I had a fun reading month in May, really enjoying a lot of the books I read! I read 16 books and 5,825 pages for an average of 364 pages per book. Of the books I read, 9 were by female authors and 7 were by male authors. I borrowed 6 books and owned 10 of them. I read 1 physical book, 8 eBooks, and 7 audiobooks. I had 5 rereads and 11 new reads. I read 4 middle grade books, 4 YA books, and 8 adult books. I read 5 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series and finishing 1 series. I read 12 of the 15 books on my May TBR and I read 1 book on my yearly TBR (of 33 books). I read 10 five star reads, 2 four star reads, 2 three star reads, 2 two star reads, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my favorite books from May!
The Clocks by Agatha Christie
This was a fun Poirot, with great side characters and an engaging mystery. I always look forward to my Agatha Christie read of the month.
Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This is a middle grade historical fiction set in Russia-occupied Lithuania. It follows the underground network of book smugglers and a young girl named Audra. I loved the characters in the book, the focus on words and books, and the themes of courage and family/nation identity.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
This was my second book by Sarah Addison Allen and I absolutely loved it! The characters immediately drew me in and I loved watching the relationships grow between them. The twist is fairly predictable, but I think that’s what the author was going for. The ending was very satisfying for me.
The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
This was the final book of the Lockwood and Co series. I loved each book in the series more than the last and really enjoyed the final installment. I was so sad to leave the characters and story, but the ending was just what I wanted!
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer
This was another book in a series, the second in the Defy the Night series. It was a fun sequel. I really liked seeing more off the characters and the way it set up for the final book.
Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
The last couple of months, I’ve been rereading the Wax and Wayne series. I finished off Shadows of Self and also read The Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal. While I like the original Mistborn trilogy more, I love this series and seeing the way all the characters grow so much. I also love Steris. I really relate to her and I love how I don’t like her in the first book and by the last book, she becomes my favorite character.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Another reread this month was listening to Princess Academy with my girls (ages 9, 7, and 5). It took them a little to get into it, but they ended up loving it! The audio production was great, with singing and different voice actors.
I loved some of my reads in May! It is always fun to find a series you just love and also to revisit some old favorites. One of my favorite things is sharing my old favorites with my kids (especially when they end up loving it too!).
What did you read in May? What is a book you’ve read recently that you loved? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
One of my favorite things to do with my kids is read a book with them and then watch the movie! Sometimes, we even switch it up and watch the movie and then read the book. It is so fun to enjoy a story in different formats and see the creative differences between the two.
Today I am sharing my favorite book to movie adaptations for the whole family to enjoy!
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web is probably my favorite children’s classic. I love the nature descriptions and fun animals in it. I started reading it with my kids when my oldest was 4 and I read it every few years. It is great for every age!
Our favorite movie to watch along with the book is the 1973 cartoon. It has such great songs in it and the cartoon really appeals to my kids!
Treasure Island (Muppets)
I recently read Treasure Island with my kids, and they enjoyed it! The one thing they didn’t love is how many people (mostly pirates) who die, but the adventure side of it is fun!
Our favorite movie version to watch is, of course, Muppets Treasure Island! In my opinion, this is the best Muppets movie there is and the music in it is so good too. Another fun one my kids like is Treasure Planet.
Matilda
I grew up just adoring this movie and never read the book until I was an adult. I loved the book, of course, and loved sharing it with my kids. I think the book and movie are so great to experience together as a family!
Where the Red Fern Grows
This is another book I didn’t read until I was an adult, but I absolutely fell in love with it. It was a treat reading it as a family and crying together at the end. While I like the book more than any of the movies, I think they are worth watching. Our favorite movie version to watch together is the 1974 version.
Heidi
Heidi was one of my favorite books and movies growing up and I loved sharing them with my kids! I have always had a soft spot for kids helping change old, gruff people and softening them to life again. I think it’s such a sweet story and I love the friendships in it. My favorite version (and the one I grew up on) is the one by Filmrise.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit is one of my favorite books to read aloud. I love that my kids are getting old enough to really appreciate it and it was especially fun to see my 9-year-old carry the book around so she could tell the riddles to everyone. After reading it, we love to watch the 1977 Japanese-American cartoon.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
This is another movie/book combo that I never experiences until I was an adult and I got to experience them alongside my kids for the first time, which was fun! The book and movie are different from each other, but both are charming and fun!
