books – Page 8

Reading Recap // February 2017

March 2, 2017

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Thank you so much for helping to support my little family!

WHOOP! Y’all I’m like a reading MACHINE lately. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m on fire and I love it. I cannot get enough of reading. Suuuuure, I’m not working out as much or really being creative at all BUT I’m reading and I couldn’t be happier.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to review books. Or maybe I feel like I’m not intelligent enough to properly review them? I don’t break down the plot devices or themes or the structure of the books.

How do I know if I like a book? Simple. How it makes me feel. IF it makes me feel. Sadness, joy, hope, despair…those are the feelings that books I love have given me. I don’t go much deeper than that. I get lost in books and then I like to talk about how they made me feel.

With that said…

Here’s what I read in February.

The Children by Ann Leary- Meh. I’ve honestly already forgotten it. I can’t really explain it. The characters bugged me and I never connected and I just thought it was blah. 2 stars.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – OH MY WORD. This book consumed me. CONSUMED ME. I read it in a matter of hours and then promptly handed it to Jimmy and then HE promptly devoured it in a matter of hours.

I was obsessed with it. I AM obsessed with it. J and I haven’t stopped talking about it. I am not one to enjoy books about physics… Let’s be honest, I don’t even understand physics. However… This book transcends any genre. It is absolutely thrilling, heart pounding, and all encompassing. Such a fun ride! 5 stars.

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott- I was pretty into this one, and it was crazy learning about the world of competetive gymnastics. I’m a little bit glad I don’t have a competetive gymnast, holy cow. This one was creepy and unsettling to read as a mother of girls, and it kept me guessing quite a bit. 3 stars.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney- This one has a slow and leisurely pace that is different than what I’m used to… So it took me a little bit to get into it. That said, I really enjoyed this sweet book. It turned out to be rather enchanting. 4 stars.

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase- Kind of slow and boring in parts, but also quite sad. The true topic is heavy bu the book is still pretty light and fun. Okay for me. 3 stars.

Everything,Everything by Nicola Yoon- I love love love Nicola Yoon. The Sun is Also a Star won me over and so did this one. Somewhat formulaic as in quirky-YA heroine and quirky boy fall in love- but nevertheless I ADORED it. This one is going to be a movie and I’m excited to see it. 4 1/2 stars.

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough- This one was my BOTM pick last month. I still haven’t found the words to properly describe how I feel about this one. From my Goodreads review: I honestly don’t know what to say about this one except for that it was a major mind F&$*. I’m sitting here unsure of whether I hate it or love it and I’m going back and forth and back-and-forth and back-and-forth. Let’s just say it was unexpected. 3 1/2 stars.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe- Powerful and painful and haunting and sad, but heartbreaking and hope-filled too. My favorite line from the book was “Hate richochets, but hope does too.” 4 stars.

Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan ODell- Another slow-burning read, this one took its sweet time to win me over and win me over it did. If you enjoyed The Help then you’ll love this one. Strong female characters and beautifully written. 4 stars.

Pines by Blake Crouch- After reading Dark Matter, I had to dive into Crouch’s Pines trilogy. Not nearly as good as DM, but still entertaining in its own right. This book is WEIRD. And I didn’t know what the hell was going on half the time. And at times it was downright ludicrous. But I really actually enjoyed it and read it in a couple of hours. Very Twilight Zone esque!! 3.5 stars.

The Mothers by Brit Bennett- Good Lord the prose in this book is stunning. Sadly I just didn’t connect with the characters. I wanted to so badly because they were so beautifully drawn but I think maybe it was a case of me reading this at the wrong time? I might have loved it more at another time. Bennett is a hell of a writer. 3 stars.

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner- Wow wow wow wow wow. I’m still thinking about this one every day. Haunting doesn’t even begin to cover it. This is a memoir covering Ruth’s years in a polygamous LDS compound in Mexico. This book is tragic and heartbreaking and it made me so angry in so many ways. But I am so inspired by Ruth and what she survived and overcame. 4.5 stars.

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid- I love me some TJR. But this one was not a fave. Things about this book bugged me. And I’m aware it’s because I have a bias. I am a military spouse and I’m often forced to spend years away from my husband, unsure if he’ll make it home alive. Because of that I think I was unable to read this book objectively. So…meh. 2.5 stars.

And as always my favorite part that makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning… the new BOTM selections are out!!

I chose Marlena but also pre-ordered The Stranger in the Woods on Audible. And I added all the other books to my TBR list on Goodreads.

The rest of the Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch
One Man by Andrew Gross
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

That’s my month in pages.

What about you? What did you read, love, hate, devour? What made you FEEL?

xoxo

When God Made You

February 28, 2017

Hey y’all! I wanted to pop in today and share one of our new favorite books.

