I mean, my entire devotion to publishing stems from the fact that all I did as a child was read. My first book was To Kill A Mockingbird and I was five. Books are in my blood.
My favorite thing about reading as a child was pretty much the same reason we all love reading – it takes us away. At the risk of sounding corny as hell, there’s something slightly more magical about reading at 10 than there is at 20. Why is that? Is it that so-called “childish innocence”? Or is it the quality of book? Books that don’t have complicated themes or disturbing scenes? Books that exist pretty much for the sheer pleasure of the story.
The books we read before bed matter
While writing my last post I realized that the books I was reading before bed weren’t helping my sleep problem. Despite copious amounts of sleep-inducing drugs, thoughts were running like mad inside my head. Plans for my business, post ideas, blogging tips, networking advice… It was turning me into that crazy lady who talks to herself on the train.
The problem was that I was reading books like Chris Brogan and Julien Smith’s Trust Agents. Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek. Gary Vaynerchuck’s Crush It! All fabulous books, to be sure, but not the lightest of bedtime reading. Even though I’m glad I read these books, I think I need to cool it for a while. And I bet I’ll get more done if I get the sleep I need rather than stressing myself out more by reading all the things I’m still not doing in my business.
So instead…
Instead I took my ass to the library and checked out all that children’s literature I never read. The classics I figured I “missed out on” because I didn’t read them as a kid. Not even realizing I’m still allowed to read them now. Here’s what I got:
Can you believe I'd never read this?
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
I also checked out Dealing with Dragons because that was my favorite series (even more than Narnia and before Potter) and for some idiotic reason I gave away my copies. I haven’t reread those books in years and my fingers are crossed I can still feel a little bit of that magic.
Oh, and here’s where you come in: What were your favorite children’s books? Because of the length of most of these guys I’m already done with Tollbooth and looking for my next fix. Some of my all-time favorites include:
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
- The Lady of the Linden Tree by Barbara Leonie Picard
So? What were yours? What books did you read over and over again that you absolutely must add to my growing pile of childhood to-reads (and subsequently help to save my sanity)?
Pingback: 4 Books I Read in February — Marian Schembari