14 Audiobooks to listen to on a Road Trip

Happy Friday, and happy long weekend to my fellow Canadians!!! HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! This is my favourite holiday of the year (probably tied with Christmas though) and I can’t wait to celebrate our beautiful country by camping in a national park in the rain this weekend. LOL. (Cross your fingers for us that it will not rain!)

Today I’m happy to share the second post in a blog collaboration with Gina, Anne, Rachelle, and Kristen!! Here you’ll find 14 audiobook suggestions for a road trip (or for whenever really – I love listening to audiobooks all the time). Guys – you know I am hooked on audiobooks. I loved them as a kid, and I wish I had thought to use them more in university (especially for my Shakespeare course). I rely on them heavily these days to get through my TBR. The first audiobook I got on a free audible trial and listened to and got SUPER HOOKED in the past 5 years was The Martian – I still highly recommend that one but most people I know have read it.

A bunch of these are on Hoopla and if you haven’t tried out that app yet via your library, I can’t recommend it enough (mostly for audiobooks – I don’t love their interface for e-books). You get the book instantly and get it for 3 weeks! I get 5 books a month via my library and usually use up all of those “credits”.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I absolutely loved this book. I am familiar with The Odyssey and studied it briefly but have not read it so I wouldn’t say you need to know any of that to enjoy this. This was so fascinating, so captivating, and so much more likable than I ever could have expected. It could definitely be family friendly with older teenagers too, based on what I remember.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This book was absolutely gripping and so heart-wrenching. The stories that Paul shares are inspiring. His views on life and death are so interesting and this book really made me think. The epilogue led to tears streaming down my face while driving. It was an incredible read and I would highly, highly recommend it. Just maybe not when driving through the city when you need to be able to see through your tears. 😉

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

This audiobook is on hoopla and the narrator is FANTASTIC. I loved it. The two main characters are American and French, and the French parts were so well done (it all was, but that in particular). It’s also pretty short. I hesitate to say much about this book because the ending was spoiled for me and I’d hate for that to happen to others…although there are some trigger warnings, in my opinion.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I enjoyed the full-cast performance of this audiobook immensely. The story itself was also very good and I liked it a lot. Katsa and Po were great characters, and the whole Graceling realm is very interesting. I would absolutely consider this to be an “approachable” fantasy book if that’s something you’re interested in. It is also on Hoopla and would be family friendly for older kids, I think – it’s YA but there is some romance too.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

I keep meaning to continue this series past the second one because it’s really good on audio and also (again) on Hoopla. This was a mystery that I couldn’t quite figure out. LOVED the characters though and the British setting (always a plus for me in my reading life – give me a book set in Britain and I’ll usually be a bit drawn to it for some reason).

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I adored every little bit of this book, especially on audio. I do have a slight thought though that maybe this is a good book to listen to in the summer. I sent it to both of my grandmothers after reading it, thinking they would also love it, and one of them did adore it – the other found it too depressing for the winter months when she is living alone. There are some sad aspects to this book, but it is ultimately hopeful, funny, and thought-provoking, in MY opinion. And again, it’s on Hoopla, so what are you waiting for?!

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

This super fun Sherlock retelling with Sherlock as a woman was so fun to listen to, and it’s the first in a series!! It reminds me a little bit of the Veronica Speedwell books, which I adore. It’s on Hoopla too 🙂

Still Life by Louise Penny

It’s pretty much impossible for me not to mention this Canadian gem of a series – one of my most beloved series of all time!! The narrator for the first 11 books of the Chief Inspector Gamache series is quite wonderful. This first book seems to be on hoopla. I really believe this series needs to be read in order but the books get infinitely better around book 4. Most Louise Penny fans would agree with this statement. I have listened to bits and pieces of all of the books via the library but mostly read them in print. Still, I can vouch for the audio and I know a lot of fans who prefer the books this way! Her writing is quite lyrical so it lends itself well to audiobook format. The first in the series (this one) is on Hoopla 🙂

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

This audiobook, narrated by the author, is so well told and beyond interesting. Trevor Noah makes his childhood humorous, and I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to just get a different point of view on what it might have been like to grow up in a country very different from any in the western world.