Our friend Matthew Paul Turner (husband of my dear friend Jessica of the Mom Creative) wrote a new children’s book that releases today.

And it is a treasure.

I’m not just saying that. Honestly. If I didn’t really like it, I’d just share a pretty picture on IG. You KNOW if I’m actually taking the time to blog that it’s GOOD. Ha!!

It’s called When God Made You.

Let me tell you some of the reasons we love it and that I can tell it’s already destined to be one of our most treasured books.

1.The message. This book confirms what I’ve been telling my girls their entire lives. They are special, unique, and LOVED. They can make a difference. They matter and they are precious. It’s full of beautiful affirmations.

2.It’s not cheesy or preachy or saccharine. It rhymes, but in a simply beautiful way. It’s not condescending or preachy or overly simple, which sadly many Christian books we own are. All of the characters aren’t blonde, blue-eyed clones. I like that.

3.It rhymes. I have two Kindergarteners learning rhyming words. I love any book that rhymes.

4.It speaks the words that are in my heart but way more beautifully. My favorite words- “A you who views others as sisters and brothers and lives by three words: love one another.”

5. The illustrations are stunning. Absolutely stunning. Truly- they are a work of art.

6.It’s affordable. $8.96 as we speak!

I am all about any book that teaches my girls that God is love. That they are love. And kindess and compassion and understanding and light.

This book is good.

Order it.

And congratulations, Matthew. We are so lucky to have you as a friend!

Reading Recap // January 2017

February 3, 2017

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Thank you so much for helping to support my little family!

Hi sweet friends! In 2017 one of my goals is to do a reading recap at the end of every month. I will share what I read that month, my Book of the Month selection, and what I’m looking forward to reading.

I would LOVE if you’d join in and let me know your thoughts too, that’s what makes my blog so fun!

I read none books in January, here’s a list of them.

1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi- This book is OUTSTANDING. Absolutely outstanding. This novel takes place on two continents over 300 years and it was astoundingly moving and beautiful. And horribly sad as well. It stunned me and I won’t forget it.

2. Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven- I loved All the Bright Places so I knew I had to read this one too. It’s a quirky YA novel and I fell in love with the characters. I rate books based on how they make me feel and this book made me feel so good. It was a great read.

3. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah- I covered this one in my 2016 roundup, even though I didn’t finish it until January 1. Read it now. No ifs,ands, or buts. For more info, you can read my post here.

4. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey- Oh was this story haunting and magical and beautiful. The setting is a character in the book and you fall in love with Alaska too. I thought this book was so unique and moving.

5. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance- This is NOT my typical type of book, but I’ve heard so much about it and I was very curious to read it. This book was eye opening, inspiring, and sad all at once. I learned a lot.

6. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue- This one was a little bit slow to start – but I was immersed in the surroundings,superstitions, and the time period almost immediately. Such a beautiful and haunting story told in such a vivid way. I really loved it.

7. Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine- Oh I loved Amy’s book. Loved it. From my Amazon review:

An easy and intuitive read that really cemented my beliefs on self care. This book isn’t only for crafters and creators…it’s for all women who are so busy taking care of others that somehow they forgot about themselves along the way. I found myself nodding my head and saying “yes!!!” and “Amen!” throughout Amy’s book.

Part book part workbook, it’s the perfect combination of anecdote and insight. I adored it.

8. Happy Family by Tracy Barone- Ugh and blech. UGH. I grabbed this one at the library because it had great cover art and some highly favorable book jacket blurbs from authors I really respect. The ONLY reason I’m giving this book two stars is because I really enjoyed the character of Cici. Especially since I lived in Italy.

But.

I despised the rest of the characters. They were miserable, rude, self involved, and negative. I slogged through and endured until the main character remarked that she was “autistic before she had her morning coffee” and then I just stopped reading. Seriously. With only a few chapters left.

UGH.

9. The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman- This one was weird for me. It was an interesting premise and was pretty good read but I disliked miserable Rose (a main character) so much it almost ruined the entire book. I’d skip this one if I had a redo, I think.

Now on to my favorite part of every month: BOOK OF THE MONTH REVEAL DAY!!

This month was actually REALLY hard for me. For the first time I can remember, I wanted to read all five books.
But after a lot of thinking, I chose Behind Her Eyes and added the other five to my Goodreads queue.

And if you haven’t signed up for BOTM yet, I have some February promotions to share:

Okay! That’s it for this month. I look forward to hearing what’s on your list!

Happy Friday.

xoxo

Top Ten(ish) Books of 2016

January 3, 2017

FTC disclosure: This post uses affiliate links. I will recieve a small commission if you purchase a book using my link. Thanks for supporting my sweet family!!

Happy New Year sweet friends! I’m so happy to be back here in this space talking to you again. Yay!

