The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.101: My Latest Reads // March


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AMERICAN FIRE by Monica Hesse
My Rating: ★★★★☆

In November of 2012, the Eastern Shore of Virginia was old. It was long. It was isolated. It was emptying of people but full of abandoned houses. It was dark. It was a uniquely perfect place to light a string of fires. (8%)

I’m on a true crime kick.  Where Columbine was fascinating but utterly disturbing, American Fire is fascinating purely by the craziness of it all!  The story is about a series of mysterious building fires in Accomack County, Virginia — around 70 arsons located in just one rural county. The culprit is identified early in the book, but the bigger question answered is why?  Such an interesting book, especially from a psychological standpoint.
WONDER by R.J. Palacio
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (more like 3.5 stars)

I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives. (p.231)

My oldest had this read aloud to his class last year (in 4th grade) and he has wanted me to read it ever since.  I heard Wonder was a tear-jerker, but surprisingly, it didn’t have that effect on me.  I’m not sure what this says about me, but I was just angry.  (I blame it on being the mother of a child who was picked on and bullied too.  #angrymamabear)  All in all, I’d say it was a good middle-grade novel and a good reminder that words are powerful, both for good and for evil.

MISSING, PRESUMED by Susie Steiner
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Life… is full of compromises you never thought you’d make when you were young.

Missing, Presumed seemed like less of a missing person police procedural and more of a character-driven story about a woman who happens to be a detective.  It was just okay for me – I didn’t particularly like any of the characters.  I felt myself constantly distracted while reading, which is usually a good sign that I’m not invested in the story.  Even so, I persevered because I really did want to know what happened at the end…and the ending was just okay too.
THE WISHING SPELL (THE LAND OF STORIES #1) by Chris Colter
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Courage is one thing that no one can ever take away from you.

I read The Wishing Spell aloud to the kids for school.  The story line was interesting and the kids loved it, but there were enough eyebrow-raising comments for me not to easily recommend it.  I mean, do we really need to talk about a painting of a barely clothed Red Riding Hood wearing only a wolf-skin coat?


FINISH: GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF DONE by Jon Acuff
My Rating: ★★★★★

The only way to accomplish a new goal is to feed it your most valuable resource: time. And what we never like to admit is that you don’t just give time to something, you take it from something else. To be good at one thing you have to be bad at something else. Perfectionism’s third lie is: You can do it all. I’m here to tell you that you can’t. (18%)

 We become adult toddlers when we refuse help from people and believe the lie that seeking assistance is a sign of weakness. (59%)

Oh boy, this one was a perfectly timed read.  My perfectionism has been rearing its ugly head big time lately.  As I read Finish, it was as if he could see inside my brain!  So weird and yet reassuring too.  I zipped through the book in days and immediately put the tips and tricks he suggested to use.  An inspiring book for sure!


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MY 2018 READING IN NUMBERS
Books Read: 18
Fiction: 12  // Non-Fiction: 6
Kindle Books: 10  // Paper Books: 8
Original 2018 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 443 // Current “to-read” total: 437


Linking up with Book by Book!

No.89: My Latest Reads // February

This post contains affiliate links.


THE PARIS ARCHITECT by Charles Belfoure
My Rating: ★★★✰✰

“Let me explain something to you, Monsieur Bernard. Back in 1940, when this hell began, I realized that my first duty as a Christian was to overcome my self-centeredness, that I had to inconvenience myself when one of my human brethren was in danger—whoever he may be, or whether he was a born Frenchman or not. I’ve simply decided not to turn my back.” (6%)

I had high hopes for The Paris Architect.  The premise is really interesting: an architect is commissioned to create hiding places within homes to protect Jews.  I loved imagining the process of hiding someone in plain sight and enjoyed the descriptions of design.  The book itself, though, was good but not great.  An interesting twist on WWII, but there are definitely better choices out there.  And are the French really so cavalier about love-making and having affairs?
COLUMBINE by Dave Cullen
My Rating: ★★★★✰

When all his bombs fizzled, everything about his attack was misread. He didn’t just fail to top Timothy McVeigh’s record—he wasn’t even recognized for trying. He was never categorized with his peer group. We lumped him in with the pathetic loners who shot people. (60%)

This book was eerie and disturbing, but from a psychology standpoint, also extremely fascinating.  I learned so much and definitely have thought about it after the most recent shootings.  While Cullen claims that psychopathic behavior is to blame, I’m still not totally convinced that there wasn’t a small bullying component too.


