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!
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!
March was a busy month! I was prepping for the baby for most of it, and I had a LOT to do, because I got to 36 weeks and realized that with everything else going on, I hadn’t done anything to prep and got on it. I got my birthing kit together, prepped the baby station, filled the freezer with meals, and did a lot of deep cleaning all month.
The week before the baby came, I got sick with a cold and couldn’t do as much, and then at the very end of the month, we got to welcome our baby girl! With all that going on, I had less time to read, but lots of time to listen to audiobooks.
I read 17 books in March and 5,133 pages, for an average of 301 pages per book. 13 were written by female authors and 4 by male authors. I borrowed 6 and read 11 books I owned. I read 8 stand alones and 5 books part of a series. I read 1 physical book, 6 ebooks, and 10 audiobooks. I read 7 middle grade, 1 YA, and 5 adult books and shared 2 read alouds with my kids. I read 2 new releases. I had 3 rereads and 14 new reads. I had 10 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 3 three star reads, 1 two star reads, and no one star reads.
Here were my 5 favorite 5 star reads in March!
When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
I absolutely loved this WWII historical fiction taking place in Korea. I knew basically nothing about what had happened there leading up to and during the war and learned so much. I loved the characters and was very invested in the family and country’s hardships. This is the second book by Linda Sue Park that I have read and loved.
What Everybody is Saying by Joe Navaro
I loved this nonfiction book! Body language is something I don’t know a lot about but an very interested in learning more. This felt like a very thorough introduction, one I would revisit.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Refugee is a book that follows several refugee families from different time periods and the struggles they face. It is such an important topic to explore. I loved each of the three stories and I loved the author’s note afteward.
Content: While it is middle grade, I would say it is aimed at older middle grade due to the violence in parts. It’s not unneccessary and adds to the story, but I wouldn’t hand this to my 10 year old currently.
Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lines of Courage follows many different characters through WWI and circles back to connect many of them in the end. I wasn’t sure at first about following so many different characters, but I ended up really liking it and the way their stories converged. It was also interesting to read a story set in WWI (rather than WWII).
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Casimano
This is the fourth book in the series and my favorite of the series so far! Something about taking all the characters to a casino hotel and throwing them all together, then letting them try to figure everything out was so fun to me. The comedy really worked for me.
Bonus reread:
Framed! by James Ponti
When I pick my favorite reads of the month, I don’t typically include rereads (partially because if I’m rereading it, it’s probably because it’s already one of my favorite books). For my bonus book this month, though, I had to include this one! I read it last year and loved it. I have been trying to talk my older kids into reading it on their own ever since, but they never did. Finally, on a road trip, I decided to start listening to it with them. Like I knew they would, they LOVED it (and the other two books in the series). I loved listening to it with them as well and looked forward to our audiobook time together.
Those were my favorite books from March! I share all the books I read and what I rated them on my Goodreads page. What did you read in March? What was a favorite recent read of yours? Let’s talk about books in the comments!
Looking back at my reading year is one of the best parts of a new year! I’m sure you can relate. I had a great reading year. I read a lot of books (probably more than I have since I was a young teenager!) and enjoyed so many of them. It was hard to narrow it down to my favorites, but this is my attempt to do so.
I read 230 books in 2024 and 71,113 pages, for an average of 309 pages per book, an average of 19 books per month, and 5,926 pages per month. I read 108 five star reads, 76 four star reads, 37 three star reads, and 9 two star reads. I read 66 fantasy books, 47 mystery books, 50 contemporary, 22 historical fiction, 20 nonfiction, and 16 classics. I read 97 middle grade, 25 YA, and 107 adult books. We had 52 read alouds (including books we listened to as a family). I read 84 eBooks, 43 physical books, and listened to 104 audiobooks. I read 170 books by female authors and 68 books by male authors. 163 books were new reads and 62 were rereads. I bought 71 physical books and donated 4, and I bought 206 eBooks, 107 audiobooks, and 49 picture books. It was a great year for reading and buying books!
And now, here are my favorite reads of 2024! I like to use categories to help myself narrow them down.
My Favorite New Release
I read quite a few new releases in 2024 and loved them, but this one was a favorite! It follows Butch Cassidy after he tries to get out of the outlaw life. A lot of the book takes place in Utah, which was fun since that’s where I live. I really loved the romance, the character development, and the ending (especially after being worried that I would hate the ending). Amy Harmon continues as a favorite author!