So it’s time for my roundup of my favorite books of 2016. It was a record-breaking year for me as far as reading goes…I read 89 books and found my new favorite thing in the world (see more below about that). I read some amazing books, some crappy books, some books that rocked my world, and some I’ve already forgotten about. I am a better person because of what I read!

I’m still using Goodreads to track my books. I don’t always have the energy to leave a review, but I always rate each book. If you’re wondering what I’m reading at any given time, or what I’ve loved recently…following me on Goodreads is always the best way to get that info. When I get emails, FB messages, and texts asking for book suggestions I just send my friends directly to my Goodreads profile. HA!

So above I mentioned that I found my favorite thing this past year. And that’s The Book of the Month Club. I’m OBSESSED. I currently have the six month membership and it’s worth every penny. I have never ever been disappoionted. When I am done with the book each month I donate it to local organizations. Unless I really loved it. Then I keep it!

BOTM has a couple of deals right now.

$5 for one month – expires the last day of January
3 month membership for $9.99 a month + free BOTM tote – expires the last day of January
$10 off 3 month or 12 month subscriptions with the code BOOK10- never expires

A few observations about my year of reading

BOTM rocked my world
Audible helped me reach my goals. I love listening to books while I’m driving, folding laundry, and cleaning. I don’t like to digitally read books, but I do love listening to them!
I visit the library every week and check out 5-10 books. I don’t read them all, just the ones that keep my attention.
I read a lot of YA fiction (there are a TON of YA books in my top ten-this surprised me!), a lot of historical fiction, and lost of fiction. I only read a couple of non-fiction books. That said, I am NOT a literary snob and I don’t discriminate. You’ll see YA, fiction, autobiographies, and romance/chick lit on this list. I love it all. A lot of times I like books that others don’t. Or others love books i despise. That’s okay! These books are specific to my tastes and where I was in my life when I read them.
All these books weren’t written this year.

So In no particular order, here are my favorite top ten (ish) books. I actually have a tie and a bonus book.

1. Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

I found this book after I read somewhere that it scared Stephen King. Holy crap was it good. I still think about this book and how creepy/unsettling/unique it was. It had me on the edge of my seat and I even jumped a few times. The whole premise of this book was so interesting- I’m always a fan of post-apocalyptic books and I devoured this one.

2. Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

I read two of Williams’ books this year and didn’t realize until the second one that they were part of a trilogy and I read them out of order! It’s because this novel read so well as a stand alone. This was my favorite of the two and I’m currently working on the third, which I really don’t like as much at all. The other book was Tiny Little Secrets and I really liked it too. This book was just beautiful. It’s set in two times and places…Europe in the 30’s and America in the 60’s. Williams is a little bit cheesy as an author but it’s endearing. This was a great read.

3. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Oh.My.Word did I LOVE Dumplin’. It’s technically YA but boy did it resound with me. It’s all about loving yourself and Dolly Parton- even when you don’t look like everyone else thinks you should. It’s a gem of a book and the author’s writing style reminds me a bit of Mary Kay Andrews- I laughed out loud in a couple of spots. It’s just a feel good, authentic read and I adored it- of course it helped that I’m a Texas girl and this book is set in Texas!

4. Like a River from Its Course by Kelli Stuart

Full disclosure- my college sorority sister wrote this book. And thank God I didn’t have to lie about loving it, ha!

This book broke my heart and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m so sorry to say that I didn’t know any thing about Kiev and Babi Yar before I read this book. Sigh. It was so all encompassing, I just couldn’t put it down. Easily my favorite historical fiction novel of all time. Kelli really did her research and you can tell the book is a labor of love. I fell in love with each character for different reasons and I have thought about them every day since I finished the book. This one is a must read.

5. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Another YA read! I loved this book but it broke my heart into a million tiny pieces. I cried my face off at the end.It deals with some pretty heavy topics like depression and suicide and it was hard to read at times. But I thought it was written so beautifully and it really stuck with me.

6. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Oh man, if you are going to read one YA book this year, read this one. Now. It’s quirky and weird and funny and adorable. It talks about immigration and race and fate and science. I know. It sounds so random but it is SO SO GOOD. I didnt’ want i to end.

7. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I read two books by Sepetys this year and I gave them both five stars- Salt to the Sea and Out of the Easy. I thought about putting both in my top ten, but this one won by a tiny margin.

I truly had no idea that this was a YA historical fiction book until WAY after I finished it. Seriously. I happened to see it in the YA section at the library after I read it and I thought it was shelved in the wrong spot!

There is absolutely no reason an adult can’t read, love, and learn from this book. This book is beautiful, tragic, and inspiring. Set during WW2, the book tells the story of a maritime disaster I literally had no idea about. I really don’t want to spoil the book, so I’ll just encourage you to read it. It’s outstanding.

