July Recap

Am I down to only every-other-month recaps?  I hope not...

Let's talk about what I read this month:

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith. In this, an 18-year-old girl, who has been dealt a bad hand at life, buys a lottery ticket for her best friend (secret love) and he wins millions. Millions and millions of dollars. I really enjoyed this one. It's definitely a quintessential coming-of-age YA story where everything works out in the end, but sometimes we need lighthearted fun books. Especially in summer. Don't let the lighthearted nature fool you though; I definitely cried more than I thought I would.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I was killing the YA game in July. I loved this one. This is the story of Maddy, the girl who was allergic to the world, and Olly, the mysterious boy who moved in next door. I loved Maddy. I loved Olly. I loved Carla. I want to play phonetic scrabble. And I was so so surprised by the twist - I legit never saw it coming. That's the best kind of twist, right? Also - top notch flirting in this one. Perfect for summer.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. You guys! This. Was. Perfection. Listen to it on audio, if you can. There's a full cast production, complete with music, which is so important to the story. Echo tells the story of three children growing up during World War II all over the world, mysteriously linked together by a magical harmonica. It was a Newberry Honor for a reason.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Yet another twist that I did not see coming. I flew threw this one in a matter of hours. Who is Evelyn Hugo? Why was she married seven times? (I would have given up long before number seven.) Any why on earth does she want Monique Grant, virtually unknown writer, to tell her story?

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. I heard about this one from Hannah at So Obsessed With. See her review here. I would never have picked this book up on my own, even though it's set during WWII, my favorite era. And is a WWII alternate history telling, another fave. The motorcycle race that is the center of the story would have thrown me off. I'm so so glad I took Hannah's recommendation and listened to this on audible anyway. The narration is fantastic. The story moves at a frantic clip. There are so many twists and turns that I audibly gasped at several points in the story. If that's not enough to sell you, I'll leave with this - I am counting down the days until my next audible credit so I can get the sequel (only nine more to go).

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson. A little back story - I've only read one of Joshilyn Jackson book prior to Someone Else's Love Story, and that was Gods in Alabama. I listened to it on audio, but being from the south, I had a really hard time with the affected southern accent given to the characters. But Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy and What Should I Read Next? Podcast) always raves about her, so I hadn't written her entirely off yet. I just wasn't in a hurry to binge all of her book. But then, several months later, I saw an essay by her in the AJC about her work teaching creative writing to inmates in the women's maximum security prison in Atlanta. Hold up... She's Atlanta based? And does such a good deed on a regular basis? Perhaps it's time to give it another shot. So I read the essay and loved her writing; much more than I loved listening to it. I decided to try out her other book I hear about most from Anne Bogel, Someone Else's Love Story. It was delightful. So cute. I loved Shandi, her son Natty, and Will. And I loved that the story was wrapped up in the tidiest of tidy bows. No loose ends. Sometimes you just need that, right? Needless to say, I picked up The Almost Sisters (her latest) this weekend and am strongly considering joining the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club just to hear her author talk. AND while I was browsing the bookstore, The Almost Sisters in hand, this woman came up to me to talk about it and said that Joshilyn Jackson went to high school with her husband and she just loves her books so much and that her name is pronounced JOSSilyn, not JOSHilyn. (We also talked about Fredrik Backman, so we're basically best friends now).

Life things to recap:

I visited a winery for the first time and did a wine tasting and it was so. much. fun.  I left spending $75 on three bottles of wine, which I'm sure is revealing to you all how uncultured I am, but whatever. I usually go for the $5-$10 bottle of Barefoot Moscato at the grocery store on the rare occasion that I do buy wine, so this was a pretty serious upgrade.

So where did I go?  I went to Chateau Elan, a winery here outside of Atlanta. The statue lady pictured above is a grape stomping woman from the winery.  I didn't realize how close it was to my house (not super close - about an hour and a half away); I always thought it was up in North Georgia somewhere and would take me like four hours to get there.  I took my mom as a belated 50th birthday present.  I wanted to do something special for her last year for her 50th, but I was too broke then.  As soon as I could afford it, I booked the room and the wine tasting.

