Lynn

It has been over a month since I shared what I am reading! That is way too long.

Life got busy and my reading life took a back seat. I have also been grabbing my phone and mindlessly scrolling way too much. I need to grab a book instead. I am definitely behind on my goal to read 100 books this year, but I haven’t given up on it. I still hope to get 100 or at least close to 100 books read this year.

Since I have four weeks to catch up on for my reading and since July was a slow reading month for me, I decided to just do a what I have been reading in July post. I might go back to sharing my weekly reads, but I am leaning towards doing these monthly like Grace does.

July was not a very exciting reading month for me, however the books I read were all really good ones.

• Martha Washington by Patricia Brady
• The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews
• Drive for Success by Jake Dempsey- This was an easy busy read book on Young Living essential oil company.

July was a pretty sad reading month. So far August has been better though and I can’t wait to share what I have read this month!

What good books have you read recently?

 

June was not a great reading month for me. I thought this summer would allow for time to sit back, relax, and find time for reading. It hasn’t and I am now officially behind on my goal of reading 100 books this year.

My lack of reading in June has a lot to do with me though. It is not all about a lack of time. I went through a week or to where I just didn’t want to read. I read some, but not my usually amount. T.V. watching won out too many times at the end of a long day.

My time on social media has also increased the last month or two and I need to get that back under control. Part of my hope for my challenge of reading 100 books this year is that I would turn to books instead of mindless scrolling on my phone. The first few months of the year I did great on keeping that under control. The last month or two though I have wasted too much time. It is time to again focus on reaching for a book instead of my phone.

Although I only read four books in June I read some really good ones. Two of the books will probably go down on my list of favorite books of the year.

The whole list of books that I have read in 2017 is here. Here are the books I read recently.

A Quiet Life in the Country– I bought this ebook when it was on sale awhile ago and finally read it. I really enjoyed it. It was an easy to read mystery book. I enjoyed the fact that it was clean, which isn’t always the case with mystery books. There was a murder or two, but it was not graphic. I am not a huge mystery and suspense reader, but I liked this one.

Forty Autumns– I loved this book. It will be one of my favorite books of the year. It will probably make my list of favorite non-fiction books that I have read. I have read quite a few WWII books, but none that have really been on this time period. This book cover multiple generations living in East and West Germany. It is a fascinating look at what it was like to live on both sides of the Berlin Wall.

This book was so good. It is a tough subject, and one I didn’t know a lot about, but it was so well written. I finished it in just a couple of days. If you love history reads, I think you will enjoy this one!

Game Plan– This was a business read for me. I enjoyed it.

Audio Book

I am not going to count audio books on my books read for the year. I know audio books are books, but I don’t look at them as books read for my list.

My husband and I listened to The Girl from the Metropol Hotel on a recent car trip and we really enjoyed it. We don’t do a lot of audio books, but really enjoyed this one.  

The last couple of weeks have been ebook reading type of weeks. Every book that I finished was an ebook. I am in the middle of several regular books right now, but haven’t finished any of them. The only ones I have finished have been ebooks.

I seem to go in phases where I read more ebooks than regular books. Then I go back to more regular books and less ebooks.

The last few weeks have involved some travel, both by air and car, and lots of doctors appointments. Ebooks have just been easier to take with me and read.

It has been a good chance though to read some of the ebooks that I have bought over the last year or so, but haven’t gotten to yet. I buy ebooks that sound interesting when I find them on sale for cheap, but I can never seem to get to them all. Does anyone else have that problem? Or is it just me? And I guess it is really a book problem, not just an ebook problem isn’t it… There is always more books in our to read piles than we have time to read.

Here is what I have finished in the last two few weeks. (This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site)

An East End Murder– This is a short story, only in ebook form, written by one of my favorite mystery authors. This book made for a quick read when I was waiting at an airport. It was very short, much shorter than I thought it was going to be because the end of the book is actually an introduction to the next book in the series. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favorite of the books that the author has written. I prefer the longer books where the story is more in depth. If you like this series though, it is a good read.

Sandpiper Cove– I would call this book an easy summer Christian romance type of read. I decided to read it while flying and it was a good mindless read for that.

With Love Wherever You Are– I absolutely loved this book and that actually surprised me a little bit. I saw some great reviews, but wasn’t sure about it because it is a novel and I am picky about my novels. This book though reads just like a real life story would. It doesn’t feel like you are reading a novel. I think much of that is the writing, but I also think it is because it is based on the author’s parents real life love story during WWII. It is a real story that has been turned into a novel. If you enjoy WWII books, this is a great one.