A few books for the whole family (all ages):

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

We listened to a bunch of these books on summer road trips when I was a kid and years later, the narration is still JUST as enjoyable. So funny and fun to listen to, even as an adult.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I listened to this as a kid and listened again on a recent road trip with my kids and we all loved it.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

So here’s a little story. I read this as a kid, loved the movie, and then went to read it to my daughter a couple of years ago and found the language REALLY HARD TO READ. It is wacky!!! The audiobook is the way to go with this one. I’ve previewed the Kate Winslet version and that one is on our list for this summer. I expect it to be wonderful and then we will watch the movie as a family 🙂

For the whole family maybe ages 8+

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

This is one of my favourite books of all time and Rachel McAdams’ narration is absolutely fantastic. I absolutely adored this on audio. It is appropriate for any age but the ending (no spoilers) might be a bit hard for anyone younger than about 6-7-8 and the language is that of a classic, so maybe best suited for not the earliest listeners.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The concept of this book is wonderful – it is basically about a game that involves geocaching using books. It sounds super fun. The setting and characters in this book are great and although the mystery part of it might be a bit scary for younger readers (I was definitely a little surprised at how intense things got towards the end), it all works out. I intend to continue the series!!

Any audiobooks to add?!? Do you like reading with your ears, or are they just not for you? I just finished listening to Becoming, which is narrated by Michelle Obama, and it was incredible if you’re looking for a HUGE bestseller to try on audio 🙂

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

14 Page-Turner books to read this summer!

I’m delighted today to be participating in this mini blog collaboration with Gina, Rachelle, Anne, and Kristen!! Today we’re all sharing some pageturners to read this summer due to the fact that many of us voracious readers get asked for book recommendations around this time of the year. We’ll all have another post up next Friday, so watch for that one too!! Definitely check out their posts linked below for more summer reading recommendations. I’m going to share 14 books for 14 Things Friday 🙂

For me, a pageturner doesn’t have to be a thriller, even though that’s the first genre that comes to mind when I think of that word. I’ve tried to include a mix of genres in my list today and some older books too that might be easy to pick up on sale on Amazon or without waiting too long in the holds line at the library.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and stillllll might maybe be my favourite?! I’m not sure. I listened to this book and I could NOT listen fast enough. The basic premise here is that a woman’s husband is presumed missing, so after a few years, she eventually moves on, but then when she is engaged, her husband re-surfaces. I could not IMAGINE what it would be like to be in this situation. This is a perfect, perfect summer beach read that you should definitely pick up if you haven’t already. Taylor Jenkins Reid can really do no wrong, in my mind, and I’ve found all of her books highly readable.

Lies by T.M. Logan

I’d never read anything by this author but this book was quite an intense “ahhh what the heck is going on here?” type of book that I know many of us like to turn to in the summer. I truly felt for the main character here who was quite naïve but that seemed to suit him well. This was fast-paced and though it wouldn’t be SUPER hard to figure out the ending, I didn’t. Bonus: He has a new book coming out this fall!!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

For a turn in the complete opposite direction, this is a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I devoured this in 3 days despite my real life being insanely busy and this book being 470 pages long. This was highly readable and so interesting – AND it’s the first in a series (but the second one isn’t out yet, so don’t get TOO excited).

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I loved this book and I still think about it all the time even though I read it 4 years ago!!! I need to re-read it sometime. This is a slow-burn story with some cringe-worthy moments but it has such a unique storyline and it was impossible to put down, in my experience.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This is one of the only books I’ve ever read that I put down after finishing it and thought, Hmm. Did I love that or hate it?! I couldn’t put my thoughts on it together. Now that it’s been a month or two since I’ve read it, I have thought about it off and on and although I didn’t LOVE the characters here, I did like this book a lot. It was a fast read and I couldn’t put it down, even though I also can’t say that the plot is really fast-paced. It’s hard to describe, but just know that it might hook you in quickly and you might just want to follow the two main characters over the course of several years of ups and downs. You might even be unsure whether you like it or hate it, like me.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

This is an overly emotional contemporary romance that just came out recently and I had been eagerly anticipating it for months. It did not fall too short of my expectations, I have to say. I couldn’t flip these pages fast enough. This is THE book to read this summer if this is a genre you enjoy. It is not as light-hearted as it might seem, however!!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks

This was quite the thrilling ride!! I felt for the main character throughout this book and I really felt like the plot moved quickly and there were some twists. I still haven’t picked up their first book, but I will someday!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

After starting this, I was entirely unable to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters were interesting and I really liked the way it was told in multiple POVs. Highly recommend if you are looking for a YA thriller. I think I maybe preferred her second book, which just came out this year, but might be harder to get at the library 🙂 They are standalone books though!

