MAY/JUNE BOOK REVIEW

Friends, today is the day!
It’s my MAY/JUNE BOOK REVIEW!!

My favorite reading spot for the summer!

Grab your cup of coffee, get cozy, open up your Amazon app, and get ready to start adding books to your cart!

I read only one book in May with all the crazy end of school activities, baseball, soccer etc. but gosh, it was a good one! I was so excited to read The Mother-in Law by Sally Hepworth after several friends recommended it. I have only read one other book by Sally but really enjoyed The Secrets of Midwives and so I have added more of her books to my “to read” list!

The book begins with a family finding out their mother/mother-in-law has died. The chapters are written from different characters’ points of view, including the deceased mother-in-law, flipping back and forth from past to present day. There are lots of twists and turns and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I also found myself really enjoying reading the events from the mother-in-law’s perspective. It gives such insight to how we can see an event/conversation one way and someone else completely differently! I really loved this book! It covers lots of topics from money, family dynamics, marriage, death, and more. It’ll keep your attention until the end. Add this one to your cart now!

Ladies, if you love to laugh, then this book is for you! A friend recommended this one to me and when I finished, I told her a big THANK YOU! Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood reminded me so much of reading a Sophie Kinsella book. You will laugh OUT LOUD! It is witty, funny, and you’ll fall in love with the characters!

Olive Brewster is content with her simple life. She still lives in her childhood home and works at the local market. Her life is drama free with no problems…until her best friend, Birdie, is told she is dying. Birdie has one final wish that Olive go to New York and find her first love, Chuck, and give him a letter she has written. The story follows Olive and her crazy adventures in NY tracking down Chuck, meeting new people, and trying to maneuver her way around in the big city. This book is hysterical, heart-warming, and it’ll have you laughing and crying all at once! A great feel good beach read this summer! And if you haven’t read Sophie Kinsella before, she writes the Shopaholic series! Start HERE with book one in the series!

Next, I read Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis and honestly, I get so much out of her books! However, if you are not motivated by others (which is totally ok!) and that’s not your thing, then skip this one. 😉

Last year, I read Girl, Wash Your Face and loved it so I was excited to start GSA! She is raw. She is real. She is inspiring. She is motivating. I think Rachel is an amazing businesswoman, she is very open and honest, and I think she really does care about changing lives for the better. She is a busy working momma of four kids and juggles it all. She’s also honest about what mistakes she has made along the way and wants to share it with others so you learn from her. She wants everyone to live their best life! I admire her focus and intentionality and find her very motivating. I also love listening to her podcasts, Rise and Rise Together. If you need some encouragement and motivation whether you are a stay-at-home mom or work outside the home, grab a copy!

If you know me, you know I LOVE to laugh! In fact, just this week I was telling Mark that I really wish there was a meme or video clip or something that when I feel down or in a funky mood, I could watch/look at it to make me laugh. It’s kinda like how some people play music to pump them up. I want something that makes me laugh EVERY.SINGLE. TIME. So, if you have THE meme or video clip or photo or whatever that does that, please share! Ha!

All that to say, I decided to read another book by Kirsty Greenwood, Yours Truly for that laugh out loud I needed. And friends, she delivered again. From the first sentence, you will be hooked. Natalie Butterworth has an easy going personality who avoids conflict at all cost. She is a people pleaser to the max. So when she finds herself engaged and her mother and sister are taking over the wedding planning, she never says a word about what she is really thinking. However, after seeing a hypnotist at the local pub one night, she finds herself speaking all of her innermost private thoughts. Her life becomes a mess after she offends her fiance with her true feelings. Natalie sets off to find the hypnotist in order to set things right but instead finds herself stranded in a small village with her sister and her best friend, Meg. Big secrets are revealed among the nosy town folk and Natalie has to confront her own truths about her life that she’s been avoiding. You will straight out belly laugh at this one! I finished this book in 2 days and still find myself giggling when I think about it! A perfect book for summer!

Linking up with Erika and Ashley for Tuesday Talk!

