3 Good Things: Happiness for Beginners

Last month, I revisited one of my favourite books from last year, Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center. If you haven’t read it and you are looking for a good summer read that is quite light-hearted but SO fun, I would absolutely recommend it. I love book that I can think back on. Some of my favourite books of all time might not be high literature or recommended for everyone, but they make me think a bit about how I can make my life better or how I can approach a situation in a new way. I think about parts of Happiness for Beginners quite often and re-read sections of it now and then when I just want to revisit the characters. There are also a number of wonderful quotes and happy life lessons in the book.

If you haven’t read the book yet, it’s about a woman named Helen who decides to do a three week camping/hiking/intense outdoor adventure with a group just for a change in life after her divorce. She ends up being the oldest in the group, and she generally feels like she doesn’t fit in. Her younger brother’s friend is along on the trip too (there’s more to that story if you catch my drift). One of the other hikers is named Windy. She is an easygoing, Buddhist, happy, friendly, smart young woman that Helen wants to hate but can’t help but love. Windy is studying positive psychology and she says to Helen says that you should always try to find three good things each day. She expresses this during a particularly challenging day on the hike. Here’s what she says:

“The more you register good things, the more you will think about and remember good things. And since all you really have left of the past is what you remember —” ‘

“It changes the story of your life,” Helen finishes.

Windy also tells her: “Write three good things you remember of that day every night.”

This idea is excellent for Helen as she struggles through difficult thoughts and physically challenging days hiking out doors. Furthermore, this concept is probably not unfamiliar to many of us: If you are interested in being happier at all, you’ve probably come across the practice of writing down a few things you’re grateful for at the end of the day. The book expands a bit into glass-half-full talk too:

“Well, for example, happy people are more likely to register joy than unhappy people. So if you take two people who have experienced a day of, say, fifty percent good things and fifty percent bad things, an unhappy person would remember more of the bad.”

I love the idea of changing your mental networks by trying to remember as many positive memories as you can. I know for sure that I remember happy moments with my kids a lot more than I remember tantrums. I try to express and acknowledge my gratitude for my life as much as I can, but some days it is easy to get bogged down by tiredness, or the weather, or feeling busy or overwhelmed.

Here are 3 good things on my mind today for Thursday Thoughts.

1) It has been gorgeous, sunny, and spring-like the past few days and I am enjoying time spent outdoors whenever possible. We are blessed to live in a beautiful location of the world.

2) My week has been busy with fun things, including a lot of quality time with a close friend who I don’t see nearly often enough.

3) My children have been adorable, loving, and well-behaved in particular this week, and I am loving this stage that our little family is in.

Anyone else read this book? It would really make for perfect summer reading, in my opinion! I have enjoyed 3/5 of her books – I still have 2 left to read and she has a new book coming out early 2018!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Mothers in books

My Mother’s Day weekend was lovely overall. We celebrated with my wonderful mother on Friday night and then had a pretty low-key day on Saturday with gorgeous weather outside with the girls. Saturday night, I went out for supper & to a concert with a friend (AKA a break from the bedtime routine), and then celebrated with my in-law’s at our house on Sunday. For some reason this year I felt a bit more emotional ON Mother’s Day than usual. My girls finally understand (and LOVE to celebrate everything), so they had a cute card and lovely gifts for me on Sunday. We are also gearing up for my sister in law’s wedding this coming weekend so they just got home and it was wonderful to see them. Mostly I just find that sometimes I look at how big my kids are getting and feel this sense of pride/nostalgia/joy/sadness/overwhelming love and adoration/fatigue all wrapped into one. I guess that’s motherhood, in a nutshell.

This weekend, I thought of a few book-ish mothers or mother figures that I either admire or enjoyed as characters in some beloved books. Here’s my list, linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday today (in no order):

1) Molly Weasley, Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling – Obviously. She is such a passionate person and so willing to take people (i.e. Harry) in as her own. Not to mention she knows how to keep her children (relatively) in line. I wish I could say we named our daughter Molly after her, which we didn’t, but could have 😉

2) Rosie Walsh, This is How it Always Is – I have mentioned my love for this book quite recently, but the family is just too adorable. The mom is a busy family doctor who also manages to navigate parenthood and keep the spark alive with her husband. I really like her.

3) Marmee, Little Women by Louise May Alcott – Marmee is so good to her girls, and they love her for it. She knows what each girl needs and tries her best to ensure that they all grow and learn in their individual ways.

4) Fatima (Amat’s mom) & Kira Anderrson in Beartown by Frederick Backman – I promise I will stop talking about this book someday, but today isn’t that day. Amat’s mother’s sacrifices for his success are inspiring, and Kira’s devotion to justice is admirable.

5) Violet Bridgerton, The Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn – I love this series and the mother who heads up the entire family without her beloved husband who died much too soon.

6) Jess Thomas, One Plus One by JoJo Moyes – Although it’s hard to agree with all of the actions Jess takes in this book, her intention was honourable and she really does her best for her children. Plus, this book is just so much fun.

7) Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery – a stern mother figure who is finally swayed by the girl with the carrot coloured hair. This relationship is so heartwarming.

8) Katie Nolan, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – she taught her children how to be tough and appreciate their blessings. She was such a positive role model even when things were so hard for their family.

9) Vianne Mauriac, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – Such a strong mother. I could never do what she does in this book.

10) Kavita Merchant, Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda – the hardships that this woman went through to give her daughter a better life are appalling and immense. This is such a powerful story about the true love of a parent.

