May was a huge reading month for me. I read 13 books which is probably an all-time high for me! I gave up social media for Lent and I think giving it up changed up my habit of mindlessly scrolling Facebook or Instagram. Now when I have downtime or am bored, my instinct is to read a book - either a physical book or an eBook using my kindle ap. I also read a lot of really great books this month. One way to read more is to read great books that you don't want to put down!
I italicized the titles that were my favorite!
Non-fiction books
About half of the books I read were non-fiction, which is quite a bit for me. I've been really drawn to non-fiction lately, though.
A Mother's Reckoning is a memoir written by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. This was difficult to read but I think it's an important book to read - especially now that I have a child. She looks back at the time leading up to the horrific Columbine shooting and tries to figure out what signs they missed and how they could have prevented the tragedy from happening.
Text Me When You Get Home was one of my favorite books that I read this month. I loved it so much that it inspired me to write 2 different blog posts!
I Miss You When I Blink is a collection of essays. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing and could relate to some of her life experiences.
The Best We Could Do is a graphic memoir about the author's parents' escape from Vietnam. It examined her complicated relationship with her dad, who had been through so much to bring his family to the US. I was impressed that the author taught herself to drawn comics shortly before writing this book.
Wedding Toast I'll Never Give was written by a woman whose NYT "Modern Love" column was a huge hit. I read it and loved it so was excited to see that she wrote a book. Overall, I would say the book is 'just ok.' There were some nuggets of wisdom but I couldn't relate to most of her marital struggles. It was a short read, though, so I didn't invest much time in it.
No Happy Endings is the 2nd memoir by Nora McInerny, host of the podcast "Terrible Thanks for Asking." After listening to her podcast for years, I could hear her voice in my head while I was reading it. Her first book was about the loss of her dad, husband, and a miscarriage all in the span of a couple of months. In this book, she talks about finding love again and reconciling with the fact that she can be both happy and sad at the same time.
Young Adult/Middle-Grade Reads
Tell Me Three Things was a very delightful young adult novel about a girl who loses her mom to cancer and moves from Chicago to California with her dad when he remarries. On her first day of school, she gets an anonymous email from someone who is going to be her 'spirit guide' as she adjusts to her new school. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted to stay with the characters. It's a very light, fast read so the perfect palette cleanser after some heavier reads.
The War I Finally Won is the 2nd book in a 2-book middle grade series set in England during WWII. This was another delightful read. I hope Paul will read these books some day!
Other Fiction
Calling Me Home was a great novel about a woman's forbidden relationship with the son of their African American housekeeper in the 1930s.
Where the Crawdads Sing received a lot of buzz since it was published last summer and I think it is worthy of the praise. The author is a wildlife scientist who published 3 non-fiction books before turning to fiction. Her understanding and love of nature leaps off the page. But the descriptions add to the story.
Read Bottom Up is a light, easy read made entirely of emails between 2 people who are dating, and their best friend. I've never missed my dating life and this book reminded me why I don't miss dating! So much uncertainty and guesswork can go into the beginning of a relationship.
Kingdom of the Blind is the latest book in the Inspector Gamache series. As I've said before, the books just keep getting better and better. I can't wait for the next installment in this series to come out in August! I'm already on the wait list at the library.
The Guineveres was a book that caught my eye when I was browsing the shelves last month. I know it was recommended either on a podcast or a literary website so I decided to check it out. I would say it was 'just ok.' It's about 4 women named Guinevere who are brought to a convent in their teens by their family. It's about their relationship and what happened in their past that caused their parents to hand over their care to a convent.
Paul's reads:
Paul has very strong opinions about what he wants us to read to him. If I start to read something he's not interested in, he will kick the book away and say 'nah nah nah.' (He says nah instead of no).
 |
| This little bookworm loves to pull books off an end table and page through them! |
He still loves "lift the flap" books!
This is his favorite Usbourne book - "That's Not My Owl." It's a great touch and feel book!
We've been reading the same 3-4 books before bed so I switched it up and put "Moo Baa La La La" and "Pajama Time" on the bed recently (we read his bedtime books on the guest bed in his room). He has since become obsessed with "Moo Baa La La La." I actually have to hide it and pull it out for our last book before bed. Otherwise he will push away other books and grab for that book over and over. One night we read it 3 times. It's sweet that he loves it so much, and it is very short, but I need a little variety!
9 comments:
I really want to read Nora McInerny's memoirs but I found her podcast too depressing for me to listen to (I liked it, but ultimately not right for me and my mental headspace!), so I don't think I could handle her memoirs. (Especially her first!)
I bought Calling Me Home on Kindle YEARS ago and I need to finally read it! It's good to know you loved it.
That third picture of Paul where he has his hand on his thigh and is reading a book is the cutest thing ever. I love how much he loves reading!
Your books really look interesting --
But Paul's books look like LOADS OF FUN!
I read a lot more in May because I was sick for so many days. I should actually do a post since I did read so many books, I've been working on another post that I would like to finish first though. I love how Paul has his favorite books too!
That's a ton of reading! Wow, you have to be a fast reader, but I know you are.
I love how Paul loves books and has his favorites. You did, too, and I had several memorized as we read them so many times!
I love Sandra Boynton books. :) But Not the Hippopotamus was Isla's favorite!
My reading motivation is so low right now. I had to return 3-4 books from my holds list that I just couldn't bring myself to read. Looks like you read some good ones though!
I watched a TED Talk or something similar with that mother of one of the Columbine shooters. It was really interesting, so I think I would enjoy that book.
I'm so pumped to read during the afternoons when I am off this summer. I also want to get back into the habit of going to the library, which I did so much as a kid, teenager, and in my 20s.
I also felt meh about Wedding Toast I'll Never Give and didn't really relate to the author at all. I enjoyed Tell me 3 Things so thanks for recommending it! I also FINALLY got Where the Crawdads Sing from the library after being on hold for about 3 months so I am excited to dive into it, hopefully later this week!
Olivia also has a very strong preference about what books she wants to read at bedtime, and usually it's the same ones over and over again! I love when I catch her flipping through books on her own. So cute.
I think it is so sweet that Paul is already showing interest in reading!
Post a Comment