♡This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.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!♡

What a MONTH for reading! Kicking 2020 off with a bang.

The reason I read so much this month was because we were all sick nonstop and it was too cold to leave the house buttttt at least there was a good side to that…I read 15 books this month!!

As always, you can follow along with my reading in “real time” on Goodreads, Instagram, and in my reading community on Facebook!

These are in no particular order, BUT the first two were my favorite two of the month by far!

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (literary fiction) – This was a tender, beautiful, sweet, and respectful exploration of grief and these pages settled into my heart and bones. Certain passes cracked my chest right open and broke my heart. I found myself nearly breathless by the end of the book. Staggering and stunning, it feels wrong to say I “loved” a book that covers such a heavy topic…but man am I glad I read this. It will stick with me for a long, long time. 5 stars.

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald (up lit)- Things this book is not: Light, easy, simple, purely humorous.

Things this book is: Endearing, heartwarming, sad, hopeful, quirky, wonderful. I fell in love with Zelda and her tribe. Some of the portions of the book made my heart hurt and some of the themes are dark. But oh man…does love ever win. This for sure earned a spot in my “favorites of up lit”.

Similar to Eleanor Oliphant, our heroine will make you root for her and the pages will fly as you are praying that Zelda gets her happy ending. I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll just say I’m a better person for knowing Zelda. 4.5 stars

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Ellie and the Harp Maker by Hazel Prior (up lit) – Well this is exactly what my heart needed. What a simply sweet, love filled, adorable book this was. If you love up lit with quirky and lovable main characters, then this one will be for you. Precious. 4 stars

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The Right Swipe by Alisha Rae (contemporary romance) – I love the chemistry in this book. Great diverse representation, and kudos for the strong female characters. I also love the gentle giant Samson. I look forward to the next book in the series! 3 stars

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The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake (romance/women’s fiction)- This book is absolutely precious and adorable and sweet and will leave you feeling cozy with a big smile on your face. It was perfect for me to read in January in Alaska. It made me want to put on my coziest socks and wrap myself in my warmest blanket and light some candles! My only small gripe is that the book ended too abruptly… But other than that it was perfect! 4 stars

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Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (romance/women’s fiction)- This book was sweet and charming and as someone who loves both planners/lettering and reading…it was a dream combination for me. I loved how the heroine pictured words as signs and letters as emotions, I just adored the descriptions of fonts and colors and signs.

I got a little annoyed with the author’s personal vendetta against “bloom where you’re planted” which was mentioned over and over in the book as being dumb and pedestrian and lame. Of course this has always been my mantra as a military wife and it’s even the name of my reading group on Facebook. So that part kept needling me and ruined my enjoyment a bit, because I don’t like being made to feel like I’m silly or unfashionable…but I realize that’s a highly personal critique and didn’t deter from my rating.

If you are looking for a fun, simple, somewhat steamy book with some great chemistry this one is for you. Especially if you love hand lettering and fonts.  4 stars.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (fiction/historical fiction)- Diane Chamberlain is a master storyteller. Her novels just draw you in and captivate you and this one is certainly no exception. The dual storylines complemented each other beautifully and weren’t at all confusing… I found both of them equally interesting. I didn’t expect this to be a page turner at the beginning but I was wrong. I stayed up way too late finishing it and I found it immensely satisfying and intriguing. Masterfully written and one I’ll think about many times in the future, I’m certain.  4.5 stars. 

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Someone We Know by Shari Lapena (thriller) – What a convoluted mess. First of all… I genuinely hated every single character in this book. Second of all, the story was unbelievably repetitive. Just a pretty generic thriller. 2 stars

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Stolen Things by R.H. Herron (mystery/thriller) – Too vulgar, dark, violent, explicit and brutal for me. Just too, too much. Bad cops, sexual assault, rape, prostitution…with a random sprinkling of social justice? Just not for me. 2.5 stars.

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The Last by Hanna Jameson (dystopian fiction) – Holy cow did this book terrify me. Goosebumps, constant dread, pounding heart…you name it. Nuclear war, dystopia, an isolated Swiss hotel, and a murdered child. What a freaky combination. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop. Haunting and chilling and gritty, this one isn’t for the faint of heart. I have to say I was super underwhelmed by the ending. I know endings are hard but this one was just disappointing to me. Nevertheless, this was one crazy ride. 4 stars

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Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff (thriller)- Dude. What a screwed up, crazy story! Bioethics and kidnappings and hidden identities and insane twists all rolled into one. 3.5 stars

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The Nanny by Gilly MacMillan (thriller) – Just OK for me. I was really into it the first half or so and then I realized that Hannah seemed like a cardboard cutout to me. I couldn’t get a good feeling for her personality or imagine her in my mind. And her speech was so odd and stilted. Also… It’s such a pet peeve of mine when mothers believe everyone but their child when the child is telling them they are in danger. 3 stars