Who are some of your favourite moms in literature?? If I were picking someone humorous, I’d go for Mrs. Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, but she kinda drives me a LITTLE bit crazy (which is her purpose, obviously!)

Recent Netgalley Reads

I like to talk about books for monthly link ups, but in the past few months I’ve made my way quite steadily through some Netgalley books and I want to devote adequate time to reviewing those books, too!!! Here are a few books that I’ve read recently from Netgalley. (Sorry for any repetition!!) I also noticed this week that Louise Penny’s newest book is on Netgalley if that appeals to any of my fellow fans of hers!! Just requested it today and hoping it works out!

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I mentioned on my last link up post that I loved this book. I’ve since had a couple of weeks to digest it and talk about it with a few fellow readers who also loved it. I still haven’t gotten to A Man Called Ove, but I intend to get there soon because I love Backman’s writing SO much. This book was emotional, intense, and full of character development which is a driving force for me when it comes to reading. There were a few characters that I was destined to love and relate to more than others, and it’s meant to be that way. This book is very much about how your past, your upbringing, and your relationships affect who you are and who you are going to become.

I feel like I was also drawn to this book a bit because of the hockey, which is something that is SO Canadian of me to say, but I’m saying it anyway. However, hockey is more like a means to an end in this book and while you could read it all and say, yes, that was all about a hockey team in a remote town, that’s not really something I got out of it at all. Hockey is definitely a theme, but I think it could have easily been replaced by another sport or pastime and had the same message.

If you’re on the fence about trying this book, I cannot emphasize my love for it enough. It was emotional, it was intense, it was gripping, and it was so beautifully written. I am not at all surprised at all the buzz surrounding this book right now. This was by far the best Netgalley book I’ve ever had the privilege of reading.

FOX by Kelly Oliver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book reminded me a bit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series even though the characters come from a slightly different background. I definitely saw a lot of it coming, but it was still fast-paced enough to hold my interest. I didn’t realize before reading it that it is the third in a series, and I am guessing that there will be more in the series moving forward. Overall, this book passed the time nicely and added a bit of a different element to the genre. Parts of it were downright scary, too. I will likely pick up the next in the series just to find out what happens to all of the characters because I felt like this one ended a bit abruptly.

The Intuitive Eating Workbook: Ten Principles for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food by Evelyn Tribole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such an applicable workbook to go with their book Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works, which I had picked up used a few months ago. Overall, I enjoy the way they portray dieting, eating well, and weight loss in this book and I agree with the principles. I am hoping that I can break some emotional eating and yo-yoing by continuing to refer to this workbook, and I think I will pick it up in print to make that a little bit easier to follow along with.

Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T. Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a powerful book that I cannot wait to share with all of the women in my life, and with my two daughters when they are a bit older. The message portrayed in this book is something that is SO important for me to share with my children. I want them to know that they can do anything they put their minds to, and I think that books like this really drive that message home in a beautiful and visual way.

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say that this book doesn’t even come close to The Rosie Project in my opinion, and it was not exactly what I expected, but I still had to keep reading so there is something to be said for that. I enjoyed the musical references and the setting. The characters didn’t really do it for me, and as I mentioned above, that can really make or break a story for me.

What have you been reading lately?! I still have a few more good reviews coming from Netgalley in the next couple of months, and right now I’ve got two audiobooks (Scrappy Little Nobody and Born a Crime) and A Gathering of Shadows on the go!

Spring Reads

This was another month in which I was surrounded by absolutely wonderful books and I am so excited to talk about them today. Linking up, as usual, to chat books with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books and with Modern Mrs. Darcy for Quick Lit. These aren’t really listed in any particular order besides the order I read them in 😉 I would recommend almost all of these books listed, depending on your own personal taste, of course!! I have strong feelings about a lot of these books and could talk about them for days and days, so I tried to be concise here (and failed a bit) but I can guarantee that I will be talking about a few of these books in more detail soon.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book in one sitting and completely devoured the entire situation and the lovely characters in it. It was quite a unique storyline and there were a few things that I did not see coming (one of which left me with some INTENSE feelings). I really like Nicola Yoon’s writing. I also feel like this book will translate quite well to the big screen this month.

This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a story that needed to be told. I absolutely loved this book. The marriage, the parenting, and the relationships and the general approach to life are all exactly what I strive for in my own life. I’ve heard some criticism that the book was a little bit too neat and this isn’t how it would actually happen, and while that might definitely be true, I think the book was still quite relevant, very endearing, very sweet, and very educational and thought-provoking. If you haven’t heard what it’s about, it is about a family with five boys (sounds so busy – and it is in the book!) but the youngest boy wants to be a girl. The decisions made by the parents about how to approach this situation are a bit unique, and the way that it plays out really makes you think. I had this book out from the library twice before I actually read it because I did not expect to like it very much, but I can honestly say that it will probably be one of my better reads of 2017. I cannot recommend it enough. The writing is wonderful, the story is so lovely, and yes, it might not be overly realistic, but it is fiction, and it was great. I really feel like this book would appeal to a wide range of readers regardless of whether you have ever had any of these questions appear in your everyday life.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh man, this book was cute. I had a pretty good hunch about it all the way through, and I enjoyed the ending. Parts of this book were quite sad, and of course the entire premise is very YA :)… but I read it in a day and would definitely recommend it if you are in the mood for a fun teenage love story. It is one of the better ones I have read in the past few years for sure.