All Over But the Shoutin’ – This book is by Rick Bragg, who some of you might recognize from his columns in Southern Living Magazine. I read many of his Southern Living articles, but this is the first book I have read by him. It is his memoir of growing up in the south. It is real life stuff. Real life isn’t always glamorous or easy to read about, but it is real life. I grew up in Oregon, about as far from the south as you can get. I currently live in Oklahoma, which some people call the south, but it really isn’t. There are some things that Oklahoma and the south have in common. A love for okra, black eyed peas, saying y’all, and many other things, but we aren’t really the true south. Since I have never lived in the south, I love reading books that show others what living in the south is like. This book did just that and I can’t wait to read more by Rick Bragg.

Girl Slueth– This book will probably make my list of top ten books for the year. It is definitely in the top ten of the books that I have read so far this year. If you loved Nancy Drew as a kid this is a must read. This book is the story of how Nancy Drew came about, the authors that wrote the books, and how she has stood the test of time. It also gives you an interesting look at children’s book publishing in the early 1900’s.

That brings my total of books read so far in 2017 to forty one. That means I am doing pretty well when it comes to my goal of reading 100 books this year. You can see all the books I have read this year here. Books Read in 2017.

Anyone else having a crazy spring? When you have kids, I think spring is always crazy busy. All kinds of end of the year stuff happens even when you homeschool. Add on to that, we had a family member in the hospital a few weeks ago and on to that regular life stuff and reading has taken a backseat the last few weeks.

Actually I haven’t had much of a reading life the last month or so, which is why I haven’t shared a what I am reading update for quite a few weeks. Six weeks to be exact.

Today, I am catching up and sharing the six books I have read in the last six weeks. I know six books is still a pretty good list for some, but it is not what I need to reach my goal of 100 books this year. Hopefully this summer I can make up for the last few weeks of reading.

Here is what I have read. The links below are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site and what we do. 

Katharina and Martin Luther– This book was very interesting and I really enjoyed it. I have read several books on Martin Luther, but none of them focused on his personal life. I love reading books that help me learn about a person, who I already know about, in a new way. This book did just that. Writing a book about the lives of two people that lived 500 years ago is not an easy task, yet the author does a great job of keeping it informing and interesting.

Craving Grace– I picked this book up when it was on clearance at a local bookstore. It has been in my reading pile for awhile and I finally read it. This book was not my favorite. The main reason was the layout of the chapters. It went back and forth in time. It would have a chapter or two from three winters ago and then a chapter from the year it was written. It just didn’t seem to flow well. I also thought that the book ended kind of abruptly. I would have liked a little more to finish it off better. It was an ok read, but not a great one for me. I know others love this book, so I think it just wasn’t for me.

A Death In the Small Hours– This is the sixth book in my new favorite mystery series. I love these books and this one was no different.

Out To Canaan-This is the fourth book in the Mitford series. I have enjoyed this series so far. This one wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it was still a good book. I look forward to reading more in this series.

No Way Up and Long Time Gone– Both of these books are part of the Cimarron Legacy series. They were fun mindless romance type books with a little mystery and fun mixed in. I read both of these books fast. I think each book took me about a day to read.

It has been awhile since I shared what I have been reading, so this week we covering three weeks. The last three books have been good reading weeks for me. I have loved several of the books I have read and am currently reading a couple that I am really enjoying.

So far this year I have read thirty books, which means I am on track to read my goal of 100 books in 2017.

