Blog Swap: Summer State of Mind

Greetings and Happy Friday readers!  I don't know about you, but it seems like SO many people have been taking spring break trips this year. 'Tis the season for vacations, I guess, but if you are like Nora and I, you might not be able to get away this spring.  Our solution?  Escaping through reading!  I'm over on her blog sharing some books that help me escape every day life, and she's got a great set of books picked out (I read 2 and agree they are definitely worthy spring break/summer reads).

Without further ado, here's Nora!

The last few weeks there have been lots of kids running around the neighborhood as the various school districts observe spring break. I’ve always hated the fact that as an adult there is no spring break that you are forced to take and after chatting with Lisa, we decided that we’d do another Blog Book Swap. The theme this time around gets us in the mood for spring/summer and helps heal the fact that we are no longer granted an easy-peasy Spring Vacation. You can see what books Lisa recommends on my blog; I’ve read one of them and it really is an amazing book! 

The shortlist of books that I have enjoyed reading and either include summer/spring or are books that I tend to gravitate towards during the spring and summer for fun reading:  

• Summer Sisters, by Judy Blume. My college BFF gave me this book before we graduated; I devoured it quickly. This is classic Blume but for adults: she focuses on friendship, love, past and present, and how we move on with our lives after big, life-changing events. It’s definitely a good book to read at a café, pool or by the beach.
  
  
• Jemima J, by Jane Green. I know that Green is women’s fiction (or chick lit) but for some reason I have enjoyed most of her books. Green takes you on a voyage with a woman who considers herself to be an Ugly Duckling and does all that she can to lose weight and become the woman she wants to be. Once she’s there she makes some startling realizations about the skinny world, the men who fawn over her and her true friends.
  
  
• Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Not sure if it’s the fact that this book takes place in sunny, Georgia or that there are lots of parties and social get togethers, but this makes me want to take a road trip, stop at every random dive restaurant just so that I could stick my feet in the sand at the end of the trip. And I would love to have some really awesome outdoor parties with a bunch of friends, too.
  
  
• The Sookie Stackhouse books. I know, I know, vampires and werewolves and crazy stuff going on in the books but they scream summer reading to me. They are light, entertaining, a guilty pleasure and even if it gets hot in the upper MidWest, it’s not nearly as awful as the heat Sookie experiences in Louisiana. It probably helps that for the most part the books come out in the summer so I spend a whole weekend (or two) devouring the books by the pool or on my patio.

What’s one of your favorite books that takes place during the spring/summer or that you enjoy reading near a pool?

Book Worms Recommend: The Christmas Edition

Greetings and Happy Tuesday!  This fall, my blogging-turned-real-life-best-friend Nora and I decided to do a regular 'blog swap' and recommend books we both love!  Our first posts can be found here and here.  This month we decided to recommend holiday books we both love!  Without further ado, here's Nora!!

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Hi everyone! It’s Nora from Walking with Nora and I’m thrilled because it’s officially December which means I can unabashedly share my love for all things Christmas. Lisa and I are kindred spirits in many ways, loving both books and cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies so today I’m here to share a few of my favorite Christmas book recommendations, some literary works of art, others that are pure fluff but still fun to curl up with this time of year! 

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. There is no way that I could leave this book off my Christmas book list. As long as I can remember my family and I would gather around the fireplace or on the couch every night starting on December 1^st to read this book. Once my brother and I were old enough, we took turns reading the book with my parents. The story of Scrooge is a tradition in our family; reminds us to be thankful, be honorable, and help those around us and along the way we’ve learned quite a bit about British culture and Dickens writing. (Yes, we purchased an annotated version one year that we read. It was very enlightening!) 

The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story, by Patti Callahan Henry. I picked this book up last holiday season on a whim at the library and I devoured it. It’s a love story about a young couple that fight differences and overcome their personal stubbornness as they explore their love for one another. It’s one part cheesy, one part romantic, one part holiday spirit and one part emotional. I totally cried at the end of this book. If you are looking for a happy, light, yet intelligent read, give this one a try! 

On Strike for Christmas, by Sheila Roberts. This has been made into a movie, likely for the Hallmark channel (I hope I can catch it). This book is perfect for anyone feeling a little less for wear during the Christmas season. It follows a group of women who all keep Christmas for their families: the decorating, the cooking, the parties, and their men who do very little to help them. The women decide to leave the Christmas and holiday work to their husbands for the seasons; there are lessons learned in their relationships, about themselves, and about their friendships. I laughed out loud throughout the book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it. 

The Wednesday Letters & The Wedding Letters, by Jason Wright. These books aren’t exactly holiday books but something about reading them makes me appreciate my family, my friends, my life, and all the bounty I’m fortunate to have. The writing is brilliant, the characters are addictive, and the books will make you want to go hug whoever you love in your life, friends and family alike. 

The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg. I know this is a book for kids (technically) but I grew up on this book too. Even as an adult I long to read the book, to look at the illustrations, to look behind my Christmas tree and find an anonymous present. I am tempted to purchase this book for my personal collection (and so Belle and Jolie can be exposed to it) because no matter how old I am, I still believe in the Miracle of Christmas. 