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have spoken quite a bit about my love for Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s children’s books, and of course I was moved to tears when I read her essay about her husband before she died. I’d say that was when I knew I needed to read her adult memoirs. This isn’t like any other memoir I’ve ever read, and as a psychologist, I love all of the observations about people, emotions, feelings, phenomena, and general happenings in the world. The way that she views the world is positive, hopeful, whimsical, and lovely. There was so much that I wanted to highlight and re-read in this book. It was a quick read, but it was so powerful and I know I will refer to it often and re-read it. I look forward to reading her first memoir soon. Reading this book was quite bittersweet knowing that she just passed away, and this was her last work (she actually wrote this before she knew about the cancer, so there are parts of it that feel SO sad knowing what we know now about her life). For instance:

When she reached 40, Ms. Rosenthal began calculating how many days she had left until she turned 80.
“How many more times, then, do I get to look at a tree?” she asked. “Let’s just say it’s 12,395. Absolutely, that’s a lot, but it’s not infinite, and I’m thinking anything less than infinite is too small a number and not satisfactory. At the very least, I want to look at trees a million more times. Is that too much to ask?” (source)

Another super fun thing about this book is that it is interactive, and you can text a number while reading it to respond to various questions or share your thoughts, all of which are anonymously published on the book’s accompanying website. It’s really fun!

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It’s a bit challenging for me to rate this book, because I didn’t *really* like it much but I did read it in two sittings, so there’s that. Overall, I found the characters a little bit flaky and the whole plot to be a bit unrealistic/unbelievable, although maybe it’s just not something I can ever picture in everyday life, or maybe it’s cultural. I’m not sure. The musical references and the main character’s love of music was great. In no way does this rate near to The Rosie Project for me which was much more funny and endearing, in my opinion.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I will likely still pursue future works from this author and I know a lot of people will definitely really like this book but it fell a little bit flat for me personally.

The Hangman by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I went back to read this just to have a little bit of Three Pines in my life, and for that aspect, it was nice. However, it is nothing like her other novels (rightfully so, since it is a short story written for Canada’s Good Reads project). It was a super quick read but you still got a decent glimpse into some of the characters and the setting but I am a bit more anxious for her next full length novel instead!!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How do you review a book that was a part of your life for 4 months? Obviously, this book is a classic for a reason. The writing is fantastic, the plot is complex, and there is a lot of very serious plotting going on. I think I could have done well with the abridged version because I did find myself really tiring of the book towards the end. However, if you enjoy reading the classics, this one is definitely a good one (just consider the abridged unlike me ;)). I listened to the majority of this and the Audible version was fantastic.

Amazing Grace by Lesley Crewe
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This book was interesting, but parts of it seemed a little bit too easy and parts seemed a little bit too hard (in relation to what happened to the characters, not the writing). I enjoyed the Cape Breton/Nova Scotia setting. I really liked the main characters and their fortitude. Parts of this book were also LOL funny, so I appreciated that.

The Lost Husband by Katherine Center
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Katherine Center’s books and this one was really well done. It felt quite relatable in many ways, and her writing really draws you in and makes you feel for the characters. I loved the setting in this book, and the family scenario. There were moments that felt SO sad and moments that felt SO happy and I really felt all of those right along with the characters (maybe I was having an overly emotional week though? ;)). This book also made me want to spend some time outside with some goats, which is saying a lot. LOL.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good thriller that I finished in two sittings. It was a fast read and I was anxious to find out how it ended – but it wasn’t thrilling in the whole “AHH I have no idea what is happening or who to trust!” kind of way. Still a good read and I would recommend it if you like this genre. I was pleased with the ending.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one but it’s definitely a 4.5 read for me. I’ve never read any of Backman’s other books but when I was provided with an advanced review copy of Beartown via Netgalley (thank you!), I was anxious to dive into this one. It might seem like this book is mostly about hockey and while that is the primary activity in the book, it is about SO much more than that. This book absolutely blew me away. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I was so anxious to find out how the events would affect everyone in the story. The pacing was better than I expected because I’d heard some of his books were a bit slower. Definitely give this book a try.

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you’re a fan of Lauren Graham, you will really enjoy this book. I listened to it and enjoyed hearing her voice talk about Gilmore Girls. Some of her stories are very funny, and some of her advice is quite good. I especially enjoyed the parts about filming the Gilmore Girls revival. I also quite enjoyed the advice for writing from Don Roos – such a great plan that I might put into action myself in the next few months.

——-

I also read two books that I chose not to review here; they were a bit too vulgar for me but the second was from Netgalley so I wanted to give it a shot and it was short. If you’re interested in extremely fluffy/unrealistic royal romance and you don’t mind the vulgarity, I am happy to share the name of the series if you e-mail me 🙂 I polished them both off in hours including some skimming. Also, two DNF books this month: The Roanoke Girls and The Animators. Books I paused this month: Everyone Brave is Forgiven and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Thought I was in the mood for WWII but it turns out I was not.

If you’re going to choose just one of these books to read, I would vote for This is How it Always Is. A runner up would be Beartown. Seriously, I cannot stress enough, even if you didn’t love A Man Called Ove (I haven’t read it yet but have heard mixed reviews), please give this book a try. THIS REVIEW in particular really highlights what this book has accomplished. If you feel strongly about feminism, community, friendship, or standing up for what you believe in, read this book.