A Book that Surprised Me
I grew up loving Anne of Green Gables but never read anything else by her (and in fact, haven’t ever read most of the books in the Anne series, something I want to remedy soon!). I did not know what I was missing out on! I had never even heard of The Blue Castle until the eBook was on sale, but I bought it and then promptly devoured it. The characters had so much to them and the romance was adorable and I loved seeing Valancy grow in confidence and find herself. It was a hidden gem, and you can be sure I’m going to read more books by L.M. Montgomery this next year.
Runner Up: A Book that Surprised Me
This might be cheating a little–putting an extra book in this section, but I simply couldn’t narrow it down. I had read another book by Jane Harper a few years ago and liked it, but I kept putting this one off because it didn’t really sound like my kind of book. When I finally read it, I surprisingly couldn’t put it down. It was a character driven thriller, and I loved both the characters and the mystery in it.
Favorite Nonfiction
I didn’t read a lot of nonfiction this year, but I did read some that I really liked (runner up for this one would be The Anxious Generation). This parenting book wasn’t ground breaking for me–I’ve read a lot of parenting books, so I’ve heard everything already that was laid out in this book, but it was a much needed and great reminder. I loved the way the author talked about boundaries, how it’s never too late or too early, emotions in kids, and the way she gave permission to trust your child to learn what they need without a lecture from you.
Favorite Spontaneous Read
I have a big backlog of books to get through and love planning out my TBR, but I do throw in some spontaneous reads every once in a while. This was one of those and I loved it! I tend to enjoy middle grade mysteries, and this was a fun twist–a middle grade kid working with the FBI. The characters and friendships throughout the series are fun and well done as well.
Favorite Agatha Christie Read
Because I read an Agatha Christie book each month (at least one), I started just making this a category until I finish off her books. I loved so many of her books this last year, but The Clocks was my favorite. It’s a Poirot, though he’s actually not as involved in the mystery as most of his books. Despite that, the characters are just brilliant, and the mystery is a very fun one with a satisfying conclusion.
Favorite Book in a Series
I try to keep up with series that I start, so I end up reading a lot of books that are parts of series. This one is the start of an unfinished series, but can work as a stand alone. It was one of my top favorite books of the year! It was a quirky contemporary with a bit of murder mystery thrown in. I absolutely loved the main characters, especially Vera, and the ending was just my cup of tea! I can’t wait for the second one to come out!
Favorite Recommended Book
This book/author was recommended by one of my favorite book bloggers Everyday Reading. I love regency romances, but it can be hard to find ones that are really well written, but this one definitely was! It had a really great hate-to-love relationship with a marriage of convenience during the second half that was really fun to read. I loved the characters and the relationships they had with each other throughout.
Favorite Book That Made Me Cry
I have always cried easily during books or movies, so this gets its own category. The Sugar Queen was a really riveting read for me. The big twist at the end was pretty obvious, but I think it was supposed to be and I actually liked that it was. I loved the way the relationships ended up as well.
Favorite Read Aloud
We had a lot of great read alouds together, but this for sure took the top spot! I loved the book (in fact, I read it on my own first and then listened to it with the girls just a few weeks later). The kids all loved it so much that they wanted to listen to it again as soon as we had finished it. We listened to it together three times total in the year (usually on car trips, because it was a good length for that) and bought a physical copy for them to read on their own or for me to read aloud to them this next year more. It has a fun mystery, great characters, and jokes that even my five-year-old can understand and appreciate.
Favorite Book by a Favorite Author
Some of these categories have overlap, but that’s okay. One of my favorite authors is Katherine Center–I love the way she handles romcoms, with fun and quirky characters while keeping some substance in her books as well. In this one, I loved the “writing a rom com” plot line and the romance really worked for me. This didn’t take the place of my number one favorite Katherine Center, but it’s up there!
Bonus Category-Favorite Reread!