A Little Princess
I grew up absolutely loving this movie! When I read it as an adult, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as the I had the movie! I haven’t read or watched this yet with my girls, but it’s on my list for this year and I’m very excited!
Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted was my favorite book growing up and I have to admit I was disappointed with the movie when it came out just because it was so different from the book. I know many who love the movie, though! I have read the book with my girls and it was so fun to share that part of my childhood with them. I’m planning on watching the movie with them very soon.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
My kids are just getting old enough to appreciate Harry Potter and it’s been fun! With watching the movie, we got ClearPlay to edit out the little bit of swearing and I also knew my kids would be okay with the scarier scenes. Some more sensitive kids might struggle.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
This is my favorite Narnia book to read with the kids! I also love the movie. It does have the scarier/sad scene where Aslan dies, but we knew our kids could handle it and watched it together.
These are our family’s favorite book to movie adaptations to enjoy together! What are your family’s favorite books that are also movies? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section!
I had a busy month in April, so my reading month was a little slower, but I still enjoyed many great books!
I read 16 books and 5,146 pages, for an average of 322 pages per book. 10 books were by female authors and 6 were by male authors. I read 6 middle grade, 3 YA, and 9 adult books. I read 1 new release and 4 read alouds with my kids. I read 4 eBooks, 9 audiobooks, and 3 physical copies. I had 4 rereads and 12 new reads. I read 5 books that are part of series and didn’t start or finish any series. I read 7 five star reads, 5 four star reads, 2 three star reads, 2 two star reads, and 0 one star reads.
Today I am sharing my five star reads from April!
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
This is a collection of Poirot short stories from Agatha Christie. I loved all of them! I especially loved the last story, which had a treasure-hunting feel to it.
The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud
This series–Lockwood and Co–is a really fun YA supernatural series. This is the third and with each book, I like the series more! I really love the way the characters interact together and love so many of the characters (including a talking dead skull one of the characters carries around) and the mystery of The Problem is a fun plotline! I also read The Creeping Shadows (book four in the series) and gave it five stars as well. I’m very excited to finish the series.
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
This is the sequel to Small Spaces, a middle grade horror book I read a few years ago. I’ve been meaning to get back to the series and finally have–and am loving it! This book takes place at a ski lodge, where the main characters get stuck in a snowstorm without power–but with ghosts. I may have enjoyed this sequel more than I did the first.
Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
This was my Cosmere reread this month and I so enjoyed reading it! My favorite will always be the original Mistborn trilogy, but the Wax and Wayne books (which take place in the same world as Mistborn) are fun in their own way. I love the characters and laugh out loud at many of their interactions. I also love the way Steris grows throughout the series (she becomes my favorite character by the end!).
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
This was another reread for me. I’ve read many books by Liane Moriarty and this one remains my favorite. My husband and I did a road trip without the kids and were looking for a book to listen to. My husband had never read this and we decided to listen together. It definitely isn’t “his kind of book” but he really enjoyed it and it was fun to listen together. We found ourselves exchanging looks and laughing together at some of the characters (especially Madeline) and would pause often to have related philosophical discussions. I never would have thought to listen to it together, but it was such a great experience to do so!
A lot of my favorite books from the month were part of a series I am in the middle of or a reread, but I very much enjoyed delving deeper into or revisiting these worlds and characters! What was one of your favorite recent reads? Let me know in the comments below!
Middle Grade March is one of my favorite readathons of the year! Read a middle grade book and you have participated! They also have a group read and some different prompts if you want to do more with it. You can find the announcement video here.
Today I wanted to share my TBR for the readathon:
Group Read
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
This is the group read for Middle Grade March and it sounds really fun! It’s a narrative nonfiction about when the Mona Lisa was stolen in 1789. I’ve heard that it reads like fiction and is great as a pre-Paris read (we don’t have current plans to travel there, but I would love to go someday).
A Book with aOne Word Title
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
I’ve heard a lot of good about this contemporary middle grade read. The main character Julia is short for her age, but spends the summer performing in The Wizard of Oz. As she does, she makes friends and has experiences that change the way she sees herself.
A Book with anAnimal on the Cover
Crossing the Pressure Line by Laura Anne Bird
This is a middle grade book about grief and dealing with the death of a loved one. I’ve heard so many good things about this coming-of-age story and am excited to feel all the feelings with it.