If you like whimsical non-fiction, Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s book is uplifting and thought-provoking and fun. If you like to spend 4 months listening to a book on Audible, The Count of Monte Cristo was really quite a timeless story of revenge. Haha. If you are in the mood for some YA, Tell me Three Things would be my recommendation there. 😉

Why I Read

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I joined a book club on Facebook, which is a great place to see what others are reading, interact with other readers, and have an online discussion about a book once a month. Last week, an interesting discussion came up in the group. It was based on a comment made by Uli Beutter Cohen on a recent episode of the What Should I Read Next podcast. Since I had just listened to that episode, I got to thinking about what she had said. Essentially, she stated that she had recently read Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (as had I!), and Anne Bogel commented that she wasn’t sure if she liked the book after reading it until she thought about it more. Uli Beutter Cohen then said, “One of the things that Subway Book Review is teaching me…is that the whole purpose of a book is to make us think, and to make us consider our perspective, and to dive into a world, maybe ideally, that we know nothing about.” She was saying this in reference to the fact that we don’t necessarily need to feel that we like or dislike a book.

This comment, and the ensuing conversation on the book club group, really got me thinking about what I get out of reading, and why I pick up books. Although I can see where she is coming from, I have to disagree a bit with her comment. Primarily, for me, reading is for enjoyment. For me, reading is relaxing, and I want to feel the emotions of characters, view a new setting or place, and yes, sometimes I want to learn about something new. I want to read books that I can talk to other people about and learn what they got out of the pages. I sometimes want to read books that definitely challenge me either in language or subject matter, but often, I just want to read a book that will allow my brain to relax and take on someone else’s story for awhile. I think this is why I gravitate towards fiction overall, as I’ve mentioned before.

We all have different tastes and different reasons for reading. I know I am a bit of a mood reader. If I’m feeling really tired, I don’t necessarily want to pick up a non-fiction book, or a piece of literary fiction, or a classic. I might just want to pick up a YA book or something that feels “easier” to read. If I’m craving a bit of a break from a busy life, I want a book that I can think about constantly and absorb myself in until I know how it ends.

In general, listening to What Should I Read Next over the past year has REALLY made me think about what I look for when I’m selecting books. Anne Bogel tries to find the connection between her guests’ three books they love and one book they don’t love and really base her recommendations on that. I know that I love rooting for certain characters. If I don’t like ANY of the characters in a book, I probably won’t like the book unless it was just crazy exciting or something.

What do you think? Why do you read? Are you a mood reader? I have a few more thoughts on this that I will be sharing soon. I find it interesting because I feel like I interact with a lot of avid readers, both online and in my family but I think we all hope to get something different out of our reading lives!

A Month of Great Books

I’m so happy that Show us Your Books day is finally here with Steph and Jana!! This month was an awesome reading month for me. Almost all of the books I read had me completely engaged, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them depending on a person’s taste in books. 🙂 I am finally feeling like I might actually finish Erin’s book challenge…the only book that I have left to finish up is The Count of Monte Cristo, and I only have 17 hours left of it on Audible (which is actually only 9ish at 1.85 speed!!!)..so that’s totally doable in the next 20 days, right?! 🙂

I’ve noticed that I have been giving a lot of 4 star ratings this year and I’m not really sure why. I haven’t rated a book 5 stars yet in 2017 even though I’ve read some fantastic books. It seems like there has always been one thing holding me back from a full 5-star rating, and I’m okay with that, but I’m hoping for the BOOK OF THE YEAR to drop into my lap any day now. lol. Honestly though, reading a lot of 4-star books isn’t the worst thing in the world. I am enjoying my reading life immensely. I think I just need to wait to read TJR or Louise Penny’s new book and that’ll be 5 stars for me, I hope 😉 So much to look forward to in books this year. 🙂

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was just what I needed at the time: a book I could not put down. It grabbed me right from the start. It was interesting reading about two different characters who had similar lives in some ways. There were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming at all. I was generally creeped out and on-edge the whole time I was reading this. I know that it will be great on the big screen whenever it gets made (the rights have already been purchased).

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(read for #ownbooks #diversereads category of MMD Reading for Growth; read for Erin’s book challenge 6.0 category: homonym in the title)

I was unable to put this book down and finished it in a day. I loved the characters and their teenage but also adult-like problems. The plot moved quite quickly and the relevance of the issues was quite intense. I really enjoy books that are told from multiple perspectives (this reminded me a little bit of (A Little Something Different, but so much better). This book really made me enjoy the genre of YA after leaving it for awhile. I can’t wait to read her other book, Everything, Everything and I have it lined up for April because my new favourite Facebook book club is talking about it next week.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was on my radar for awhile, but I knew I wanted to wait until all three books were released to start reading them. I read about 85% of this book quite quickly and then I sort of put it down for a couple of weeks. I’m not sure why?! I really liked the writing and the world that is created here. It is unlike anything I’ve read lately, but yet it sort of reminds me of something and I can’t quite place it. When I finished this book, I felt like a lot happened but it wasn’t overly complicated. Schwab just sort of immerses the reader Overall, this was a great start to this trilogy. I can’t wait to see what happens next and I’ll be reading the next book next month when it comes in from the library. If this is your kind of genre, I think this series will turn out to be really enjoyable. I am rooting so hard for Kell!