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

This book came recommended on a podcast that I love, and then the cover won me over. It was SO good!! There were some VERY funny moments. It was definitely slightly predictable at times but not too much, in my opinion. I couldn’t stop reading it – Amy’s adventures in the city were so fun. I loved all of the side characters like her friends and her children, too. This is my desired type of summer read, not TOO fluffy, but not hard to read either.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler

This book definitely held my interest and is mostly what I want out of the suspense genre. It was fast-paced and I did not figure it out. 2 years later though, it’s pretty forgettable, unfortuantely… so it might not be my # 1 recommendation although it is on hoopla!

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

Anyone who knows me knows that I love this book. At one point I owned 5 copies of it and I gave four of them away to people who I felt needed to read it. I re-read this book just last month and it was every bit as good as I remembered. It takes place in the summertime, so it feels like a perfect summer read. It has undertones of finding yourself, living your best life, rebuilding yourself after your life doesn’t go the way you’d hoped, and there is a lot of friendship, family talk, and a smidge of swoon-worthy romance (though it is not a steamy book). I love it SO much and cannot ever recommend it enough.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

I listened to this and found it quite captivating and a bit creepy. It was well-done historical fiction and I think I liked it better than The Alice Network, though I did really enjoy that too.

Fatal Affair by Marie Force

Wow, this was a fun start to a very long series. This romantic suspense book reminds me a bit of Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series or Sandra Brown’s books or maybe even a bit of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. If you like any of those (or if you haven’t read them, I recommend them too!), this would be a good one to pick up! It was definitely suspenseful but not scary and the romance was gooood. This entire series is on hoopla, so very easily accessible.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I read this book as an ARC with no expectations and I still recommend it at least once a month to someone, somewhere. I have never read a book that gave me the reading experience that this one did. It was incredible and if you haven’t read it yet, PLEASE do!!! It is unlike anything else I’ve read, even by this author. The sequel was also incredible, in my opinion. This is not a light-hearted read either, however, and a friend of mine in real life actually had to put it down because it was too intense. It might not be a beach read, but maybe it’s a beer on a rainy day read? Or something? To each his own, but I wish everyone I know would read this.

Honourable mentions: If you (for some reason) have not yet picked up Big Little Lies or What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty do yourself a favour and read those IMMEDIATELY. I also found The Husband’s Secret particularly unputdownable.

Do you have any good books to add to this list??? I could use a couple of good pageturners to read this summer – couldn’t we all??

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

14 Elements in a book that will always pique my interest

Since defining myself as an avid or voracious reader over the past 5 years or so (but really, lifelong with less reading in my 20s), I’ve put a lot of thought into what makes a book “good” for me. I read primarily for enjoyment, meaning I’m not necessarily a person who reads to “learn more”. I do LEARN a lot from fiction, but I’m not a non-fiction junkie. Anyway, today I decided to chat a bit about some things that will usually make me pick up a book in any given genre (based on reviews too, of course). These might be a bit obvious…but maybe not.

By the way, happy FRIDAY!!! Us Haligonians are looking towards 5 days of NOT rain, so I can’t wait!! This past week was a total blurry mess so I am so looking forward to the weekend and our anniversary on Sunday! 🙂

Things I love in books:

1) Strong female friendships I love it when the main character in a book has at least one awesome friend. These aren’t exclusive to women, but I do like those. I especially like books if one woman is the main character and then her friend is the main character in the next book…etc. SO fun.

2) A touch of good romance Aside from romance being one of my favourite genres, I even like it if it’s just a subplot in a totally different genre like a thriller or fantasy etc.