A Refugee Story
The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Jennifer A. Neilsen has recently become one of my favorite authors! This is one of her earlier novels and I’m excited to go back and read some of her books that came out before I found her.
This middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who contracts a plague and is sent to a former prison turned refuge. She expects to live out a short, painful life due to the plague, but she quickly learns there is more to the plague and the society she lives in than meets the eye.
A Debut Novel
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
The Swifts is a book I’ve had on my TBR for a long time. I’ve heard it’s quirky and clever and just plain fun. I also love middle grade murder mysteries, so this is right up my alley!
Book You Missed Out On
City Spies by James Ponti
I kept meaning to read this book last year–I even checked it out from the library once, but life got away from me and I had to return it unread. I’ve heard so many fun things about this, though, and I love the idea of a middle grade spy book! It sounds like it has heist-like elements as well, which would be amazing!
I am very excited for middle grade march! I love to stack up my month with lots of middle grade reads in addition to the prompt reads. I’d love to hear what you are planning to read next month! Let me know in the comments below!
I have been having a fun reading year so far! I’ve read much more than I planned to and enjoyed so many of those reads.
Today I am sharing my top-rated reads from last month.
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
This historical fiction–taking place in London during WWII–was on my 2023 TBR list and I am so glad I read it! I loved the characters, the themes, and the friendships! The plot felt very believable and pulled on my heartstrings.
If you enjoy character based historical fiction, I highly recommend trying this one.
Surprised by Joy by CS Lewis
I’ve slowly been reading through all of CS Lewis’s books and had this ebook on my Kindle. It’s a memoir-type book, where CS Lewis talks through his journey away from Christianity and back again.
I loved all the anecdotes he shared and found his journey fascinating. If you are a fan of CS Lewis, this is a must read!
Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
I’ve also been reading through all of Agatha Christie’s books; I read at least one book by her each month and this month’s read was a definite 5 star. It is a Poirot that takes place in a small village and I loved it. I always feel so immersed in the setting and characters of Christie’s book. This mystery was also a fun one and I did not guess the ending.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
This was Sanderson’s third secret project and just as good as the first two. Based on Japanese manga, we follow two characters from two different worlds–the land of spirits and mediation and the land of nightmares. Their lives become intertwined in a strange and magical way, and they must learn to work together to move forward.
I loved the romance, the world building, the characters, and the plot twist at the end (which I thought I knew what was going to happen but then I totally didn’t)! If you enjoy fantasy romance, this is a must read!
Castle of Cards and Shadows by Misty Malkasian
This was actually a book I got to beta read for and it released just a few days ago. It is a retelling of the Pied Piper, with a strong main character and a slow burn romance. It has elements of the Selection and some science experiment scenes, as well as an amazing twist near the end. This is a great book for fans of fantasy retellings!
For Love of Ivy by Susan Evans McCloud
This was my main reread for the month and I absolutely loved revisiting it. It is an historical fiction following the couple who first settled Payson, Utah. I love our main character, Ivy. She is so relatable, and I love her courage as she struggles with the trials she faced while settling new land with her husband. It’s a beautiful story that leaves you wanting to be better.
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
This was another reread for me. I read it as a young teenager, when it first came out. With two sequels now, I decided it was time to revisit it and started listening to it with my kids.
My kids (8, 7, and 5) all loved it. They now make magic candy out of paper to play with, a sure sign of how much they enjoyed it. I also really loved it this time around. It’s really fun to read about magic candy and I had forgotten the clever plot twist at the end.
The Prince in Pink by Shannon Hale
This series is a family favorite and we loved this latest book! I was a little worried that it might feel like it was pushing an agenda, but it didn’t feel that way at all to me. I loved the way this fit so well with the original Princess in Black book.
It’s fun to see this series continuing and to enjoy each new book as much as the previous.
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is the twelfth of eighteen books in the Sammy Keyes series. Sammy is a young girl who accidentally starts solving crimes as she maneuvers through regular family and friend ups and downs. Even though I am getting far into the series, I am not at all tired of Sammy! I am so glad the series is so long!
I had a lot of great reads in July! What were some of your favorite reads last month? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
When I became a mom, I knew that I wanted to share my love of reading with my kids. I started off reading a lot to my firstborn and after having my second, I read the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. That book only grew my passion of reading aloud.
