Stephanie Howell

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

About a month ago something happened to me that I will never forget. What happened hurt me but it also tilted my earth on its axis and made me reframe and rethink so many things.

Let me give you a little back story.

In May I attended a military ball with Jimmy. This was a community event…basically a military appreciation type thing. Couples from the community sponsored military folks. The event was in a convention center and the way that it was set up is that there were 8 people at each table. Two military couples and two civilian sponsors.

It was a black tie event. I haven’t had to dress up like that in a long time. Not since I had Cora. I went through five dresses that didn’t fit until I tried this one and I loved it. I felt a little self conscious but I felt pretty. And I was so proud to be on Jimmy’s arm. And I was OVERJOYED to get to put on pretty makeup and get out of the house and have a special night.

At the event we were seated next to a nice local couple. The woman was super friendly and we chatted off and on all night. I’ve never met a stranger, and we definitely hit it off. I spoke a bit about my five daughters and the challenges military families face.

All in all it was a beautiful evening. When I got home the woman I sat next to friended me on Facebook and started following me on IG.

Some time passed and I went about my life. During this time I decided that I wanted to start making better eating choices. I hadn’t stepped on a scale in years and this wasn’t tied to a number. I just wanted to FEEL better and be STRONGER.

Literally the night I started eating healthier and exercising again, I got two Facebook voice messages from my new friend from the ball.

This moment will be vividly ingrained in my mind for the rest of my life. I was sitting in the van waiting for Sadie to get out of soccer. I had a new lipstick and sunglasses on and I was feeling so proud of myself for exercising. I clicked on the speaker icon and began to listen to the messages. I heard “I’ve been thinking about you” and I got a big grin on my face…I’ve needed a new friend for a while and it made me feel so special.

But then the moment spiraled into a nightmare. I’m going to copy this part from a Facebook post I wrote because the post was written in the heat of the moment and can convey my emotions much better.

On my first night of healthy eating I got a message from a acquaintance who also happens to be a MLM supplement distributor.

It was the most crushing and mortifying thing that has ever happened to me and I will most likely remember it for the rest of my life.

She said that she noticed that when she was sitting next to me at the ball I recently went to that my dress was really tight and I looked uncomfortable. She also pointed out that I seemed to be covering my stomach with a napkin because I was self conscious. 

At this point she mentioned that she sold weight loss supplements and she would love to help me lose that weight.

You know what? I **was** covering my stomach. I’m terribly self conscious about it. And her saying those words to me was like a literal slap across the face. It was if she exposed my deepest secrets and attacked my worst insecurities.

At that point I closed out the message and did not listen to the rest of it. I don’t care to know what all she had to say. There was a second voice memo that I didn’t even open.

The worst part about all of this? I had it on speaker and my daughters heard. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEIR FACES. I have worked so hard to build a culture of body positivity in this family. And it all came crumbling down with that one message. 

She devastated me. A special night (one in which I felt quite beautiful) now feels tainted and ruined. 

Let me tell everyone something. Preying on vulnerabilities and shame doesn’t work. It’s repulsive and disgusting and predatory. Seeking out weakness and profiting off of it is GROSS. 

Two days later and I’m still so mad I could spit nails. I’m shaking as I type this. 

No one gets to comment on anyone else’s weight. What if I had a eating disorder and this triggered me? What if it triggered depression? I am strong and resilient and I have a good support system and I know better than to tie my self worth to this. But what if I didn’t?

If you are in direct sales and you’ve done something like this to someone you need to apologize NOW. No ifs, ands, or buts. 

If you’re thinking about sending a message like this, don’t do it. Don’t. It’s eviscerating. 

I’m BEYOND embarrassed to talk about this but I think it’s important to bring it into the light. Women should not be preying on other women’s insecurities in order to make a paycheck.

I have struggled with body image and self-confidence my entire life. I’d be lying if I said this didn’t take the wind out of me. But like I teach my girls… I’m using this to make me stronger. I deserve better than those ugly, damaging words.

So to recap. A woman I barely knew felt that it was appropriate to reach out via social media and tell me I needed to lose weight. And she wanted to sell me products to help me look better.

Oh, and three of these five beautiful faces heard every word.

Man. It’s now a month later and I am still teary just thinking about it.