We also hit up the Mall of Georgia, where I kept my spending very on-brand and bought clothes for Isla and books for us both.  :-)

Also in July, my little family took a trip to the beach for a weekend.  One last getaway before Pre-K.  We went to Destin, FL and had the best time even though we were only there for a weekend and all got sunburned despite my diligent sunscreen application/reapplication.  (Those little footprints slay me.)

Other than that, I've been listening to lots of great podcasts (post forthcoming), watching lots of Doctor Who, and I saw Dunkirk.

GO SEE DUNKIRK IMMEDIATELY!!

Congratulations if you made it to the end of this super long post. Perhaps I should post more, so I'll have less to say in one sitting.

Anyway, tell me about your July!  What did you read/watch/do?

Big Reads: May(ish) Recap

Hi guys! I'm back! I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. I feel like I've forgotten how to do everything. It makes sense though... I started a new job in March (which I love), but things have definitely been different. For starters, I fell down the Outlander rabbit hole and didn't think I would ever emerge. I've been reading a ton, but haven't had (made) much time for blogging and instagramming.

Let's dive back in with the best books I've read lately. All in May, except for Outlander. Hence the May(ish) update.

Exit West by Moshin Hamid. Can a roller coaster be slow moving? Or is that just hills? Either way, that's how this book felt to me. It was very interesting - I love Nadia and Saeed and the journey they took. I loved how strong and fierce Nadia was. Saeed was ok. I didn't love him as much as Nadia.  Even though this had some fantastical elements (just one really - doorways that become portals to different parts of the world,) it's pretty much a refugee story. One that is pretty timely and eye opening.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan. The title is misleading. It's actually a book van. Apparently this is the U.S. title, but the U.K. title is the name of the book van, The Little Shop of Happily Ever After. Granted, the U.S. title is a better title, but the U.K. one makes more sense with the story.

The Dry by Jane Harper. There has been so much buzz surrounding this book! I thought it was pretty good. The whodunnit twist caught me entirely by surprise. I really likes Falk, though I had a hard time picturing him as he's described. (White blonde hair, blue eyes, super pale skin - I feel like he wouldn't survive in the Australian outback. Wouldn't he just be one giant sunburn?) The atmosphere in this book though - made me hot and thirsty just reading it. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to see where it goes.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I didn't want to like this book. I definitely had no intention of ever reading it, even though readers I love highly recommended it. But then it was a kindle daily deal, and I just can't resist those. I frickin loved it. I think I read it in one sitting, it was so engaging. It's the story of Emma Blair who marries her high school sweetheart and they live happily ever after. At least until just before their first anniversary, when his helicopter goes down over the Pacific ocean and he's presumed dead. A few years later, Emma has moved on and is engaged again when she gets a phone call from her husband saying that he's alive and he's coming home. Cue gasp. I loved this story so much. I though the bookshop was fantastic. I loved the evolution of her relationship with her sister was wonderful. I loved her parents and both of these wonderful men in her life. I loved Emma and her growth and change as a person from a young newlywed to a woman who has experienced the hard things life has given her and come through not just in tact, but stronger than before. Plus there was some top notch flirting in this book. Just a wonderful read. Also, the only reason I picked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as one of the Book of the Month picks for June. I must read more Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. What is there to say about Outlander that hasn't already been said. If, like me, you've been holding out on reading these books for whatever reason, just read them already. They're endlessly entertaining. They're funny and dramatic and romantic and suspenseful and Jamie Fraser is the best fictional man that has ever been written. The show is ok - the books are way way better. I especially loved the ending of the latest book.

Big Reads: February Recap

February was a... challenging... reading month for me. It certainly didn't help that I started off the month with what will probably be the best book I read all year.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. You guys. This book. I don't have enough wonderful things to say about it. And it it beloved by many. My Instagram post about it got the most likes and comments I think any of my posts have ever gotten. I checked Guernsey out from the library, but I'll definitely by buying a copy soon so that I can re-read it forever. I loved Juliet and how spunky and smart and funny and quick witted she was. And Dawsey? Easily the best book boyfriend there has ever been. Read this one ASAP.

Big Little Lies was my book club's February pick and I loved it. I hurried to read it before the HBO series started and it was an absolute roller coaster. I did not see the ending coming (who died or who killed them) but I loved all the characters and I'm really enjoying the show as well. Have you read this one? Are you watching the show?