Sometimes, there are books my kids love that I have a harder time reading aloud and other times, I find a book that is an absolute joy no matter how many times my kids ask me to read it to them. Today I am sharing some of my FAVORITE books to read aloud with my kids.
Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch
We have enjoyed every book by Frank Asch that we’ve read. This is one of my personal favorites. Baby Bear is sleeping at his grandparent’s house and gets scared that the furnace is a dragon, so he has a bad dream. Then his parents help him through it.
The story is a fun one and the illustrations have little things the kids can find (like when the dragon eats the flowers in the vase).
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
This is a brightly illustrated book with a cute little story and I love reading it out loud. The little boy in it loves to paint the walls, so his mom puts away the paint. When his mom is gone, the boy gets out the paint and paints himself, all while saying he won’t paint anymore.
As the boy paints his body, there’s a chance for the kids to figure out the rhyme (ie harm and arm).The words have a sing-song feel to them, which makes it fun to read over and over again.
*There is one rhyme at the end that is going to be “butt”, but the mom walks in and says, “What?” instead.
The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
This was a book I discovered because of a library story time. The fish has a mouth that pouts, so he says that he is a pout-pout fish and there’s nothing he can do about it. Until, that is, another fish comes and plants a kiss on him. Then he realizes that he is a kiss-kiss fish instead.
My kids love the end, when he smooches the other fish. The book has rhyming and repetitive verses, similar to a song with a chorus. The rhymes of the book flow well and the chorus of the book is fun to read, which makes the book a fun to read again and again.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
We watched the movie of this first (it’s about 30 minutes) and really liked it. When I found out that it was based on a book, we got it immediately and were not disappointed.
The witch keeps dropping something and each time she lands to find it, she lets a knew friend onto her broom until it breaks in half. As her broom breaks, a dragon comes to eat her up and she’s glad for the friends she made before. The story is fun and the rhymes flow, which make it really fun to read out loud.
Gideon by Olivier Dunrea
I am a big fan of all of Olivier Dunrea’s books, but this is one of my favorites. Gideon is playing and his mother keeps calling that it’s his naptime, but he doesn’t want to stop playing to nap.
I love doing the voices of his mother and Gideon as he responds, which make it fun to read. I also love the ending, of Gideon not answering his mom because he finally fell asleep.
Kiss Goodnight by Amy Hest
Kiss Goodnight is a sweet story about a bear mom doing the bedtime routine, but it can’t be finished until the kiss good night.
I love the story, but what I love most about the book is the prose–the words are not poetry but they read like poetry. It is fun to read, in a different way than some of the other books I’ve mentioned.
You are (Not) Small by Anna Kang
This is a fun story that my kids can quote from how many times we’ve read it together. A small creature insists he’s not small, but the other creature is big. The other creature insists he isn’t bit, but the first creature is small. They argue this way until an even smaller creature and even bigger creature show up.
The book makes me laugh when I read it and it doesn’t have a lot of words, which is always nice when you are reading a book over and over again.
The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat by Kalin Nurit
This is a super fun children’s book about a cat who sits on a rat’s mat. The rat tries to get the cat to move, until a little plot twist at the end.
I may be a little biased with this book, because it is one I remember from my childhood, so I have nostalgia around it. I love the clever story and the rhymes, and how much my own kids love it.
The Big Wide Mouthed Frog by Anna Martin Larranaga
This is a fun story about a frog who goes around asking who everyone is, introducing himself as a big wide-mouthed frog. That is, until he meets a crocodile who eats wide-mouthed frogs.
One of the fun parts of reading this book is all coming up with different voices for all the animals throughout the story. It also repeats often in a way that makes it fun to read over and over again.
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
My oldest picked this book out at the library when she was three and it’s been one of my favorites ever since. It is a story about a penguin who is different from his penguin friends. This comes in handy though, when some hunters come looking for penguins and Tacky is able to chase them away.
I love reading this book aloud. Tacky sings silly songs and talks in fun ways, the hunters have a chant that is fun to say, and though they don’t rhyme or anything, the words flow really well.
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
This is an interactive book and my kids absolutely love it, no matter how many times we read it. The book instructs the child to do something (like tap the tree) and then turn the page to see what their actions caused to happen.
