Man, hasn’t the summer just flown by? I feel like the more kids I have (and the older they get), the faster time flies. I don’t know if I have ever had a summer go by so quickly as this one has. It was a lot of fun though and I had some great reads!
In July, I read 18 books and 5,627 pages, for an average of 312 pages per book. It wasn’t my highest reading month, but it was close to the highest month for pages read. I read 16 books by female authors and 2 by male authors. I borrowed 9 books and owned 9 of the books I read. I read 6 middle grade, 2 YA, and 10 adult books. I read 8 eBooks, 7 audiobooks, and 2 physical books. I had 5 rereads and 13 new reads. I read 1 new release and shared 5 read aloud books with my kids. I read 5 stand alone books and 5 books from a series, starting 3 and finishing 0. I had 11 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 2 three star reads, and 0 two and one star reads. I DNF’d 1 book.
Today I am sharing my five favorite 5 star reads from July! What books did you read in July? What is a favorite book you’ve read recently?
The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
I love Cindy Steel–she writes sweet rom coms that I always binge read. This one has a super fun premise and fantastic characters!
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
I was surprised by how much I loved this one. It’s a middle grade/YA book about friendships and some heavier topics, all wrapped up in a mystery of what happened. I loved the mystery aspect of it and the way the heavier themes were handled.
Corsair’s Curse by Shari L. Tapscott
This underrated YA fantasy book was fantastic! It has dragons, a love triangle, and interesting magic. I really loved reading about the characters and their adventures.
Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft
This nonfiction book looks at abusive relationships, exploring why abusive men act the way they do and what you can do if you find yourself in a relationship in one, as well as red flags to look out for before getting into a relationship. He dispels different myths and lays out behavior you can expect to see, with lots of real-life examples. I found it fascinating. My husband also read it and it’s going to be required reading for our daughters when they reach dating age.
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon always writes such emotionally deep books. This was one of her earlier works, but I really loved it. There were aspects that I had to get over (the love interest starts off as her teacher, and nothing happens while he is teaching her, but it still felt a little weird), but there were other aspects of motherhood and childbearing that I just loved and bawled through. I could hardly put this one down.
Bonus: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I know I’ve already shared five, but I couldn’t not talk about this reread–I read Anne of Green Gables aloud to my girls for the first time and it was a delight. They loved it and were laughing at Anne, my middle child related with Anne’s character, and I remembered why I love this book so much. Then we were able to watch the movie together, which they loved as well (and I havne’t seen it for so long, it was so fun to rewatch it and fall in love with Gilbert all over again). Sharing these things with my kids is such a fun part of parenting older kids!
Those were my favorite 5 star reads in July! What were some of your favorite books from last month? What is a book you’ve recently read that you just loved? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you and chat about books!
I have loved fairy tale retellings as long as I can remember. The first “real” novel I read was Harry Potter, but the second was Ella Enchanted. I was off track from school and walked through the snow to a daycare everyday instead of school while my mom was at work. One day, I got there and couldn’t find the book anywhere! I was devestated, because it meant I couldn’t finish the book, and I was right at the part with the balls. The next day as I was walking, I found the book sticking out of a snowbank! The cover was ruined, but the book itself was just fine and I was able to finish the story–which I loved. Char was my first “book crush” and I’ve reread Ella Enchanted more than probably any other book.
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite fairy tale retellings! Let me know some of your favorites–I’m always on the lookout for some new fun ones!
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted is a book most people have heard of, but it is my most favorite retelling (and the first I ever read!), so it had to be included. It is a Cinderella retelling. One of its biggest strengths is the way it goes deeper on some superifical aspects–like the relationship between the prince and Cinderella before the ball–in a way that makes it feel very real. I highly prefer the book over the movie and will always be in love with Char.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, though it follows comlpetely different characters (and actually takes place in a different country). I love the themes of beauty and self confidence in this Snow White retelling.
Just Ella by Maragaret Peterson Haddix
Just Ella is a sort of retelling of Cinderella–I say sort of because it picks up after the original story and explores what it might be like for Ella as she moves to the castle for her “happily ever after”. Needless to say, things aren’t all as they appear or as she expected. I love the way it plays on the original story and the love story in this one.
Palace of Mirrors by Maragaret Peterson Haddix
Palace of Mirrors is the companion novel to Just Ella and while it isn’t a direct fairy tale retelling, it’s very fairy tale-esque with the princesses and plot. Haddix’s writing style is fun and easy to read, making these fairy tale books very enjoyable.
Cinder by Mariss Meyer
Cinder is a science fiction retelling of Cinderella and it is so fun! It is a great read even if you don’t normally enjoy science fiction. There are four books in the series and each is a fairy tale retelling that follows a new character, but that builds on the book and plot before it. After Cinder comes Scarlet–a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, Cress–a Rapuinzel retelling, and Winter–a Snow White retelling. It’s such a fun series with a lot of tie ins with the original fairy tales but enough uniqueness to really bring the story and characters to life.
Princess of Shadows by A.G. Marshall
Princess of Shadows is a fantasy Princess and the Pea retelling that was really fun to read! I really enjoyed the characters, the romance, and the world building. It was also fun to read a retelling of a less commonly found retelling.
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
Bookish and the Beast is also part of a YA retelling series that each follow a different character (and different fairy tale) in the same world. This is the third and my personal favorite, as it is a beauty and the beast retelling and focuses heavily on books–both things I love. The first is Geekerella–a Cinderella retelling, and the second is The Princess and the Fangirl–a Prince and the Pauper retelling. This series is clean when it comes to sexual content, but does have more language in it.