Gods In Alabama was very "meh" for me. This was recommended on the What Should I Read Next? podcast, and while Anne Bogel's recommendations are usually spot on for me, this one was not. I should have known to stay away because I don't really like the "southern fiction" sub genre, but the audio was a daily deal, and well... you know how that goes. I didn't love the accents (too over the top) and I was a little uncomfortable hearing the f word so often from that syrupy sweet southern voice, even though I have no problems with the f word in general (as long as it isn't being said in front of my daughter.) I didn't hate it though. I was surprised by the ending. I really liked Burr. And them love scenes tho... Also, the palmetto bug scene had me looking over my shoulder for rest of the day. My southern peeps know what I'm talking about. Those things are no joke.

I did not like The Girl Before. The further I get away from reading it, the more I dislike it. It was definitely a page turner, but that's where the good stuff ends. This story is told from the perspective of two women who lived in the same house at different points in time. The girl from the past died in the house and the current resident tries to find out why. I'm pretty sure that every single character was insane. That plus the authors use of "I'm like" and "she goes" to describe conversations killed the atmosphere for me.

What Alice Forgot had a very interesting premise. Alice, age 39, falls of her stationary bike, hits her head, and doesn't remember anything from the past ten years. The last thing she remembers is being pregnant with her first child and happily married, but when she wakes up, she has three kids and is in the middle of a divorce. I enjoyed this one. I read it quickly, but of the two Liane Moriarty books I've read now, I would recommend Big Little Lies.

And I also read the Checkmate Duo - This Is War and This Is Love and they were trashy romance novels that I read in a day each. Just to keep it real and you guys don't think I'm above such reading. I'm not and they're a good way to get out of a slump - anything you can power through and keep up reading momentum.

Man, if only I approached fitness the way I do reading...

What did you read in February that I need to add to my TBR for March?

Friday Edit no. 6

It's Friday! And my last full week at my current job! I'm working three days next week, and then moving on to a new job the following Monday. I have a lot to be excited about.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Linky loves this week:

• Love this post from Andrea at Born Read Chicago about Developing a Reading Habit. 
• This Buy the Book from So Obsessed With is fantastic.
• I'm hungry and this looks amazing.
• I'm making these power muffins this weekend to have for breakfast all week. They look delish.
• As someone who suffers from adult acne, this is fascinating.

It's also my anniversary tomorrow! How are my husband and I celebrating? We're painting our bedroom like the cool kids we are. But it's date night tonight! And I'm going to try to see La La Land tomorrow night.

Have a great weekend!

10 Books That Are Just Plain Fun

You all were sooo encouraging on my post earlier this week about being in a reading slump! I gave up on Anna Karenina. For now, at least. Maybe I'll try again another time. But for me right now? I'm done.

The day after that post went live, I was listening to one of my new favorite podcasts, Awesome with Alison. In Episode 3, she talked about how important having fun is. A lightbulb went off, guys. That's why I read. That's my fun activity. So without further ado, here are 10 books that are just plain fun to read (plus the one I'm reading to get me out of my slump.)

The Harry Potter series. Can you talk about reading for fun without mentioning Harry Potter? I certainly can't. I absolutely love these books. Especially on audio. I've mentioned them on the blog several times, but Jim Dale's narration of these books is magical and utterly without fault. I just finished listening to Deathly Hallows and I'm strongly considering starting back over at the beginning.

Shades of Grey - no, not that one. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. Jasper Fforde is better known for his Thursday Next series, which I haven't read, but Shades of Grey? It's fantastic. Society is divided up into a cast system based on what colors you can see, and there's a hierarchy based on those colors. Eddie Russet (a red) wants to move up in the hierarchy, but his plans to marry into a powerful family are derailed after meeting a grey named Jane. This book is fun and fast paced and I want more, but there hasn't been any news about the previously promised sequels in a long time.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. These books are hilarious. I love Mindy. I thought she was brilliant as Kelly Kapoor on The Office (only my favorite show of all time) and I love her new show The Mindy Project. She's so funny and so smart and so talented, and I basically wish we were best friends. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? is more memoir while Why Not Me? is a series of essays about life in Hollywood. Both amazing. Both hilarious. And you should read (or listen - read by Mindy herself!) to both of these books.

