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  • Day in the Life of a Mom of 5 with a Newborn!

    I can’t believe we are almost out of the newborn stage already! Leah is two months old, 12 weeks in just a couple of days. This happens with every baby I have, but when I first had Leah, those pure survival days felt like they would last forever. Now looking back, the time has simply flown by. She is already getting so much bigger and there will always be a part of me that misses her little newborn self.

    There are still things that are a challenge, but we’re slowly and surely making our way out of baby-survival mode and back into regular life. Leah is doing longer stretches at night and has started having early morning wakeups (sometimes going back to sleep and sometimes not) rather than middle of the night feedings. She sometimes naps and sometimes doesn’t, but she’s definitely getting better (last month, she basically wouldn’t nap at all). She is happier when she’s awake, especially in the early evenings (we’ve mostly passed the “witching hour” phase). And my emotions might be starting to settle down a little, though I still feel very hormonal.

    All that said, we’re still taking it very easy. I decided to take the summer off of homeschool and let everyone just enjoy the baby (we’re mostly year round homeschoolers normally). I love that my kids keep asking when we can start school again! But it’s also really nice to take it easy right now.

    Here is what our day looked like today (Monday, June 16):

    6:05 am

    Leah woke up to eat, waking me up. I got up and fed her and tried putting her back down. She didn’t go back to sleep right away, it took about 20 minutes, but then she slept again until 8:00. This was the start of my day, though. I did my scripture study and read on my Kindle some while feeding her.

    6:30 am

    I made my hot chocolate and showered. Ben was gone at pickleball (he got up at 4:30 to go play). After my hot chocolate was ready, I sat down and read a little with it. Oliver woke up during this time, but he stayed upstairs for a bit (our rule is the kids can come down around 7:30).

    7:30 am

    Oliver came downstairs and we made hot chocolate for the rest of the family together. I also cleared out the dishwasher, got bread started in the bread machine, and started a load of laundry.

    8:00 am

    I woke up Leah at 8 to feed her and start her day. While I was nursing her, Ben and I did the Connections (a puzzle game) together and I did my Duolingo. When she was done eating, I ate an apple and some toast while the kids sat and talked with Leah. Then I read her a book and had her do some tummy time.

    9:00 am

    The kids wanted to take turns holding Leah, so while they did that, I got in my workout. I do really simple workouts right now, just in the living room with some weights. I break them up into upper and lower days and I try for four workouts a week (though it’s hit and miss).

    9:30 am

    I put Leah down for her nap. While she was down, I switched over the laundry, formed the bread, and did the girls hair. Then I made myself and Ben some eggs and veggies for breakfast. I was hoping to get more done, but Leah woke up after only 45 minutes.

    10:15 am

    I went up and tried to “save” the nap, but she wouldn’t go back to sleep so I just brought her downstairs. While I was upstairs, I turned on an audiobook for the kids and gave them blank puzzle templates to color on.

    10:30 am

    I fed Leah while the kids continued to listen to their audiobook.

    11:00 am

    While Leah was awake, we sang with her some, played with blocks with Oliver, and the kids did their morning chores (they rotate between getting the floor ready to sweep, cleaning off the table, and sorting their laundry; then they all put away their own clothes).

    12:00 pm

    I put Leah down and went to Smith’s to get a pickup. I left the kids home to have lunch with Ben during his lunchbreak (he got home from pickleball around 8 am and works from home).

    12:30 pm

    I got home and brought in the groceries and got some lunch for myself. Leah woke up after 45 minutes again, but this time she went back to sleep on her own after a couple minutes. I was able to put away the groceries and then I took some time to relax just a little and worked on catching up on my bullet journal with a protien drink as a treat.

    1:45 pm

    I was glad that Leah slept well in the morning so I could get so much done because we left the house in the afternoon (when Ben records for work, we leave the house so there aren’t kid sounds in the background). We went to my in-laws, who have an above-ground pool. The girls swam in it all afternoon while Oliver played with his cousin in the dirt. Leah ate, took a nap, and then ate again while were there.

    5:30 pm

    I started loading up the kids. One of the hardest parts of having five kids is trying to gather and load them anytime we go anywhere (it was already hard with four and it’s made that much harder with a baby added into the mix). It always seems to take forever.