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a sweet retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, great for younger readers as well. While it has romance in it, it has more of a “middle grade” feel to it than YA. The characters and plot are really fun and because I’m a dancer, I always love retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Princess of Glass is the sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball and is a loose Cinderella retelling. I loved seeing the ways this one differed from the traditional Cinderella story and all the shenanigans that take place alongside the romance.
The Stolen Kingdom by Bethany Atazadeh
The Stolen Kingdom is an Aladdin retelling with a really fun twist on the Jinni. The main character was especially fun to follow as she was proactive and strong, and I fell in love with Caden, or “Aladdin”, but my favorite character was the Jinni. This is the first of a series of retellings that are all fun, and it has a spinoff series that follows the negative arc of the main antagonist.
The Thirteenth Princess by Diana Zahler
The Thirteenth Princess is a Twelve Dancing Princesses middle grade retelling with a fun twist–the main character is the “thirteenth” princess. It is a fun, fast read that has particularly fun twists on the original fairy tale.
The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
The Other World has loose Little Mermaid retelling vibes. This YA book has a love triangle and explores family relationships versus independence. I loved characters, the way the plot went, and the way everything resolved.
The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
The Sweetest Spell is a very loose retelling of the Ugly Duckling. This middle grade book is so sweet and so enjoyable. I fell in love with all the characters, especially the main character Emmeline–she is so resilient, works through her doubts, and stands strong in the midst of terrible circumstances. The plot is really fun too, with great twists that I didn’t see coming.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Goose Girl is one of my very favorite retellings, of a less-well known fairy tale also titled The Goose Girl. I absolutely love the world, the characters, and the character arcs of this story. The magic in it is very unique and fun and Shannon Hale’s writing style is captivating. This book is great for both middle grade and YA.
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett
Rapunzel Untangled is obviously a Rapunzel retelling. It has a fun premise that the author does a great job delivering on. The retelling aspect of it is unique and the story is charming, great for a younger audience.
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
Rapunzel’s Revenge is a fun graphic novel retelling! This book has a unique take on Rapunzel–rather than the typical protagonist, you get to read about a proactive, cowgirl-style Rapunzel going on an adventure to escape her tower. There is a sequel–Calamity Jack–that is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and finishes off the story. Both are really fun reads.
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
Mighty Jack is another fun graphic novel retelling, also retelling Jack and the Beanstalk. It ties in with Zita the Spacegirl (not a fairy tale retelling, but an awesome graphic novel series). My kids love this series and I, as an adult, also loved reading it with them.
Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
I don’t know if the regency romance Seeking Persephone is meant to be a retelling, but my favorite part of it was the “Beauty and the Beast” vibes throughout. It also has tie-ins with Greek mythology. The romance is so sweet, I loved how their relationship developed and the slow burn of it. It’s one of my favorite regency romances, especially with the fairy tale retelling vibes.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Gail Carson Levine
This is not necessarily a “fairy tale retelling” but it has fairy tale vibes and is based off of The Princess Bride, if Buttercup went out to serach for Wesley on her own after he left. I love the fairy tale vibes of this fantasy book, the sweet romance, and the plot twists along the way!
These are some of my favorite fairy tale retellings! What are you favorite retellings? I’m always on the lookout for some new good ones and would love to hear from you!
June was a busy month, with five kids and Leah getting older! We’ve had a lot of summer fun outside in the hot weather and we’ve been inching our way back to “normal life” as Leah’s naps have started getting more consistent. I was still able to read quite a bit, but with all that going on, I did have my lowest reading month of the year so far. I also had more books that I didn’t love as much, though some were really fun to read.
I read 13 books in June and 4,033 pages, for an average of 310 pages per book (this is my lowest reading month book and page-wise this year so far). I owned 8 books and borrowed 5 of the books I read. 11 were by female authors and 2 by male authors. I read 1 physical book, 8 ebooks, and 4 audiobooks. I read 2 middle grade, 0 YA, and 11 adult. I had 2 read alouds with my kids and read 0 new releases. I read 6 stand alones and 5 books from series (starting 3 and finishing 0). I had 4 five star reads, 6 four star reads, 2 three star reads, and 1 two star read.
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty
I’ve been reading through all of Liane Moriarty’s books lately and I’ve loved them. She writes Chick Lit, often with a bit of thriller/mystery thrown in. The Hypnotist’s Love Story falls more on the Chick Lit end of things, but was still really fun to read. I loved the characters and was very invested in the story–a hypnotist starts dating a guy who is being stalked by his ex.
Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
Courting Miss Lancaster is the sequel to Seeking Persephone, which is still my favorite in the series so far. I really enjoyed this sequel, though. The love interest, Harry, is adorable and I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
The Coddling of American Mind by Greg Lukianoff/Jonathan Haidt
The Coddling of the American Mind was my main nonfiction read of the month and I was surprised by how much I loved it. I thought it was going to be hard to get through, but it was very engaging and I took a lot away from the book (I know because I keep referencing things the book talked about in conversations!).
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
For a few years now, I’ve been reading Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright mysteries, which follow the fictional maid of Agatha Christie solving mysteires. They are so fun, I love them! I decided to try some of her other books and started with this one. I didn’t love Mastering the Art of French Murder as much as Phyllida Bright (part of that may simply be how much I love Agatha Christie), but I still really enjoyed it! It follows a fictional friend of the French cook Julia Child, solving a mystery in France post-WWII. It took me a little longer to really get into it, but once I did, it was so fun. I can’t wait to continue the series.
The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon
I tend to put off reading Amy Harmon books because they are never light, easy reads, but I pretty much always love them once I read them. The Law of Moses was a little bit of a different book–a contemprary with magical realism/paranormal and a dash of msytery/thriller. The characters were, of course, very real and well written, and the ending was very satisfying.
Those were some of my favorite books from last month! How was your reading month in June? What is a book you’ve read recently and just loved? I’d love to hear from you!
I can’t believe we are almost out of the newborn stage already! Leah is two months old, 12 weeks in just a couple of days. This happens with every baby I have, but when I first had Leah, those pure survival days felt like they would last forever. Now looking back, the time has simply flown by. She is already getting so much bigger and there will always be a part of me that misses her little newborn self.
There are still things that are a challenge, but we’re slowly and surely making our way out of baby-survival mode and back into regular life. Leah is doing longer stretches at night and has started having early morning wakeups (sometimes going back to sleep and sometimes not) rather than middle of the night feedings. She sometimes naps and sometimes doesn’t, but she’s definitely getting better (last month, she basically wouldn’t nap at all). She is happier when she’s awake, especially in the early evenings (we’ve mostly passed the “witching hour” phase). And my emotions might be starting to settle down a little, though I still feel very hormonal.
All that said, we’re still taking it very easy. I decided to take the summer off of homeschool and let everyone just enjoy the baby (we’re mostly year round homeschoolers normally). I love that my kids keep asking when we can start school again! But it’s also really nice to take it easy right now.
Here is what our day looked like today (Monday, June 16):
6:05 am
Leah woke up to eat, waking me up. I got up and fed her and tried putting her back down. She didn’t go back to sleep right away, it took about 20 minutes, but then she slept again until 8:00. This was the start of my day, though. I did my scripture study and read on my Kindle some while feeding her.
6:30 am
I made my hot chocolate and showered. Ben was gone at pickleball (he got up at 4:30 to go play). After my hot chocolate was ready, I sat down and read a little with it. Oliver woke up during this time, but he stayed upstairs for a bit (our rule is the kids can come down around 7:30).
7:30 am
Oliver came downstairs and we made hot chocolate for the rest of the family together. I also cleared out the dishwasher, got bread started in the bread machine, and started a load of laundry.
8:00 am
I woke up Leah at 8 to feed her and start her day. While I was nursing her, Ben and I did the Connections (a puzzle game) together and I did my Duolingo. When she was done eating, I ate an apple and some toast while the kids sat and talked with Leah. Then I read her a book and had her do some tummy time.
9:00 am
The kids wanted to take turns holding Leah, so while they did that, I got in my workout. I do really simple workouts right now, just in the living room with some weights. I break them up into upper and lower days and I try for four workouts a week (though it’s hit and miss).
9:30 am
I put Leah down for her nap. While she was down, I switched over the laundry, formed the bread, and did the girls hair. Then I made myself and Ben some eggs and veggies for breakfast. I was hoping to get more done, but Leah woke up after only 45 minutes.
10:15 am
I went up and tried to “save” the nap, but she wouldn’t go back to sleep so I just brought her downstairs. While I was upstairs, I turned on an audiobook for the kids and gave them blank puzzle templates to color on.
10:30 am
I fed Leah while the kids continued to listen to their audiobook.
11:00 am
While Leah was awake, we sang with her some, played with blocks with Oliver, and the kids did their morning chores (they rotate between getting the floor ready to sweep, cleaning off the table, and sorting their laundry; then they all put away their own clothes).
12:00 pm
I put Leah down and went to Smith’s to get a pickup. I left the kids home to have lunch with Ben during his lunchbreak (he got home from pickleball around 8 am and works from home).
12:30 pm
I got home and brought in the groceries and got some lunch for myself. Leah woke up after 45 minutes again, but this time she went back to sleep on her own after a couple minutes. I was able to put away the groceries and then I took some time to relax just a little and worked on catching up on my bullet journal with a protien drink as a treat.
1:45 pm
I was glad that Leah slept well in the morning so I could get so much done because we left the house in the afternoon (when Ben records for work, we leave the house so there aren’t kid sounds in the background). We went to my in-laws, who have an above-ground pool. The girls swam in it all afternoon while Oliver played with his cousin in the dirt. Leah ate, took a nap, and then ate again while were there.
5:30 pm
I started loading up the kids. One of the hardest parts of having five kids is trying to gather and load them anytime we go anywhere (it was already hard with four and it’s made that much harder with a baby added into the mix). It always seems to take forever.
6:00 pm
We came home to get some dinner. Ben had finished work, so he got some taco meat cooking so we could eat right when we got home. I fed Leah again while the kids ate dinner and then got some food myself while Ben took Leah. We had the kids do a quick pickup after dinner and then let them watch a few episodes of Bluey.
7:30 pm
We started getting the kids ready for bed. Ben got the toothbrushes and brushed Oliver’s teeth while I made sure the kids got on pajamas and kept Leah happy (this is when she is the fussiest usually). Then we did scriptures and prayer together.
7:45 pm
Ben took Oliver into his room to read a book with him and sing to him before bed. I went downstairs and got Leah ready for bed.
8:00 pm
Leah was ready for bed and I nursed her one last time while I read aloud to the girls (I sat on the nugget couch we have in their room while they laid in their beds). We’re reading Anne of Green Gables right now and I’m loving it.
8:30 pm
I finished nursing Leah and put her down in her bed downstairs in Ben’s office before giving hugs and kisses to all the kids and coming downstairs. Ben was doing the dishes. He finished that and we went on a little walk while we talked about some business stuff he’s been thinking through (we have a little walk worked out where we can see the house). Then we had some ice cream and did the NYT mini crossword puzzle together before getting ready for bed.
9:30 pm
I was in bed and reading a nonfiction book (right now, I’m reading the biography of Thomas S. Monson). After a few pages, I was sleepy enough to fall right to sleep.
That was what our day looked like! It was a good day, getting things done early in the day, getting out of the house, and spending time together as a family. Not everyday goes this smoothly and there’s never quite enough time to do everything I want to do, but I can feel life moving more towards our regular routine and that is so nice. I am also trying to slow down and enjoy where I’m at, because I know I will miss this stage someday.
I have been a BIG Brandon Sanderson fan for many years. I was 19 when I read my first book by him (Way of Kings) and at the time, he had the Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, Way of Kings, and a few novellas published. I have reread a quite a few of books over the years, but when they anounced the release of the fifth Stormlight book for the end of 2024, I knew it was a good time for me to revisit all of the Cosmere books he’d written. I did not read Allomancer Jack, White Sands, or the Cosmere secret projects.
Note: The Cosmere is a fictional universe that many of Sanderson’s books take place in. If a book is a “Cosmere” book, it takes place on a planet in that universe. Think of it similar to Marvel, but with fantasy books. Not all of his books take place in the Cosmere and so far, you can read all the Cosmere books independently, without having to read all the connected books. But, it can be fun to find the Easter eggs in the connections.
I knew it was going to be a big undertaking, but I broke it down to about a book a month (some months had multiple shorter books to fit it all in) and I’m a big reader, besides the fact that his books are un-put-down-able. I was confident I could do it!
So …
How did I do?
I succeeded in rereading all the Cosmere books I set out to read! However, I didn’t quite manage to finish Wind and Truth in 2024 (I ended up reading it in January of 2025). Here’s how my year went:
January through March, I had planned on reading the original Mistborn books (the trilogy, Sercret History, and Eleventh Metal) and read them just as planned. I loved revisiting them! The original Mistborn trilogy remains my favorite work by Brandon Sanderson. I love the characters, the romance between Vin and Elend, the heist plot, the plot twist at the end, and the character arcs. This time around was really fun because I was listening to the third Mistborn book (while painting our living room) in conjunction with reading the ebook of Secret History (the two plots take place adjacent to each other as well).
In April and May, I squeezed two books in each month to read the second era of Mistborn (Wax and Wayne). I managed to finish the first (Alloy of Law) in April, but didn’t quite manage to finish the second (Shadows of Self) until May, but then I also did read the last two (Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal) in May, catching up with my schedule. I always love Alloy of Law, it’s so funny and the characters and mystery are so fun to read about. Shadows of Self has never been my favorite, but there are still good parts. It surprised me how much I loved rereading Bands of Mourning and I cried again when I read the end of The Lost Metal.
In June, I read Warbreaker. Warbreaker is such a great story that plays with different tropes in interesting ways and has amazing characters. I am super excited that we are apparently getting another Warbreaker book soon!
In July, I read The Emporer’s Soul and Elantris (and Hope of Elantris). I had forgotten how much I love The Emporer’s Soul until I reread it. It is a novella, so it’s shorter, but the worldbuilding is really cool and the con artist plot line is right up my alley. Rereading Elantris, it’s probably my least favorite Cosmere book. It isn’t bad, but I didn’t love it as much I thought I would. I found myself not wanting to read it, or remembering what came next and not being excited for it.
August and September are when I started to get off track. I was supposed to read Way of Kings in August and Words of Radiance as well as Edgedancer in September. However, I ended up having morning sickness during these months, so my reading was very much mood reading, especially in August as I was in the thick of it and just trying to survive feeling sick all the time with four kids to take care of.
I started reading Way of Kings in September and finished it in October. I then immediately picked up Words of Radiance and Edgedancer and finished those in October as well. I absolutely loved reading Way of Kings this time. I’ve always loved the book, but in the past, a lot of Kaladin’s parts dragged for me. That wasn’t the case this time, for whatever reason. I just thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, and the ending made me cry (like it does every time). I also really enjoyed my rereading of Words of Radiance. Edgedancer was just okay this time around.
November was very busy for me–holidays with four kids and being pregnant is no joke. Despite the business, I managed to read both Oathbringer and Dawnshard. Oathbringer is one of my favorite endings of all time. It helps that Dalinar is my favorite character in Stormlight. I know this is a lot of people’s least favorite book because of pacing, and on this reread I could see why with how the first half of the book is so full of meetings, but honestly, the pacing has never bothered me and I love the ending so much. The themes and character arc felt even more powerful to me this reread with some of the things going on in my personal life. It is so powerful.
In December, I almost managed to get all the way caught up. I finished my Rhythm of War reread, though I finished it after the release of Wind and Truth. It was Christmas time, so I was busy and reading more holiday books. I also just had a harder time getting into it. The first time I read it, I didn’t love it. I liked it more this time around, but I didn’t feel the same pull to pick up the book and keep reading that I do with the first three. Those three are long, but it’s hard for me to put them down and get anything done. With Rhythm of War, it almost feels like the opposite. I will say, I love (and have always loved) the Navani plot line and this time around, I felt much more invested in Kaladin’s plot line as well.
I also read Sixth of Dusk and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell in December, between Christmas and New Years. Both are novellas. I absolutely love Shadows for Silence. I know so many who love Sixth of Dusk because of the cool world building (and it does have that), but I personally find the plot a little boring to get through.
I also started Wind and Truth near the end of December (while I was reading the novellas), but I didn’t finish it until January of the next year. I didn’t hate the book, but like with Rhythm of War, I didn’t feel myself just wanting to read it nonstop and was honestly fairly disappointed with it.
Wind and Truth Review:
This review is not going to be completely spoiler free, because I want to talk about things that I liked or didn’t like in the book, but I will try to keep things vague enough that the spoilers aren’t too crazy.
I want to start by saying that part of my disappointment came from expecting this book to be a bit of a climax, in wrapping up the first arc of the series. Instead, we got a book that felt very much like a setup book (and my understanding is this was what Sanderson was going for). I’m not sure if this is why I felt bored during much of the book or if it was something else. The other part of my disappointment came from what felt like a shift in the themes and feel of the book. I’ll go more into that later.
There were many things about the book that I enjoyed. My favorite part of the book was everything Adolin. His sections in Azir were all so enjoyable to me. I loved seeing Adolin and Yanagawn’s friendship develop and Yanagawn’s character development. I was very invested in Azir and Adolin’s role there. I also was very interested in everything happening with the deadeyes and the climatic moment there was great.
There were some backstory scenes that we got to see as the characters were in the spiritual realm that I liked. I also loved the section where we get to se Jasnah humbled–I know some people didn’t love that part, but I thought it was very well done, realistic to what would happen, and honestly, it was satisfying to see someone able to do to Jasnah what she often does to others.
With the end of the book, the things liked the most were Sigzil’s sacrifice, Szeth’s arc, that Dalinar chose to protect Gavinar, and the wrap up with the herald’s. These things were fun to read and felt satisfying to me as a reader.
That being said, there were quite a few things that detracted from the reading experience for me. For some reason, there was so much of the book that just dragged for me. The worst were the scenes where Honor was telling his backstory–these felt like straight up exposition dump and I found myself getting annoyed every time it went back to his veiwpoint. Honestly, though, most of the spiritual realm felt long and uninteresting. I have a hard time with dreams in books and the much of the spiritual realm felt dream-like, so I’m wondering if this is part of why I struggled with it. I’m not sure, but I had an especially hard time with caring about Shallan’s veiwpoints in the spiritual realm.
The other part of the book that was very boring to me was Sigzil’s sections, and I think it’s because I had already read The Sunlit Man (which was recommended to be read before Wind and Truth). I already knew so much because of the Sunlit Man that it was not exciting to read and all the tension I would have felt otherwise about their struggles was gone. Like I said before, I did love his climax, but the rest of his sections were just harder to get through. In fact, most of the fight scenes until day 9 felt a little pointless to read and I found more boring. It almost felt like it didn’t even matter until it was closer to the end of the 10 days.
If you take the bulk of the spiritual realm and the bulk of the fight scenes, it makes up most of the build up in the book and it’s easy for me to see why I had a harder time getting through the book. On top of this, I found myself often pulled out of the story by more modern language. The worst offense for me was the constant use of the word “therapy”. It literally was driving me crazy, though there were other phrases that felt very out of place to me too. It seems like such a small thing to have a few out-of-place words, but it actually had a big effect on the reading experience for me.
With the word therapy, I also had a hard time with the fact that Szeth is the one who has the main character arc, but we see so much of his perspective through Kaladin’s eyes. Kaladin’s character is simply trying to “fix” Szeth and it’s honestly way less fun to watch someone trying to fix someone else than it is to watch a character struggle themselves to fix themselves. This was one of the way that themes in this book felt different to me than in the past books and it had a big effect on the reading experience.
And finally, the contest of champions. This was the thing that the last few books have really been leading up to and it was a huge letdown for me. I hated–absolutely hated–who the champion was. From the beginning, I have held firm that I could handle anyone being the champion except one person. And guess who the champion was? Yep, that person. I also hate the way they became the champion, it makes me sick. Then the contest itself very anticlimatic. I was just expecting so much more from it and it just kind of … fizzled.
Overall, I think the sections I enjoyed made it worth reading and I plan on continuing the series. I am hoping that this book is a one-off and not the start of a different trajectory for the series. I love the first three books, like the fourth book, and was disappointed with this one, but I hold out hope that I can love (or at least like) the sixth. I guess we’ll see.
So those are my thoughts on Wind and Truth and how I did with my Cosmere rereadathon. It was so fun to revisit so many of my favorite books in 2024! Have you read Wind and Truth? What did you think of it? I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if they differ from mine!
May was not my greatest reading month, but it could have been worse. I was in the thick of it with five kids, just trying to survive that newborn stage but also starting to try to actually do other things as well. It was really rough because Leah would not let me set her down during the day for naps much. We ended up taking a “summer break” from school a little early even to try to help. But, when I wasn’t on my phone while nap trapped, I did get time to read while snuggling my baby.
I read 19 books and 5,328 pages in May, for an average of 280 pages per book. 15 books were by femaleauthors and 4 were by male authors. I read 2 physical books, 10 ebooks, and 7 audiobooks. I read 5 middle grade, 4 YA, and 10 adult books. I borrowed 9 of the books I read and owned 10 of them. I read aloud 4 books with my kids and read 4 new releases. 4 books were rereads and 15 were new reads. I read 3 books in a series, finishing 1 and starting 0. I had 10 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 5 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
The Other World by Abbie Emmons
This YA contemporary is one I’ve had on my TBR for quite awhile now and I loved it! Abbie Emmons has a YouTube channel talking about writing and I have always enjoyed watching her videos and learning from her. It was fun to finally read one of her books and to enjoy it so much. The Other World has Little Mermaid retelling vibes, a well-done love triangle, and some captivating character arcs. I am looking forward to trying Abbie Emmons’ other books.
London Calling by James Ponti
London Calling is the sixth book in the City Spies series. My kids love the series (we listened to it together) but I have to admit I was starting to get a little tired of it and wasn’t as excited to have a new book come out. It surprised me, though, how much I enjoyed it! I really loved seeing more of Mother’s kids and the entire plotline around them, and the plotline around the super computer. This book made me excited that there will be a seventh!
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Despite being third here, The Survivors may have been my favorite book this month. Like Jane Harper’s other books, it is a slowburn, character-driven thriller. They never seem like my kind of books before I read them, but I’ve loved every single thing she’s written. This one follows a small family of three as the murder of a nonlocal girl mixes with accidental deaths of the past. I loved the characters and the journey they went on. I am really excited for her next book!
Next Level Plot by KM Weiland
Next Level Plot Structure was my nonfiction read of the month and it was very well done. I read her first plot structure book (Creating Character Arcs) years ago and got a lot of out of it. I wish I had done a refresher of that book before reading this one, as this uses a lot of information from the original book to go deeper. Sometime in the future, I’d like to revisit them in succession.
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
By the Shores of Silver Lake was technically a reread for me (I am rereading all the books this year using this reading chart), but the last time I read it was when I was a little girl and I have very few memories of it (most of my Little House memories come from the show).
Those were the books I loved most in May! What books have you been reading and loving lately? What five star reads did you have in May? I’d love to hear about your recent reads and chat about books!
Audible is doing a big, sitewide sale this week (ends June 8) in honor of Audiobook Month! I love when Audible does this sale, because a lot of books are steeply discounted (under $5 or $10, which is very rarely seen with audiobooks). It’s a great way for me to stock up on Audible books. I have added quite a few books to my cart, all under $5 (I won’t be sharing the exact price, though, because the prices can vary some from person to person based on purchase history, browsing history, etc).
Today I am sharing the books I am buying on the sale!
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay are all on a good sale. We own the books, but not the audiobooks, so I thought this would be a good chance to get them. My own kids are also getting closer to an age where they might enjoy them.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest release in the Hunger Games world and I haven’t read it yet. I was originally planning on skipping it, partially because I wasn’t blown away by Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Since then, however, I have heard that a lot of people love it, even when they didn’t love Ballad. I decided I should give it a try, especially at such a low price.
From Sand to Ash by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon is an author I’ve been working on reading through all her books and really loving most of them. I’m excited to try From Sand to Ash!
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
The Hobbit is such a classic and owning this on audio could open it up to my kids in a new way (I’ve read it to them before).
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Game is the only Orson Scott Card book I’ve read, but I really enjoyed it. I think it has some language and violence in it, so I wouldn’t have the kids listen until they were teenagers at least, but it is one I also have been considering rereading.
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
This is a series I read quite a few years ago and really loved it. The Vine Witch is the first in the series, but also wraps up fairly neatly as a stand alone.
The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
The Great Train Robbery is written by the same author as Jurassic Park, a book I found myself surprised by how much I loved it. I am excited for this one, because I love heist-type books and I’m interested to see if I will like anything else written by this author.
The Gorgon’s Fury: Tales of Newel and Doren by Brandon Mull
The Gorgon’s Fury is the newest release in the Fablehaven world. I’m mostly buying this for my kids, as they love Fablehaven, but I’m also interested for myself because Newel and Doren were some of the best characters in the Fablehaven series.
Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Pay Attention Carter Jones is a middle grade coming of age contemporary that I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. I could see myself revisiting it, but having it on audiobook also makes it more likely some or all of my kids will eventually read it too (or maybe we’ll listen to it as a family!).
The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West
I’ve slowly been reading my way through Kasie West’s books and enjoying them. Like all of her books, The Fill-in Boyfriend is a sweet and clean YA romance. I haven’t read this yet and I think it will be perfect when I’m in the mood for something fun and light.
Lucky in Love by Kasie West
Lucky in Love is another Kasie West book I haven’t read. She had quite a few others on a pretty good sale, but these were the only two under $5 for me and since there were already so many books I wanted to buy, I was trying to limit my buys this time around.
So True a Love by Joanna Barker
Joanna Barker is another author that I have been reading a lot of lately and really loving. She writes regency romance and So True a Love looks like a cute one! It’s the sequel to a book I recently read by Joanna Barker that I loved and I’m excited for the “investigation” side of it.
One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This has been on my TBR for awhile–I actually have a hard copy from the library right now, but I have only made it a few pages in with the new baby. Maybe having it as an audiobook will help me actually get to it. One Wrong Step is a middle grade historical fiction about climbing Mount Everest.
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
I didn’t know LM Montgomery had written more than Anne and Emily until recently, but The Blue Castle became one of my absolute favorite classics when I read it! It has a romcom feel to it and it’s fun to see the way the main character grows into herself. I’m very excited to own the audio version of it.
Infinity Blade: Redemption by Brandon Sanderson
Infinity Blade wasn’t my favorite duology (I’ve never played the game) but it is by Brandon Sanderson, so of course I am going to own for only a couple of dollars.
Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I have loved the Phyllida Bright series (Murder Takes the Stage is the fourth). Now I only need the first in the series and will own all the books on audio. I got the audiobook from the library to read them originally and really loved narrator as well.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda is a classic for a reason and I’m excited to own the audiobook, especially for my kids. There were a few other Roald Dahl books on a pretty good sale, but this was the only one that was under $5 for me.
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
James Ponti wrote City Spies and Framed!, both of which the kids and I have really enjoyed together. I think The Sherlock Society is his latest series and I’ve been wanting to listen to it with the kids. This one is the only book I am getting that isn’t under $5, but it’s still on a good deal and I was planning on buying it this month or next anyway.
Those are the books I am buying during this Audible sale! It’s a pretty good haul and I’m excited for all of them! Are you getting any audiobooks this week? What are some of your favorite books to listen to?
I have always loved reading aloud with my kids, especially since reading The Read Aloud Handbook (I think every parent should read it!). I loved sharing picture book after picture books with my kids, starting with my oldest. When she turned four, I felt like she was ready to start reading chapter books with me, and I was very excited to start moving away from only picture books! But I wasn’t sure where to start. Four kids later (our fourth is turning 4 in September and just getting into chapter books), I have a great list of go-to’s for reading aloud to them!
Today I am sharing my favorite books to read with 4 to 6 year olds!
Mercy Watson by Chris Van Dusen
Mercy Watson is a fun series about a couple who adopt a pig named Mercy–and all the shananigans that take place in the neighborhood because of it. It’s a great transition from picture books to chapter books because it has less words on each page and pictures throughout, but is a longer book broken up into chapters.
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
The Princess in Black series might have “princess” in the title, but is great for both boys and girls! In fact, it’s my son’s favorite series currently. It has a variety of cast, including boys, and a fun superhero aspect that all my kids have loved. It’s all about a poper who has a secret life as the Princess in Black–a super hero who fights monsters and as the series go on, more and more super heroes show up!
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
My Father’s Dragon is a clever and fun book to read about a boy who has to use some tricks to save a dragon kept captive by dangerous animals. The subsequent books aren’t my personal favorite, but my kids all love them. This book has less pictures, but still has some, and the reading level and story are perfect for younger kids.
Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliot
I haven’t read every Owl Diaries book with my kids, but they’ve enjoyed quite a few of them. They follow an owl going through different experiences that kids can relate to. The owl is cute and the chapters are nice and short.
The Chicken Squad by Doreen Cronin
The Chicken Squad is a ridiculous and fun series that my kids adore! The illustrations are really fun and the plot and characters are silly, but also engaging for adults. This is one of my favorite starters for young kid read alouds!
Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
Lulu and the Brontosaurus is the first book of four, and the first is my favorite. My kids love all four of them, though. It follows a little girl who has to learn how to be polite and that she can’t always get what she wants. One thing I love about the series is that she learns these lessons without losing her spunky personality.
The Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
The Magic Tree House series has a lot of nostalgia for me as a child and has a lot of learning packed into it as well. This is actually the series that jumpstarted my oldest’s independent reading–she got them for Christmas and just started reading them on her own. I love them as read alouds as well (and we love the audiobooks)! The short chapters and fast paced plot do a great job of keeping younger kids’ interest.
I know some people prefer the sibling relationships in Imagination Station and we’ve read and enjoyed that series as well.
Simon Seahorse by Cora Reef
Simon Seahorse is a sweet series very targeted at young kids. It follows a seahorse who loves to make up stories and have adventures with his friends. It has plenty of pictures throughout the short chapters and his problems are very relatable to kids.
Zoey and Sassafras by Asia Citro
Zoey and Sassafras combines two of my kids’ favorite things–science and magical creatures! The magic aspect had my kids hooked from the beginning and they loved each new book as we read the books together.
Princess Pink and the Land of Fake Believeby Noah Z. Jones
This is another book that has “princess” in the title that boys would love! This whole series plays on traditional fairy tales in very clever ways. My kids might not have caught all the twists, but I know they understood at least some of them, and they loved the weirdness of the books.
Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton
My kids LOVE all the Narwhal and Jelly books and they make a great introduction for younger kids to the graphic novel style. These two friends are so fun to read about and have sweet adventures together under the sea (plus, kids seem to love narwhals!).
That’s my current list of our favorite chapter books to read aloud to our children as they transition from picture books to longer reads! What are some of your favorites? I’m always on the lookout for new reads to share with my kids!
Every year, we do a countdown to each child’s birthday 12 days before their special day, as a sort of twist on the 12 days of Christmas. With Parker’s birthday coming up (hers has always been the first of the year until we had Leah this year), it’s time to put the 12 days of Parker together!
I will do the same gifts for both Rylee and Ashtyn’s birthday later in the year. Oliver, being younger and a boy, will get a different item for some of the days. Leah won’t get a countdown until she’s turning three.
Day 1: Cake Mix with sprinkles and frosting
The kids love cooking and helping me in the kitchen, so this is a fun way to let them make something more on their own. We did it last year and it was their favorite thing (especially Oliver)! For Ashtyn, I get her cake flour and she makes an angel food cake because she loves to follow recipes and doesn’t like eating cake mix cake very much.
Day 2: Foldology Book
This is a fun activity book that I heard about from Everyday Reading and I knew when I saw her talking about it that my girls would love it! Oliver is probably not quite old enough for it yet, so I was planning to get a couple matchbox cars for him this day instead.
Day 3: Candy
I always like to throw in a few days of candy because it’s cheap and fun! I also like to have at least one candy day where all the kids can have some and have some days where the candy is just for the birthday kid.
Day 4: Shower bombs and lip gloss
I bought a pack of shower bombs and a pack of lip gloss that I could divide up between all the girls through the year. I think they’re going to especially love the shower bombs. Oliver will get some bath stuff this day instead.
Day 5: Paint Sticks
My kids love all things crafting and these paint sticks seemed like a pretty lowkey item that they can use without my help, but also something a little out of the ordinary of what we have around for them to craft with.
Day 6: Candy
Another candy day!
Day 7: Pokemon Stained Glass Art Book
In addition to loving crafting, my kids are very into Pokemon. I think all four of them (including Oliver) will love this little art book.
Day 8: Kindle Page Turner
Both Ashtyn and Parker have Kindles and love them. I think they will think these page turners are fun and use them a lot, especially when they’re reading in bed at night. Since Rylee and Oliver don’t have Kindles yet, I’m going to do something different for them. I was thinking of trying to find a less expensive telescope for Rylee, because she’s been really wanting one, and doing rock crayons with a notebook for Oliver.
Day 9: Candy
Another candy day! The kids love getting the candy and I always try to find candy that I know they really love but don’t get very often.
Day 10: Modeling Clay
This is another crafting thing that I think the kids are really going to have a lot of fun with.
Day 11: Twinkies
Our kids all love Twinkies, but we basically never buy them (pretty much only for their birthday countdown), so they are always very excited for this day.
Day 12: Special Necklace
The girls (Parker especially) have been really into jewelry lately and I found these cute necklaces that are customizable with the letter of their first name. I think the girls will love it! Oliver obviously won’t be getting a necklace. The thing he is really into is super heroes, so I was planning on getting him some simple super hero masks for this day. I know he’ll love them.
That is what we are doing for our birthday 12 day countdown! This is one of our favorite birthday traditions, even when we keep it simple and get dollar store gifts. What is one of your family’s favorite traditions?
April was quite a month as we enjoyed baby snuggles, got very little sleep, and survived the first month with our newborn. Being trapped under a sleeping baby and up in the night (and having freezer meals so I don’t need to make dinner most nights) has given me lots of time to read. I got through a lot of books and enjoyed most of them!
I read 21 books in April and 6,739 pages (the most pages in a month so far this year by quite a bit), for an average of 320 pages per book. I read 16 books by female authors and 5 books by male authors. I borrowed 7 of the books and owned 14 of them. I read 9 stand alones and 4 books part of a series. I read 2 physical books, 11 ebooks, and 7 audiobooks. I had 5 rereads and 16 new reads. I read 5 middle grade, 4 YA, and 10 adult books. I shared 4 read alouds with my kids and read 5 new releases. I read 13 five star reads, 7 four star reads, 1 three star read, 1 two star read, and no one star reads.
It was fun to read so many books I enjoyed so much. Because I’ve been so tired, it can be hard to focus on reading, so if I wasn’t into the book, I just stopped.
Here are 5 of my favorite 5 star reads in April!
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee
Kill Her Twice is a historical fiction that takes place in Chinatown in Los Angeles in 1932. I loved the characters and family relationships, the mystery, and the side romance. I also loved learning more about this area in this time period, something I didn’t know anything about. I’ve read a few books now by Stacey Lee and loved all of them!
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
This was an excellent nonfiction book written by an FBI negotiator. The content was super interesting and the author is excellent at using stories to draw the reader through. As a parent, I found a lot of applicable information despite it not being a parenting book. I also listened to it and the audio is excellent (the narrator is Michael Kramer). This is a book I plan on rereading in the future.
A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker
Regency romance can be hit or miss for me, but I have loved Joanna Barker’s books. This one was no exception! The romance was really cute and went hand in hand with the mystery. I found myself wishing this would become a series where they solved mysteries together.
Making Faces by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon is another of my favorite authors. Making Faces is a contemporary young adult romance that explores beauty and love. I loved the way the themes were explored and watching the romance develop. My favorite character was Bailey, a side character with muscular dystrophy and a heart of gold.
Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
I read Vera Wong last year and absolutely loved it. This book by the same author had similar vibes and was so fun! It has (often over the top) humor and ridiculous situations, with lovable characters trying to find their way out of it. I can’t wait to read more in the series!
Bonus:
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping by Jesse Q Sutanto
I had so many great reads in April that I couldn’t keep it down to just five! In April, I treated myself and got the sequel to Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, which I read and loved last year. The sequel just released and I loved it (maybe not quite as much as the first, but it was close!).
These were my favorite reads from April! If you want to see all the books I read and their ratings, I rate each book on my Goodreads page. What did you read in April? What books have you loved recently? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