3) Writing that makes me laugh or smile even if the book itself isn’t funny even if it’s just a line or two

4) At least one character I can root for I am a character-driven reader. I can also devour a book if the plot is fast paced enough, but I really, really want to connect with characters on the page.

5) An amazing setting such as Three Pines in Louise Penny’s series, or New York (I know, it’s so cliche, but I LOVE it), or a totally unknown setting to me like Jane Harper’s version of Australia

6) “Life lessons” that aren’t preachy I love it when a book can make me think about things in a different way

7) Canadianisms I looove books set in Canada or if a book includes a nice Canadian or mentions Canada ❤

8) Austen retellings I’d even go so far as to include a lot of fairy tale retellings etc in this category

9) A character who is a diehard Harry Potter fan two books that did this well that come to mind are The Accidental Beauty Queen and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. The extreme HP love in these two books probably bumped them up at least a star for me.

10) An incredible narrator (for the audiobook) I found a new favourite narrator this week that I’ll chat about next week for SUYB

11) An epilogue I love finishing a book, flipping the page, and finding out there’s a bit more 🙂

12) A bookish character Are there any bookworms out there that DON’T love books about people who love books?!

13) Short chapters These work so well in thrillers, for me. James Patterson is kind of a master at this but I think Dan Brown’s books do it well too. LOTS of action.

14) A plot that is so intense that I can’t turn the pages fast enough I love that feeling. Don’t we all?!

14 “Older” books for your summer reading

I’ve been busy with mom life and getting stuff sorted out for our summer and doing my own thing, so the blog has taken a spot on the back burner again but it’s pretty much summer reading time!! I love seeing a million “books to read this summer” lists pop up at this time of the year, and I have my own list of ARCs and new releases to pick up which I will share in the future. Today, however, I wanted to dive into books that have already been published and might be somewhere lower down on your TBR that you’ve forgotten about them. I love rediscovering books that I REALLY wanted to read at one point and then just digging in!!

So, here are 14 backlist titles perfect for the summer!! Of course, these are all based on my own opinion, but I loved all of these books and a few of them might be a bit more on the “obscure” or lesser-known side. They might be easier to pick up at the library without waiting forever on a holds list too!! Let me know if you share my love for these selections!!!

Take Me with You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This book takes place in the summer, and it would be a great one to read during these months. I loved this a million times more than I expected to based on the synopsis. Contemporary fiction

Lessons in Gravity by Megan Westfield

This was such a fun read. I loved the wilderness setting & the backdrop of filming some dangerous rock climbing. The setting seemed beautiful and it made me want to visit Yosemite someday. I loved the couple and the emotions behind their relationship. This is a great debut novel and I enjoyed her second book, Leaving Everest, quite a bit too. New Adult fiction with some romance.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Wow, this book was so powerful and thought-provoking. The tension and plot-building in this story reminded me of Beartown although that book is completely different. This book has been a bestseller for awhile now, but if you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favour and pick it up!! Historical fiction that really reads like contemporary fiction.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

If you’ve heard me talk about books at all, you know that I absolutely love this book SO much. I also really enjoyed The Lost Husband (which is becoming a movie with Josh Duhamel!!), How to Walk Away, and her upcoming August release, Things you Save in a Fire. Happiness for Beginners will probably always be my favourite of hers though. This is another book that is such a good summer read – there is so much in this even though it’s a bit chick-lit-ish too. It’s not really a romance, but there is some romance in it. It’s about finding yourself and learning more about who you are regardless of other people. It is SO readable. I love a post that Hannah did about this book too which made me want to go and highlight my entire copy. Contemporary fiction.

Forget Me Not by Kierney Scott

I read the first 50ish pages of this while waiting in a line and then kind of forgot about it for a little bit before picking it up again and finishing the rest in one night. It definitely held my interest and was SO.MESSED.UP. the way that serial killer books should be. I liked Jess Bishop and her background was pretty cool (her childhood though- whoa). Police procedural / thriller with some twists – first in a series and I need to pick up the other 2!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

The hype for this book is definitely well-deserved. I was unable to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters were interesting and I really liked the way it was told in multiple POVs. It definitely kept me guessing. YA mystery/thriller

Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

I actually just finished this book in the past couple of weeks. It was so readable. I feel like this was a less sad version of Last Christmas in Paris, which I also loved. I know lots of people don’t really like to read “heavier” books in the summer, understandably, but this one was surprisingly light for the content. WWI fiction/romance.