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You are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (thriller- Advance Reader’s Copy, publication date 3/3/20) – WOOOHOO! What a twisty, turny, WTF-inducing thrill ride! I loved this fast paced, entertaining romp and I devoured it in a day. Make sure to block off some reading time for this one because you won’t want to put it down! I thought I had it all figured out but boy was I wrong. Also, I just want to say that I am sooooo tired of twisty just for the sake of being twisty. I’m over books that have twist after twist after twist after twist. I love thrillers like this one. Good, solid books with a solid twisty ending. I’m all about it! 4 stars

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The Wives by Tarryn Fisher (thriller)- polygamist thriller say what? But for some reason this one just didn’t grab me, though everyone else seems to love it! The “twist” had me scratching my head and saying “Huh? That’s it??” 3.5 stars

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We Met in December by Rosie Curtis (romance)- Sooooooo slow. I wanted to like it but it just dragged on and on. Also, don’t assume this is a good wintry/holiday book based on the title and cover. 2.5 stars.

WHEWWW! What.a. MONTH!! So what do you think? Have you read any of these and what did you think? What was your favorite read this month?

Happy (almost) February, ya’ll…and HAPPY READING!

xoxo

S

As we approach 2020, I’m taking a moment to look back on my reading for 2019. I have to say that it was one of the happiest and most fulfilling bookish years, thanks to the inception and birth of my dear book community on Facebook.

I’ve felt inspired and ON FIRE for reading. And I can’t tell you how much joy that has brought me.

I read 179 books this year and my heart and mind are so much better for it.

With that said, here is a list of my favorites for 2019.

A few notes:

• these are in no particular order
• some books that are universal faves (and were five stars for me) just didn’t end up on the short list- that doesn’t mean I don’t LOVE them, this is just the handful that stuck with me and the ones that still resonate the MOST
• they were not all published in 2019, they are just books I read in 2019
• I didn’t look at what I rated these. I just scrolled through my books read in 2019 Goodreads list and picked the ones that I still think about all the time. That, to me, is the mark of a good book.

Here we go…

1.The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo-

Original Review: Oh my heart. Sob sob sob. I loved, adored, TREASURED this book and I didn’t want it to end. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll keep it brief but it was just PERFECT. Full of magic and hope and despair and pain and longing and love and loss and fear and more magic. Woven throughout the story are threads of love. Love lost, love gained, love that the characters dreamt of but weren’t sure they deserved, weren’t sure they were capable of. Tenderly and beautifully written.Where do I even begin? This novel completely captivated my heart from page one in a way that is almost indescribable.

I am a mother of five girls and I am madly and ridiculously in love with my husband of almost 2 decades. I connected with Marilyn and David in ways that I’ve never connected with characters before. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say that page after page I gasped at the way Claire Lombardo puts words together. I am going to buy this book so that I can highlight the passages that I fell in love with. Lombardo describes parenthood, love, sisterhood, and life PERFECTLY.

This book is an absolute gift and a beautiful treasure. It will be in my heart and on my mind for many years to come.

2.Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah-

Before I share my review, I have to tell you that this book has been one of my greatest joys and surprises of 2019. I chose Glendy’s book as an Amazon first read and it exceeded my wildest expectations. I fell in love with the characters and the author and I’m now lucky enough to be able to call her a friend.

Original Review: Oh my heart. Sob sob sob. I loved, adored, TREASURED this book and I didn’t want it to end. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll keep it brief but it was just PERFECT. Full of magic and hope and despair and pain and longing and love and loss and fear and more magic. Woven throughout the story are threads of love. Love lost, love gained, love that the characters dreamt of but weren’t sure they deserved, weren’t sure they were capable of. Tenderly and beautifully written.

3.The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves-

Original Review: Sometimes I have the words to tell you what makes a book so special. Sometimes there are no adequate words… This is one of those times. But I’ll try. 🖤I devoured this book in two sittings and loved every single page. 🖤I fell in love with Annika and Jonathan. He is gentle and kind and loving and understanding and protective and patient. She is fierce and brave and tender and pure and so much more than her place on the spectrum or the labels others want to slap on her.🖤Read it. Now. It’s just perfect- but get the tissues ready. It will leave a lump in your throat and fill your heart with joy.

4.Long Bright River by Liz Moore-

This one snuck in just under the wire. I read it last week and I found the portrayal of addiction, family, and fear absolutely riveting and staggering.Filled with gritty descriptions of the streets of Kensington in Philadelphia, this novel paints an accurate portrait of addiction and how it affects those around them. I was so wrapped up in the lives of Mickey and Kasey.
It was tense and powerful – I thought it was phenomenal.