My main rereads in 2024 were Cosmere books by Brandon Sanderson–I talked about my plan in this blog post and managed to reread them all! It was tough to pick just one favorite, but I ended up picking Way of Kings. My favorite in the series is actually Oathbringer, but I just loved rereading Way of Kings this time, even more than Oathbringer. It never dragged for me the way it sometimes has in the past and the ending is just so great. If I got to pick a runner up, I would have picked Mistborn, but I would have had to pick the entire series.
Those were my favorite books this year! I had a great reading year, it was hard to narrow it down. What were your favorite books you read in 2024? I’d love to hear from you!
I loved the Little House books growing up (and the TV show!) but have only vague memories of the later books as an adult. I’ve reread some of the books as I’ve shared them with my kids (namely Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie) but have wanted to revisit the rest for a while now. This year, I decided to do just that and reread the series!
If you would like to read along with me, I’d love to share the journey! I created a PDF printable to track each book!
Here is my plan for the year:
January:
Because I am getting going with this blog post a little late, January has come and gone, and I’ve already reread Little House in the Big Woods. I am actually planning on reading it again, this time aloud with my kids, in December for Christmas, as well!
February:
In February, I am planning on reading Farmer Boy. I’ve recently reread this one and remember not loving it as much, so we’ll see how it goes.
March:
My read in March is going to be Little House on the Prairie. This one is short and sweet, and I love it. I know I won’t have any trouble getting through it and it can count towards Middle Grade March!
April:
I’m planning on reading On the Banks of Plum Creek in April. I have basically no memory of this one and am really excited to revisit it. I will have a new baby, but I usually get extra reading in right after having a baby because of all the late-night feeds, so I’m not worried about getting this one it.
May/June:
My read in May is By the Shores of Silver Lake. This is another one that I have very little memory of and am excited to read. Because I’m not sure how things are going to go with the new baby and adjusting to having five kids, I’m giving myself two months to get this one in, so I don’t feel pressured with my reading.
July:
I’m skipping The Long Winter to save it for a colder month (it didn’t feel right to read it in the middle of summer) and reading Little Town on the Prairie. Other than The Long Winter (which I read a few years ago), I don’t remember a lot about the rest of the books, including this one, which makes me very excited to reread them all.
August:
In August, I plan on reading These Happy Golden Years. I expect to be adjusting by this time to having an extra child and I know I’ll have time while nursing to read, so I’m expecting to be able to get to all of these, especially since they tend to be shorter reads.
September:
In September, I’m going to read The First Four Years. Because it’s shorter, I think it will be a good one to read for 30 Books in 30 Days, which usually takes place in September as well.
November:
I’m planning on taking a break in October to focus on spookier reads and wait for a “winter month” to read The Long Winter. I think it’ll be the perfect read to get me in the mood for the holidays and colder weather.
December:
In December, I’m planning on reading Little House in the Big Woods with my kids. I love the Christmas chapters and feel like it makes the perfect holiday read because of that! I’ve read this with my kids before, but it’s been a while, and I know they’ll enjoy revisiting it as well.
That is my plan for reading The Little House series this year! Are there any related books that would go well with my reread? Are you planning on rereading with me? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Every year, I put together a bullet journal to use and fill out during the year. I track the books I read, the stats of my reading, my writing and reading goals, and my monthly TBR.
I love creating it and using it every year.
The first page of my bullet journal is a notes page, where I can write down anything I need to remember for next year’s bullet journal. This includes things like changes I might want to make to pages or the order of pages as well as new releases I want to put in next year’s journal.
I like to have a calendar page at the start of my bullet journal to show big picture events that are happening throughout the year.
Then I have my book log. I write down the title, author, how many stars I rated it, the date I finished reading it, and the number of pages in the book. I leave plenty of empty pages, though this last year I didn’t fill them all up. I’d rather have a few extras than run out of room.
Right after my book log, I have my stats page. I love keeping track of all the stats, just for fun. I use tally marks to keep track as I track books, though a few of the stats I count up at the end of the month.
After my stats page is a place for me to write the number (which is easier to see than the tally marks). I fill this out at the end of each month.
Another stats page I have is a place to color in how many books I’ve read that year. My minimum goal is 180, but I often read more than that, so I include more squares than I think I’ll need, just in case.
Each year, I go through my Goodreads TBR (which has more than a thousand books on it) and try to find 33 books to prioritize that year. I always try to include a variety of genres and include YA, middle grade, and adult books. I choose 33 because that’s 3 books a month (which is a very reasonable number for me) other than December (during which I usually read less and like to be done with my reading goals if I can be).