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Read this for Erin’s challenge 6.0 – category: Time Travel)

This book had some very cute moments and I enjoyed the time travel aspect and the setting. It fell a bit flat for me and I’m not too sure why. The ending was enjoyable though.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a quick read for me and I absolutely loved the writing. The emotions that Mohsin Hamid were able to convey in this book were very real, and this book absolutely made me think about migration in a light that I hadn’t before. I don’t think this will be a favourite of mine necessarily, nor will I re-read it, but it opened my eyes to something that I think is quite important in our present day and for that I am grateful. If migration/immigration is something on your mind at all, you might want to give this book a chance. It is not very long but it is extremely powerful.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Read this for Erin’s challenge 6.0 – category: Book by your favourite author)

I put off reading this book for years because I had read the first little bit of it and found it to be quite boring (a lot of the Internet agrees with 2012 Heather). However, this time, it came to me at the right time. I had just heard a fellow J.K. Rowling fan talk about how much she’d liked this book on the WSIRN podcast, and I already had it lined up for Erin’s challenge (and had put it off for 3 months). I did quite enjoy the writing in this book, and I felt that the plot moved along quickly enough (and there were certainly enough characters!) to keep me interested. However, I can see how this book wouldn’t be for everyone. It would not have been one I would have enjoyed 5 years ago, and there was a LOT going on and a lot of everything going on with every character. It was a much easier read than I was anticipating though and overall I am so glad that I forayed into J.K. Rowling’s work beyond Harry Potter. I do really love her writing, and I am antsy to go and read HP again sometime this summer. Note: for people who are NOT fans of Harry Potter (are there any? lol j/k), this book is absolutely NOTHING like it in any way, so it might be worth your time if that has ever held you back from trying it 😉

CURRENTLY READING:

Only 16 more hours left in my audiobook of The Count of Monte Cristo (it’s starting to get a bit intense!)
This is How it Always Is (this book is SO amazing so far!!!)
Everything, Everything – discussing this in online book club later this week 🙂

What have you been reading lately?! Anything good to recommend?? I think I have enough library holds to carry me through until May but I can’t wait to get into some fun spring and summer books!!!

Chatting about Books (SUYB March!)

It’s the best time of the month: Show us Your books day with Steph and Jana! Everyone should head over and wish Steph a happy birthday (tomorrow!) and link up to share all of their favourite reads with her 🙂 Happy birthday eve to one of my favourite bloggers!!

Some parts of this month were so BLAH for reading for me and you’ll see that reflected here. I just didn’t have any books that were so compelling that I wanted to carry them around with me and read them every possible second. But you know what? Real life can’t always be super exciting. One thing I also did was start plugging in my phone for the night ACROSS the room so that I wouldn’t put down my book to go and check social media. This was helpful. haha. I had a lot less commute time (i.e. best reading time!) this month because some co-workers were commuting with me and also because of all of the snow days we had. Funnily enough, I felt kind of the same in February 2016.

Anyway, I can’t heartily recommend all of these books (such is life!), but here are my thoughts on them nonetheless:

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me forever to get into this book, which surprised me because I had anticipated reading it for a long time after hearing others rave about it. Once I got partway through, the plot moved along quicker and I was all-in. I will definitely read the others in this series as soon as I get a chance…need to know what happens to Darrow moving forward!!!
I’d say that the comparisons to The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game are spot on for this one overall but there are quite a few distinct differences too (obviously). Bottom line: if anything you hear about this book draws you in, read it. It is worth it.

Sign of the Cross by Anne Emery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my choice for Erin’s book challenge for a book set in the city you live in. I never would have heard of this book otherwise, but it was really good!!! I don’t know if I’d ever read a book set in Halifax before, but it was pretty fun picturing everywhere that these events took place (although some places were fictional, I assume). The book drew me in right from the start, and I enjoyed the characters and their range of occupation: the two main characters were a lawyer and his family and a priest. I had a guess or two about the solution to the mystery, but it played out differently than I was guessing. I think I’ll definitely pursue the others in this series sometime just because I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and especially the setting and description of it.

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book definitely held my interest for the most part, and the story was unlike what I have been reading lately so I appreciated that. The revelation near the end was not quite what I expected, so I enjoyed the suspense of it. It’s definitely not for everyone though, and I found parts of it to be a bit slow. Even as a lifelong Catholic I found the religious aspect a bit over the top, but it was absolutely quite true to that time and location in history (just felt weird reading about it in the present day).

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I loved this because it was fun to be in Belle’s world, and the story within a story was interesting. All of the characters in the Beast’s castle were fun and this really made me excited for the upcoming movie. It was definitely very YA, but if you’re a fan of the story, this might be a great variation to check out. Parts of it are quite true to the Disney movie. 4/5 for enjoyment, 3 for the writing. PS: Not to be superficial but isn’t the cover SO gorgeous?!

When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Secret Sisters last year, and this one was even better, in my opinion. Parts of it were a bit predictable and unbelievable, but it was quite quickly paced and I read it over a couple of days to find out what was happening. It definitely passed the time quite nicely and I would recommend it if you like mysteries that aren’t overly gruesome and have some romantic elements on the side.

Tell Me True by Ally Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute characters in this story. I read it in one sitting when I was home alone one Friday night with a glass of wine, and I can honestly say that it was so enjoyable to just lose myself in this book for a few hours. Sometimes you just need that experience. It wasn’t overly memorable or new, but it was fun.

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, but it honestly fell a little bit flat for me. Usually I really enjoy this type of story, but the ending just came about too quickly for me and parts in the middle weren’t enjoyable. Overall, it was an okay read but just no what I was expecting and a bit too contrived.

Recent Favourite Kid Reads:

Just in case you’re looking for something to read with the younger people in your life 🙂 Here are some of the chapter books and picture books our family has enjoyed lately:

Clover’s Luck, The Enchanted Egg, The Missing Magic by Kallie George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We loved this series 🙂 It was approachable, interesting, and fun. My 5 year old loved all of the magical animals. I felt like it was a little bit of a (much simpler) intro to the magical world and maybe a bit of a stepping stone between Magic Treehouse and Harry Potter. LOVED it.

