So, what have you been reading over the past month or so? I have a huge list of books to tackle, and I've been happily chugging along. I've had a little extra time on some flights recently, so I've been able to work my way through some extra pages and it's been great. I wanted to share my current reading/to-read list with you guys, and let me know what you've been loving too. I missed a few "5 Reads" over the past couple of months so let's get a head start on August:

1. The Girl on the Train. I just finished this last week and I really enjoyed it. I was a bit apprehensive to actually pick it up because I felt like the hype level was out of control, but it actually lived up to my expectations. It's not one of my all-time favorite books, but it's definitely a great read and completely engaging, which is perfect for a beach-summer-travel book. One thing is that I really got a "The Yellow Wallpaper" feel in the beginning? Anyone else?

2. The Goldfinch. My friend Kelly suggested I try this one and I just started it last night, and I'm enjoying it. Another one I've seen all over the place but just didn't pick up for one reason or another. So far so good though- I'll keep you posted.

3. Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget. This popped up in my Amazon recs and I was drawn to it for some reason. I downloaded the sample but haven't cracked it open yet. It looks great though, doesn't it?

4. The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. Okay so this one looks a little too cheesy for me after reading the summary, but I was still drawn to it, and it might end up being a fun summer read. Another on my to-read list.

5. Paper Towns. I finished this up a couple weeks back and I definitely liked it. I love John Green, but for some reason it took me a few tries to really get into this one. Have you read it? I also just saw its been made into a movie, so I'm curious to check that out as well. Keep in mind this in a young adult book, but I do feel like anyone would enjoy it. Green is the best storyteller, and this one is no exception.

Enjoy, and happy reading!

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Books, books, books! These boys of mine love to read, and I always try to keep their book selection fresh, whether it's from our library visits or from the bookshelves in our house. And although I do switch books in and out, there are always favorite that seem to stay in rotation day after day. Charlie has been in love with a few particular books lately, and even asks to sleep with them. Sometimes Hank and I will laugh together when we check the video monitor after we put Charlie down and see him sitting up in his bed in the dark, "reading" before he goes to sleep. So cute.

So these are Charlie's current favorite books- I'm linking to Amazon below, and I'll share Henry's next week too. Enjoy!

1. Moby Dick. This is a BabyLit book, which is one of our most beloved book series. If you're not familiar, BabyLit takes classic books we know and love, and turns them into super rad board books for little ones. They're truly a treat to read too- the illustrations are so cool and each book takes a different spin on the classic. Some are more thematic and other focus on things like sounds in the book, like the second BabyLit I'll mention below.

2. 100 First Words. This book is part of a series and Charlie absolutely LOVES them. He will point and say the names of so many of the pictures, and it's been cool watching him learn more and more each time we read it (which is probably about 10x a day). I started out by reading it to him, pointing to each picture and saying the name of it, and as time went on he started doing the pointing while I said what they were, and now he does a lot of the reading too.

3. Trucks. These Carry-Me books are great. Charlie loves to carry these around, and this is one of those books that can work for toddlers or kids Henry's age too, since the information inside is technical and interesting for 3-4 year olds as well. There are also some sensory details, and Charlie likes to touch all of the various parts on each page.

4. Five Little Pumpkins. This is a forever favorite in our house. I loved it growing up, Henry calls it his favorite Halloween book and song, and now Charlie adores it too, requesting "pun-kin book!" whenever it's time to read. It's a fun, quick book that you can work counting into also.

5. Words. This is the first book that Charlie really loved. He calls it the "apple book" and it's basically just a book with big, bright pictures inside teaching little ones to identify each item.

6. Sherlock Holmes. Another BabyLit book, and like I mentioned above, this one focuses on the sounds in the classic like "hounds howl" and "gates creak." Charlie has a great time with this one and loves when we make the actual noises for him.

Happy reading! xo

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(None of these pictured are mentioned below! I quickly grabbed 5 off of our bookshelf to use here. Silly, I know. Kindle problems...)

1. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

I'm in the middle of this book right now and it's been such a delight. I really enjoy reading memoirs of women reflecting on the life they've led, and this book totally fits that bill. It's a collection of stories by Anna Quindlen, from all points and parts of her life and it's fantastic. I really enjoy how she manages to find the extraordinary in seemingly ordinary things, and I find her writing to be incredibly inspiring- and also so easy to read, as she really feels like a friend.