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Every once in awhile, I feel like I’m getting to the point of being able to see Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s name without crying (don’t follow that link with her NYT letter if you don’t want to tear up), but then I realize that nope, I’m not there yet. Her death is still so sad to me. I love her children’s books, and I love this memoir written about all the little things that make the world what it is. This is such an easy book to read with profound tidbits of ordinary wisdom. If you did follow that link to her article, I also highly recommend her husband’s response. Their whole story is so moving and heartwrenching and beautiful. Highly readable memoir

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I’ve said once or twice that books about bookstores/bookshop owners are all the rage right now, and I really can’t quite get enough of them. This one might just always be my favourite of them all though. I adore this book and can’t wait to re-read it sometime later this year on audio! Contemporary fiction.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

My favourite by Liane Moriarty and a book I think of often. This one is so fun to read. Contemporary fiction. If I might help to convince you, here’s a lovely quote from it:

“Each memory, good and bad, was another invisible thread that bound them together…It was as simple and complicated as that. Love after children, after you’ve hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other after you’ve seen the worst and the best…-well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word.”

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I’ve never read a series like this one and I doubt there will ever be anything that emulates it. This is the fantastic start to a series of wonderful fairy-tale-retellings in such an imaginative setting. YA fantasy

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

This book is a good one to read in the summer in order to increase motivation in the fall. I’ve read a bunch of these self-help-make-your-life-better type books that contain tons of “common sense” type pieces of advice, but I love the way this one is laid out so that you could really do your own happiness project using some of her structure and advice. I need to do my own. non-fiction, self help

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

I love Veronica Mars so much and I can’t wait to watch the new series that comes out this summer. The newest season (YEARS after it was cancelled) loosely follows this book and the one after it as well as the movie. You could read this book easily without knowing the characters though and it is a pretty solid mystery. #marshmallowforlife Adult mystery

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This series is so intense and even though it’s been years since I’ve read them, I know they are still pretty popular. Pretty gruesome though! Adult mystery/thriller

Have you read any of these? Are you interested in any of them?!

Honourable mentions: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (the third in this series comes out next week and it is GOOD!), One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson

In the summer, I always get the urge to read thrillers and romance books (let’s be honest, I love romance anyway though). But thrillers feel like summer to me. Any good ones to recommend? I have quite a few on my TBR but not sure where to start. I’m thinking Lisa Jewell, for one.

Happy long weekend, American friends!! And happy almost-end-of-May to everyone else!!!

14 Books I’ve Read that could become classics

Happy Friday!!! This was a good week with just enough downtime (but not enough keeping up with chores – oops) and some fun moments too. I’m looking forward to the weekend even though we don’t have too many plans. I’m back for 15 Things Friday today, and I think this is a fun one!! You’ll have to share your thoughts with me 🙂

I am not a huge HUGE reader of the classics – I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s books (although I think I listened to at least half of them). I’ve read some Charles Dickens, some philosophy works, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, etc. I’ve read Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte’s Web, Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gatsby and so on. Not all of these have been favourites, I’ll be honest. I’ve read quite a bit of Shakespeare and some other plays. I read a lot of these for school. From time to time, I wonder about which books from our current time (in the past 20-50 years or so) will last and remain classics in 200 years. Likely, the books that receive awards will be in the running. Here are 14 books I’ve read that I think will stand the tests of time and potentially become “classics” someday 🙂 Obviously, this list is just my own opinion but these books are quite popular for the most part – so that tells me something!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – As I mentioned on Instagram (and plan to discuss more next week for Show Us Your Books), I just finished this book. Overall, I loved it. It reminded me of the classics because the writing was sooo lovely and the prose was very metaphorical and literary. Rules of Civility will probably also stand the test of time with its Gatsby-ish feel.

Harry Potter series – come on guys, you know I am obsessed with these books. There’s not way people will not still be talking about this series in 200 years.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – I will never, ever forget the experience I had reading this book. It was mind-blowing. I’m sure some of Jodi Picoult’s books might also fit in a classics category of “moral dilemmas in books” but I haven’t read any Picoult yet.