I Haiku You by Betsy E. Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

These short poems are adorable and my kids love this book.

I Carry Your Heart With Me by E.E. Cummings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The only thing more adorable than this book is hearing my almost 3 year old “read” it aloud. Seriously. SO cute. I also learned how much my husband does NOT love poetry when we had this book out from the library. LOL. Or maybe just e.e. cumming’s poetry, which I find quite adorable. 🙂

Step Outside by Doretta Groenendyk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has an awesome message and the words and pictures are lovely. We especially like all of the “magazine clipping” hidden words on some of the pages. We really enjoy this author and have read all of her books.

In a Blink by Kiki Thorpe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun read and would be a great chapter book for girls who already love the Disney fairy world. My daughter enjoyed it but we haven’t pursued the rest of the series yet.

Finally, I was so sad to read about Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s death yesterday at age 51 from ovarian cancer. She recently wrote this piece for her husband as she was dying, which broke my heart. She also wrote a lot of our favourite children’s books including Little Pea, Plant a Kiss, and I Wish you More.

______________________________________________________________________________
I spent a large chunk of time listening to The Count of Monte Cristo this month, which is still enjoyable but SO long. I am almost at the halfway mark of the 50 hour audiobook. WOW. It’s another book I wouldn’t necessarily recommend unless the classics are your thing (they’re not always my thing but I like to challenge myself every once in awhile). I will say that the writing and the plot are quite intriguing and I’m not having quite as much trouble remembering the characters as expected…although the jumps to time periods in the future between chapters threw me for a loop and I felt compelled to consult SparkNotes. #readingforpleasure lol. I will say I bumped this book up to 1.85 speed on Audible and I am flying through it (not really) a bit faster now.

Also currently reading The Girl Before (SO intense!!) and The Little Book of Hygge.

What have you read lately? Anything good?? I can’t say that I am in need of a lot of recommendations because my TBR list has exploded this year so far BUT I love hearing what everyone else has enjoyed lately!!!

Book Talk (SUYB link up)

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! We are currently experiencing #snowmaggedon2017 which has mostly shut down Halifax (this happens SO rarely). We got over 4 feet of snow yesterday and more overnight. It took Brian and I over an hour to shovel the driveway last night, and there’s more out there this morning! The kids had a snow day on Friday, then we laid pretty low on Sunday because Lucy had a stomach bug, and yesterday we couldn’t go out in the blizzard so I am going STIR-CRAZY!!! We’re home again today, but hopefully back to routine tomorrow!!!!

I’m so blessed to be able to spend Valentine’s Day with my three loves though. Molly is so excited about it and has been drawing hearts and talking about love non-stop for the past two weeks. We had heart-shaped pancakes this morning and we’ll probably try to do a craft or two this afternoon.

Linking up with Steph and Jana on this LOVEly day to chat about books!!! I expected to read more lately, but honestly only a few books this month (5ish weeks!) really grabbed my attention. I’m not sure why that is…I think a few of the books I read just took awhile to get into. I found myself reading a chapter, and then checking Facebook or Instagram….and then falling asleep. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I only felt like I really read three (ish) books that kept me thinking about them like crazy while I wasn’t reading them. Anyway…happy Show Us Your Books day!!!

The Best Books I Read this Month

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve seen Ruta Sepetys and this book recommended all over the blog world in the last year, and then it also won the Goodreads Choice award in 2016 so it has been on my to-be-read list for awhile. I agree with all the other fans out there – this book was incredible. I had no idea that this event actually took place. It makes me wonder how many other little WWII stories are out there that have not been shared widely. The multiple points of view really built this story for me, and I felt horror, sadness, and hope for all of the characters at different points in the story. It was a relatively quick read compared to other WWII novels I’ve tackled – I think the short chapters really helped to build the story. I would highly recommend this amazing story.

Loyalty by Ingrid Thoft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m so glad Steph recommended this series to me because this first book was really good! There’s not much that is unlikeable about Fina Ludlow’s character. She is smart, sassy, and good at her job. Her relationships are interesting. She’s surrounded by men, but she is powerful. There were some possible triggers in this book, but it was still really, really good. I will absolutely read the others in this series at some point.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really glad that I was told beforehand that this book was a bit slow at the beginning, because I really found it hard to get into until about the halfway point. It was a great thriller though, and sadder and more intense than I was expecting (I completely expected it to be more focused on something that it was not). Highly recommend it if thrillers with a twist are your kind of thing.

Other Enjoyable Books

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a long time to read this book, but that wasn’t because it wasn’t good. There was just so much detail in the narration and some of the language was meant to be savoured. In some ways, it feels like one of those books in which not much seems to happen, but that’s not really the case at all. It’s just one person’s story and reflections over the course of about a year. It reminded me of the storytelling in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and some of the subject matter also felt similar.

It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Almost done the series of the Bridgertons…I loved Hyacinth’s character and the subplot in this story. I turn to this series when I need a fun break from whatever else I’m reading and I have yet to be (too) disappointed. The Bridgertons are a fun family!

Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book didn’t grab me the way I expected it to, and although I did like it enough to finish it, it fell a bit flat for me. I’m not sure why…maybe it just came to me at the wrong time (during a bit of a book slump). I usually love it when books jump back and forth between time periods but this one left me feeling a bit torn. The concept is still great, and the characters were mostly very likeable. I’m glad I finished it, because the ending was really very good.