2. Self-Help

Self-Help was under the recommended list for the book above, and it looked intriguing so I downloaded it to my Kindle. The other afternoon I read the sample and really, really enjoyed it. It's a collection of short stories and the one I read was called "How to be an Other Woman." Interesting perspective, beautiful storytelling...I'm just hoping the rest of the book lives up to the bit I enjoyed. From the looks of the reviews it does, and I'm looking forward to continuing this one tonight before bed.

3. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives

My friend Amy and I started this on the same day without even knowing that we did (have you noticed yet, that I'm in the middle of about five books at any given time? I like to switch between a few unless I binge read something in one night!). Anyway, it was such a nice surprise to see Amy post a photo of this one on her IG, and then later that night another friend mentioned it on Facebook. And for good reason, so far, so good! I've read all of Gretchen Rubin's books, and although I liked her first one the best, this one seems great too. I love quick reads like this- all about trying to be the best "you" you can be- super inspiring.

4. Meditation: How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind

So I'm someone who needs to be made to slow down. One of my best friends has been meditating recently and has been telling me how helpful it's been. I don't know much about it, but I did add this book to my reading list last week and will hopefully get to it this month. I chose it because it has close to 100% of its 118 reviews as five stars, but if you have a different book you'd recommend, please do so!

5. All the Bright Places

After all of this non-fiction and self-help, I thought it would be good to end on a light, young adult note. I don't know anything about this book outside of the short hook I read, or know anyone who has read it...but it looks interesting! I loved The Fault in Our Stars and the first review said if you like that...you'll love this. Sign me up.

Let me know if any of these look good to you, and if you decide to read along with me! Fill me in on what's on your list too! Happy reading. xoxo

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So funny story about this book. You know how you've never heard of something, but then you do, then suddenly see it everywhere? That's what happened with Scary Close. I saw it on a friend's Instagram account, then suddenly it was all over my Amazon recommendations and in conversations with friends. I took it as a sign I should read it, so I downloaded a preview of it to my Kindle right away.

The sample had me hooked within pages and as soon as I got to the end of that first chapter and had the option to head over to Amazon to buy it, I did. But then I saw that it was listed as a religious book in the Christian Living category. Now, of course I don't have anything against reading books about religion- I actually enjoy doing so- but as a non-religious person the one kind of book I probably wouldn't be into is a book considered a Christian "self-help" book with mentions of god and the Bible every other page. However, I liked the sample so much I decided to just go for it...and I'm glad I did.

Scary Close is one of the best non-fiction books I've read in awhile. I wouldn't consider it a "self-help" book at all actually- although it totally helped me in so many ways I feel like that category doesn't even begin to encompass everything this book is! It's a look at the author's life and his journey to find true intimacy while also being a guide to finding the meaning and true depth of connection in the relationships in our own lives, both romantic and platonic. And it's really a book full of encouragement to look at yourself in an authentic way- to remove all the b.s. and see yourself for who you are, and love others for who they are too.

This book really made me think, and also made me take a long, hard look at myself. It inspired me to do the work I need to do to continue on this path of self-betterment, and it also got me excited about LIFE in general. It was a quick, easy read and the conversational tone Donald Miller uses makes the pages fly on by. I've already recommended it to a few friends who all "binge-read" it like me, and loved it. And by the way, for you other non-religious folks, this book definitely isn't preachy or pushy by any means, and really just encompasses what I hope to be the best parts of any religion- love and acceptance of yourself and others.

Enjoy, and let me know if you pick it up!

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Happy February! We're about two weeks in, but I wanted to share some of the books I've either read or had my eye on this month. My "to-read" list is growing longer, but I am going to Chicago on a work trip next week so I'm looking forward to working my way through a few reads while in transit and during down time. So here are my picks- happy reading!


1. The Girl on the Train

So I usually try to stay away from crime/mystery novels because my active imagination does me no favors when I'm home alone at night. I get spooked pretty easily, and if I read scary things everything starts to freak me out! However, the synopsis of this book really drew me up, and I actually had to stop reading it so I didn't get any spoilers. This book looks to be a good one though, with 1,500 almost all positive reviews! So let's just agree to not read anymore about the book and just start it, shall we? I sent the sample to my Kindle last week and I think I'm most excited to begin this one.