    6:00 pm

    We came home to get some dinner. Ben had finished work, so he got some taco meat cooking so we could eat right when we got home. I fed Leah again while the kids ate dinner and then got some food myself while Ben took Leah. We had the kids do a quick pickup after dinner and then let them watch a few episodes of Bluey.

    7:30 pm

    We started getting the kids ready for bed. Ben got the toothbrushes and brushed Oliver’s teeth while I made sure the kids got on pajamas and kept Leah happy (this is when she is the fussiest usually). Then we did scriptures and prayer together.

    7:45 pm

    Ben took Oliver into his room to read a book with him and sing to him before bed. I went downstairs and got Leah ready for bed.

    8:00 pm

    Leah was ready for bed and I nursed her one last time while I read aloud to the girls (I sat on the nugget couch we have in their room while they laid in their beds). We’re reading Anne of Green Gables right now and I’m loving it.

    8:30 pm

    I finished nursing Leah and put her down in her bed downstairs in Ben’s office before giving hugs and kisses to all the kids and coming downstairs. Ben was doing the dishes. He finished that and we went on a little walk while we talked about some business stuff he’s been thinking through (we have a little walk worked out where we can see the house). Then we had some ice cream and did the NYT mini crossword puzzle together before getting ready for bed.

    9:30 pm

    I was in bed and reading a nonfiction book (right now, I’m reading the biography of Thomas S. Monson). After a few pages, I was sleepy enough to fall right to sleep.

    That was what our day looked like! It was a good day, getting things done early in the day, getting out of the house, and spending time together as a family. Not everyday goes this smoothly and there’s never quite enough time to do everything I want to do, but I can feel life moving more towards our regular routine and that is so nice. I am also trying to slow down and enjoy where I’m at, because I know I will miss this stage someday.

  • My Cosmere Year Wrap Up + Wind and Truth Book Review

    I have been a BIG Brandon Sanderson fan for many years. I was 19 when I read my first book by him (Way of Kings) and at the time, he had the Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, Way of Kings, and a few novellas published. I have reread a quite a few of books over the years, but when they anounced the release of the fifth Stormlight book for the end of 2024, I knew it was a good time for me to revisit all of the Cosmere books he’d written. I did not read Allomancer Jack, White Sands, or the Cosmere secret projects.

    Note: The Cosmere is a fictional universe that many of Sanderson’s books take place in. If a book is a “Cosmere” book, it takes place on a planet in that universe. Think of it similar to Marvel, but with fantasy books. Not all of his books take place in the Cosmere and so far, you can read all the Cosmere books independently, without having to read all the connected books. But, it can be fun to find the Easter eggs in the connections.

    I knew it was going to be a big undertaking, but I broke it down to about a book a month (some months had multiple shorter books to fit it all in) and I’m a big reader, besides the fact that his books are un-put-down-able. I was confident I could do it!

    So …

    How did I do?

    I succeeded in rereading all the Cosmere books I set out to read! However, I didn’t quite manage to finish Wind and Truth in 2024 (I ended up reading it in January of 2025). Here’s how my year went:

    January through March, I had planned on reading the original Mistborn books (the trilogy, Sercret History, and Eleventh Metal) and read them just as planned. I loved revisiting them! The original Mistborn trilogy remains my favorite work by Brandon Sanderson. I love the characters, the romance between Vin and Elend, the heist plot, the plot twist at the end, and the character arcs. This time around was really fun because I was listening to the third Mistborn book (while painting our living room) in conjunction with reading the ebook of Secret History (the two plots take place adjacent to each other as well).

    In April and May, I squeezed two books in each month to read the second era of Mistborn (Wax and Wayne). I managed to finish the first (Alloy of Law) in April, but didn’t quite manage to finish the second (Shadows of Self) until May, but then I also did read the last two (Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal) in May, catching up with my schedule. I always love Alloy of Law, it’s so funny and the characters and mystery are so fun to read about. Shadows of Self has never been my favorite, but there are still good parts. It surprised me how much I loved rereading Bands of Mourning and I cried again when I read the end of The Lost Metal.