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I quite enjoyed this conclusion to the trilogy. I’m not usually the biggest fan of “Christmassy” stories, but this series was a quick and fun read around the holidays. I loved all of the family dynamics. It was fun to follow along with everyone and easy to picture oneself on Nantucket with all the crazy Quinns for Christmastime 🙂

Miracle On 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although this romance trilogy is totally fluffy and at times a bit sappy, I love the characters, I love the NYC setting, and the friendships are unbeatable. This was a cute conclusion to the series. I think the world could use some more people like Eva in it.

The Best Mistake Mystery: The Great Mistake Mysteries by Sylvia McNicoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great little book and I know my daughter will enjoy it in a year or two. The characters were sweet and I loved the dog parts. Probably good for about age 8. I’m reading a few books in this age group here and there because I have an avid 5 year old reader and I want to keep her in books!! Thanks for the copy of this, Netgalley 🙂

Any Time, Any Place by Jennifer Probst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun, quick, contemporary romance read. I like these ones that are in a series because you can see where the next story is going. I hadn’t read the first in this series but this was still fine as a standalone. The characters were fun, the female protagonist is strong and sassy, and the extra twist was interesting to see resolved. Thanks for the copy of this, Netgalley 🙂

Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was not quite what I was expecting, but it was motivating to read about someone else’s attempts to clear their clutter. It also made me feel better about some of the stuff that I *haven’t* kept around for years, haha. Thanks for the copy of this, Netgalley 🙂

I’m currently still reading The Count of Monte Cristo (ugh I might end up giving it up because my motivation to read it is almost zero – my attention span just isn’t there these days), Red Rising (trying so hard to get into it! 40 pages in!! Tell me it is amazing, please!!!), and I started The Kitchen House but the library is taking it back (digitally) tomorrow so I’ll have to pause that one!

What have you been reading lately!?

Recent Reads (SUYB 2017)

My 2017 reading life is off to a great start!! I knew it would be, mostly because a lot of great library holds came in at once and I am enjoying my picks for Erin’s book challenge 6.0 so far. Check out Steph & Jana’s posts today to see what others have been reading lately!! Here are the books I’ve read since the last Show Us Your Books link up:

Great books:

The Mothers by Brit Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know most people have already heard others rave about this book, but it’s for good reason!! This book had beautiful writing and I felt so much sympathy for all of the characters at one point or another. The character development was fantastic. This subject matter isn’t what I normally turn to in my reading life, but it had a lot of different perspectives and I appreciated that. It was fun to follow the characters through adolescence into adulthood too. I loved “the mothers” sections especially.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book and it was a great start to my 2017 reading year. I sat on the couch and read it while my kids played with their new Christmas toys. It was a great reading-in-front-of-the-tree-with-a-coffee book. It reminded me of PS: I love You (the movie) for some reason and I really wanted Nina to succeed in her new adventure. The setting was perfect and the characters were awesome. The introduction is also fantastic – don’t skip it!! (I read this for Erin’s challenge).

Books that kept me interested:

Woman of God by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a complicated book to review. It was quite compelling and I absolutely loved the characters, especially Brigid. As a lifelong Catholic (but not necessarily conservative), I think that this book was interesting, pertinent, and hopeful. It would be amazing if some of the parts of this book became reality one day, but I’m not sure if that will be the case or not. I have always enjoyed Patterson’s books and this one was no exception even though it was miles away from most of his other novels. I will also say that parts of this book seemed a bit unrealistic, but I think it was meant to be that way. If you feel strongly that women should play a larger role in the Catholic church, I would recommend this book. It’s not a read for everyone though, understandably. The tagline for this book is a bit misleading, but I’m sure it grabs people’s attention. I read it after my mom raved about it. (I read this for Erin’s challenge).

View all my reviews Winter Street and Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book and Winter Stroll in a few days leading up to Christmas when life was busy. These books are super fluffy and the character development isn’t 100%, but they were better than most fluffy Christmas books I’ve read. I am still on hold for the third book so I might not get to that until about February, but that’s okay- I still need to find out what happens to all of the characters anyway 🙂

The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute read and I can’t wait to read it to Molly sometime – unfortunately it went back to the library before I got to it with her. Written by the author of Pippi Longstocking, which I loved as a child.

The Lord’s Persuasion of Lady Lydia by Raven McAllan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book well enough while I was reading it, but it’s not about to become a favourite in the historical romance genre. Parts of it felt a bit too contrived, and although I appreciated Lady Lydia’s position and independence as a woman in this era, it felt a bit overdone at times. The mystery element was a bit unique and the parts set in the countryside were nice too, but unless this is your favourite genre to read, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! (Read for Erin’s challenge).

Books that I started and DNF: Jane and the 12 Days of Christmas (enjoyable but felt weird reading it after Christmas so returned it to the library at 50% – I will pursue this Jane Austen series at some point though), First Star I See Tonight (couldn’t get into it, not in the mood), The Life Intended (maybe someday I’ll pick it back up).

Currently reading:

The Count of Monte Cristo (I picked this for Erin’s challenge and it is 54 hours long on audio so I’ll be reading it right til the end, I think) and I’m about to start one of these books below…which one should I go with!?!?!

Really, which one should I read next? Jellicoe Road is on my list for Erin’s challenge, but My Brilliant Friend and Midnight Riot are library books!!!

What have you been reading lately!?

