2014 Quarterly Book Rewind, Part 2

I made a point, during this second quarter of 2014, to read a few nonfiction titles amongst all my fiction ones.  I tried my best, and a few were actually completed.  Each book is linked through Amazon, in case you want to form your own opinion. (And help me out in the process-they are affiliate links, meaning I get compensation for your purchase, at no extra cost to you!)

• Hidden by Catherine McKenzie. This is not a book I'd normally read, but I was able to download it for free thanks to Amazon Prime. It turned out to be a very interesting read. Each chapter rotates between the points of view of a man, his wife, and the girlfriend.  Yes, wow.
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.  Not being an English literature person, I knew very little about Ernest Hemingway before reading this novel.  The story is told in the point of view of Hemingways' wife, and it was interesting to see (even fictionally) how Paris was during this time period.  
• Lone Wolf by Jodi Piccoult.  This was an interesting storyline but it was very slow going for me.  I kept putting it down and making reminding myself to pick it back up.  If we were listing favorite books, this one wouldn't be on my list.
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  I wasn't sure if I would like this one.  The first few chapters started off slow but by the fifth chapter, I was hooked.
• Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple.
• Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller.  To a reading teacher, this book was GOLD.  Unless you are naturally curious about people who love to read, or instilling a love of reading in your child, this may not be the book for you.
• Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand.  This was a true account of a WWII solider who was a Japanese POW.  While this was a great story, I felt like the author gave every single detail of the entire time spent in the Japanese war camp.  I found myself skimming just to find out how it ended.
• Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle.  This book was very journalistic--and hilarious.  Each chapter told the story of Melanie's life and her take on things had me laughing out loud.
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  I've heard great things about this author.  The book was good, but it's not at the top of my recommendation list.
• Simple Genius by David Baldacci.  I love David Baldacci.  This book is older, but it was no exception--wonderfully written and kept me entertained until the very end.
• The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly. I've loved Michael Connelly's books before (think Lincoln Lawyer and The Witness) and this one was no exception.  Loved it from the first paragraph to the last.
• Pursue the Intentional Life by Jean Fleming.  I started reading this book as part of a Bloom book study through Incourage.  No offense to Jean Fleming, but it just wasn't for me.  I gave it the standard 4 chapters, and then set it aside.
• The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle.  This book is nothing short of hilarious.  I love how Melanie uses stories from her life and puts a positive spin on things.
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  Not a fan.  After the third chapter, I mostly skimmed through just to see how it ended.  Both the language and some situations were rough.  Not recommended.
• Paper Towns by John Green.  Not my favorite.  Definitely not as good as The Fault in Our Stars, which is one of my favorites.
• Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Melton.  This book is real and hilarious, but I don't know that I would recommend it.  The author has different beliefs than I do on things such as homosexuality and abortion.  

Books read with the girls:

• Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary.  The girls enjoyed this.  In case you've never read it (or, like me, it's been a million years), this is all about a girl who doesn't want to learn to write cursive.  
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  We are all three loving going through this classic again!

If you decide to read any of these books, let me know.  We'll have a virtual book talk over coffee or something.   What are you reading this summer?

Summer Reading List

We have two separate reading lists for the summer, mine and the girls.  For the girls list, we sat down and talked about books they would like to read.  They came up with a few and then I did the whole nerdy-mom thing and gave a few booktalks on ones I thought they would like.  From that list, we picked five chapter books that we want to finish this summer.  We may finish these and need more, but I wanted to start them with five.

On the girls list:

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  Kyndall has read this before, but it's a favorite and we both want to share it with Libby.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary.

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.

Amber Browns is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger.  We have read several Amber Brown books before and loved each of them.  This is a great series!

My list was easy--I keep a running list on GoodReads, so I pulled a few from there.  I'm sure I'll add to this list along the way, but my goal is at least 10 books this summer.

On my list:

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.

The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle

WILD by Cheryl Strayed.

Paper Towns by John Green.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. (I've had Khaled's books on my To-Read list for a while now.  I definitely want to finish this one, and then depending on how it goes, move on to A Thousand Splendid Suns and And the Mountains Echoed.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly.

Seven by Jen Hatmaker.

Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline.

Summer Goals and Projects

We have spent the Memorial Day holiday at the beach with family.  I can't wait to share that with you, but while I'm getting the post ready, I thought I would share a few things that are on our Summer To-Do list.