• Between Heaven and the Read World– This book was just released last month. I am not usually one that buys brand new releases, but I have enjoyed Steven Curtis Chapman’s music for years. So I was looking forward to reading this one. I really enjoyed it. You can read my full review here.
• Cold Sassy Tree– I did not enjoy this book. In fact, I almost didn’t finish it. I had quite the discussion with my daughter about it because by the time I decided I might not finish it, I was over half way through it. I felt invested in the book and knew I would regret it if I didn’t finish it. So I didn’t give up on it, but I kind of wish I had. This book gets great reviews. It has over 700 reviews on Amazon and has 4 1/2 stars. It also has great reviews on Good Reads. I just don’t think this was for me. The book covers life in the south in a small town in the early 1900’s. I think much of the book is a good picture of life in the south at the time. It covers growing up and growing old. It follows the life of a family and how the family changes. It deals with some tough real life issues. I probably couldn’t get into this book because I am not a huge fiction reader or if it just wasn’t my style of writing. I think part of it is that I don’t mind reading about dysfunctional families. We are all dysfunctional to some point, although some families more than others. I think I just prefer to read about real life as opposed to a story that could very well be a real story, but isn’t. I know a lot of people love this book though and consider it a classic must read.
• Just Show Up– I loved this book. You can read my full review here. This is a great book on friendship and community, written by two friends. They share about friendship and what it looks like. They keep it real and share the pain, the struggles, and the joys. If you need some encouragement when it comes to friendship, I recommend this was a great read.
• Lady Cop Makes Trouble– This is the second book in the series and I loved it. It was a fun mindless read. Grace and I both read and enjoyed this one.
• Anne’s House of Dreams– One of my goals for 2017 was to reread the Anne of Green Gables series. I loved this series when I read it for the first time as a teenager. I don’t often reread books, but this was one series I really wanted to reread. I enjoyed rereading the first three books in the series. I fell in love with the Anne books all over again. I struggled with book four though. As I started rereading book four I remembered that I struggled with it before. The book is full of letters to Gilbert and I just don’t like that style of writing. I love the story, but not the style. I skimmed through rereading the fourth book. I am not even putting it on my list of books read, because I skimmed so much of it. Book five though, Anne’s House of Dreams, was really good. I enjoyed it, not as much as the first three books in the series, but I am still glad I reread it.

 

Thanks to quite a few doctor’s appointments the last two weeks have been good reading weeks for me. I finished four books and am a good way through a couple more.

So far, I have read twenty-five books for the year. That means if I keep up this pace, I will be able to reach my goal of reading 100 books in 2017. I put together my complete list of books that I have read so far this year. I will update this throughout the year.

Here are the books that I finished over the last two weeks. By the look of the list, I was in a non-fiction learning mood. I think I am ready for something a little lighter and more fun now.

True Friendship by Vaughan Roberts– I enjoyed this one. It was A short book, but had some great reminders about friendship and what it truly is and isn’t.

The Company We Keep by Jonathan Holmes– This was another short, but good read on friendship and what makes a good and bad friend.

Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford– This book has been very popular in the internet world. I bought it last year when I found it on clearance at a Christian bookstore. It was good and worth reading. I didn’t agree with everything in it, but it was a good reminder to live in the here and now with the people around us. Online life has taken over our world so much that we often forget to develop relationships that are in real life relationships. Which in many ways goes back to the two books listed above. I think our current generation and time have forgotten what true friendships and relationships are.

Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup– This is another one that has been popular in the blog world. It was written by Ruth from Living Well Spending Less. If you struggle with too much stuff and being overwhelmed, this is worth reading. I got this one on Kindle when it was on sale quite awhile ago. I finally got around to reading it this week. I enjoyed it, but I did skim over some parts that didn’t really apply to me or the stage of life I am in.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site! 

 

The last couple of weeks have not been typical reading weeks for me. I spent part of it sick and then I made a trip to Oregon for a week. I didn’t read much when I was sick, but I did end up reading quite a bit on my trip. Most of my reading for the last two weeks is due to the fact that I had several long flights.

I go back and forth on whether I like print books or ebooks more. It really depends on when you ask me what my answer will be. Sometimes I prefer a real printed book and other times I prefer Kindle books. All five books I am sharing today were Kindle reads for me. The reason for that is that when I travel it is easier to take my Kindle than several books. Traveling always helps me catch up on reading some of the ebooks that I haven’t gotten to read yet. I tend to read books when I travel that I wouldn’t normally take time to read.

Here are the five books that I read over the last two week. I also made a page for all the books that I have read this year, so be sure to check that out as well.

Settle for More by Megyn Kelly

Most of the ebooks I own are ones that I got free or for only a couple of dollars. I can easily fall down the trap of spending way too much on books, so I usually limit myself to only buying ebooks that are $2.99 and under. I broke that rule for Megyn Kelly’s book.

On my recent trip to Oregon, I wanted a book that was pretty easy reading, but that was not fiction. I wanted it to be a quick and easy read, but one that would still be worth reading and would not be a total waste of time.

After reading a couple of reviews online, I decided to give Settle For More a try, I am so glad I did! This book was exactly what I needed when I read it. It was a quick, easy read, that was also interesting.

I don’t agree with everything in this book. There is a lot I actually don’t agree with, but like most books there is almost always something to learn by reading a book like this.

This book was a great reminder not to let the difficulties of life get you down. Those difficulties are what make you who you are. It was also interesting to read Megyn’s story from childhood, to college and law work, all the way to her prime time show on Fox News. It was well worth my time for a quick read on my trip.