The Best Books I Read in 2016

Belated Merry Christmas wishes!!!

When I started writing this post earlier in December I actually forgot that some books I really, REALLY enjoyed were books that I read this year. When you read 117 books in one year, it can be hard to remember them all, which is why I LOVE Goodreads and my bullet journal for keeping track of the books I read and what I thought of them.

I wanted to narrow my “best books of 2016” list down to 10 books like I did last year, but that was honestly impossible, so this post is what you get. Here are my favourite and most notable reads from the past year and a bunch of extra enjoyable reads at the end. I wouldn’t recommend all of these books to every reader because we all have different tastes, but I think I’ve tried to include a bit of a variety here too. Looking forward to seeing which books make it on to other readers’ lists!! Check out Steph and Jana’s blogs today for the link-up. I’m also linking up today with Top Ten Tuesday over at The Broke and The Bookish.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany – So…of course I loved this book. I knew I would love it before anyone even had the idea to write it and I am absolutely completely biased because I could read a new Harry Potter book everyday and be the happiest person alive. BUT my more unbiased opinion would be that this was a fun way to revisit some beloved characters, and although the play format was different, it made for a quick read and I really loved it. It wasn’t nearly enough to quench my Harry Potter thirst and I am dying to re-read the series so I might even start doing that this week. I know there are a lot of critics out there, but this was pure enjoyment for me.

The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny – my personal favourites were book 4 (A Rule Against Murder), books 5-6 (The Brutal Telling, Bury your Dead), book 9 (How the Light Gets In) and book 12 (A Great Reckoning – published this year). This entire series is worth the time and I will recommend it until the day I die, but if you don’t like it, we can still be friends. It starts a bit slow, but it’s best to read the books in order if you can. I went on a huge Louise Penny binge read in 2016 and I do not regret it one little bit.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton – (see review here) I read 2 Kate Morton books this year and I had planned to read more, but I ran out of time. 😉 Her books take awhile to get into, and they are a bit long, but they are so, so good. I’m sure I will get to her other books in 2017 and I can’t wait. The Secret Keeper was intricately woven and absolutely completely satisfying at the end.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty – I had forgotten that I’d read this book this year because it stayed with me so much that I feel like it’s been in my life forever. I read it in January and actually checked it out from the library again in November to re-read parts of it. I loved this book so much and have recommended it to people because I thought it was just such an interesting perspective on married life, motherhood, sisterhood, and all of it. It was SO interesting and so well done, in my opinion. Definitely my favourite book by Liane Moriarty so far.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi – I’d heard so many amazing reviews of this book, but I wasn’t sure how much I would like it because memoirs are not typically my thing. This book was amazing though. Parts of it were desperately sad, but there was also so much hope. The writing was beautiful. I listened to it on audiobook and I definitely recommend that format.

Better than Before and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin – I am not a big non-fiction reader but these books were both incredible, and incredibly inspiring. Not for everyone, but I am a huge fan. AND check this out:

You can order a signature card to put inside your book on her website! She ships them for free in Canada and the US!

Persuasion by Jane Austen – might just be my favourite of all of them. This story was phenomenal and I don’t know why I didn’t read it sooner. I go back and forth between P&P and this as my favourite Austen every day.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – this was an absolutely incredible book and it has sold millions (and been highly rated for many years) for a reason.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – if you haven’t heard of this book, you’ve been living under a rock. 😉 The emotions that I experienced while reading this book were INTENSE but it was so absolutely incredible. It’s also the book that turned me off WWII books for the rest of 2016, I think. So there’s that..but it was great.

One True Loves – by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I gushed about this book for months and was able to buy it last month so I read it all again. I might get over it someday, but not anytime soon. For the record, I also loved After I Do and Maybe in Another Life. If you haven’t picked up a TJR book yet…get one of these asap.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer – this book came quite highly recommended by Kristen and it did not disappoint me one little bit. I hope to re-read it sometime. It was SO humorous for that genre and highly enjoyable.

Other books I loved that you should check out if you’re looking for recommendations:

Endgame – by Susan Kelly <— this is my aunt and I am still abundantly proud of her for publishing her first novel this year.
Sense and Sensibility & Emma by Jane Austen – if you are trying to branch out from Pride & Prejudice
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt – if you like middle grade at all or have a teenager in your life…this book was SO great.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – if you want to read a more modern classic 😉
The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler – if you like books about parenting.relationships without all the mumbo jumbo crap. This was a good one.
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center – if you like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books or are looking for a slightly less fluffy contemporary romantic fiction book
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld if you like Pride & Prejudice but you aren’t a purist
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah – if you want to cry your eyes out after 450 pages
The Likeness by Tana French – I hope to read more of this series someday, this one was an interesting murder mystery
All the Light we Cannot See – by Anthony Doerr – if you love beautiful writing and WWII
The Golden Son by Shilipi Somaya Gowda if you enjoyed The Kite Runner
One Plus One by JoJo Moyes if you liked the movie Little Miss Sunshine
The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn if you like historical romance and series about families 🙂
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale – I’m not sure what I would link this book to, but probably if you like The Secret Garden or other similar older YA classics.

Just for fun, here were my top ten books in 2015. 🙂

And here are a few BEAUTIFUL book covers from 2016:

We had a beautiful Christmas and I am absolutely 100% enjoying spending every waking moment soaking up my lovely children and relaxing. Looking forward to reading more “best of” lists this week and sharing my 2016 book analytics post soon!!! Happy New Year to all of my favourite reading buddies 🙂 🙂