His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – I have not read these books in years, and I really need to read them to my children sometime soon.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger – I think Enger’s other book probably falls into this modern classic type category too, but I haven’t read that yet. This book that seems to be about not much, really won me over by the end of it.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – this book gave me chills; the writing and the plot were so thick and emotionally charged.

The Dry by Jane Harper – I’ve never experienced as profound a sense of setting as in Jane Harper’s books. I’m reading The Lost Man right now and so far the description of the isolated setting is unparalleled.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – I will never ever encounter another character like Ove.

Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series – these are so much more than just murder mysteries. Three Pines is a character all on its own.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – This was mind-boggling in a way so few books are these days. Can’t wait to read his newest one this month.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman – Sorry to include two books by the same author but they are so different. Beartown was one of the books that shocked me so much when I was reading it that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I cannot get over the way Backman wrote this book, even years later. It will probably always be one of the best books I’ve ever read.

The Martian by Andy Weir – I hope people are still loving this book years in the future when travel to Mars might actually be a reality.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – This book is sure to be one that stays with people.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – This book is so wonderful and I think it should be required reading for everyone ages 14ish and up.

Can you think of any to add? There are sure to be many – like I said, this is just my own opinion!! 🙂

Happy Friday!

14 Books I Intend to Read Before the End of 2018

Life is still feeling very hectic – not actually, but I am certainly finding things to keep me busy. We are all a tiny bit under the weather and it has dipped below freezing temperatures this week so I am looking forward to curling up with a cup of tea (or wine!) tonight and taking it easy 🙂

Today I’m sharing 14 books that are on my TBR list before the end of the year. At least two of these were on my Spring TBR list so I need to put my money where my mouth is. Haha. Definitely hoping to get to all of these!!!

1) Peace like a River by Leif Enger – I’m partway through Enger’s new book (Virgil Wander), but I really want to read this one too because I know people have loved it.

2) Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny – can’t WAIT for the next instalment in the Gamache series which comes out November 27. Louise Penny is also coming to Halifax in December and I got tickets to the event (which sold out!) so I am feeling very lucky to see her twice in two years!

3) Get Lucky by Katherine Center – again, another author whose backlist I keep planning to read and this book has been on my kindle app for ages too. By the way, if you haven’t heard, her book The Lost Husband (which I really liked!) is becoming a movie starring Josh Duhamel. SO EXCITED.

4) Take me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde – Kristen (my book twin) and maaaany others have raved about this book and it’s been sitting on my Kindle app for ages.

5) Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend – after absolutely adoring the first in this series, I can’t wait to see where this next book takes Morrigan! It comes out in November.

6) Christmas with Anne and other Holiday Stories – bought this at a used book sale last year and can’t wait to soak it up in December (it’s on Hoopla on audio too!)

7) The Girl you Left Behind by JoJo Moyes – I keep saying I’m going to read Moyes’ backlist and this is sitting on my shelf waiting for me AND it is well-reviewed!

8) Winter in Paradise by Elin Hildebrand – because her writing is usually a nice palate cleanser 🙂

9) The Christmas Train by David Baldacci – I meant to read this last year in November/December and never got around to it, so I will this year! It’s already on hold and suspended until December.

10) The rest of the Harry Potter series – I am almost done reading the first book (in illustrated format) to Molly and it has been one of the highlights of my life watching her discover this amazing world. Now I have an intense craving to dive back in to the rest of this series again (I probably say this every year but I haven’t prioritized it – too many other books to read!)

11) One Day in December by Josie Silver – I have this from Netgalley and I’ve heard good things!! I love holiday reads.

12) I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – The girls on the Currently Reading podcast (which I am loving, by the way) bumped this one up even though I’ve mentioned before that it’s on my radar. I own it in audio and print so there are no excuses!!

13) Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – dying to get my hands on this in November!

14) Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – have heard amazing things about this and I just got the audiobook from the library!!

14 Current Random Obsessions

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared 14 Things Friday…summer vacation and the subsequent recovery from it has gotten the best of me!