 REDWALL by Brain Jacques
My Rating: ★★★★★

Suddenly the spell of the snake was broken. The young mouse’s eyes snapped open, clear and bright. He swung the ancient sword high and struck the giant adder.
He struck for Redwall!
He struck against evil!
He struck for Martin!
He struck for Log-a-Log and his shrews! He struck for dead Guosim!
He struck as Methuselah would have wanted him to!
He struck against Cluny the Scourge and tyranny!
He struck out against Captain’s Snow’s ridicule!
He struck for the world of light and freedom!
He struck until his paws ached and the sword fell from them! When Log-a-log awoke from out of the trance he saw his friend Matthias the Warrior. (p.304)

Our first read aloud of 2018!  Redwall is the story of peace-loving mice who are forced to defend their Abbey from an army of rats led by the evil Cluny the Scourge.  The story was beautifully written, well-paced and engaged the kids from the start.  I enjoyed it much more than I expected too!


 THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner
My Rating: ★★★✰✰

“You learn something new everyday.”
“What are you learning?” Sophos asked.
“To keep my mouth shut, I hope.” 

I think The Thief would be considered YA fantasy, which is a genre I don’t typically read.  I had a hard time with this one – I liked the story itself, but also felt like nothing really happened.  I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but had to slog through much of the middle.  Obviously, I’m in the minority here because most reviews are glowing.  I also read somewhere that the later books in the series are even better, so maybe I need to give Book #2 a chance.

THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley
My Rating: ★★★✰✰

As I stood outside in Cow Lane, it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
No … eight days a week.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the story of an 11-year-old girl who becomes an amateur sleuth when a crime is committed on her property.  She is definitely a quirky character!  This book also started strong, lagged a bit in the middle, but picked up at the end.  A cute and different type of whodunit.
HAPPIER AT HOME by Gretchen Rubin
My Rating: ★★✰✰✰ (more like 2.5)

I didn’t want to slow down but, rather, to change the experience of the pace of my life. “Speed is not part of the true Way of strategy,” legendary swordsman Miyamoto Mushashi observed in A Book of Five Rings.  “Speed implies that things seems fast or slow…Of course, slowness is bad.  Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy.”  I wanted a pace of life that was deliberate – that felt neither fast nor slow. (p.132)

Happier at Home was our February choice for book club.  I’ve read a few of Gretchen’s books before and enjoyed them (my favorite probably being Better Than Before) but this one fell short for me.  I’m not sure if it was the way she attacked the pursuit of happiness or because our mindsets are so different, but I had difficulty relating to her this time and struggled to keep reading.  There were a few good tips and ideas there, but it mostly seemed like a lot of repetition from her first Happiness Project.  Just okay for me.





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MY 2018 READING IN NUMBERS
Books Read: 13
Fiction: 9  // Non-Fiction: 4
Kindle Books: 7  // Paper Books: 6
Original 2018 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 443 // Current “to-read” total: 439

No.75: My Latest Reads // January

This post contains affiliate links.
Linking up with Kristin’s Book by Book!


 MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE: A NOVEL by Sophie Kinsella
My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊✰

I think I’ve finally worked out how to feel good about life. Every time you see someone’s bright-and-shiny, remember: They have their own crappy truths too. Of course they do. And every time you see your own crappy truth and feel despair and think, Is this my life, remember: It’s not. Everyone’s got a bright-and-shiny, even if it’s hard to find sometimes. (96% on my Kindle)

My Not So Perfect Life was a fun, easy, totally chick-lit read and just what I needed to kick off 2018.  I caught on to the main dilemma right away (I’ll keep it vague to avoid spoilers) but enjoyed it anyway.  I also appreciated the main message that the “highlight reel” you see on Instagram or blogs doesn’t always tell the whole story.  We all have sadness, suffering or difficulty in our lives, even if we never share it over the Internet.  Another good reason to be kind to everyone you meet.

SUCH GOOD GIRLS: THE JOURNEY OF THE HOLOCAUST’S HIDDEN CHILD SURVIVORS by R.D.  Rosen
My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊✰

For most of these survivors, the sources of family stories and intergenerational conversations—a cornerstone of the foundation of an individual’s identity—had been exterminated. Even if relatives survived, the family narrative had been badly broken. What often remained were unspeakable memories, shame, and helplessness, which constituted a lingering atrocity. The Nazis had not only stolen their families but their pasts as well.

I would describe Such Good Girls as part gripping memoir, part history book.  I was able to put myself in both the little girls’ and their mothers’ shoes and…gosh, it was such a horrible situation any way you look at it.  A heartbreaking but important read.


 TO LIGHT A FIRE ON THE EARTH: PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL IN A SECULAR AGE by Bishop Robert Barron
My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊✰

One of Barron’s maxims is “The sure sign that God is alive in you is joy.”

My first religious book of the year.  I reviewed this book here.


 S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊✰

He is a man without a past sailing in a strange sea in a world where the stars have come loose in the firmament.

My brother surprised me with this book in my mailbox and an invitation to dive into it together.  Best gift ever!!  A story within a story, S. is unlike anything I have ever read before.  It was a little confusing and if you know anything about J.J. Abrams (he’s responsible for shows like Lost), you know that there were a lot of questions asked and not as many answered.  Still so good and interesting.  I think I’ll have to re-read it again to fully understand it. 




WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
My Rating: ★★★✰✰

When you are five, you know your age down to the month. Even in your twenties, you know how old you are. I’m twenty-three you say, or maybe twenty-seven. But then in your thirties, something strange starts to happen. It is a mere hiccup at first, an instant of hesitation. How old are you? Oh, I’m–you start confidently, but then you stop. You were going to say thirty-three, but you are not. You’re thirty-five. And then you’re bothered, because you wonder if this is the beginning of the end. It is, of course, but it’s decades before you admit it.

After reading, I’m really conflicted about Water for Elephants.  I think the premise of the inner workings of a circus is really interesting, but I struggled with the romance part.  I have trouble when books and movies push the reader/watcher into rooting for an affair.  This is a tricky one to recommend – I liked it, but there were lots of pretty explicit parts I had to skim.  
ANNE OF AVONLEA by L.M. Montgomery
My Rating: ★★★★✰

“I’d like to add some beauty to life,” said Anne dreamily.  “I don’t exactly want to make people know more…though I know that is the noblest ambition…but I’d love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me…to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn’t been born.” (p.53)

“Well, I should like to see you go to college, Anne; but if you never do, don’t be discontented about it.  We make our own lives wherever we are, after all…college can only help us to it more easily.  They are broad or narrow according to what we put into them, not what we get out.  Life is rich and full here…everywhere…if we can only learn how to open our whole hearts to its richness and fulness.” (p.131) 

Oh Anne, you have my heart.  This one took me longer than usual to get through – I’ve been reading bits of it since September!  I think it’s because it feels like each chapter is an “episode” and you can read one and then put it down for later.  There isn’t that rushed, “I need to see what happened next!” feeling, if that makes any sense.  Even so, I really enjoy this sweet series and look forward to the third one.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins
My Rating: ★★★★✰

There’s something comforting about the sight of strangers safe at home.

I’m probably the last person ever to read this book, but I now know what the hype was all about!  I was hooked from the start and finished in two days – so fast-paced and creepy.  My only critique is that I didn’t really care for any of the characters, but maybe that was the point?




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MY 2018 READING IN NUMBERS
Books Read: 7
Fiction: 5  // Non-Fiction: 2
Original 2018 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 443 // Current “to-read” total: 442

{book report} My Latest Reads // November


 As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!

 My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman
I started this book after finishing Father Elijah, which was such a suspenseful thriller.  Because the pace was so different, I had a hard time getting into it at the beginning, but thank goodness for the gentle peer pressure of the book club!  I powered through and I’m so glad I did – so many beautiful lessons on generational relationships.

 The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler 
Just okay for me.  I was sucked into the story quickly, but it lost some of its steam halfway through.  

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Another book for book club!  I’m so conflicted on this one.  I wasn’t really negatively affected by the climate change spin, but instead struggled with the main character, Dellarobia.  I wanted to like her and identify with her, but felt she was way too whiny.  

 The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
I had high hopes for this thriller about a mother and daughter alone in the dangerous Alaskan wilderness and on one level, it didn’t disappoint.  It was a quick read, with lots of imagery that had me imagining survival in such a freezing, unforgiving landscape.  The 10-year-old daughter, Ruby, is deaf and I really enjoyed experiencing life through her eyes.  Unfortunately, the plot line left much to be desired and I didn’t really feel like it was much of a thriller…I’d consider it more of a drama, maybe?  Just okay for me.
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are mine.)

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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 4
Total Books Read this Year: 30
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 5
A book published this year
A book you can finish in a day
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book published before I was born


{book report} My Latest Reads // August, September & October

As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!

I hit some sort of wall at the end of the summer.  I didn’t pick up a single book for over a month!  It was weird, but maybe a necessary break?  Anyway, I’m back and hoping to finish the year strong.  I hit my Goodreads goal of 25 books this month, but I’m aiming for at least five more.   

 The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
I feel like the only person in the world who feels this way, but this book was just okay for me.  I’ve never really been a J.K.Rowling fan (I could never get into Harry Potter, much to the shock of my son!) and while this mystery about the death of a supermodel was much more exciting, I still had a hard time staying interested. It sort-of felt like it was too long? 

 The Gap of TIme by Jeanette Winterson
This novel was a modern take on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.  I have never read that work, so I was thankful for the synopsis at the beginning of the book to get me up to speed.  In case you haven’t read it either, the play revolves around a man’s false belief that his wife is having an affair and pregnant with a child that isn’t his own, thus exploring themes like jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness.  While the writing was beautiful and almost lyrical at times, I had a hard time with the sexual and graphic nature of some of the scenes.  Just okay for me.
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are mine.)

Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael O’Brien
Sometimes I think a book falls in your lap at just the right time.  I actually purchased this one back in May, but it’s been sitting on my nightstand ever since.  Out of the blue, I picked it up and flew through the almost 600 pages!  Father Elijah is an apocalyptic novel about the Catholic Church at the end of time and is so well written, I sometimes forgot it was fiction.  It was exciting, suspenseful and thought-provoking.  I know it will be a book that will stay with me for awhile.

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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read these three Months: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 26
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 5
A book published this year
A book you can finish in a day
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book published before I was born


{book report} My Latest Reads // July



As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!


Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson
Dare I admit that I picked this one up solely because of the cover? It reminded me of Downton Abbey.  This book is a historical novel based on a devout Catholic woman named Genevieve Menke.  It moves back and forth between the past and present and having read a few books this year with this format, I’m growing a bit wary of it.  The story line was a little predictable and some characters more relatable than others, but I did enjoy the Catholic references done in a positive way (a rare find for me!).  


The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan
Written by a journalist, the goals of this book are twofold: tracking the life of American food by taking undercover jobs on the fields, at WalMart and at Applebees, while also exploring the challenges Americans face when trying to eat fresh, healthy foods on limited incomes.  While parts of this book were a bit slow, I did come away really thinking about the complexities of food and the small role I can play to help others less fortunate than me with fresh ingredients.     
One quote that really stuck with me: “An emerging body of psychological and sociological research suggests that because the poor must rely on others to provide a range of needs that the wealthy can pay for, they are also more empathetic and have stronger social skills.  Correspondingly, those in the upper-income bracket are found to be less capable of reading others’ emotions and hence are less empathetic.” – footnote on pg.35


We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
I chose this book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book challenge, a book written before you were born (1962).  In one word, I thought this book was weird.  It’s a Gothic mystery about two sisters, but it seemed too anti-climactic to me.  I kept reading waiting for the big surprise, but was left disappointed.  However, according to the reviews on Goodreads, I’m in the minority on this one.  Maybe I just didn’t get it?


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 23
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 5
A book published this year
A book you can finish in a day
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book published before I was born

{book report} My Latest Reads // June


 As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!

 The Travelers by Chris Pavone
I should probably preface this by saying that this while I do enjoy the occasional spy movie, reading them is not my typical go-to at all!  But in the spirit of trying new things, I requested this spy thriller on a whim and I’m glad I did.  It’s hard to describe the plot without giving things away, but I found it really fast-paced and blew through it in days.  Although parts of the book were a bit confusing, it kept my attention the whole way through.  Probably not the book for those who are a stickler for 100% accuracy, but definitely enjoyable if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful ride.  I think my husband would like it too. 
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are mine.)

 Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
I read this one as part of our book club’s June picks and it was SO good!  The story is equal parts about Max, an elementary school student with autism and his imaginary friend, Budo.  So uniquely told.  So good.  

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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 2
Total Books Read this Year: 20
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 4
A book published this year
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book you can finish in a day

{book report} My Latest Reads // May


As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!

Feeling nauseous for most of the month led itself to a lot of reading on the couch.  It was a good distraction from the yuck and helped me stay awake when all I really wanted to do was snooze!  Not too many notes on each this month – I’ll do better in June.


The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Even at over 500 pages, this book was a page turner!  A haunting mystery with lots of intersecting story lines.  I enjoyed it.

Running: A Love Story by Jen A. Miller
Not exactly the book I thought it would be, but I blew through it in two days anyway.  Lots of pain and poor relationship choices had me cringing for the author, but I definitely could relate to and appreciated her love for running.  It also had me considering a full marathon someday.


When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
This one was part of our book club picks for May.  I felt like it moved slowly, but now I’m thinking that it may have felt that way coming off my previous two reads.  Just okay for me.
  
My Year of Running Dangerously: A Dad, a Daughter, and a Ridiculous Plan by Tom Foreman
I LOVED this book.  Obviously, I’m living vicariously through other runners since pregnancy has put me on the sidelines again.  I’m missing a half marathon in July and these running memoirs both help and put a little salt in the wound.  Anyway, my own father influenced me to start running and this book brought all those feelings back again.  I loved the play by play of training and racing…as I’m sure only runners can understand.  I’m SO excited to get back out there after this baby’s born and maybe go for the full marathon someday too.

Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini
I had read about 75% of this a few months ago and for whatever reason, set it down unfinished.  Knocked out those last few pages and now feel like I have a special new saint in my corner.  Her story is beautiful.


Bloodroot by Amy Greene
A new genre for me this year: Appalachian fiction.  While it started slowly, I really enjoyed the writing, even if the plot involved a lot of poverty and family violence.  Haunting.


The Martian by Andy Weir
This book was recommended from all over, so I thought I would give it a try.  At first, I thought it was WAY too nerdy and science class for me…I definitely kept telling Mark, “THIS is what everyone’s raving about?!”  But by the end, I could see the appeal.  Hoping we can rent the movie next. 


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 7
Total Books Read this Year: 18
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 4
A book published this year
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book you can finish in a day

{book report} My Latest Reads // April



As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!


The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth
I’d characterize this one as pretty light fiction, maybe even chick lit?  It’s the story of three generations of midwives, each with their own secret.  The tale is told in alternating voices, but I found it easy enough to follow.  It was a quick read and all the questions are answered and tied up in a pretty bow by the end, which my optimistic heart loved.  I checked some reviews and someone wrote that it felt a bit like a Jerry Springer episode – I got a nice laugh out of that description!


(P.S. Starting in May and continuing through August, The Inspired Readers Book Club is changing things up: we’re hosting the Inspired Readers Summer Book List Challenge!  We’ve picked two books for each month, which you can read at your own pace.  Then check in with the Facebook group when you feel inspired with thoughts or reflections on the books!  We hope this will allow us all to continue to read and stay connected, but in a way that is more manageable during summertime.  We always welcome new members and would love for you to check out what we’re reading this summer!  The Secrets of Midwives is one of the choices for May.)


Why Can’t We Just Play?: What I Did When I Realized My Kids Were Way Too Busy by Pam Lobley
My original intention for reading this book was reassurance in my unpopular parenting choices.  We live in an area where kids are involved in multiple extra-curricular activities, participate in competitive sports by age 6, and the pressure to “keep up” is unreal.  So I figured this memoir, written by a mother intent to recreate a summer like the 1950s, would be right up my alley.  Little did I know how much this book would affect me and in ways I didn’t expect.  


This paragraph from the last chapter sums it up: “This is the message of the 1950s: their low expectations.  Or rather, their reasonable expectations.  We demand so much more of our family life – our family experience – than previous generations did.  And it saddles all of us with an unachievable burden.  If you’re looking for the main difference between childhood in the 1950s and now, it is that children were freer then.  Free to imagine, free to be bored, free to fail, free to be average.”  You know me and my unreasonable expectations for my life.  The “permission” to unburden myself from the demands of our city and (more importantly) my perfectionist, overachieving tendencies…let’s just say it was a reminder I really needed.  It’s okay not to carry the weight of every.single.thing. 
(I received this book from Familius, but all opinions are mine.)  


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 2
Total Books Read this Year: 11
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 4
A book published this year
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book you can finish in a day

{book report} My Latest Reads // March





As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect!


84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
I received this little book in a giveaway I won last summer and finally took it off the shelf!  At 97 pages, it’s a sweet little memoir about the unlikely friendship between a New Yorker and a London bookstore employee, as told through their correspondence.  Helene’s replies are often witty and sarcastic, which is fun to read.  I finished the entire thing in one afternoon, checking off another book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge!