My Classics TBR includes classics that I want to read in general, not just during that year.
My Reread list, like with classics, includes books that I want to reread in general. Then, I pick one book a month to reread (though with read alouds to my kids and occasional mood reading, it often ends up being more than one a month).
I love keeping track of series that I am in the middle of. I’ve broken up the series into four different categories: series I am actively reading, series I’ve started but am not sure I want to continue (though am also not ready to DNF), series I’ve started that have unwritten books that haven’t come out yet, and series I haven’t started yet but want to.
On my New Releases page, I like to write down the book (sometimes with a prompt to help me remember what the book is) and when it comes out. I color code the month it comes out so I can tell at a glance when it does. I also include books that were released in the year previous (so this year, in 2024).
I like to have a list of books I think would be fun to read aloud with my kids. We do a lot of read alouds, between homeschool, reading at night, and listening to audiobooks together. At the top of the list, I pick one a month that I want to prioritize (I usually actually read 9-10 of the books I pick out with the kids that year).
This page is for authors that I want to read more books by. When I read a book by that author, I color in a square under their name. If I read enough books by an author and love them, I eventually move that author to my Read All page (down below).
This is my page to keep track of authors who I want to read all their books, as well as the books they’ve written. The books that are colored in already are the ones I’ve read before the year starts. Many of the authors are ones that I am just working on over the next few years, but I usually pick one or two that I try to finish off their books that year.
Then I have my Author Collection page–the authors that I have read all their books. If I reread a book by them, I put a dot on the outside of their star. If I read a new release by them, I put a line across their star.
I’ve been working on reading all of Agatha Christie’s books for many years and really loving it. I like to choose one book a month to read by her and I look forward to it so much that I will probably continue rereading a book by her each month even after finishing reading all her books (using The Christie Challenge). I also like to have a page for some of my favorite readathons–including Middle Grade March.
This is my own reading challenge this year–to reread all the Little House on the Prairie books. I read all of them when I was a child, but I don’t remember them very well. I’ve only reread a few as an adult and I’m looking forward to experiencing them all again.
Jane Austen July is another readathon I really enjoy. I’ve also left some blank pages in this area in case I come across another readathon or reading challenge I’d like to participate in.
There are two readathons in September that I love–30 Books in 30 Days and Series September!
I also have always tried to participate in Nonfiction November, though I usually struggle to fit in very many nonfiction books here because I’m so busy trying to finish off my other reading goals. Though it’s not really following the challenge, I decided to use this page to track my nonfiction reading in general this year and choose one book a month that is nonfiction to focus on.
The next few pages are lists of nonfiction books that sound interesting to me and that I’d like to someday get to.
Then I have a cover page to divide my book lists from my section for buying and borrowing books.
This section starts with my library books catalogue. When I borrow the book, I write down the book title, the format, and when it is due. Then I can mark it off if I end up reading it.
Then I have my bookshelves of books that I want to buy. Since taking these pictures, I’ve since added book titles that I want to buy to many of these books. I organize them by author last name.
The final page is for books that I buy that weren’t on my list of books I want to buy and then a section to keep track of my spending on books. The top section is for how much I have budgeted for books and the bottom section is how much I actually spent.
This page is for writing down the book titles of books I’ve bought each month.
This page for writing down book titles of children’s books I’ve bought.
This first page is for writing down books I get rid of from my home library. The second page is where I keep track of books I gift to other people (I like to try to give someone a book each month).
Then I have a page for stats around buying and borrowing books. I like my stats XD
The second page here is my cover page for my movies section.
This page is for movies we watch as a family that aren’t Disney movies.
This is my page for keeping track of Disney movies we watch as a family throughout the year. When we watch one, I color the title in with the month’s corresponding color.
This page is for the holidays–Halloween movies and then Christmas movies!
This page is for movies that Ben and I watch together. We don’t watch a lot of movies (we tend toward TV shows or pickleball matches on YouTube, so we can get to bed at a decent time), but every once in a while, we enjoy a movie together.
The second page is the cover page for my writing section.