I am a list-maker.  I have confessed before that I sometimes write tasks on my list after completion just so I can mark them off.  And with summer break only days away, I have a mile-long list of projects I would love to see completed this summer.  And what better way to hold myself accountable than to share them with you?

In no certain order, here are the tasks I would like to see completed this summer.

Keep on keepin' on with our Project Life album.  I am so in love with this project and I can't wait to see the finished album.

Plan for an attic playroom space.

Paint our house.  When we moved in, we didn't paint the walls.  Every wall in our house is the same color, and I'm ready for NEW!  I'm looking at a combination of these colors.

Add a garage mudroom, much like this one.

Complete our 2014 Summer Manifesto (yet to be written), just like we did last summer.  {If you click on that link, forgive the horrible photos.  It is very obviously an old post, before I got all 'professional' and everything.}  The girls and I are still working on the 2014 list, but I'll share soon.

Streamline our "stuff".  After reading only the summary of the book Seven by Jen Hatmaker, as well as a smattering of blog posts, I've decided we have day to much stuff.  Which, apparently, leads to extra stress in my life :) I would love to get rid of our 'excess.'

And that's just the beginning.  (I know, poor Justin, right?)  What is on your summer list?

2014 Quarterly Book Rewind: Those I've Loved, Hated, and Been Indifferent To

I've been a reading fiend these first few months of 2014.  What follows is a list of titles I've finished from January through March, with a sprinkling of book reviews along the way.

• After the Storm by Maya Banks
• That Time I Joined the Circus by J. Howard.  This is another one of my YA adult reads ( I think it's 5th grade level?) but it was very entertaining.
• I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
• The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
• The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
• I Survived Hurricane Katrina by Lauren Tarshis.  If you've never read an "I Survived" book by Lauren Tarshis before, stop what you are doing and find one now.  Immediately.  These books are elementary level chapter book and can easily be read in an hour, but are extremely well written and entertaining.  Historical fiction at its finest.  See here for a list of all her books.
• I Survived the Japanese Tsunami by Lauren Tarshis.
• I Survived the Nazi Invasion by Lauren Tarshis.  In all honesty, this is my least favorite of her books.  I think it was extremely hard to write a book based on the Holocaust at a child's level.  She did the best she could with the situation, but the Holocaust was such a horrific, bleak time that she had to sugarcoat it for younger readers.
• The Hit by David Baldacci
• Split Second by David Baldacci
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.  I have so much to say about this trilogy.  It is the prequel to the Mortal Instruments series, which the first of has recently been made into a movie.  I read the original three books of the Mortal Instruments series a while ago, and was waiting for the fourth to be published when I got sidetracked.  Cassandra Clare is an amazing author.  She has developed this whole world in her brain and her books detail that world.  This trilogy is a must-read.
• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
• Aftershock by Sylvia Day.  This is the sequel to Afterburn.  Sylvia Day is also the author of the Crossfire trilogy, which rivals (and surpasses) the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.  Afterburn was a great, short story with a good storyline.  Aftershock seemed to be a copy with name changes.
• Whiskey Rebellion by Lilliana Hart.  This was a short, humorous read, but not good enough for me to purchase and read the rest of the books.
• The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult.  I have never finished a Jodi Piccoult book before this one.  They are typically too sad for me.  The Storyteller was an exception. 
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  This book is a MUST read.  It is the one I stayed up until after midnight to finish while crying big, ugly tears.  I'm not usually into books that make me cry, but I have to recommend this one.  There is nothing I can say to explain it, so just do it.  Then you'll see.

What have you read lately? 

Via the Camera Roll. Five Photos. Four Words.

1. Drink All the Water:  I've been stubbornly trying to fight off this UTI/kidney infection/imminent death thing I've got going on by chugging the H20.  This sweet Bama cup has been glued to my side.

 2.  Best Friends For Life:  These sweet boys came to our house to play after school one day this week.  They all had so much fun.

3.  100th Day of School:  Libby and Kyndall both celebrated their 100th day of school this week.  Libby's class assignment was to design a shirt with 100 things on it.  There are EXACTLY 100 teeny, tiny sequins in that crown.  (PS:  There are also exactly 100 burns on Mommy's fingers from the hot-glue gun.)