What are you reading and loving this summer?
Comment and let me know what I should be reading next!

XO

APRIL 2019 BOOK REVIEW

Happy May 1st, Everyone!!

I LOVE May 1st! I feel like it starts a fresh new season! It’s the beginning of warmer weather, longer days, and sunshine! We have all the fun end of school year events and field trips this month, finishing out baseball and soccer seasons, and are dreaming of summer and lazy afternoons at the pool! May is a FULL month and it’s gonna be FUN!

I’m starting out May with my Book Review post!
These are my very FAVORITE posts! I absolutely love a good book!

This month, I have five books to share with you!

Here we go…

I started with Down and Out in Beverly Hills by Kathyrn Leigh Scott. I chose this one from my Kindle Unlimited subscription and was really looking for something light and funny to read.

The story is about a former actress, Meg, who had it all - the glitz, glamour, and fame. She had the typical Hollywood lifestyle. Then one day, she receives a phone call that her husband has been kidnapped in Mexico and she pays the ransom but never hears from him again. She turns to the FBI for help, however they suspect she is involved. Meg sets out to find the truth about his disappearance and what really happened.

There is a lot of drama and mystery packed in this book along with a little fun reading and humor! I enjoyed the book but probably moreso because it was FREE with my Kindle Unlimited. Meg is a fun character and very determined. She is stronger than she thinks and I liked seeing how it all all played out!

You can find the book HERE or for more information on Kindle Unlimited you can go HERE.

What We Find by Robyn Carr starts in Denver, Colorado where Maggie Sullivan has an intense career as a neurosurgeon and is well known in her field. After a teenager loses his life during a high risk procedure, Maggie finds herself facing a lawsuit. She begins to experience lots of anxiety and she quickly hits a wall becoming burned out. She decides to take a leave of absence and head to Sullivan’s Crossing.

Maggie was raised by her mother, but finds refuge in the mountains with her father, Sully. She shows up unannounced however is welcomed with open arms. Sully runs the charming general store and Maggie is looking forward to experiencing the simple life for a few weeks.

Shortly after her arrival, Sully suffers a heart attack and Maggie has to take on more than she intended helping with the store and campsite. A kind hiker staying at the site, Cal Jones, offers his help and Maggie is hesitant to accept it. They soon discover they have both come here for healing after suffering loss and their journey brings them closer together and helps them find a new hope.

I loved this one! Robyn did a wonderful job in developing each character. I could imagine each one in my mind knowing how they looked, their expressions, and mannerisms. Such a good story line that leaves you feeling like you have lost friends when the book is over. You become that invested with the characters! Highly recommend this one!

I was probably most looking forward to reading this book, It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst. I’ll be honest and say that at the beginning of this book, I was underlining and highlighting and really getting so much out of it. However, after a few chapters, not so much. I think for me it was kind of saying the same things over again - just in a different way. And friends, I know I’m in the minority after reading so many reviews of this book. I just had really mixed feelings about it - such good stuff and so relatable but sadly it seemed to drag a little too long for me.

I adore Lysa Terkeurst! She has a wonderful way of sharing her life experiences and her faith and also being real about struggling with her relationship with God. She is raw and honest and I appreciate that so much. This book focuses on life events that catch you off guard, disappointments in life and in people, and how you can find yourself doubting God’s goodness and presence in those times. However, she shares her journey in keeping her faith, finding God in the midst of it all, and sharing how God can truly use our bad and ugly for good.

Lots of great stuff in this book even though it wasn’t a favorite of mine for Lysa. I would especially recommend reading this one if you are going through a difficult time/situation in your life right now. I think this book will speak to you.

Next, I read A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean. Friends, this one was my FAVORITE this month!

I started out writing my own review but I struggled immensely in describing the plot without giving anything away. There were so many surprises and twists and turns in this book that I don’t want to spoil it for you. Therefore, I decided to share the description from Amazon. They worded it perfectly!

“Abbie MacIntyre is living the dream in the picturesque Nova Scotia town she calls home. She is a successful surgeon, is married to a handsome cardiologist, and has a model teenage son who is only months away from going off to college.