My writing section starts with tracking for nonfiction writing projects, blog post (my bookish blog and my personal blog) stats, and tracking writing group meetups. The second page is a monthly tracker of YouTube and my blog.
This page is for tracking my novel writing–on the first page, I keep track of weekly words written and the second page I can keep track of where I am in the writing process, monthly word count, and percentages of how far I am in the project.
This first page is a new one this year, a place for me to keep track of novels I’ve finished writing. The second page is a place for me to write down inspirational quotes related to writing.
This is a place for me to write down some of my favorite quotes from books I read during the year.
And this page is my stats page for social media and writing. I will take any excuse to make a stats page.
Then I have some pages to note my favorite books of the year. The first page here is where I write down my top three favorite reads of each month. I fill this out as I finish off each reading month. The second page is one I fill out at the end, where I pick my top ten books of the year.
The first page here is just for fun and I’m not sure I’ll keep it in future bullet journals, but it’s a bracket to help me narrow down my favorite book of the year.
The second page is a cover page for the final section in my bullet journal that I’ll show down below.
I have four pages for each month in this section. The first page is a place to write down goals, things I want to get done, and look at events that are happening that month (like birthdays, traveling, etc).
The second page is a calendar. The sides are where I can write down ideas of blog post and Instagram post ideas. As I actually create posts for either, I mark them on the calendar. The small section each day is for tracking Instagram posts and the larger square is for blog posts. I love being able to see at a glance how active I’ve been on Instagram and my blog.
The first page here is for tracking my TBR. I pick 10 books that I want to prioritize and then I have the five below that where I can put other books I might like to get to. I use my book lists to decide which books to read.
The second page is where I write down all the books I own (in the three different formats) that I haven’t read yet. I try to keep my lists down to this number, but often I don’t manage it (especially with eBooks, which I love buying on sale). I also try to read all the books I own in January by the end of the year (though last year I didn’t quite manage it).
These pages repeat through each month of the year through December to finish off my bullet journal.
I love my bookish bullet journal! It is so fun for me to create the pages each year and I love using it to track things and fill it out all year long.
Do you have a bullet journal? How do you track your reading and other bookish hobbies? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
August was a fantastic reading month for me, with many books that I know will end up being favorites of the year!
I read 19 books in August and 6,079 pages, for an average of 319 pages per book. I read 15 books by female authors and 4 books by male authors. I borrowed 8 books and owned 11 of the books I read. I had 6 rereads and 11 new reads. I read 2 new releases. I read 5 middle grade, 2 YA, and 12 adult books, with 3 read alouds. I read 6 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series, and finishing 1 series. I read 8 five star reads, 5 four star reads, 4 three star reads, 1 two stars read, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my favorite reads from last month!
The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon
I wasn’t sure this would be my kind of book. I really love some of Amy Harmon’s books and others are a bit heavy for me. With this one following Butch Cassidy, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I loved it! It is my new favorite book by Amy Harmon. I really loved the love story and the struggle throughout, but then I also really loved the ending.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
I knew going in that I was going to love it and I did! As an aspiring author, I loved the writing aspect of it and the love story was so cute. I also loved the focus on family and the theme of putting the most important things first in life.
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
This is one of the most underrated classics, in my opinion. Despite never having heard of it before, I loved it from beginning to end. The main character Valancy is my favorite and the love story is so sweet. It is also so satisfying watching Valancy grow into her own person and stand up for herself against people who put her down her whole life. It is one of my new favorite classics.
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
This is a classic I’d heard of but never read (the only Thomas Hardy book I’d read before was The Return of the Native in high school, which I did like). I ended up really liking this one, it had a lot of drama and I was there for it.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
This historical fiction was beautifully written and was heart wrenching with some great moments of hope. I didn’t love the ending but otherwise, I just loved it.
Rereads:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is my favorite book by Jane Austen and always will be. Earlier this year, I read a retelling following Mary and it made me want to read the source material again. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I know this one is less-well known by Austen and not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it. It’s one of my favorites by her. There is something about Catherine’s character that I love and relate to. I also love Catherine’s love of novels.
Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is a book that released earlier this year and both the kids and I love it! We relistened to it on a road trip we were taking (it’s just the right length to listen to as we drive to visit my family) and I was reminded about how much I love it. It has fun humor (my kids love all the dog jokes) and I love the plot line and the characters. We are all hoping she writes more and makes it into a series.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
It’s been years since I’ve read this one and it was fun to revisit it with my kids. They liked it, though I think they were a little young (9, 8, and 6) to really just love it. They loved the idea of running away and living in a museum though.
Those are the books I read last month that I loved! I would love to hear about the books you’ve read recently that you really enjoyed! Let me know in the comments below.
July was a fun reading month for me! I had some reads that surprised me with how much I enjoyed them and read one that I missed as a child but loved as an adult.
In July, I read 21 books and 6,203 pages, for an average of 295 pages per book. I read 7 eBooks, 12 audiobooks, and 2 physical books. I borrowed 10 books and owned 11 of the books I read. I had 7 rereads and 14 new reads. I read 9 middle grade books, 1 young adult book, and 11 adult books. I read 2 new releases. I read 2 books that are part of a series, starting none and finishing 1. I read 11 five star reads, 6 four star reads, 4 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
Today I am sharing the books I read last month that I loved the most. I would love to hear what your favorite reads from July were!
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Lost Man is a character-driven thriller that takes place on a cattle ranch in the outback of Queensland. It didn’t feel like it would be my kind of book, but I devoured it and hated to see it end because then I couldn’t keep reading it.
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
The Night Diary is a middle grade historical fiction about a half-Muslim, half-Hindu girl and her family as they try to find their place in the world as India gained independence from Britian and divided into two countries. Throughout, the main character Nisha is writing to her dead mother. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching story.
Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie
I honestly just love most of Agatha Christie’s books, especially the Poirot ones. This one took a bit to get into for some reason, but once I did, it was a winner!
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
This middle grade was a fun read, but also hit on some deeper issues that I loved reading about. Zoe Washington’s father is in jail for murder and her mother doesn’t want her to have any contact with him, but as she starts writing letters to him, she realizes he might be innocent. The friendships and the family relationships in this one are very well done and the main character is one you want to root for.
That Fine Line by Cindy Steel
This was a fantastic hate-to-love romance with pranks and character growth and cute family ties. It was a lighthearted, closed-door romance and it exactly hit the spot for what I was wanting to read at the time.
Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden
This is the finale to the Small Spaces series and was a fantastic ending to it all. I found the series to be creepy, but not too much for me to handle, and I loved the friendships that developed throughout.
Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery
I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables as a child, but somehow missed this one. I found Emily to be just as charming and fun to read about!
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
This was not what I was expecting going in, for some reason, but I devoured it. The mystery of what was going on and then the fallout of the confrontation and earthquake kept me hooked. I especially loved the female relationships that formed and the theme of motherhood that ran throughout.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This was a reread for me as I was reading it aloud to my kids. My girls (ages 9, 8, and 6) absolutely loved it and it was such a joy to share it with them. I loved hearing them laugh at all the appropriate spots and I also just loved revisiting this family and all the antics they get up to.
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
This was one of my Cosmere rereads for the month (since it’s shorter) and I had forgotten just how good it is! Despite it’s shorter lengths, it’s one of my favorites my Sanderson.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
This was my main Cosmere reread for month. I was surprised to find as I started it that I was having a hard time actually wanting to reread it. As I got into, I enjoyed it, but it’s not my absolute favorite by Sanderson. The one thing I do LOVE about the book is the romance. I love that as a reader, I want the main characters to be together before they even meet in person.
Those were my favorite reads from July! What are some of your favorite books that you’ve read recently? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
I had a pretty good reading month in June! I had a lot of reads I really enjoyed and a few that I loved!
I read 19 books in June and 6699 pages, for an average of 353 pages per book. I read 11 books by female authors and 8 books by male authors. I borrowed 6 books and owned 13 of the books I read. I read 5 physical copies, 4 eBooks, and 10 audiobooks. Of the books I read, 5 were rereads and 14 were new reads. I read 8 middle grades, 5 YA, and 7 adult books. I started 2 series and finished 0 (and read 5 books that were part of a series). I read 11 of the 15 books on my monthly TBR and 4 books on my yearly TBR (of 33). I read 6 five star reads, 10 four star reads, 3 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
Today, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite books from the month of June!
