Currently . . . Overwhelmed

And no, I'm not talking about the house.

Or the impending baby.

I'm talking about the stack of books I'm currently reading. 

I generally try to have about three books going at the same time: a book I'm reading, a book I'm listening to, a book I'm reading to the boys.

But this? This is ridiculous.

I'm trying to remember how I even got to such a place.

A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion - I started this book in . . . August. As in, seven months ago August. I read half of it for my education group. Then it had to go back to the library. I ended up just buying my own copy because I wanted to be able to mark it up and reference it. But honestly, I haven't touched it since it came in the mail. So maybe I shouldn't count it as a book I'm "currently reading." Except that I have every intention of finishing it. So it's hanging over my head.

The Forgotten Garden - I wish I had read this book over Christmas. Instead, I started it just as we got back from all the holiday traveling, and between moving and book clubs and children, my reading of it has been laboriously painful. Really, for a book with such a great plot and so much mystery and intrigue, I should be flying through it. But I'm not. I finally checked out the audio copy because my time to listen is more plentiful than my time to sit down and read. I'm finally making some headway.

Siblings Without Rivalry - I put this book on hold in a moment of desperation. My children are fighting so much, and it's driving me crazy. There's especially a toxic connection between Maxwell (4) and Bradley (2.5). If they go ten peaceful minutes in the same room together, I consider it a small miracle. Anyway, I read the bulk of this book very quickly but couldn't finish it before it had to go back to the library. I immediately put it on hold, and it just came in again this week. So I just need to finish up the last chapter or two (and maybe review some parts since my kids are still fighting).

In Defense of Food - I checked out the audio of this one when we were moving. I thought I would listen to the entire thing while I was cleaning our old place. And then I ended up not listening to anything, which is really unusual for me. It's interesting for sure--I love Michael Pollan's style--but I switched over to The Forgotten Garden for awhile.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - Remember that one? Usually I can't get enough of birth stories, but hers are a little intense for me. That, and it also had to go back to the library (you can tell I'm really on top of reading the books I check out since they all have to go back before I can finish them). Now I have it again. And the clock is ticking (. . . 9 weeks to go), so I need to make this a priority.

Jane Eyre - My book club is reading this book for April. I've read it before, so this should have been an easy out for me, but I couldn't resist. I'm 100 pages in and loving it all over again.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - The boys and I are reading this together. I can tell it's geared for kids who are a little older, but they're totally entranced with it nonetheless.

There were two other books I wanted to read for other events (The Grace of Silence and The Rent Collector), but I just looked at the pile I already had going and thought, I'm not that crazy.