Contrary to the contents of this list, I don't read a ton of chick lit or romance novels, but Agnes and the Hitman is one of the few books I have read multiple times. What do you get when you put together a food critic, an actual hitman, a dognapper, and a big southern wedding? Zany is the best way to describe it. Zany, funny, and fun.

The Assistants takes a crazy premise and makes it almost believable. Tina Fontana is a thirty something executive assistant to the CEO of a multinational media conglomorate. One day after seeing said CEO spend the entire balance of her student loans on a single flight, she accidentally double submits his expense report and pays off her loans. This quickly spirals out of control as more people find out about it, but what a ride we take along with Tina. Can you imagine being able to pay off your student loans in one fell swoop?

Dark Matter - talk about a page turner! This was probably the most fun and exciting book I read last year. Jason Dessen is walking home from a bar one night when someone whacks him over the head. When he comes to, a familiar voice asks him, "Are you happy with your life?" Then he wakes up in an entirely different world. Completely insane. Super fast paced. It left me breathless until the last page.

The Stephanie Plum series. This series has a lot of books in it. A lot. 23 at last count (plus 4 holiday books, I think) I haven't read all of them, I think I've read through 18 or 19 of them. But you guys, they are so so funny. No one gets in so much trouble as Stephanie and Lula. These are fun and funny and each one revolves around a single mystery. They're quick, easy reads and the main dudes are delish. (Team Ranger forever.)

The Royal We by the Fug Girls (Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan) is a basically Prince William/Kate Middleton fan fiction. And I loved it. This was one of the first books I checked out when I discovered my local library (it took me too long.) I'm not super into the royals, so I don't think you have to be to enjoy this story. Will and Kate are instead Nick and Bex and Bex is American. There's a Pippa (Bex's twin sister) and a Harry too (called Freddie here.) This book was fun and funny and was everything that a good romance novel should be.

Another series - The Raven Cycle. YA, mystery, fantasy, magic, ghosts, psychics, cute boys, and badass girls. What's not to love?

And finally, the current front runner for favorite book of the year (I know it's only February, but it's going to be hard to top this one.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. When I first heard about this book, I was very hesitant. I like quirky, but that title seemed just a little too quirky to me. I didn't know much about it and I think that made all the difference in my ultimate love for it, so I'm not going to talk about the plot. I will tell you only this: this story was so heartwarming and charmingly told that when I finished it, I wanted to go right back to page one and start it all over.

So what am I reading now to get out of my slump? I'm so glad you asked! My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella.  I'm not too far into it, but it's light and fun and just what I needed to revive my reading life.

Tell me about your last reading slump and how you got over it.

Reading Slumps - Send Help

Guys.

I have a problem.

I am finding myself in a slump.

A reading slump.

I've read so many great books this year, but this where I am now: I have a TON of unread books on my kindle, at least 10 books checked out from the library, several unread Book of the Month books/other recent book purchases on my nightstand, and 4 or 5 unplayed audiobooks in my audible app.

But nothing is grabbing my attention.

It's stressing me out.

I've been listening to Anna Karenina on audio, and I kind of hate it. It's sooo long (35 hours - I've listened to about 8) and not my taste and I feel like I need to finish it because I've committed. But at the same time, I hate it. All of the characters are horrible. I'm not wild about Maggie Gyllenhaal's narration. And the aristocracy makes me sick.

I started Before We Visit the Goddess, and I liked it, but didn't love it. I think I made a mistake by pausing that one to read Big Little Lies before the show started, because now I kind of don't want to go back to it.

I've also been reading Deep Work because I've heard so many great things about it and I set a goal to read more non-fiction this year. But I think I was just kidding myself. This is not my type of book. I like narrative non-fiction. Not self help.

Here's what it comes down to - I mistakenly added all these books to my currently reading shelf on goodreads and now I feel like I have to finish them. Also, nothing will ever measure up to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Or Harry Potter, which I just finished listening to on audio.

This is so discouraging, guys! What do you do when you're in a reading slump? What book should I read to get out of my slump?

Friday Edit no. 5

Who's pumped for the Superbowl this Sunday? Not me! I'm not a sports person, so even though I live in the Atlanta area, I'm just not into it. What I am into is the food... So I may make some Superbowl snacks this weekend just because.