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
This romcom meets cozy mystery was really fun to read! As far as the mystery it went, it was fairly predictable, but still fun to see the characters figure it out and their relationship was very engaging!
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
I’m always very wary of books that are trying to write further from other (beloved) characters. In this case, I thought she did a great job staying true to the characters and it was really fun seeing a happy ending for Mary and how she got there.
This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
This nonfiction book talked about the importance of finding belonging in a community and different ways you could do that right where you are at. While I didn’t feel like I was the target audience of the book, I found the research very interesting and came away with a greater desire to be more invested in my community and reach out to my neighbors more.
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
This Agatha Christie was originally a play and was adapted to novel format by Charles Osborne. Because of that, the writing can sometimes feel a little stilted, but the characters and mystery are still on point, and I had a lot of fun reading it.
A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker
This was my favorite book this month (and will probably end up being one of my favorites this year!). This regency romance had a really great hate-to-love relationship with a marriage of convenience during the second half that was really fun to read. I loved the characters and the relationships they had with each other throughout.
These were some fun reads in June and I’d highly recommend them! What were some of your favorite reads in June? What is a book you’ve recently read that you just loved? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Sarah Adams has been a favorite author of mine since I picked up her first book. I found Sarah Adams when she was writing her regency novels. When she came out with her first rom com, I read it and loved it and was hooked! I’ve read every one of her novels since except her newest book, The Rule Book (because it’s open door and I personally don’t read those).
I’ve loved all of the books I’ve read by her! They have all been 4 or 5 stars for me. Today I wanted to share how I rate her books, going from my least favorite to my favorite.
Practice Makes Perfect
While this is my least favorite of her books, I still really enjoyed it. I loved the characters and setting and she always writes amazing chemistry in the romance.
One reason this isn’t my favorite of her books is because it is heavily focused on the fact that the love interest has tattoos–I know that’s a big selling point for some people, but it isn’t really a thing for me, so I didn’t click with it. Another reason it was not my favorite is because it pushed the bounds on a “closed-door” romance for me more than any of her others (and in fact, she added an optional open-door epilogue after publication). The thing that bothered me the most was that the characters slept together without committing to each other and it has a more descriptive lead up scene to that. I still enjoyed the book overall, but because of those things, it was less enjoyable to me and made it my least favorite of her books.
When in Rome
This is the prequel to Practice Makes Perfect and is one of her latest books. One of my favorite things about Sarah Adams’ books is her characters and I really liked the main character in this one. The sexual content in this book (although it is closed door) did bother me some and for some reason, it didn’t click for me as much as some of her others. Like the previous book, though, it was still a solid 4-star read for me.
The Cheat Sheet
This was a fun book, with great characters and really fun friendships (especially within the football team). It wasn’t my favorite of her books as I’m not really into sports or football and the plot dragged a little more for me.
The Temporary Roomie
One thing I love about all of Sarah Adams’ books are her female leads–I think I love every single one of them, including the one this one book! They have such fun and individual personalities and are very relatable. I found myself laughing out loud with her throughout the book. I also loved the focus on pregnancy in this one. The plot didn’t leave as much of an impression for me, but I rated it 5 stars and really loved reading it!
To Con a Gentleman (and her other regency romance books)
Before Sarah Adams wrote rom coms, she wrote two regency romances as well as a novella, all connected. I very much enjoyed the characters and romance in these, as well as how clean they are (since they are regency).
While I love her regency books, I really fell in love Sarah Adams as an author when I read her first rom com. She really has a gift for rom coms!
The Match
This was Sarah Adams’ first rom com and it was a true delight to read! I loved the main characters, their chemistry, and the deeper plot surrounding her epilepsy and his daughter. It was still a fun, light read, but it was nice to have that depth to the characters. I loved the book from beginning to end and it got me hooked on reading rom coms!
The Enemy
This is the sequel to The Match and my number one favorite book by Sarah Adams! I loved everything about it, from the donuts to the characters to the romance to the relationship between the female main character and her mom. It is probably my favorite rom com I’ve ever read. And while (like I said before) I like every female lead Sarah Adams wrote, this one was my favorite. I loved her quirkiness and individuality and just loved reading her story!
Have you read any books by Sarah Adams? Which were your favorite/least favorite? I’d love to hear about them even (or especially) if your opinion differs from mine!