It’s delightful to see how excited the kids get as they work their way through the book. It also only has a few words on each page, which is always a bonus when your kids want you to read a book over and over again.
The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak
This book is hilarious. Even as an adult, I find it so funny, and my kids die laughing every single time they read it. It does have a little bit of humor that some parents might not like (for example, it says “boo boo butt” in it).
Like some of the previous books mentioned, this one doesn’t have a lot of words on each page and it’s easy to get into the book because of how ridiculous it is. That really just makes it a fun experience for the parent, even when it’s the 100th time you’re reading it.
Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
If you are looking for a book with very few words, this is a great one! It really only has a three or four words on each page. The book uses those words and the illustrations to express an engaging and clever story. My kids and I both love watching the story unfold each time we read it together and I appreciate that we can get such a fun story without me having to read a lot of words!
Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root
This is another fun, sing-songy book. It repeats and builds on itself and the story is silly in the best way. It’s a hot day, so the kids and dad want to go to the beach, but their car is falling apart. They use what they can to fix up the car and there’s even a little twist at the end. The story is fun and the way the words flow makes the book a fun one for me to revisit over and over again.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Would this list be complete without this book? This is one of my favorites to read over and over. I love the poetic way the words flow and I also love doing voices for both Max and the Wild Things.
I will say that this book showed me how different people can love reading different things out loud. While it’s one of my favorites, my husband loathes reading this one out loud. He’d rather read the Disney movie books (that have a million words telling the story of the movie but in book format) than this book, while I avoid those books like the plague.
What are some of your favorite picture books to read aloud over and over? I am always looking for new books to share with my kids and would love to hear from you in the comments below!
It has been a really good reading year for me so far. I’ve not only been able to read a lot of books, but I’ve also enjoyed so many of them!
Today I am sharing my favorite book each month and I would love to hear some of your favorite reads so far from 2023!
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Because I knew this book was a different style than Brandon Sanderson’s other books (and whimsy is not always my favorite style), I was little wary that I wouldn’t like this one as much. I’m happy to report that after reading it, this is now one my favorite novels by Brandon Sanderson!
I love Tress so much. She is such a fantastic character with such great growth. I love the crew she gets to know and the love story in it. I also really loved the ending, it blew my mind and wrapped everything up exactly right. I know some people don’t love Sanderson’s humor (I’ve seen people complain about it in Stormlight as well), but I actually love it. The humor in this book was sometimes juvenile (because of Hoid and how he was in this book), but that didn’t bother me and I did laugh a lot.
The Downstairs Girl
This is an historical fiction following 17-year-old Jo Kuan who works as a lady maid while secretly writing an advice column to a local newspaper.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish! I loved the themes, the characters, the Miss Sweetie plotline, the romance, and strong ending.
What Alice Forgot
This is a Chick Lit with a thriller feel. It’s main plot revolves around an unreliable narrator who has amnesia, and I thought it was so well done.
I was one hundred percent committed to Alice’s life and marriage. I loved seeing how losing her memory helped her reconnect with her separated husband and struggling oldest daughter. I loved the side plots of her sister’s infertility and her adopted grandma’s romance. I was very worried that I would hate the ending, but I actually loved it.
The False Prince
I had previously read some of Jennifer A Nielsen’s historical fiction and loved it all. As a fantasy book, this was very different but just as good.
The book was fun from start to finish. It felt a little like Anastasia meets the Selection, but with boys, and it was such a fun ride. The plot twist at the end was a little obvious to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment at all.
The Unknown Beloved
This is one of my favorites by Amy Harmon so far! The time period was very well done, the mystery/thriller aspect kept me hooked, and I loved the romance. I also really loved the aunts and how well their personalities came through. My favorite part was that it felt like a cleaner thriller (while it has some violence and language and a fade-to-black scene, it has very little language and sexual content than most thrillers I try).
There is some description of how “the Butcher” cut up his victims (it is based on a real serial killer). I am a wimp and cannot handle gore usually, but this didn’t bother me at all.
I would highly recommend to anyone who loves historical thrillers, especially with some romance thrown in.
The Screaming Staircase
I watched the adaptation on Netflix, loved it, and then when I found out it was a book, I immediately put it on hold at the library. I liked the adaptation more overall, but the book was very well done and, in some places, better than the show. I am glad I read it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I am a little wimpy, so I appreciated that it was never too scary or grotesque for me while also having a spooky atmosphere and tension. The show felt a lot scarier to me. It’s also very clean (no sex, scant swearing, not a lot of violence considering its kids fighting ghosts), which is something I appreciate.