Here are some of my favorite Superbowl snacks I'm debating making:

• I've never seen sloppy joes like these Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes before. 
• Tacos are appropriate for all occasions, right? These Classed-Up Double Decker Tacos and these Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef tacos both look amazing. 
• How about vegetarian Black Bean Taquitos? Budget friendly and delish.
• For my GF friends (Hi Mom!), here are 15 Gluten-Free Superbowl Recipes.
• I really want to try these Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Dip. We get something like this on the rare occasion we end up at Red Robin and that coarse kosher salt on top is everything. Also, I think I've seen a Tasty video making these with biscuits from a can, if you're looking for something even easier. 
• More tacos! These Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos look soooo good!

Favorite non-food finds this week:

• It's not an organization problem, it's a stuff problem. For me, it's probably both. 
• It's Black History Month. Check out this post Celebrating Black Authors Past and Present. I've never heard of most of these books, but I'll definitely be checking these out.
• I also loved this post from Chronicle Books - 7 Heroic Trailblazers Black History. Maxing out my library holds as I speak.
• The Ultimate List of Beauty and the Beast Retellings and Adaptations. I'm pretty darn excited for this movie!
• I believe I need this in my entry way. #harrypotterforever
• Have you ever tried to take a photo of an ebook and failed miserably? Yeah, me neither. BUT in case you have, check out this post from Paper Fury for a super easy way around that. 

Some things I want to remember from this week:

Sophie kisses. That sweet face. Those eyes.

This mess (I cannot figure out how to store art supplies.) Her making art while I read aloud.

This enormous stack of library books. And so many good ones too. 

I hope you have had a wonderful week. What are you reading this weekend?

What's Saving My Life Right Now

Last week, I saw a fantastic post from Modern Mrs. Darcy (apparently my favorite blog ever), about how this time of the year is tough and also how it's so easy to focus on the things in life that are killing you. But, what's saving your life? That may be harder to pinpoint, but once you shift your focus, you notice more and more things to be grateful for.

So, what is saving my life right now?

• The Harry Potter series on audio. I'm on Half Blood Prince now, and I'm so so glad that I signed up for an Audible membership just to get these books. It has definitely been worth it.
• Tasty videos. Man, these make me hungry, but they make cooking anything look so effortless.
• My lamb slippers. So soft. So warm. So cozy. So ridiculous in the best way.
• And bunny robe. Ditto for all of the above.
• My heating pad - I put it at my feet in bed every night and it's so cozy and warm. (I'm sensing a theme here...)
• The de-stress yoga session on Daily Burn. It really does de-stress.
• The library! I always have a hard time going to the book store without spending some ridiculous amount of money. The library gives me those same "bringing home lots of books" endorphins without murdering my budget.
• New coffee cups. My husband says I "have a problem" and we "don't have anywhere to put all these cups," but I don't care because cute cups are so awesome! And usually under $10! Maybe even under $5 if you see any cute ones at the Target Dollar Spot. Target, FTW.
• Super long, super hot showers. Is there anything better? Maybe a super long, super hot shower right before bed when you've just put fresh, clean sheets on. AMIRIGHT?
• De-cluttering. I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up some time ago, and it all sounded wonderful, but I just don't have it in me to tackle my entire house at once. So, I'm working my way through one room at a time. (And I'm counting each closet as it's own room...) January's room was the playroom/office. In February, I'll be tacking the closet in that room (and hopefully installing shelving) and possibly Isla's room. We're upgrading her to a big girl bed, so I'll need to do something in there.

Well, there's ten things that are saving my life right now. What's saving your life right now? 

And if you linked up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for this, drop your link in the comments. I'd love to check it out. 

Library Haul

 "Home is a house in the country. Or home is an apartment." So begins this delightful book about all the different places (real and fictional) people might call home. I could stare at the illustrations in this book for hours. And it introduces kids to the fact that people live differently that they do, which is an important lesson to learn.

I have seen Du Iz Tak? everywhere! So when it was finally available at my library, I snatched it up. Du Iz Tak? means What is that? in made up bug language. The entire book is written in made up bug language, leaving the reader to deduce what's happening in the story from visual clues and inflection. I have to admit, it was very fun trying to read the made up language aloud with the same casual ease I read English aloud. This book was wonderful and it definitely deserves all of the praise (Caldecott Honor) it's been receiving.

Who knew penguins had such a hard life? Penguin Problems tells the tale of a snarky little penguin who is having trouble just being a penguin. It's cold, everyone looks the same, he's hunted by leopard seals, it gets dark super early, and so on. A walrus overhears his complaining and decides to chime in. He points out all the wonderful things about where they live and and all the great things about the penguin's life, if he would only appreciate what he has. It takes the penguin a while to notice all the beautiful things around him, but he eventually does. This book is funny, beautifully illustrated, and teaches the important lesson that perspective is everything.

Was there ever a fluffier kitty than Papillon? I don't think so. Papillon is so fluffy that he is lighter than air and one day, just floats right out the window and away from home. He gets very lost, but eventually meets a friend who shows him the way home. The illustrations in this book are so stinking cute and I've never seen a kitty cuter than Papillon in my life.  

Egg is the latest book from Kevin Henkes (Waiting, Chrysanthemum, etc.) It's the story of four little eggs, one of which is a big surprise. The text is sparse and repetitive, but it tells a big story - the importance of friendship and acceptance. Told in a graphic novel format, this one would be perfect for Easter, if you gift books at holidays.











What did you check out from the library this week? Anything I should add to my hold list?

Big Reads - January Recap

 

Well, the first month of 2017 is over. The news and social media have been crazy, so I've been hunkering down and introverting hard with some really good books. I read eight books this month - let's get into them.

 

My husband loves the Lightbringer Series and has wanted me to read it for a while, so I checked out the audio from my library. And it was awful. But it was recorded later by Simon Vance, so I got that version from audible. It was so much better! The Black Prism is the story of Gavin Guile, The Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He has been ruling for 16 years after the False Prism's War and things are starting to fall apart. When he discovers he has a son in a kingdom left with no men after the way, he sets out to find him in order to protect all of his own secrets. There were several OMG moments, a few strong female characters (metaphorically and literally), and many just plain interesting characters. The battle scenes were too long for my taste, but I am interested to see where the story goes from here. If you plan to listen to this on audio, definitely get the Simon Vance version.

The Trees was my first read of 2017. And what a way to kick off the year! I love Ali Shaw. I read The Girl with Glass Feet a couple of years ago, and it had such a wonderful, dark, haunting, fairy tale feel to it. The Trees has a very similar atmosphere. In it, a dark, spooky forest erupts from the earth one night destroying every man made thing in its path (a many people as well.) The main character, Adrien, is kind of fat and pathetic and in an unhappy marriage in an unhappy life, but when the trees come, all he wants is to see his wife, who is away on a business trip. His hippy neighbor convinces him to go find her across the sea in Ireland. So off he sets with the neighbor and her teenage son. He's not happy about it, but he can't think of anything else to do. The Trees is dark and creepy and the imagery of the trees so densely covering the world that you can't see the sky is terrifying. There's wonderful character growth and happy endings for all but one of the characters, but the ending couldn't be more right. Or more fairy tale like.

I got this from Book of the Month Club a few months ago, and it won best book of the year from them, but I have strong mixed feeling about it. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is the story of Wavy and Kellen and all the people in their lives. They meet when Wavy is eight and Kellen is in his twenties and they develop a friendship. Wavy is extremely neglected and abused by her parents, so Kellen looks out for her and takes care of her. Their relationship develops into a romance when Wavy is much too young, but they're both so damaged and abused by people who are supposed to love them, that I found myself rooting for them. Much of this book made me extremely uncomfortable. Then I found myself hoping for them to end up together through all their trials, and that made me even more uncomfortable. I read somewhere that the point of this book is that love is love and it doesn't always look like we think it should. But it was still super squicky. It was a super fast read, though. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. But I would do careful research before deciding to read this one.

Hillbilly Elegy has been everywhere leading up to and following the election. I don't know who decided that this book explains why Trump was elected, but I don't think that's accurate. Hillbilly Elegy is a memoir. It's the story of J.D. Vance's life, and the life of his family, living in the Rust Belt. I loved J.D.'s crazy Mamaw. I loved reading about how he escaped an impoverished life with her help and encouragement. I even loved all of the crazy family drama. It reminded me a lot of All Over but the Shoutin, and it felt very familiar to me, being from the South.