Listen. I’m almost 42 years old. I know that her words don’t define my worth. But they effing HURT. Her words hurt and made me feel so much shame and embarrassment. I had a major setback on that night. I lost a piece of my happiness and my joy and became a little less me.

And the worst part? Friend after friend after friend has contacted me with their *own* stories of predatory sales tactics. From their FRIENDS. People using death, divorce, deployments, and post pregnancy bodies for financial gain. I’ve been HORRIFIED.

I have basically been turned off of direct sales for life. This isn’t an exaggeration. That’s how powerful her words were. I’ve also doubled down on loving and encouraging other women. Every day I speak loving and affirming words to as many humans as I can.

I don’t think my commitment to kind words can erase the memory of her message in my mind. I literally cringe every time I think about it. BUT. I do hope that my kindness can make others feel valued and loved.

That’s it for today. Sorry for the novel/brain dump…I guess I needed to type this all out, ha!

So what’s the point of all this? What’s my takeaway for you? Well, first of all, I want you to know that your words have power. Every single one of them. Your words have the power to brighten someone’s day or to take up residence in their tender heart and hurt them for the rest of their life. So choose wisely.

Oh, and if you’ve thought about trying to sell something to someone based on their insecurities and their pain..just don’t. Okay? And it’s never too late to apologize if you’ve intentionally or unintentionally done something like this.

Love to all of you- you are special and loved and important.

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!♡

First of all, are you an Amazon Prime Member? I’ve been one for 9 years and I have never ever regretted it. The membership paid itself off in free shipping within the first month I bought it- it was the holidays! An annual subscription costs $119 (or $13 per month if you don’t want to pay all at once).

Second of all, you will probably find more comprehensive lists elsewhere. Shrug. It’s exhausting and overwhelming picking through everything so instead of losing my mind, I just looked up my favorite things that I already own and use regularly in my home and saw if any of them were deals.

And SURPRISE- they were!

Here is a list of things we’ve been using and loving in the Howell home for years. Enjoy!

Audible Membership – Sign up and enjoy Audible for just $4.95/month for the first 3 months. After 3 months it’s $14.95 a month. – People ask me alll the time how I manage to read so much. One of my biggest secrets is audiobooks. I listen while I’m driving, cleaning, organizing, cooking, you name it. You can cancel after three months and keep the books!

Amazon Music Unlimited 4 months of Amazon Music Unlimited for 99 cents (regularly $7.99 a month)- We LOVE Amazon Music in this home. We have the family plan and in my opinion it’s worth every (full-priced) penny I paid.

Dyson Vacuum– $149.99 (regularly $249.99)- We’ve been a Dyson family for a long, long time. We are currently on our 2nd Dyson vacuum and nothing compares. This is an amazing price. SOLD OUT

Keurig K-Cafe coffee machine – $99.99 (regularly $179.99)- Living in Italy turned me into a TOTAL coffee snob. My daily latte habit had stop when we moved home because buying them here is so expensive. Since them, I’ve tried French Press, Moka Pot, and a drip coffee pot. Let’s be honest. I don’t have time to create the perfect cup of coffee in the morning with 5 kiddos nipping at my heels. I finally (desperately) bought myself one of these about a month ago. I have the brushed nickel version, which isn’t on sale. Jimmy and I both LOVE it. The frother is amazing and so so easy.

Kindle Paperwhite -$84.99 (regularly $129.99)- I held off on getting an e-reader for years and years. I much prefer paper. But in the past year publishers have been sending me galleys and reading them on my iphone/ipad was giving me major headaches. I actually freaking love my Kindle and I’m kind of ashamed I was such a snob about it for so long.

Instant Pot – $49.99 (regularly $99.95)- Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh. I’ve been raving about my Instant Pot for years. Four years actually! You can find my very first IP post HERE. Its a lifesaver and I own two. This price is amazing.

Beats Wireless Headphones – $139.99 (regularly $299.95) – My teen desperately wanted these for her birthday and we treated them to her. I have to say I steal them alllll the time. I’m so jealous of this incredible price!

Crock Pot – $29.69 (regularly $49.99) – Yes I love my Instant Pot, but I don’t love using it as a slow cooker. I much prefer to use my OG Crock Pot. Gotta love a fix it and leave it meal!!

I hope you found this list helpful. Happy Shopping!

xoxo,

S