4.  Book of the Day:  I've been reading a lot lately.  (Lately = the past week or so.)  I am currently very into this book.  I read it before but I just stumbled on the second of the series, and wanted to reread this one first, so I am.  Check out my snuggle buddy in the picture :)

5.  Cutest New Nephew EVER:  No words needed.

**One For the Road:  This is the best seat in the house.  I mean, how comfortable does Max look in this picture?  As cold as it's been outside, we all fight over who gets to snuggle up with him.  He's just so warm!

Our #MLK Day. Pictures + Words.

We started out our holiday break by sleeping until 8:45.  Yes, you read that correctly-- 8:45! Yay!! When we finally got moving, the girls requested a nutritious pancake breakfast.  (Just kidding about the nutritious part--I didn't sneak anything in there, unless you want to count the chocolate chips!)

Two happy girls :)

We had snowman pancakes AND Hello Kitty pancakes.  That's living right, I tell you.

After breakfast, I did an easy 3 miles on the treadmill while reading my newest book.  I REALLY enjoy Maya Banks, and this novel is no exception--it's the KGI series.  The one I'm devouring right now is After the Storm.  If you've never read any of her books, go get one now.  (Disclaimer:  They can be a little racy.  Just wanted to put that out there.)

We had a late lunch at Moe's, which has easily become one of our favorite establishments.  The girls love to yell "Welcome to Moe's" with the employees when someone walks in the door.

I know that I'm partial because they belong to me, but I think these are two of the most beautiful girls in the world!

After lunch, we hit up Target and very proactively purchased the girls Valentine cards for their classes. We are going to be out of town a good bit in the next few weeks, so I thought this was a good idea!  Purchases complete, we made our way on over to the mall for some shopping and sideline entertainment.  Libby wanted to ride the rides.

I swear that gambling runs in Kyndall's blood.  She ALWAYS wants to do these machines when we see them.  She chose to spend her dollar on this rather than a toy or a carousel ride.  No, she didn't win a thing....this time.

There may or may not have been cookies purchased from the American Cookie Co.  (OK, there were.  And we ate them too fast for photos.  Sorry, not sorry!)

On the way back home, I ran through the car wash.  The girls used to be REALLY scared of the drive through car wash, so now they like to pretend they are in a tornado.  The pretend convo is hilarious.

We spent the end of our evening a little like this:

If you do not own an inside dog, you cannot understand the love we have for this beast.  Yes, he sheds and yes, he can be VERY annoying.  But it's only because he doesn't know he isn't human.  He is two times Libby's weight, but she loves for him to snuggle with her.

How did you spend your holiday?

Books I've Read and Loved... And a few I didn't

Being the random blogger that I am, I thought I would give you, my readers, a listing of the books I've been reading lately.  This is something I did regularly when I started my blog, but has gone downhill since then.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.  Told from the point of view of 'rising 6th grader' Mo Lobeau, this juvenile fiction book is set in a southern town with some very memorable characters.  As with any small, southern town, everyone in Mo's town knows everyone's story except hers.  Mo washed ashore in a hurricane and searches for her 'upstream mother' the entire book.  If you're a reader of children's lit, Mo's attitude will remind you of Junie B. Jones.  In the end, Mo comes to appreciate the only family she's ever known.

If you've never read any Lauren Tarshis' books, you are missing out.  I've only read the above two:  I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic and I Survived the Attacks of September 11.  I have several others from this series set aside to read soon.  Although juvenile fiction books, I could not put either of these down.  While relatively short reads, they suck you in and keep you enthralled until the very end.  These "I Survived" books are a HUGE hit in the library as well--they never stay on the shelves!

And now on to adult fiction :)  Sylvia Day is the well-known author of the Crossfire trilogy.  The Crossfire trilogy has been compared strongly to Fifty Shades of Grey, but in my opinion, Sylvia Day's book were much, much better.  More real.  Less painful, if you know what I mean.  Anyways, this book did not disappoint.  Afterburn tells the story of Gia and Jax, who are being given a second chance at their relationship.  I love that Sylvia Day doesn't make her female characters weak and needy--Gia is a strong, confident, successful woman and the sparks fly between her and Jax.  The sequel, AfterShock, is planned to be released November 12, and yes-I've already preordered it!