Holding Up the Universe was fantastic! For the first 75% of the book, I thought, "This is ok." But the end totally changed that. I loved it. It's the story of Libby, the fattest teen in America, and Jack, a boy who cannot remember faces, even the faces of those he loves. I think when you get older (not that I'm old - I'm not even 30 yet.) A least, as I have gotten older, I've forgotten that the problems that young people deal with are so real and huge to them, even if they may seem trivial to me. And sometimes they have very real battles they are fighting. Libby is my hero. So is Jack, for being such a man with his dad. I just loved this one. That's two for two from Jennifer Niven, because All the Bright Places slayed me. PS - I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

You guys, I love Newt Scamander so much. (Who doesn't, right?) I so enjoyed this movie that I saw it twice. And this cover is so beautiful, how could I not pick it up? This a screenplay, so it only took a couple of hours to read, but it was like watching the movie again. Also, on March 14th, new editions of The Hogwarts Library are being released. Along with this, Fantastic Beasts is being released for the first time on audio, recorded by none other than Eddie Redmayne. #EddieRedmayneIsBAE. I know where my book budget is going in March!

The Cozy Life was a kindle daily deal recently. Have you signed up for those from Modern Mrs. Darcy? They're dangerous. Those nearly daily $1.99 purchases add up! But they're totally worth it. Anyway, I picked this one up because of all the hoopla about hygge. It was ok. Not fantastic. I now know how to pronounce hygge (hooga, btw.) But the basic principle is make your home cozy, slow down, and enjoy your life. Don't try so hard. Put the phone down and turn off the TV every now and then. It did make me want to go buy more throw pillows, blankets, and candles, though.

My Life in France was the January pick for my Mother Daughter Book Club. And it made me hungry while I read it. A lot. I thought this book was very funny at certain points (when she and her friends went to a speakeasy during prohibition, drank one of everything, and got violently ill on the way home) and disjointed at others. I also thought that Julia Child was quite the brave and adventurous woman to travel the world like she did and undertake so many new things at not-such-a-young-age. Also, that Valentine's Day card that she and Paul sent out of them in the bathtub was quite scandalous! Overall, I enjoyed this one, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

If you made it to the end of this super wordy post, thank you! Virtual high five!

What did you read in January that I need to add to my TBR?

Friday Edit no. 4

It's Friday, guys!

Here are my favorite bookish finds this week:

• 12 Things All Bookworms Have Said at One Point or Another. Guilty.
• First quarter Books to Movies. Some of these are def on my TBR. And I've never read Beauty and the Beast, but you can bet I'll be going to see that one. 
• 17 Great Audiobooks for Kids. I love audiobooks. I'm trying to figure out how to get Isla into them. 
• Reading more diversely is very on trend right now. Check out this post for Why You Should Participate in #Diversathon. 
• The ALA has announced the youth media award winners. 

Life stuff:

• I'm tired. It's been a long week and laundry is taking over my house. At least half of it is clean and just piling up on the couch so that I have nowhere to sit and read or watch Gilmore Girls.
• Speaking of watching, are you guys watching The Good Place? It's the funniest show I've seen since The Office or Parks and Rec. And that's high praise, since The Office is my favorite show of all time.
• I've been reading up a storm (for me, not a storm for some of you crazy readers) and I'll have a month recap post for you next week. I think I've decided that's how I'm going to do Big Reads from now one - lump them all into one post per month.
• I bought a pom pom garland and fairy lights to hang with my gold stars on my mantle (Target Dollar Spot FTW) and honestly, it might be the best decision I've ever made. My husband doesn't get it. He keeps asking when we're going to take them down. I don't care and also never. They're never coming down.
• He's not all bad, though. How about this amazing sofa table he built me so that I can charge my phone from the couch and display more of my books?

That's all I have this week. What are you reading (or reading to your kids) this weekend?