It’s a long weekend here and presumably elsewhere, and I can’t wait! I am solo parenting for 2 nights but we are going to still try to keep busy 🙂 AND school starts next week! I can’t WAIT to get back into a routine. Even though September is busy, it’s one of my favourite months of the year. I just love fall. (Can’t complain about this summer either though). Anyone have any fun plans for Labour Day?

1) To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (the book and the movie on Netflix). SO good. Awesome characters and really cute and funny. Other Netflix movies I’ve enjoyed lately include Set it Up, The Kissing Booth, Like Father, and Guernsey.

2) Travel Mug French Press – I have had this for over 10 years and we have finally ditched the Keurig completely and turned to a French Press for coffee all the time… this mug is AWESOME.

3) Ignore It! – My new parenting plan. I am sick and tired of always wanting to yell at my kids and I really think that a lot of concepts in this book make sense to my psychological brain. This is the same kind of concept that @simplyonpurpose talks about too – IGNORE junk behaviour and give a lot of positive reinforcement to good behaviour. Makes sense but not super easy to do…

4) Bubly (or any sparkling water – I’m not picky) I want to try LaCroix but it is proving difficult to find in Canada 🙂

5) Dark Chocolate

6) Our heat pump AKA air conditioning in the summer

7) Ikea Reusable Bags – THE BEST and biggest bags to fit all of our Costco stuff

8) This song

9) Homemade Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot – so good

10) Showering at night – I never used to be an evening shower person but it’s for sure growing on me – and makes me feel great getting into bed.

11) This yoga video

12) My rash guard that mostly prevented sunburn all summer!

13) Kale caesar salad

14) The Beach…because summer in Canada only lasts so long!

14 Books that I’d LOVE to see become movies

Like most readers, I have a bit of a tough relationship with the idea of my favourite books being made into movies. I find I always, always enjoy the movie infinitely more if I haven’t read the book in awhile. This is one reason why I didn’t re-read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this spring as I had planned to. The movie comes out on Netflix THIS WEEKEND when I will be at a 150+ person family reunion (but I will for sure be catching it on my birthday next week when we’re in an Airbnb relaxing).

This got me thinking about which other books I think would translate well into movies. Here are 14 of them!

1) The Royal We
2) Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series (this would be great as a TV show/mini-series
3) Beartown I doubt the movie would do this book justice, but I would love to expose my husband to this story!
4) What Alice Forgot – my favourite of Liane Moriarty’s – I think this would make a great movie!!!
5) The rest of Louise Penny’s series
6) Anything you can Do although truthfully I feel that most of R.S. Grey’s novels would be wonderful romantic comedies!
7) The Dry
8) Happiness for Beginners
9) The Lunar Chronicles – PLEEEEASE
10) When Dimple Met Rishi
11) The Duke and I or any of Julia Quinn’s series (people love period pieces!) I would also settle for Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
12) Salt to the Sea
13) The Girl Before
14) The Nightingale – I’d cry my eyes out watching this movie adaptation…

Do you see any here that you’d agree with? Or any that have already been optioned (that would be the best news ever!)

Honorable mentions: Roomies by Christina Lauren & The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – BOTH OF WHICH ARE GOING TO BECOME MOVIES!!! Can’t wait.

We’re off on vacation today and it feels like the summer has absolutely flown right by. We are spending 2 days at a resort in Cape Breton with my huge extended family, and then taking the ferry over to PEI to hang out with Anne of Green Gables, explore some beautiful beaches, and celebrate my birthday 🙂 I’ll have a post up on Tuesday for SUYB though!! Have a great weekend!!!

If I had a nickel for every time these 14 things happened, I’d be rich

Happy Friday!!!

Back with 14 Things Friday – I didn’t intend to take the last couple of Fridays off but we had been preparing to go camping and then I was battling another summer cold, so here we are. 🙂 Today’s prompt is one that makes me laugh – I love the expression “if I had a nickel every time ______, I’d be rich”, so I thought I would share a few things that have the potential to make me rich. 🙂

If I had a nickel every time my husband pushed snooze, I’d definitely be rich. He is the king of the morning snooze button.

If I had a nickel for every time a child asked me for a drink of water, I’d be SOO rich. I am working on getting them to get their own water.