Beyond the Birds and the Bees by Greg & Lisa Popcak
This one was a recommendation.  I’ve been reading bits and pieces for almost a year and finally finished the last chapters this month.  The advice is based on Theology of the Body and how that mindset can be incorporated as your children grow.  While no parenting book will having you agreeing with everything (at least for me), I felt like the Popcaks gave me many good starting points and a bit of self-confidence as we enter this stage.  Definitely one to reference again down the road.
  


The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy
This was my first historical fiction pick of the year and dare I admit that I chose it primarily based on the cover?  Told in alternating chapters, the story follows two women – Sarah Brown in the 1800’s and Eden in modern day.  Sarah’s story is about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the tense time before and during the Civil War.  Eden’s story is about a new house and a lot of personal sorrow.  While I generally don’t mind two stories woven into one, I had a hard time with this one.  Maybe it was because I felt like I couldn’t relate to or cheer on either of the characters?  Not a bad book by any means, but not my favorite.    
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are mine.)


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 9
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 4
A book published this year
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse
A book you can finish in a day

{book report} My Latest Reads // February

As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect! 

Eleanor by Jason Gurley
I’m the annoying girl, who when watching a suspenseful movie, will constantly whisper, “What’s going on?  What’s happening?  I don’t get it.”  And for the first half of this book, I was audibly saying those same words.  A mix of science fiction, fantasy and drama, Eleanor is definitely a book outside of my normal.  It’s the story of a family with generations of tragedy.  Eleanor, the main character, carries much of this grief and through a series of unexplainable events, travels into the unknown in an attempt to again bring peace to her family.  Hard to explain, but a good (albeit sad) read. 
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.)


You: A Novel by Caroline Kepnes
Let me preface this by saying that I don’t recommend this book.  As you know, I’m trying to expand my literary horizons this year and after reading a brief synopsis of this psychological thriller on a blog, I thought I’d give it a shot.  Um…totally not prepared for this one!  While the premise was creepy but interesting (a psychopathic stalker who “falls in love” with a woman he meets in a bookshop), the book itself was way too dark and graphic for my taste.  I pushed through and skimmed the raunchiest parts in hopes for a worthwhile plot twist at the end, but was left disappointed.  I’d definitely pass on this book for something less crude and more entertaining.   


A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
I’m leading book club this month and can I just say how much I love this book?  An easy read about a grumpy old man who’s really not as angry as he seems.  I love how the Ove’s backstory is given piece by piece, chapter by chapter.  And the way he loves his wife?  Ahh, so good.  

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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 6
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 3
A book published this year
A book you’ve been meaning to read
A book chosen for me by my spouse

What books did you read this month?

{book report} My Latest Reads // January

As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect! 

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
Military history is not typically a genre I would ever choose on my own.  Mark received this book for Christmas, devoured it in a matter of days and recommended that I read it too.  13 Hours is the story of what happened in the Benghazi raids that killed the Ambassador and three other men in 2012.  It isn’t politically motivated (which I appreciate), but written from the perspective of the security team who fought that night.  Well written, intense and gripping.  I couldn’t put it down.


Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Big Magic was our January choice for the Inspired Reader’s Book Club.  While parts of it are definitely a bit “woo woo” for me, I did come away inspired and looking at creativity in a different way.  The thing I loved most about the book was the idea that creativity, in whatever way that shows up in your life, doesn’t have to be life-changing or extreme.  It doesn’t even have to be good.  Creativity can just be that small thing that makes you feel alive, tucked into the busyness of your life.  Since finishing the last pages, I’ve unearthed a few half-finished craft projects, made plans to begin a few more, and started brainstorming a way to give creativity a more permanent spot in my day. 


The Temperament God Gave You
This book has been on my “100 Little Things” list, so when my friend recommended and even let me borrow her copy, I was so excited!  Such a good book about personalities and how different people view themselves and life in general.  I struggled to figure out my temperament, but I think I’m leaning toward a combination of melancholic and phlegmatic.  My favorite parts were the discussions about relationships between different temperaments, namely with your spouse and with your children.  So eye-opening!  It’s definitely the type of book you can go back and review again and again.  I need to order myself a copy soon.      


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 3
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 2 
A book you’ve been meaning to read and A book chosen for me by my spouse

What books did you read this month?

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