5.I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi-

Original Review:Oh oh Ohhhh I loved this. And I am totally sobbing and stayed up WAY too late (1:30 am) to finish this. I’ll be back with a review after the tears stop flowing and after I get some rest.

I never updated the review but that’s pretty much my feelings in a nutshell. This book was my unexpected sleeper hit of the year. It absolutely SLAYED me in the best possible way.

6.Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes-

Original Review: I just laughed,cried, and highlighted my way through this absolute gem of a book. My heart is so full right now – and so are my eyes.

I can’t quite put into words how much I loved it but I am 100% certain it will be on my top 10 of 2019 list. Absolute perfection.

It’s funny and witty and beautiful and all of the imperfectly perfect relationships within the pages are written flawlessly. I’m so glad I went with my instinct and bought this one. I know I want it on my shelves forever!

7.The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dam Gemeinhart

Original Review: Ohhhh my heart. I think I just cried my heart out right through my eyeballs. 

I picked up this book under the pretense that I was reading it so that I could recommend it to Harper and Sadie…maybe even do a read aloud with them. I quickly fell in love and realized I was reading it 100 percent for me. 

This book has a pretty heavy topic at its core…grief. It covers heartbreak and loss and death and grief but not in a maudlin or depressing way. 

This book is just beautiful. Simply beautiful. I highlighted passage after passage. There is a quirky cast of characters and woven through all of their lives is a thread of kindness and compassion. 

Do yourself a favor and read this right away. It might be labeled as middle grade fiction, but it’s a must read for everyone. 💛

Whew. There you have it! My 2019 short list.

And just because I can’t bear not to spread all of the bookish love possible, here are the additions for the long list:

The Line Between by Tosca Lee, Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson, Love You Hard by Abby Maslin, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Verity by Colleen Hover, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni.

I hope you enjoyed this post! What were YOUR favorites of 2019? Happy reading!

xoxo

S

♡This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.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!♡

Happy December y’all!!! It’s been a while since I did one of these. Because…frankly I feel like I’ve been drowning. This deployment is kicking my BUTT! But I’m feeling more capable this month, so here we are!!

As always, you can follow me on Goodreads, check out my 4/5 star storefront on Amazon, and join my reading community on Facebook to keep up with my reading in real time.

It’s interesting. I thought I’d be DEVOURING books while J was gone. But honestly I haven’t been reading as much as I thought I would be. But it’s okay…all reading is magic!

I do notice I’ve been sticking with my comfort genres- contemporary romance and women’s literature. These books simply make me HAPPY, and that’s what I need right now.

So here’s what I read this month!

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker – A sweet, nostalgic read that wasn’t earth shattering, but that’s okay! Sometimes I just need simple and entertaining. 3 stars

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay – This was a delightful and steamy read. I loved the sensitivity and enlightenment and feminism that the men in this book displayed. I have to be honest…Thea drove me NUTS. She was so unwilling to admit to her part in their marriage’s struggles and she was so damn mean to Gavin. Don’t even get me started on how ugly she allowed her sister to speak to her husband in their home. I just thought it was so disrespectful. That said, I adored the rest of this book so much that I forgave my frustrations with Thea. I can’t wait for book two. 4 stars

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne – I found the main characters too spoiled and shallow- so that made it unrelatable. But it was a fun, light-hearted romp and I’ll read the next book in the series. 3 stars

The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine – This book was a frustrating, hot mess disappointment. It was boring as well. I just found it far reached and ridiculous. 2 stars

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella – I think I’ve outgrown this series. I used to find Becky’s antics funny and endearing and now I just find them sad and somewhat selfish. I also feel like Kinsella is phoning it in as far as the series goes. Her writing was allllllllll over the place and unfocused and how many times can one use the word “tones”. And WHY did she say nee Bloomwood SO MANY TIMES. I feel like I grew up on this series so it breaks my heart but it’s just a fact that it’s not what it once was. 2.5 stars

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey – I enjoyed this one although I found it far fetched and a bit ridiculous at times. I really disliked the way one of the main characters was described with regards to appearance and weight, but if you are looking for a easy, compelling read this one might be for you. 3 stars

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert –  Easily the best romance I’ve read this year. I fell in love with both main characters. I love the diversity. I love the inclusion of a MC with chronic pain. I just thought it was lovely and romantic and STEAMY. 4.5 stars

Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh – Tender and sweet and pure. This heartwarming, clean romance (with a touch of Christian fiction) was exactly what I needed. 4 stars

What was the best book you read this month?

Happy reading!

xoxo,

Stephanie

♡This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.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!♡

Happy August!!! Another summer month has flown by and another chapter of amazing reading has come to an end.

My wonderful reading group is still thriving and it’s bringing me endless joy. You can check it out HERE.

You can find always find my full reviews and opinions for each book on Goodreads. Just click on Books Read in 2019.