But then one fateful night, everything changes. When a drunk driver hits her car, Abbie is rushed to the hospital. She survives, but the accident forces unimaginable secrets out into the open and plagues Abbie with nightmares so vivid that she starts to question her grip on reality. Her perfect life begins to crack, and those cracks threaten to shatter her world completely.

The search for answers will test her strength in every way—as a wife, a career woman, and a mother—but it may also open the door for Abbie to move forward, beyond anger and heartbreak, to find out what she is truly made of. In learning to heal and trust again, she may just find new hope in the spaces left behind.”

If you only have time to read one book - read THIS one! It was SO GOOD!

If you have been on social media the past few months, you have most likely seen everyone reading Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I grabbed a copy and jumped on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss was about!

Let me say that it stands up to all the hype! This book was captivating! I got sucked right in at the first chapter and read the whole thing in 4 days. I want to be careful and not give anything away on this book either…the main character is a young girl who basically finds herself living alone in a marsh. The books flips back and forth between her life growing up and then fast forward to a dead body is found and how it all unfolds together. The author does a great job in switching between the two time periods and I didn’t find it confusing at all. So well written and I just loved it! This is one of those books you’ll remember for a long time after finishing!

Whew! There you have it. Now, what are you currently reading and what should I read next?
I just started The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth last night. I’ll have that review next time!

XO

LET'S LOOK AT...MY FAVORITE READS!

Once a month, I link up with Erika and Shay for their Let’s Look AT… link-up. Today, we are sharing our favorite reads! You know reading is one of my biggest passions! When I was a teacher, it was a passion I tried to instill in my students. Getting lost in a fictional world of characters, reading true stories of heroes, reading to learn, reading scripture and growing closer to God - find the subjects you love and dive in! Read a book!

Here are a few of my past Book Review posts!

January Book Review 2019
Summer Book Review 2018
Spring Book Review 2018

My goal is to be more consistent in sharing book reviews with you in 2019!

First, this is my favorite Bible to ready daily. It is the One Year Bible. I have the leather one but you can also get the paperback version HERE.

Each day you have a scripture reading from the New Testament and Old Testament…

as well as a Psalm and Proverbs passage. Each of those are in order of the Bible. It is a great way to read scripture daily and also to read the entire Bible in a year! I love THIS Bible so much!

Everybody Always by Bob Goff was one of my favorites from last year.

I’m a girl who loves a series! I love when I can get really invested in a character. Sometimes, so much that I miss them when the book is over! #booknerd #surelyimnottheonlyone

The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury is a must read! Redemption is the first book of the series. You will fall in love with the Baxter family! The Redemption series consists of Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice, Reunion.

You continue following the Baxter family in the First Born Series with Fame as the first book.

Then, the Sunrise Series.

The Above the Line series starting with Take One.

and the Bailey Flanigan series beginning with Leaving.

These are all SO GOOD!!

Ok, if you need a good laugh, you need to read…

Confessions of a Shopaholic and the rest of the Shopaholic series!

Sophie Kinsella will make you laugh out loud! Many times I have woken Mark with my laughter while reading before bed. They are SO FUNNY!

I also really loved It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I have several others of hers to read on my bookshelf!

I love almost all of Nicholas Spark’s books! Currently I’m reading Every Breath.

A few favorite authors include…

Elin Hilderbrand

Sandra Brown

Liane Moriarty

Dee Henderson

and Francine Rivers.


Ok, your turn! What is your favorite book???? or favorite author??? Comment and tell me!

XO

BOOK REVIEW

I’m so excited about today’s post!

But first, what did you think about the Super Bowl? Did your team win?
More importantly, did you eat all the snacks?! We ate Andrea’s Pulled Pork on Hawaiian rolls with all the chips and dip! #quesocoma
We’ll be eating leftovers all week!

Ok, are you ready for it??

It’s BOOK REVIEW day!!
These are absolutely my favorite posts to read and also my favorites to share with all of you!