Present Over Perfect

This book has been very popular over the last year in many blogging and social media circles. I have had it on my Kindle for some time, but finally decided to read it on my recent trip to Oregon. I can see why so many people love this book. There is a lot about this book that I enjoyed and found true. The title says a lot. Really we often strive so hard for perfection that we aren’t present in the moment. In trying to live this life, we lose site of the important things in our lives.

There are some things in this book that I don’t agree with, but I found the overall subject to be good.

I have to admit though I have mixed feeling about this book. I think for me it may be the timing. So often books affect us differently at different times. That is the case for me with this book. I think I would have appreciated it more at a different time. You can read my full review of this book here. I explain why I think I read it at the wrong time.

The Notebook

I picked this up recently on Kindle when it was on sale. I honestly didn’t know about this book until recently. I have heard of the movie, but have never watched it. I know. It has been out forever and I never watched it. I really am not much of a movie person. When I found out about the book though I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Since I have not seen the movie, I am not sure how to compare it to the book, but I loved the book. I thought it was a sweet story. One that could have easily happened in real life.  I thought it was well written and loved how it told the story. The one thing I didn’t like about this book was a couple of the “sex” scenes. I know there were mild compared to many books. But the reality is that I don’t read those type of books. I can handle blood and war in books. I can handle other stuff.  Descriptive sex scenes are not something I like to read about. I have found that a good story will still be a good story without the descriptive sexual stuff. The sexual stuff is because it gets people to read it. People like that stuff. They think it adds to the book, but I find that it takes away from it. So, yes I enjoyed the book, but I could have done without a couple of the detailed scenes.

Girl Waits with Gun

I have heard so much about this book that when I saw it on sale on Kindle a few months ago I knew I had to get. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but for some reason this one appealed to me.

This was another book I read on my recent trip to Oregon. Yes, I ended up doing a lot of reading on that trip.

I loved this book! I am not usually a western book fan, so I wasn’t really sure what I would think of this. But I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. It is based on a true story and often I would prefer to read the true story. I found this book though interesting and fun and a great trip read.

I don’t know a lot about this time frame or place in history, so I don’t know how accurate the book is, but I found the story fun and fascinating. Now that I have read Girl Waits with Gun, I can’t wait to read the second book Lady Cop Makes Trouble.

The Happiness Project

This book has been popular over the last few years. I bought it when it was on sale on Kindle quite awhile ago. I decided to read it on the airplane on my way home from Oregon. It was an easy read and I finished it in one day. However, I didn’t really enjoy the book. I can see why some like it. A friend of mine even called it life changing. For me it was not life changing and I actually disagreed with some of the book. It just wasn’t for me. Not a total waste of time to read, but one I didn’t really enjoy either.

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This week did not go as planned. If you follow my food blog, you might know that already. I thought that being sick would help me accomplish a lot of reading, but the reality ended up being that I was too sick to focus much on reading. When you find yourself reading the same paragraph three or four times, you know it is time to set the book aside and just give in and watch t.v.

That is pretty much how the first part of the week went. By Friday I was feeling a little better and managed to finish up two books in the last two days.

Yesterday it was 80 degrees in Oklahoma. It was more like spring then February. I was feeling a bit housebound from being sick, so my husband brought out our hammock and it was the perfect place to start the next book in my new favorite mystery series. The hammock is one of my favorite places to read.

I think I am on the mend finally and hopefully life will get back to normal soon. Here is what I read this week.

What I Read

The Spy Mistress by Jennifer Chiaverini- This is the second book by this author that I have read. I was not a huge fan of the other book I read, which was Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker. I should have known that this book would be similar, but it has been in my to read pile for awhile and I decided it would be an easy read for the week. It was an easy read, but I didn’t enjoy it all that much. It was not a waste of time, but it was not really one I loved either. I think this is another case where I would prefer to just read the real life version of the Women Spies during the Civil War. Women helped both sides in many ways, including things like spying. This book got me interested on the subject, which I am glad because I don’t know a lot about it. I plan to find some non-fiction books to read about it. If you like historical fiction books like this, you will probably enjoy it. For me I think I will skip this author in the future and just read a non-fiction book on the same subject.

Choose Joy Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver- This book was just the book I needed to read this week. I spent most of my week on couch unable to breathe and much of the week I was discouraged and had a bad attitude. This book put things in perspective. My week was not all that bad. It reminded me to find the good. To be thankful for what I had and choose joy in every situation. This book read more like blog posts than a book, but I didn’t mind that. It was a short read which was perfect for me this week.