It was fun to see the differences from the show, but it is very similar plot-wise, so if you have watched the adaptation, there won’t be a lot of surprises for you
I have loved the books I’ve read so far this year and can’t wait to read more in the remaining months!
What have been some of your favorite books so far this year? Let me know in the comments below!
I always love looking back at the year to see how my reading went! This year was my biggest reading year I’ve ever had (and probably will have for awhile at least). I read 285 books, so narrowing down 10 favorites was not easy!
Each month as I read, I pick my top three favorite books from that month. Then at the end of the year, I use ten different categories to help me narrow down which of those 36 books were my top ten favorite of the year.
Here are my top 10 favorite books I read in 2023!
Favorite New Release
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Katherine Center has recently become a favorite author of mine (who writes clean adult romcoms), so when I saw she had a new release, I had to get it! I ended up binge listening to it in one sitting while I painted my girls’ room and loved it! It might be my new favorite book by her.
The premise follows a portrait artist who has a brain surgery that leads to a face blindness. While she’s dealing with that and her family, she also ends up in a sort of love triangle. It was a delightful read and I also really loved the author’s note at the end.
Favorite Book That Surprised Me
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
This YA fantasy romance took me by surprise in a couple different ways. First, I’d read the Elements of Cadence duology by this author and liked them, but they weren’t completely my type of books. This book had a very different feel than her previous series and it was much more my style. It was a pleasant surprise! Partially because of that, I was also very surprised by how much I loved the book!
My favorite parts of this book were the “You’ve Got Mail” feel of the plot. I absolutely loved the letter sending part of the plot. I also really loved the war correspondance aspect of the story. It actually surprised me how much I liked it!
Favorite Nonfiction Book
Divine Signatures by Gerald Lund
Gerald Lund is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and has written many books in that realm, both fictional novels and doctrinal books. Some of his doctrinal books have been my favorite religious books (and some of have just been okay). This one is my favorite of his nonfiction books now.
It is a collection of stories showing the hand of God in people’s lives. It is an inspiring read that strengthened my testimony of God and left me looking for God’s hand in my own life more often.
Favorite Spontaneous Read
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarity
I read Big Little Lies by this author in 2023 and loved it. I’ve been reading more books by her since then but wasn’t planning on reading this one this year. On a whim, I decided to get the audiobook for it and devoured it.
Like Big Little Lies, this one is a thriller that bounces between a present-day event and the time period leading up to that event. One of the things I think Moriarty does very well is giving the reader just enough information to make us want to know more. I love the pacing of her books and the way I discover more and more information as I read. It was a fun read and I’m glad I decided to pick up spontaneously.
Favorite Christie Read
The Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie
I read at least one Christie book a month, which is why she has her own category. It’s honestly one of the hardest categories to narrow down because I love so many of her books.
I decided on this short story collection this year because I loved every story in the collection. It was fun to read a variety of her characters as well. I tend to love her short stories and this collection was so enjoyable.
Favorite Book by a Favorite Author
The Secret Projects by Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so I’m cheating a little and throwing four books in here, instead of one. But, I can’t help it. I wanted to pick a secret project for this one because I enjoyed them so much. When it came down to it, though, I couldn’t pick just one. They were all so fun to read, but great in their own unique ways.
In Tress of the Emerald Sea, I loved the main character, the romance, and the overall feel of the book. In the Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, I loved the mystery of the main character figuring out who he is, the world building, and the humor. In Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, I loved the Cosmere tie-ins, the romance (though in a totally different way than Tress), and the resolution at the end. In the Sunlit Man, I loved the Bridge Four tie-in, the character arc, and the side characters.
Favorite Book that Made Me Cry
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
This is the fourth and final book in Sanderson’s Skyward series, a YA science fiction. While I like the series, it’s not my favorite by Sanderson so I was not expecting to love the finale as much as I did. I also did not know that I would cry THREE different times at the end of the book. But, I did. The ending was emotionally impactful in many ways. I loved the friendships, the growth we see from the characters, and portrayal of grief and how as humans can carry grief together.