    In June, I read Warbreaker. Warbreaker is such a great story that plays with different tropes in interesting ways and has amazing characters. I am super excited that we are apparently getting another Warbreaker book soon!

    In July, I read The Emporer’s Soul and Elantris (and Hope of Elantris). I had forgotten how much I love The Emporer’s Soul until I reread it. It is a novella, so it’s shorter, but the worldbuilding is really cool and the con artist plot line is right up my alley. Rereading Elantris, it’s probably my least favorite Cosmere book. It isn’t bad, but I didn’t love it as much I thought I would. I found myself not wanting to read it, or remembering what came next and not being excited for it.

    August and September are when I started to get off track. I was supposed to read Way of Kings in August and Words of Radiance as well as Edgedancer in September. However, I ended up having morning sickness during these months, so my reading was very much mood reading, especially in August as I was in the thick of it and just trying to survive feeling sick all the time with four kids to take care of.

    I started reading Way of Kings in September and finished it in October. I then immediately picked up Words of Radiance and Edgedancer and finished those in October as well. I absolutely loved reading Way of Kings this time. I’ve always loved the book, but in the past, a lot of Kaladin’s parts dragged for me. That wasn’t the case this time, for whatever reason. I just thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, and the ending made me cry (like it does every time). I also really enjoyed my rereading of Words of Radiance. Edgedancer was just okay this time around.

    November was very busy for me–holidays with four kids and being pregnant is no joke. Despite the business, I managed to read both Oathbringer and Dawnshard. Oathbringer is one of my favorite endings of all time. It helps that Dalinar is my favorite character in Stormlight. I know this is a lot of people’s least favorite book because of pacing, and on this reread I could see why with how the first half of the book is so full of meetings, but honestly, the pacing has never bothered me and I love the ending so much. The themes and character arc felt even more powerful to me this reread with some of the things going on in my personal life. It is so powerful.

    In December, I almost managed to get all the way caught up. I finished my Rhythm of War reread, though I finished it after the release of Wind and Truth. It was Christmas time, so I was busy and reading more holiday books. I also just had a harder time getting into it. The first time I read it, I didn’t love it. I liked it more this time around, but I didn’t feel the same pull to pick up the book and keep reading that I do with the first three. Those three are long, but it’s hard for me to put them down and get anything done. With Rhythm of War, it almost feels like the opposite. I will say, I love (and have always loved) the Navani plot line and this time around, I felt much more invested in Kaladin’s plot line as well.

    I also read Sixth of Dusk and Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell in December, between Christmas and New Years. Both are novellas. I absolutely love Shadows for Silence. I know so many who love Sixth of Dusk because of the cool world building (and it does have that), but I personally find the plot a little boring to get through.

    I also started Wind and Truth near the end of December (while I was reading the novellas), but I didn’t finish it until January of the next year. I didn’t hate the book, but like with Rhythm of War, I didn’t feel myself just wanting to read it nonstop and was honestly fairly disappointed with it.

    Wind and Truth Review:

    This review is not going to be completely spoiler free, because I want to talk about things that I liked or didn’t like in the book, but I will try to keep things vague enough that the spoilers aren’t too crazy.

    I want to start by saying that part of my disappointment came from expecting this book to be a bit of a climax, in wrapping up the first arc of the series. Instead, we got a book that felt very much like a setup book (and my understanding is this was what Sanderson was going for). I’m not sure if this is why I felt bored during much of the book or if it was something else. The other part of my disappointment came from what felt like a shift in the themes and feel of the book. I’ll go more into that later.

    There were many things about the book that I enjoyed. My favorite part of the book was everything Adolin. His sections in Azir were all so enjoyable to me. I loved seeing Adolin and Yanagawn’s friendship develop and Yanagawn’s character development. I was very invested in Azir and Adolin’s role there. I also was very interested in everything happening with the deadeyes and the climatic moment there was great.

    There were some backstory scenes that we got to see as the characters were in the spiritual realm that I liked. I also loved the section where we get to se Jasnah humbled–I know some people didn’t love that part, but I thought it was very well done, realistic to what would happen, and honestly, it was satisfying to see someone able to do to Jasnah what she often does to others.