2. Torch

I just love Cheryl Strayed so picking up another book by her is a no-brainer. I really, really enjoy her writing style and I'm looking forward to starting this one! Here's a little blurb from Amazon, and like always I don't want to read too much about it before I begin. "In her debut novel, Torch, bestselling author Cheryl Strayed weaves a searing and luminous tale of a family's grief after unexpected loss. 'Work hard. Do good. Be incredible!' is the advice Teresa Rae Wood shares with the listeners of her local radio show, Modern Pioneers, and the advice she strives to live by every day."

3. The Handmaid's Tale

This is one of my VERY favorite books in the world. I've probably read it 10x, and I thought it would be a good one to recommend (for maybe the 5th time). If you like dystopian fiction (I cringe to compare it to The Hunger Games, but it's in a similar vein) you will love this book. In one line, it's about government as we know it falling apart and becoming something entirely different. The book is scary in its "what ifs" and possibilities, and I think it's a must-read for anyone.

4. Still Alice

Have you seen this movie? I saw the preview and was immediately interested. Then I found out it was a novel first and as usual, I wanted to read it before I saw it. This book looks great. Very heavy and sad (Alzheimer's scares me so much), but also very full of emotional and beauty as it tells the story of a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard who has early onset Alzheimer's. I'm thinking tissues will be necessary for this one.

5. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

I reread parts of this book the other night and it was such a nice refresher. I'm a total sucker for "self-help" type books like this (or maybe a better term is "work on yourself" books!), but this one is much more than that. Over the years I've found it to be very helpful, and revisiting this book from time to time is both motivating and inspiring. It includes four agreements, and goes into detail about each one: Be Impeccable With Your Words, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best. Definitely worth a read if you're into this type of reading.

Enjoy! And before you go, what else is on your to-read or have-read list this month?

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Happy January, happy Tuesday, happy 2015! Yeah! I thought it would be fun to share few things on my to-read or have-read bookshelf (virtual or otherwise) this month, and continue to do so throughout this next year. I hope you'll enjoy this monthly feature. Happy reading!


1. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

My father-in-law is a mortician/owner of multiple funeral homes, and Hank grew up in and around a funeral home, so I've always been fascinated with this kind of stuff- very My Girl, right? haha. Anyway, I just started this book and I'm loving it. I can't give any sort of review because I'm at the beginning, but so far, so good. Read this little bit from Amazon and tell me you aren't intrigued, too! Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased. Get it and read it along with me!

2. Wild

I almost feel silly recommending this book because hello, who hasn't?! In fact, I recommended it years ago when I first read it. This past week I'd been re-reading as a refresher and goodness, I was reminded of just how much I love it. Then Sunday I went and watched it in the theater and now I really can't recommend both the book and movie enough! I thought the film did the story justice is almost every way, and I walked out of the theater feeling sad and happy and inspired and alive. To me, that's pretty perfect. And as I've gotten older one of my main interests has become the outdoors- hiking, trail running, exploring- and this book totally makes me want to lace up my hiking shoes and hit the trail. It also makes me want to crawl up in bed with my laptop and write, write, write. It's just a really inspiring book, and even though it's completely all over due to the movie, it's one of those picks that absolutely does live up to the hype!

3. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

This book has the same author as Wild, Cheryl Strayed, and I can't say enough great things about it. It's part-memoir, part self-help, part something totally different, and I love that because it's a collection of different letters you're able to put the book now and come back to it whenever you'd like. It's the perfect bedside choice to read a bit of every evening before bed. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll relate to bits and pieces of stories that you didn't think you'd relate to. You'll find yourself feeling for the people asking for advice, and wanting to recommend this book to all of your friends, too. A must-read.

4. A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal

So I really love Anthony Bourdain. And I really love traveling. And who doesn't love food? Put it all together and you've got this book, which I'm extremely excited to dive into this weekend. It was recommended by no less than four friends over the course of a couple months, so I took it as a sign I should probably just commit. It looks great, and like it would be a great read for anyone who's interested in any of those things I mentioned above...which basically means that pretty much anyone should love it. It has 200 almost perfect reviews on Amazon so I don't think my prediction is too far off...but I'll keep you posted.

5. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves: A Novel

Okay this is weird but I don't know anything about this book. At all. A girlfriend suggested I read it but told me not to read any of the synopses or reviews, so I didn't and now it's waiting for me on my nightstand to begin as soon as I can. This friend is generally right on when it comes to book recommendations so I'm taking her word for it. And you should too- in that whole "a friend of a friend told me it was good!" kinda way.

What else is on your to-read or have-read list this month?

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