Favorite Book Recommended by Bookstagram
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Jo
I saw so many people on Bookstagram recommending this book and it did not disappoint! This historical fiction had a great romance, a strong female lead, and a thought-provoking theme of equality. The fact that the main character is a writer is a great bonus!
Favorite Book in a Series
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
I honestly read a lot of great books that are part of series this year, but this one was so great, it had to make my favorites list. I enjoyed the series but loved this finale! The pacing was just right for me, the romance had great tension, and the ending was the just right amount of wrap up and happily ever after for me.
Favorite Read Aloud Book
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
I am a huge fan of Where the Red Fern Grows and had never read Summer of the Monkeys. I decided to try it as a read aloud.
When I first started reading, I thought this one inferior to Where the Red Fern Grows, but then I absolutely loved the ending! It brought me to tears multiple times and the lead up was so well done. The kids also loved the antics of the monkeys and would beg me to keep reading each night. It was a fantastic read aloud and I will definitely revisit this classic in the future.
Bonus: Favorite Reread
Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
I never include rereads in my list of favorite books, but as a bonus, I always pick a favorite reread at the end of the year. This year, my favorite reread was probably Sammy Keyes. I first read this a few years ago and actually finished reading the series in September of 2023. In October, I read this first book in the series aloud to the girls and we all loved it! I had so much fun revisiting the first so soon after reading the last book in the series (which is a sort of tribute to Sammy and all the adventures she has throughout the series) and I also loved how much the kids loved it.
Have you read and loved (or hated) any of these books? What were your favorite books that you read last year? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan! I read my first book by him (Way of Kings) when I was 19 and devoured the 6 books he had out at the time. He is an auto-buy author for me, and I always read his new releases almost immediately.
While I don’t think he’s ever written a book I didn’t enjoy, my favorites by him tend to be the Cosmere books. Many of his fantasy books take place in the same universe, though they can be read independently of each other (similar to Marvel).
In December of 2024, the 5th book in his Stormlight series (an epic fantasy series set in the Cosmere) comes out and I am beyond excited! To prepare for it and for fun, I am doing a Cosmere rereadathon this year. If you would like to reread the Stormlight books and/or any Cosmere books, or read them for the first time, you are welcome to join along!
I am not planning on reading Allomancer Jack or White Sands (because they aren’t my favorite) and I am also not reading any of the secret projects from 2023, because I have read them so recently.
Here is a rough schedule of what I am planning to read and when. I’ll be posting onInstagram stories about my progress and talking some about them as I read through them.
January – The Final Empire
February – The Well Ascension
March – Hero of Ages, Mistborn: Secret History, and The Eleventh Metal
April – Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self
May – Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal
June – Warbreaker
July – Elantris, Hope of Elantris, and Emperor’s Soul
August – Way of Kings
September – Words of Radiance and Edgedancer
October – Oathbringer and Dawnshard
November – Rhythm of War
December – Sixth of Dusk and Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell
January
The Final Empire
I wanted to start with Mistborn, one of Sanderson’s first series. It is still one of my favorite series of all time and I’m excited to revisit it.
February
The Well of Ascension
This is the second Mistborn book. These are long enough books that I’m trying to keep it to one book for the month. If I finish early, I can start the next book in the series early.
March
Hero of Ages
This the final book of the original Mistborn series.
Mistborn: Secret History
This is a short novella that should be read after the original series (because it has spoilers for the final book). It’s short enough that I don’t mind including it with the final Mistborn book.
The Eleventh Metal
This is a companion short story to the original series. I don’t remember a lot about it and am excited to reread it. It’s a short story, so it doesn’t matter too much where I put it in the schedule, and I liked the idea of finishing up the original Mistborn material in March.
April
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
These are the first two in the Wax and Wayne series, books that take place in the same world as the original Mistborn series but hundreds of years later. They are shorter than the Mistborn books and I needed to double up on them in order to finish the Cosmere books this year.
May
Bands of Mourning
The Lost Metal
These are the last two of the Wax and Wayne series. If I were reading the Allomancer Jack stories, this is where I would have put them.
June
Warbreaker
This is a standalone (with potential for more books) that has big tie-ins with the Stormlight series. It has been many years since I read this book and am feeling very ready for a refresh on the characters that cross over.
July
Elantris
This is another standalone novel and was Brandon Sanderson’s first published novel. I have always loved the romance in this one. It is also the one that has been longest since I’ve read it.