I've been a longtime fan of Janet Evanovich's One for the Money series.  I even loved the first movie, with Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum.  I took a break from reading, and picked back up with Explosive Eighteen and I was a bit disappointed.  I just couldn't get into it the way I have the previous books.  Not one to make myself read things I don't like, I stopped about halfway through and didn't finish.  I really hope to pick it up and finish it later--maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it right now?  I'm curious to hear if any of you have read it and what your opinions are.

I just started John Grisham's Sycamore Row.  It's reeling me in, but SLOWLY.  Here's to hoping it picks up soon.

What are you reading?  Recommend any good books for me?

On the (Virtual) Bookshelf

I've been reading nonstop lately, and I thought I would share a few of my recommendations (or lack of) in a post.  First up, Bossypants by Tina Fey.  This is an autobiography of Tina's life.  While normally, I find Tina hilarious, I just couldn't get into her book.  It was one that I had to force myself through and wouldn't recommend.

The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski is one of the best books I've read lately.  It is the story of a 30-something lady (June) who is in a horrible car accident with a new friend.  The new friend had written a bucket list, and June decides to finish the list.  This book was very entertaining and very uplifting and I would definitely recommend it.

I am a sucker for books turned into movies.  I love to read the book, watch the movie, and then compare the two.  Silver Linings Playbook is no different.  Though I haven't seen the movie yet (and I ADORE Jennifer Lawrence), the book was absolute gold.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, by Maggie Stiefvater, is classified in the young adult series.  But so are the Twilight and Hunger Games series', and look how many adults love them.  I would put this series right up there with the aforementioned ones.  I read all three books in a little over a week.  Awesome reads.

Next up, I have The Night Circus, The Shoemakers' Wife, and Drinking and Tweeting.  What's on your reading list?

Summer Memories and a Good Book

I am so thankful for the wonderful memories we are making this summer!  Yesterday, we took the kids to see a movie at the Monaco and then bowling.  My girls had never been bowling before and they loved it!  (The photos aren't so great, thanks to the lighting.)

And today, we went swimming! 

Don't you love that hair?  Crazy hair is a sign of too much fun--did you know that?

I have to take a minute to share--- I've been reading this book and it has really touched my heart! 

You can purchase and/or download it here.  You can also join in the book club and be part of discussion on the author's blog.  I needed this book.  It's been great for my soul.  And it's funny how God works, because after reading the first chapter of this book, I came across this blog post, which is all about putting on a "front" as a Christian.  How we think we need the perfect attitude, the perfect house, the perfect everything.  Read it.  Go.  Now.  And let me know what you think =)

Written on the Wall

The West family is considering a few MAJOR changes right now.  We (Justin and I) feel that these things are in God's plan, but would REALLY like a little assurance in some way.  I "coincidentally" came upon this song by Todd Agnew.  The chorus is like this:

I wish you still spoke through burning bushes,

And I wish you still wrote on blocks of stone,

'Cause the sound of this world's deafening

And I'm having a hard time listening

And I wish your will was still written on the wall.

And my favorite verse:

I can't seem to find you

I just need a little clue

It doesn't have to be the parting of the sea

If you'd just show me

your way.

I know you still want to speak to me

Cause I know your love

So if you are reading this, please take a second and pray that Justin and I would follow God's will and have a peace that we are following His will and not ours.  And look up Todd Agnew on youtube--he has some amazing songs that are so very honest about what he sometimes feels as a believer.

Speaking of writings, I am currently reading book 2 of the Inn Boonsboro series, written by Nora Roberts. I'm a HUGE Nora Roberts fan, and if you haven't read any of her books, this series is perfect. Book 2 is titled The Last Boyfriend-- a little romance, a little mystery, even a touch of the supernatural.   (If you're interested, book 1 is The Next Always.)

Also on my summer reading list are the following:

• Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life by Emily Freeman
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling (I actually want to read this entire series! Can't believe I'm an elementary librarian and haven't read them before now! Shhhh.... don't tell anyone!)
• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
• Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick
• The Yellow Sock: An Adoption Story by Angela Hunt
• Tamara's Child by BK Mayo

Just a bit of humor: I realized as I was making this list that all of these books, with the exception of Harry Potter, are faith-based novels. I guess after reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, God knew I needed to cover that trash up with some good, moral information. He DOES have a sense of humor :)

Have you read any of these books?  Have any great summer reads you would like to share?