If I had a nickel for every library book I’ve checked out in my lifetime, I’d be a millionaire. It’s my personal mission to ensure that my library is always busy managing my loans. Haha 🙂

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve misplaced my cell phone in my house, I’d be rich. This drives my husband *crazy* because it’s usually on silent mode or vibrate so we can’t even find it when we call it from his phone. Ooops.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve sung Wheels on the Bus or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I could retire tomorrow. These are 2/4 of Lucy’s bedtime songs but we also sang them thousands of times with Molly before Lucy even came along.

If I had a nickel for every flip turn I’ve done in a swimming pool, I would have been a rich teenager. I was a competitive swimmer for 6 years and that was a LOT of laps in the pool.

If I had a nickel for every minute I’ve browsed Netflix to find a good movie to watch, I could pay for my subscription and more. I’ve pretty much given up unless I hear or something good coming (Like Guernsey NEXT WEEK and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before THE WEEK AFTER!!!)

If I had a nickel for every blog post I’ve ever read, I could live off the income. I was reading blogs before they were even popular, back in the days of Google Reader! #rip

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve thought about the impact that Harry Potter has had on my life (again with my desire to apparate everywhere), I would be richer than J.K. Rowling. JK. 😉

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve used my slow cooker, I could buy 100 more of them. Serious working-mom-lifeline right there.

If I had a nickel for every cough drop I’ve consumed in the past two weeks, that would be great. #sickofcoughing

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been soooo proud to be a Canadian citizen, I could travel the world.

If I had a nickel for every French braid I’ve done in my life, I could pay a hairdresser a lot of money. I used to practice constantly on my sister, my rag doll, and now I will happily do my children’s any time they let me 🙂

If I had a nickel for every time I count my greatest blessings in life, I would be as rich as I feel inside. Because let’s be honest – nickels can’t buy happiness, but gratitude leads to happiness.

Hope you all have a great weekend! We have a long weekend in Canada – can’t WAIT!! 🙂

14 of my Dream Jobs

Happy Friday the 13th!!! And Happy Birthday to my mom today 🙂 We are celebrating with surf & turf & cheesecake tonight 🙂 It was a pretty good week with some relaxed evenings which was JUST what I needed. I even got to chat with my husband a little bit and finish a couple of books 🙂 This weekend will be pretty low-key except that the girls have another race on Sunday out of town so we will be doing some exploring & adventuring then. 🙂 Can’t wait!!

I’ve had this draft written for awhile for Fourteen Things Friday. I think we all have jobs we would love to have (in a perfect world, of course). When I make this list, I picture myself being not stressed out but wildly successful in each of these dream jobs. I noticed that a lot of them revolve around reading…but what can I say? It’s my favourite hobby. 😉 What are some of your dream jobs?

14 Fun Jobs that I Dream Of:

1) Best-Selling Author of Highly Readable books. I’d also settle for just being a really famous author’s assistant – answering fan mail, monitoring facebook page, etc. That would be fun.

2) Editor – Honestly I love this aspect of my own job and I would love to edit and pitch novels

3) Librarian – this has been a dream job of mine for years

4) Goodreads employee – wouldn’t it be fun?!

5) Jane Austen tour guide or actress – basically, just like the actors in Austenland. SO FUN.

6) Book Reviewer – I guess this is a relatively realistic job but I’d want complete control over the books I’d choose to review

7) Audiobook narrator – I *love* reading aloud and I consider myself to be pretty good at it 🙂 I’ve narrated a few of my daughters’ books for them to listen to and that was fun. 🙂

8) Journalist – but only reporting on the fun stuff or having a weekly mom column like this one. I guess being a full-time blogger could also work here.

9) Food/restaurant reviewer – getting paid to eat out?! Sign me up!

10) Bookstore owner – I would love to recommend books to people and buy new books all the time and create welcoming spaces with fun events. This would be incredible.

11) Travel blogger – I’m sure this would be incredible in some ways and difficult in other ways. I love following along with Helene’s journey through Europe though.

12) Retired from anything – oh, to just live off a pension. SOMEDAY! 🙂

13) Trivia night question developer – guys, I LOVE trivia. This would be super fun.

14) Wizard – well, technically a witch I guess. I would LOVE to be able to apparate and I think about it way more often than a real adult should…and in case you weren’t sure what apparition is: