Not much time for blogging lately with homeschool BUT there has been time for reading. Which really helps in many ways!
I'm very active on Goodreads here, somewhat active on Instagram here, and linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy!
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
I purposely saved this book to start at the end of March so I could finish it on our Smoky Mountains trip, it felt like the appropriate setting. I was NOT going on a rough backpacking trip (I read this largely from a real bed in a real cabin with a full bathroom) and this did not convince me that's something I'd want to do anytime soon but made an interesting enough setting although maybe not the most romantic one for a romance. 3.25 Stars
The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker
I flew through this much quicker than I expected, finishing it next to the (heated) pool while my boys swam in 70° while I was in jeans and a sweatshirt. Compelling story of forgetting whole parts of a life, how much could be from a legit medical reason. There were various case studies mentioned that I'm assuming were real about people who also forgot huge parts of their lives which made the story feel extra real. Under 300 pages too which helps with the flying through it. 3.5 Stars
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
The first of 2 books I read this month about coming back to life after grieving the loss of a loved one. In this case it was a best friend and she just can't cope with much more than occasionally nannying. Which then leads to her charge and a grumpy (young) uncle working their way into her heart. NYC set which I appreciate. I understand that grief is a real thing but it also doesn't make for the most light hearted read. 3.25 Stars
Sauntering Through Scripture: A Book of Reflections by Genevieve Glen, O.S.B.
I read this book in the adoration chapel throughout Lent. Maybe would have been a little better to just take one or two little stories a day instead of reading it in a few ~25 minute chunks but it was a nice little read. 3.75 Stars
Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles
This is the very rare book that I picked up off the library shelf and dove into the same day. I didn't know there was a new Molly Murphy book and I had just finished my previous book. I always enjoy Molly as a character and a little bit of history about the beginning of movies was also a compelling setting. 3.75 Stars
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
This was a fantastic and harrowing read that I think every parent with kids between about 4 and 18 should read. Convinced me even further to keep our kids off the internet, no personal devices, and just living their childhood for as long as possible. Backed up by many facts and studies about how terrible the ability to constantly be on the internet has been for kids. And also reiterated how important it is for kids to just be kids away from screens, organized sports, and overbearing rules. Read it if you have kids in that age range. 5 Stars
Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
This may be my favorite of her books so far, I get annoyed often when love interests are kept apart for stupid story reason and not reasons that make sense in real life (or from just not communicating...). This couple seems to have more legit reasons for why their romance was being stalled and I also flew through this pretty fast. Would have been great for summer but alas, my hold came in much earlier. 3.75 Stars
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
This is ALSO my favorite of this series! I got confused in previous books about the mob and who all the bad guys were and who was on whose side. All that seems to be in the past now and there's a new set of mysteries and mysterious deaths to figure out. A bit far fetched at times but makes my life seem easier in comparison (I'm not needing to hide bodies...). 3.5 Stars
Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned by Staying Put by Annie B. Jones
I've been listening to Annie's podcast for nearly 9 years (I remember which painting project I was doing while I binged episodes) and we've made 2 stops to her darling bookstore in rural South Georgia on our way to/from Florida. I preordered her first book (from her bookstore) last August and was so excited when it showed up. I was predisposed to like this book but then I LOVED it. I flew through this too, finishing it the day after it released, I believe (my copy did show up on my front steps the day before release day). I have also stayed in nearly the same spot most of my life (besides college). I regularly drive past the hospital where I was born and my kids have attended the same school as my husband. I know about staying put. I related to many of her feelings of finding wonder and similarly about finding my husband at a young age. I just loved it and definitely teared up a few times. 5 Stars
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Interesting cast of characters whose only thing in common is that they frequently all take the same London Tube train car on their daily commute. It flashes between different characters perspectives and I enjoyed the detail of the different names they have for their follow passengers they recognize seeing regularly. Due to some interference, they end up becoming more than just people who accidentally commute together and impact each other's lives in surprising ways. 3.5 Stars
Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives by Gretchen Rubin
Very quick read about various truths Gretchen Rubin has collected and written over the last few decades or so. I appreciate much of what she has to say about happiness and making the most of her life (I think about her "pick the bigger life" quite frequently) and there were many good nuggets in here. 4 Stars
Passion Project by London Sperry
The second NYC set, dealing with grief romance I read this month. In this case, her first love died and she has a difficult time moving on. A bad date set-up goes terribly wrong but then leads to a case of trying to find her passion by various adventures around the city with her date set-up. Similar a bit to not just Promise Me Sunshine (above) but also Summer Fridays. I gave both of this month's grief books 3 stars but I think I liked this one slightly more. 3.5 Stars
Read with Sam or Luke
Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan
A Sarah, Plain and Tall book that I read to Sam (age: 7). He was thrown at the beginning with the narrator switch and the time jump (~5 years) but then settled into it. I think we're going to finish out this series soon but the first two books (Sarah, Plain and Tall and Skylark) are the best of the series. 3.5 Stars
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
After Order of the Phoenix took us 7 months to get through, we cruised through this one in just 3! Having the audio book from the library really helped because Luke & I could listen to it anytime we were in the car just the two of us (which is a bit of time with him being homeschooled). This book has a few parts I was just dreading getting through again (the train carriage at the beginning, the cave, the astronomy tower) but we did it. There's a lot of back information packed into this one. And he loved it (and has almost finished relistening to the playaway of it since we finished).
What have YOU been reading lately?