8. The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell

Ooof. This was another tough one to read. It deals with some really dark topics, like depression, loss of a child, abuse, and sex trafficking. But more than that it is a story of hope, forgiveness, and strength. It’s set in New Orleans (pre-Katrina) and the city is like a living character in the book. That’s part of what drew me to it. It broke my heart. I had to put the book down in one particular part and just SOB.

I don’t read Christian fiction often. I just don’t find it realistic. It was so nice to read a book that addresses real issues. Dark issues…without glossing them over.

9. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Oh boy was this a good one. Probably my favorite Picoult book. I found this book so relevant and timely. Ruth is a black labor and delivery nurse who is ordered not to touch a white newborn baby. She finds out that the baby’s parents are White Supremacists. Random circumstances lead her to be left alone in the nursery with the baby when he stops breathing. As always, Picoult’s books are about moral and ethical dilemmas. But this one goes much deeper. I honestly learned so much from reading this book.

10. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Number ten is a tie, and both are romances.

One True Loves is a tear-jerker of a love story in which the main character realizes that the love of her life, who she thought was dead, is indeed alive. The problem is that she is happily with the second love of her life. The story is sweet and funny and sad and realistic and I adored it.

It Ends with Us seems like it will be fluffy but it’s so much more than that. I love Colleen Hoover. I love to read her books when I’m looking for something fun, sexy, and light. I did NOT expect her latest book to deal with abuse. But it ended up being my favorite CoHo book ever. Disclosure: Her books are cheesy, romantic, and unbelievable in spots. For me, that just contributes to my enjoyment!!!

Bonus:

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I’m technically cheating here because I finished this book on January 1. I was only like 50 pages away from finishing in on New Year’s Eve. GAH!

I listened to this on on Audible AND read the hardback (Jimmy gave it to me for Christmas).

The Audible version is pretty much amazing because Trevor narrates it and his accent is everything. He actually speaks eight different freaking languages and you hear many of them throughout the book. Incredible!

So how to describe this book? It’s full of hysterical, sad, and unbelievable anecdotes from Trevor’s life in apartheid South Africa. He is seven years younger than I am but has been through one hundred times more than I could ever imagine. The things he’s seen, heard, and dealt with are mind-blowing. And his mom is the definition of #mom goals.

It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or Democrat and it doesn’t matter whether you watch The Daily Show. You won’t regret reading this.

So there you have it! Whew! What a post! I hope you enjoyed it- Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

Book of the Month {DISCOUNT CODES!}

September 1, 2016

BOTM // via Stephanie Howell #bookofthemonth #books #reading

FTC disclosure: This post uses affiliate links. I will recieve a small commission if you purchase a book using my link. Thanks for supporting my sweet family!!

Can someone please tell me why it took me so long to discover Book of the Month? If any monthly subscription SCREAMS my name, it’s this one.

Each month, you select one of five hardback books to be sent to you. The books are always varied, and they are mostly books I haven’t found on my own. Which I LOVE. When I first started BOTM, I assumed that the books would be ones I’ve already read, since I’m such an avid reader. I was totally wrong.

So on the first of each month, the picks are revealed. You can select one to be sent to you OR you can pass for that month. I love that.

Here are the different pricing plans:

1-month plan = $16.99 per month
3-month plan = $14.99 per book, or $44.97
12-month plan = $11.99 per book, or $143.88

Right now I’m paying for the one month plan, but I’m kind of regretting that decision. I wish I would have just paid for the 12 month plan and saved some money. I just wanted to make sure I loved it first.

BOTM // via Stephanie Howell #bookofthemonth #books #reading

I got this blurb off of the BOTM website and it pretty much perfectly sums up why I love this subscription:

If you’re an avid reader, one thing is for certain: if you only shop the “bestseller” lists, you’re going to miss many of the best stories. That’s why we work hard to bring you the gems: well-written, immersive stories that transport you, give you thrills, and tug at your heartstrings. The books that are truly worth reading.

Yes Yes YES!

For those of you who want to see if you like BOTM, I have a couple of really great deals for y’all

1. $5 for your first month and a one month subscription using the code READ5

2.30% off the 3 month subscription and a free tote using code 30TOTE

I was thinking of starting a monthly virtual book club for those of you who sign up. Would y’all be interested in that? I know it would be kind of tricky because there are five books, but maybe I could share what I picked and what I thought about it, and then y’all could do the same.

Anway…let me know what you think. I think it would be crazy fun (I might be able to set up a group chat), but maybe I’m the only one who thinks so. Bahaha!

Oh- and before I forget, I think I’m going to choose The Couple Next Door. The Amy Schumer book looks sorta interesting, but I’m wondering if it would annoy me.

That’s enough babbling for now. Here’s what I need to know. Talk to me goose! Geese???

Do you want to do a monthly BOTM chat/book club?
What book should I choose?

xoxo

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