July in a snapshot:

Books Read in June: 10

Ebooks vs Paper:  2/8

ARCs: 4

Audiobooks: 1

Favorite book of June: The Most Fun We Ever Had

Genres Read: women’s fiction, literary fiction, thriller, YA

Five Star Reads:

◼️ The Most Fun We’ve Ever Had  by Claire Lombardo –

Where do I even begin? This novel completely captivated my heart from page one in a way that is almost indescribable.

I am a mother of five girls and I am madly and ridiculously in love with my husband of almost 2 decades. I connected with Marilyn and David in ways that I’ve never connected with characters before. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say that page after page I gasped at the way Claire Lombardo puts words together. I am going to buy this book so that I can highlight the passages that I fell in love with. Lombardo describes parenthood, love, sisterhood, and life PERFECTLY.

This book is an absolute gift and a beautiful treasure. It will be in my heart and on my mind for many years to come.

◼️ The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai – This book just broke my heart. ⁣
⁣I cannot imagine the fear and panic in the gay community during the AIDS crisis. ⁣
⁣And then on top of that…the misinformation and the fear-mongering and hatred and the way that the public treated these men…it hurts my heart just to think about it. ⁣
⁣
Rebecca Makkai did an incredible job telling the story of these “boys” and their hopes, dreams, fears, and demons. She wrote a stunningly beautiful coming of age tale. ⁣
⁣
The characters became so real to me. They burrowed deep into my heart and I know I’ll think about them for a long time to come. 

◼️ The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Zara Zgheib – This book broke my heart. It’s such a raw, beautiful and unflinching portrait of disordered eating. Yara Zgheib has struggled with anorexia for many years and her honestly is eviscerating. I loved the hope and the love portrayed within these pages.

Four Star Reads:

◼️ Lock Every Door by Riley Sager- A heart pounding thriller that I inhaled in a matter of hours. I found the setting completely consuming and vivid and I was obsessed from the first page. Riley Sager always writes thrillers that hit the mark.

◼️ The Whisper Man by Alex North – (ARC- Pub Date 8/20/19) – I finished this last night (I stayed up way too late) and I still have goosebumps. ⁣
⁣
THE WHISPER MAN is Alex North’s debut thriller and man is it a good one. It’s dark and creepy and unsettling and IT GOT TO ME, Y’ALL. ⁣
⁣
I read it almost entirely in one sitting and i think the best way to describe it is that it just left me feeling unsettled. Which is the mark of an excellent thriller. ⁣
⁣
Whew! Off to cleanse the palate so I can sleep tonight. 

◼️ The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall (ARC- Pub Date 8/13/19)–

This book is quiet and abiding and steady and calm. It contains beautiful prose and gorgeous descriptions of life and love and faith. It is not a fast read nor is it an explosive one.  If you enjoy character driven narratives then this one is for you. 

I will say I would have loved to hear more of what happened in the 50 years of friendship. But this was a lovely read.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (ARC- Pub Date 10/8/19)- I’m a sucker for young adult dystopian novels and this one was definitely satisfying. 

The entire time I was reading it I kept thinking it was a cross between The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale and then I saw that others were calling it a cross between Handmaid’s and Lord of the Flies and that’s even more perfect. 

Be warned: this book is violent and jarring. Some of it seems far-fetched, some of it seems as if it’s happening as we speak. It’s all equally horrifying. 

I love the message behind this book. I love the idea of women standing up for themselves and discovering their true magic and this book has such a feminist plot. It’s quite wonderful. 

However…

I have some major issues with the plot. The author chose to skip big chunks of time and skim the details when I would’ve liked way more detail about the day-to-day during the grace year. I also feel like the love story part was unnecessary. Shrug. 

That said, this book made me feel. It made me feel terrified, stressed, worried. It made my heart pound and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. So in my eyes that is a four star book. 

Three and a Half Star Reads:

Girls Like Us by Christina Alger- This thriller/police procedural/crime novel packed a punch. l loved the strong female protagonist and I enjoyed the constant action. 

I really liked that there was more to this case than there seemed to be. I thought the story was going to go one way and I’m so happy that my assumptions were incorrect. 

The plot kept me guessing and though I didn’t love this one quite as much as The Banker’s Wife, it was still a great read in its’ own right!

Three Star Reads:

The Better Sister by Alafair Burke (Audible)- Interesting and definitely kept my attention. I loved the sisterhood part of the story for sure. However, it’s just kind of one of those stories I won’t remember for long. It wasn’t super remarkable but it was fun.

Two and a Half Star Reads:

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger- Compulsively readable but mannnnnn did I despise all of the characters. They all seemed like such miserable people. Ugh.

Whew! What a month! Check in y’all! What did you love/hate/just feel meh about?

Love to you all!

xoxo

S