Hope of Elantris
This is a companion short story to Elantris that I remember very little about.
Emperor’s Soul
This is a novella that takes place in the same world as Elantris. Because of that, and because Elantris is shorter than Warbreaker, I thought it would be good to include it in July.
August
Way of Kings
This is the first book in the Stormlight Archive (the series that the new release is a part of). I have reread this many times (at least once before any new books came out and then again with each new release) but it has so much to it, that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to reread it too many times. I am especially looking forward to the ending, as it is one of my favorite endings ever.
September
Words of Radiance
This the second book in the Stormlight Archive.
Edgedancer
This is a novella that takes place between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. It is a “novella” but is actually fairly long. If I don’t have time to read it in September, I’ll read it at the beginning of October before jumping into Oathbringer.
October
Oathbringer
This is the third book in the Stormlight Archive and the one I am most looking forward to. It’s my favorite book in the series (Dalinar is my favorite character, and I will never NOT cry at his big moment in this book).
Dawnshard
Dawnshard is another Stormlight novella and takes place between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War. I remember loving it when I read it and am especially looking forward to a refresh on some things after reading the fourth secret project.
November
Rhythm of War
This is the fourth Stormlight novel and I really, really need to reread it as I’ve only read it the one time when it first released.
December
Sixth of the Dusk
This is an earlier novella by Brandon Sanderson, and it has been a long time since I read it. Because December is a busier month and the fifth Stormlight book comes out early in the month, I wanted to pick a quicker reread (or two).
Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell
This is another novella in the Cosmere. These two reads combined will not take a lot of time to read and will be easily doable in December.
I am very much looking forward to a deeper dive into the Cosmere next year and to the release of Wind and Truth!
Are you a Cosmere fan? What is a new release you are looking forward to in 2024? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Movie adaptations can get a bad rap, for good reason, when compared to the original book they were adapted from.
There are some I can think of (like The Tale of Despereaux, Eragon, or Ella Enchanted) that are just hard to watch. But there are others that our family has enjoyed as much as or even more than their books.
Matilda
I grew up watching and LOVING this movie and I didn’t actually read the book until I was an adult. The nostalgia may be part of why I love it so much, but it’s also such a well-done movie. When I read about the making of it, it made me love it even more! While I enjoy the book, the movie will always keep a special place in my heart.
Howl’s Moving Castle
This is another moving I watched several times as a teenager. I didn’t read the book until I was an adult (and didn’t even realize there was a book until then!). While I loved the book, I really liked the changes they made in the movie and the movie is so beautiful that it is a work of art. While they did make plot changes, I felt that the movie did a great job staying true to the characters.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Unlike the first two, this isn’t one I grew up watching or reading. I actually read this with my kids and then we watched the movie together. The book and movie are pretty different from each other, but both have things I really like about both. The book is more episodic and has a charm to it that my girls really loved. The movie has more of a character and plot, which is really fun, and of course the artwork is beautiful.
The Help
I read this book as a teenager before they had even made the movie and absolutely loved it. I liked it so much that when I went to the movie in theaters, I remember being very nervous about not liking the movie. I was pleasantly surprised with the movie, though, and really enjoyed it. There are of course differences (especially with how the mother-daughter relationship is resolved) but again, I felt they stayed true to the characters and did a great job bringing out the same emotions. While I don’t like the movie more than the book, I still love it.
Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings, for me, goes way back. My mom started reading the books aloud to me when I was about 8 or 9. Right after that, the movies started coming out. I was pretty young when I went to see them in theaters. I remember, as a child, being very put out by some of the changes they made. The two I remember most are the first movie not including Tom Bombadil and the third movie ending without the last battle in Hobbiton. Of course, it was worse in theaters because those were not the extended editions.
I didn’t actually read the books again as a child after that, but I watched the movies more times than I can count. I have a lot of nostalgia and a deep love for the movies. As an adult, I decided to revisit the books and was a little disappointed. I still love the characters and the world and the plot that JRR Tolkien created, but his writing style is not my favorite. I love the way the movies took the characters and expanded on those and the way the plot of the movie was tightened up. I also love the actors and actresses of the movies. I will always appreciate the books and I will always like the movies just a little bit more than the books.
What movie adaptations do you love? What movie adaptations do you hate? Let me know in the comment section below!
