Tag Archives: What I’ve Been Reading

What I’ve Been Reading – August 2018

Well….I had hoped to accomplish more, but I managed  books….and several of them were ones that were a bit outside of my usual reading genres. With Summer I always have lofty goals of what I’m actually going to finish, but life happens.

FAVORITE FICTION BOOK

I’ve actually read a lot of really good fiction books. I’ve been making a point of reading through some of the books I’ve collected from random places, and most of them were really good. My favorite though…that’s tough. I think Beneath a Scarlet Sky was my favorite. I’m a huge fan of WW2 historical fiction, particularly when it’s based on true events.

The thing I loved about Beneath a Scarlet Sky was the youth of the main character, the way he struggled with his idealism, his own personal expectations, and what the war was throwing at him and how he dealt with it; a very human character. It also helped knowing that they’re working on a movie with Tom Holland playing the main character.

The other part of Beneath a Scarlet Sky that I liked, but was more personal for me, is that my grandfather was in Italy for part of the war. There aren’t many books written about what the war was like in Italy or for the Italian people, so I enjoy finding out more about that.

FAVORITE NON-FICTION BOOK

At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider…hands down. I’ve loved all of Tsh’s books, but this one was very much on my heart. One of my biggest laments in life is that we don’t travel enough, and when we do, I get terribly homesick for my creature comforts. So much of what Tsh had to say in this book hit me hard. From her struggle with wanting to have a place to call home, but wanting to be out and experiencing new things…finding the balance between the two.

The other part of this that I loved was the it chronicled her family…that’s right…mom, dad, and 3 young kids traveling and experiencing the world. I would love to travel with my kids and have them experience other cultures and norms, but for us it’s just not in the cards. I can hope though that some day it will happen.

THE BOOK I DIDN’T LIKE

If you follow me on IG, you already know…Bridget Jones’ Diary…I HATED IT! I read through the first chapter and quit. I couldn’t handle how shallow the character was, the obsession with the eating, the drinking, the smoking. The movie is great, the book….I threw it in the garbage. I wasn’t even going to pass this one on to the little library boxes are Salvation Army…it’s just gone (the binding was also split on it, so I told myself it was ok to throw it out).

What have you been reading?

Keep up with what I’ve been reading on GoodReads or Instagram 

(I’ve notated books I’ve read for my book club * and F for Fiction, NF for Non-Fiction, and A if it was an audiobook).

*This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

What I’ve Been Reading – May 2018

I’ve been rather lame in the book/writing department. There’s been a lot of things brewing and bubbling in my mind, and sometimes, sitting down at the computer is the last thing I want to do. That said, I also know how much I truly enjoy being able to look back at the books I’ve read. Thus why I’m forcing myself to sit down and do this.

I finished 8 books the past few months…yea, 8. Admittedly, a few of them were lengthy and a bit heady. I can’t fly through those books the way I can through fluffier fiction.

FAVORITE FICTION BOOK

The one that moved the fastest for me was Barefoot. It was pure fluff, but so much of it I just loved. It was the first book of her’s that I’ve read, and I’ve always seen her books and had them pique my interest. I liked the characters, I liked the story line, I liked that it was a bit of romance without seeming smarmy, but it was real and had heart. I just started The Matchmaker by her.

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club selection was my close second favorite, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows. Since Bend it Like Beckham, I have been interested in the Indian-London community. This book fits perfectly within that. It was a fun read, but also addressed a lot of deeper, and some darker, issues within not only the Indian community, but for women in general.

FAVORITE NON-FICTION BOOK

Seeing as I only read one non-fiction book, it would have to be Shauna Niequist’s Present Over Perfect. This was a book that I pre-ordered on Amazon in August 2016…yea, it took me almost two years to ACTUALLY READ the book *face palm*. I really enjoyed it though and so much of Shauna’s struggles have mirrored my own, of allowing other people’s expectations and requests to dictate my life and who I am. I ended up with quite a few dog-eared pages on this one.

THE BOOK I DIDN’T LIKE

The Forty Rules of Love: I REALLY wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t. I don’t know if I just didn’t want to put the time into reading it or if it was that the story wasn’t what I expected or the bouncing around. I read to about page 100, then scanned the rest of the pages. I don’t think it ever got better, and I honestly don’t remember the ending.

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I’ve been struggling with books. I really WANT to read the heavier books (non-fiction), but they take me so long to get through. I feel like they’re keeping me from actually reading, because I dread picking them up, no matter how much I’m enjoying them. My brain doesn’t seem to have much time or energy to read. It’s not even a slump, it’s just too much.

Fluffier books are fun and I get through them faster, but I really don’t feel like they’re bringing much to my mental table. They’re the equivalent of cotton candy for dinner, it sounds like a good idea at the time, until about 20 minutes later and you’re thinking, “Why on earth did I do that?!”

What have you been reading?

Keep up with what I’ve been reading on GoodReads or Instagram 

(I’ve notated books I’ve read for my book club * and F for Fiction, NF for Non-Fiction, and A if it was an audiobook).

*This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.