Do you have any favorite Christmas/holiday books that I should try to read before the end of the year? What’s your favorite Christmas/holiday book? 

Book Blog Swap!

Greetings, and happy Monday, readers!  A couple of weeks ago, I was shopping for books for my oldest nephew's birthday.  My blog-friend-turned-real-life-friend Nora and I started exchanging messages about our childhood favorites.  The result of that conversation was this new blog swap series - Book Worms Recommend!  Nora loves books just as much as do so we thought it would be fun to swap blogs monthly and share some of our favorites.
 

This month we are kicking it off with recommendations for children ages 2-6.  Since Nora is a bonus mom to 2 adorable girls, she will focus on books for girls.  Since I am a proud aunt to 5 boys, I will be focus on books for boys!  Curious to see what I recommended?  Hop over to Nora's blog!!

Without further adieu, here are Nora's recommendations!

* Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt. Perfect for toddlers who are into opening books and getting a feel for what a book is, Pat the Bunny is one of the best books for this age group. It works on the various senses (touch, sight, smell) and is just really adorable. This is one of those books I buy for every single one of my friends when they are having a baby, even if it's sit on a shelf for two years, it's a classic and should be in every child's early library collection. (Ideal age: Toddler!)

* The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. Maybe this is a favorite of mine because it was the very first book I read all to myself. Or maybe it's just because it's kind of a sweet story about bunny mother and her child. It's ideal for children who are learning how to read or are just reading themselves; the pictures are gorgeous and captivating, the story is simple and as far as I'm concerned, it's an undisputed classic. (Nora's Ideal Age: 2-4 yrs)

* Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I know, I know. This is a really old book and it talks about kids drawing on walls but the book is still one of my favorites. The girls absolutely love it when we read it to them (and it does come with a warning about drawing on the walls after we're done). I think what I love most about this is that it encourages the imagination, something that as an adult I know I struggle with. It's a reminder to have fun with the simple things in life, to be creative, to dream and to imagine. (Nora's Ideal Age: 2-4 yrs)

* The Classic Characters of Golden Books, Various Authors. Remember Golden Books? I had piles and piles of them some of them including the traditional characters (Scuffy the Tugboat, anyone?) and then some Disney and Mickey Mouse books too. I am a huge fan of traditional and classic books for kids like this. There's nothing wrong with Dora, Phineas and Ferb, even the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse books that are everywhere for kids, but there is something about old-school classics like this. It opens them up to a world before cartoons and DVDs, teaches them basic lessons, and allows you to share a piece of your childhood with them too. They still make Golden Books which I just adore because they were and are some of my favorite books for children, boy or girl. (Nora's Ideal age: 3-5 yrs)

* Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Perhaps a little bit overdone with the most recent movie (which I thought was terrifying and sometimes the book can be too), this book is still a classic. The illustrations. The idea of a magical land that you can escape to in your dreams. Jolie (and Belle, too) both love this book. They insist on it being read once a week which proves that Sendak knew his audience. I suppose this is another classic that one can't help but buy for their little girls. (Nora's Ideal age: 3-5 yrs)

* Fancy Nancy books, by Jane O'Connor. While these books didn't exist when I was growing up, I'm a huge fan of Fancy Nancy, specifically her "I Can Read," series. You can't go wrong with a character who likes to bake cupcakes, participates in Earth Day, takes ballet, has tea parties and goes to museums, can you? She's a wholesome character, always wearing little girl dresses and shoes, learning right from wrong, and of course there's a lesson or moral to each and every story. (Nora's Ideal age: 4-6 yrs)

* The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter. (And of course all the other Potter books.) Growing up I had the Potter series and loved them. Couldn't get enough of them even if some of the characters are a little bit on the scary side (ahem, Mr. McGreggor). I loved the ideas of animals having families, adventures, lives and of course, learning lessons, sometimes the hard way. Jolie has started to enjoy these books more and more and I'm happy to share the stories and tales of Beatrix Potter with her. (Nora's Ideal age: 4-6 yrs)

* Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird. A cute mouse who loves to dance? WIN. Yes, this was another book I read and loved as a child that has fortunately survived over the years (of course there are more books, a tv show, figurines and etc. but I'm glad she's done so well for herself). I confess I don't remember all the details of this book but I love that she's still around, she's still an adorable little mouse who loves to dance and she's a great character for little girls to read. (Nora's Ideal age: 4-6 yrs)

* Thumbelina, by Hans Christian Andersen. I remember for years of my life my mom read this book to me; I'm on a hunt to find it for Jolie one of these days. The idea of a fairy who lives in flowers and has various encounters with potential suitors is whimsical and fun. There are many adaptations of this tale, illustrations and etc., but the story is light and lovely, and perfect for little girls who are into the ideas of fairies and princesses. (Nora's Ideal age: 4-6 yrs)
There are so many other books that I love for little girls who are young and just starting to read but I'll stop here for now. I'll be back in September with recommendations for our next age group, so be sure to keep an eye out for this series in the future!

What were your favorite books when you were a little girl? Any books that are must-haves, gifts you give to your friends with children or make sure you keep on your shelf if you have your own?