I was hoping to finish one more book over the weekend but it didn’t happen. So I’m sharing 5 books with you today and I’ll save that one for next month!

First up, Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs. This book has been on my “to read” bookshelf for some time. I picked it up to read during my morning quiet time. I usually read one chapter of a book in the mornings after my bible study. I read one chapter and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I went back and read another chapter later that day. It had me intrigued. I ended up finishing the whole book in two days! 

This book is all about being brave - how we are all called to be brave in life whether we want to be or not. Annie shares her real life experiences as a single woman and her journey to being brave. It is honest and raw and you’ll find many of her stories humorous. Annie challenges us to live boldly without fear.

There have been many times in my life where I didn’t make the brave choice. I chose comfort. I chose to stay where I was and with what I was doing because it was the safe choice.

Other times I have been brave and taken a leap of faith such as switching professions. I was terrified to leave teaching but knew God was opening a bigger door/opportunity to go into real estate. I was sick to my stomach making that decision but God has blessed our family immensely.

And if I am being honest, starting this blog was a brave choice that still seems scary at times. I worried a lot about what others would think. However, you guys have blessed me! This community has been such an encouragement to me and I am grateful for each of you!

This book will inspire you, challenge you, and hopefully encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and follow whatever God is calling you to do. Let’s all be brave together!

Next, I read One Day in December by Josie Silver and I really liked it!!!

I felt like everyone was reading and recommending this book. And friends, they were right!

It’s about a girl who looks out the window of a bus one day in December and makes eye contact with a guy who she is immediately drawn to in a way she’s never felt before. It chronicles their life over the next ten years. Their paths cross but in ways you wouldn’t expect. The main character is absolutely adorable! She’s funny and quirky and a character you’ll fall in love with! This one is an easy read. If you are looking for a good chic-lit book, this is it!

So I am a little behind in reading this next series. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is the first book of a three book series. The movie came out last year and many of you may have seen it. I waited to see the movie until I had finished the book.

To be honest, this book was a little slow for me. I had a hard time getting invested in the characters and following what was going on at first. I struggled to keep the characters straight and really get an image of them in my head. Do you guys do that? Immediately try to picture what a character looks like so you have a mental image…or is that just me?

It is a fictional tale about a girl who leaves her home in NYC to visit her boyfriend’s family in Singapore to attend a wedding. What she didn’t know is that his family is crazy rich! A hysterical sequence of events occurs and you won’t stop laughing! I would say this one is a little chic-lit but great for those of you who want a little more “meat” to your reading. Lots of culture in this one that will make you want to book your trip to Singapore stat!

Now, my question to you guys is that if you have read the remaining 2 books in the series, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, what are your thoughts? Should I hurry and read those next? Did you love them just as much as the first one? Comment and let me know!

Last spring, I read Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. I LOVED that book and became a HUGE Rachel Hollis fan! You can read my book review HERE if you missed it.

Rachel wrote a fictional series of books and since I loved her writing, I picked up the first book, Party Girl.

Friends, these characters are just precious! The book is loosely based on Rachel’s real life experiences as a wedding and event planner in Hollywood. Landon Brinkley leaves her home in a small town in Texas to head to Los Angeles. At first, the glamour of the lavish weddings and birthday parties made it worth working the crazy long hours at work. However, after a while, she finds herself having to choose between doing whatever it takes to get the job done or staying true to herself. Light, sweet, fun, easy read. Party Girl was just what I needed to read in the school car pick up line every afternoon!

I finished this month with Swear on this Life by Renee Carlino. This book was so well written. I found myself really invested in the characters. I will say this book is a little R-rated at times. However, I thought it was well placed in the story bringing depth to the storyline and not just thrown in for the shock value. It does go back and forth between present time and the main character reading a book but I thought the author did an excellent job of making the book flow. It’s a love story that tackles some tough issues of alcoholism, abuse, and growing up in foster care. It was the perfect book to end January!

Ok, what should I read next? I’d love some suggestions from you guys!

Happy Monday, friends!

XO

I’m linking up with the Hello Monday girls!