Library Haul

Library Lion is the story of a lion who wants to visit the library, but must learn the rules first (no running, you must be quiet) because the head librarian, Miss Merriweather is a stickler for the rules. And since there is no rule against lions being in the library, he's allowed to stay. He returns everyday for story hour and helps Miss Merriweather with tasks like dusting the encyclopedias, licking envelopes, and returning books to their proper place. But the lion and the librarian both learn that sometimes rules can be broken, if you have a good enough reason.

This is one I checked out for myself (it would be waaay over Isla's head.) A Poem for Peter is about Ezra Jack Keats's life, and the first picture book to prominently feature a non-white child, The Snowy Day. Keats had a hard life as the child of immigrant parents who fled Poland to escape persecution as Jews and landed in America not long before the Great Depression. Keats recognized a huge gap in childrens literature - children of color and children in urban settings were not represented at all. So when the opportunity came to write his own book, he wrote about Peter, a little boy exploring the snow in the city. This was a beautiful book about Keats and how he made great strides toward inclusion in children's publishing.

I've featured Sleep Like A Tiger before, but I just love it so much. It's a perfect book to read at bedtime when you're trying to get your kids to settle down, dang it. A small girl insists that she's not tired and does not want to go to bed (sounds like every night at my house.) So her parents tell her about all the things in the world that go to sleep. The illustrations are mellow and beautiful and the text is perfect for reading quietly and slowly. Make this the last book you read at bedtime, and your kiddo should drop right off to sleep. (Well, a mom can dream, right?)

To change course a little bit, Wolfie the Bunny is not a super mellow book. One day, the Bunny family come home to find a baby wolf bundled up on their doorstep. Mama Bunny and Papa bunny immediately fall in love, but Dot isn't so sure. She's pretty certain the wolf is going to eat them all up, until one day when a big bear tries to eat Wolfie. Pick this one up at the library to see the epic - and cute - resolution.

Shy made the rounds pretty hard in the #bookstagram community when it came out last September. I finally see why. This is one of the most beautifully illustrated picture books I've ever seen. It's the story of Shy, an animal who is so shy that she hides in between the pages of the book until the last few pages. She loves book and birds and finally hears a bird sing for the first time, but is too shy to approach her. By the time she works up the courage to emerge, the bird has flown away, and even though she's scared, Shy decides to follow and try to find her. She explores the world and finds that real life, outside of the pages of a book, are even more beautiful than she could have imagined. I'll be adding this one to our collection asap. It's gorgeous.








Have you guys read any of these? What's the best picture book you read this week?

Friday Edit no. 3

Hi five! We made it to Friday!

Here are my favorite finds from this week:

• I think I need an Instant Pot. Do you have one? It is amazing?
• I'm making this Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggie stir fry for lunch next week. It looks amazing. 
• This made me laugh. I especially agree with the text speak and I'll raise you girls who *only* read classics. 
• I just signed up for Daily Burn. I need to get some exercise, but I am too lazy don't have time to go anywhere to do it. 
• I'm certain that I'm the last person on the planet to try this, but Isla and I have been learning Spanish through Duolingo and it's so fun! I'm 3% fluent so far. :-) 

Speaking of Isla, her 4th birthday party was last weekend, so we had a little photoshoot before hand.

She slays me. 

Have a great weekend!

Little Reads: Good Morning, Good Night Yoga

Yoga for kids is all the rage these days. These books especially. We checked Good Night Yoga out from the library a couple of times, and Isla loved it. So for Christmas this year, Santa brought her a yoga mat and these two awesome books.

Good Morning Yoga is a newer release that came out last March as a companion to Good Night Yoga. The book is filled with a very simple, text light story, that follows a simple yoga sequence. 

The illustrations are adorable. 

Quintessential downward dog pose. I love the addition of an actual dog.

With each pose, there is a short mantra about breathing and the pose you're doing.

Good Night Yoga was the original that came out in 2015. (I was surprised to see it's been out that long.)

Darling front end papers.

This is Isla's favorite pose. She can hit a tree pose like no one's business.

These books make cute, short, stories to read alone if you need a quick bedtime story, and of course, they're great for their primary inended purpose - getting kids doing yoga. Focusing on their breathing, practicing mindfulness. Every home and classroom would benefit from the use of these books. We have so much fun doing yoga together and these books are a wonderful, kid-friendly introduction.

Have you and your kids read these? What did you think?