    With the end of the book, the things liked the most were Sigzil’s sacrifice, Szeth’s arc, that Dalinar chose to protect Gavinar, and the wrap up with the herald’s. These things were fun to read and felt satisfying to me as a reader.

    That being said, there were quite a few things that detracted from the reading experience for me. For some reason, there was so much of the book that just dragged for me. The worst were the scenes where Honor was telling his backstory–these felt like straight up exposition dump and I found myself getting annoyed every time it went back to his veiwpoint. Honestly, though, most of the spiritual realm felt long and uninteresting. I have a hard time with dreams in books and the much of the spiritual realm felt dream-like, so I’m wondering if this is part of why I struggled with it. I’m not sure, but I had an especially hard time with caring about Shallan’s veiwpoints in the spiritual realm.

    The other part of the book that was very boring to me was Sigzil’s sections, and I think it’s because I had already read The Sunlit Man (which was recommended to be read before Wind and Truth). I already knew so much because of the Sunlit Man that it was not exciting to read and all the tension I would have felt otherwise about their struggles was gone. Like I said before, I did love his climax, but the rest of his sections were just harder to get through. In fact, most of the fight scenes until day 9 felt a little pointless to read and I found more boring. It almost felt like it didn’t even matter until it was closer to the end of the 10 days.

    If you take the bulk of the spiritual realm and the bulk of the fight scenes, it makes up most of the build up in the book and it’s easy for me to see why I had a harder time getting through the book. On top of this, I found myself often pulled out of the story by more modern language. The worst offense for me was the constant use of the word “therapy”. It literally was driving me crazy, though there were other phrases that felt very out of place to me too. It seems like such a small thing to have a few out-of-place words, but it actually had a big effect on the reading experience for me.

    With the word therapy, I also had a hard time with the fact that Szeth is the one who has the main character arc, but we see so much of his perspective through Kaladin’s eyes. Kaladin’s character is simply trying to “fix” Szeth and it’s honestly way less fun to watch someone trying to fix someone else than it is to watch a character struggle themselves to fix themselves. This was one of the way that themes in this book felt different to me than in the past books and it had a big effect on the reading experience.

    And finally, the contest of champions. This was the thing that the last few books have really been leading up to and it was a huge letdown for me. I hated–absolutely hated–who the champion was. From the beginning, I have held firm that I could handle anyone being the champion except one person. And guess who the champion was? Yep, that person. I also hate the way they became the champion, it makes me sick. Then the contest itself very anticlimatic. I was just expecting so much more from it and it just kind of … fizzled.

    Overall, I think the sections I enjoyed made it worth reading and I plan on continuing the series. I am hoping that this book is a one-off and not the start of a different trajectory for the series. I love the first three books, like the fourth book, and was disappointed with this one, but I hold out hope that I can love (or at least like) the sixth. I guess we’ll see.

    So those are my thoughts on Wind and Truth and how I did with my Cosmere rereadathon. It was so fun to revisit so many of my favorite books in 2024! Have you read Wind and Truth? What did you think of it? I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if they differ from mine!

  • Five of my 5 Star Reads in May!

    May was not my greatest reading month, but it could have been worse. I was in the thick of it with five kids, just trying to survive that newborn stage but also starting to try to actually do other things as well. It was really rough because Leah would not let me set her down during the day for naps much. We ended up taking a “summer break” from school a little early even to try to help. But, when I wasn’t on my phone while nap trapped, I did get time to read while snuggling my baby.

    I read 19 books and 5,328 pages in May, for an average of 280 pages per book. 15 books were by female authors and 4 were by male authors. I read 2 physical books, 10 ebooks, and 7 audiobooks. I read 5 middle grade, 4 YA, and 10 adult books. I borrowed 9 of the books I read and owned 10 of them. I read aloud 4 books with my kids and read 4 new releases. 4 books were rereads and 15 were new reads. I read 3 books in a series, finishing 1 and starting 0. I had 10 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 5 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.

    The Other World by Abbie Emmons

    This YA contemporary is one I’ve had on my TBR for quite awhile now and I loved it! Abbie Emmons has a YouTube channel talking about writing and I have always enjoyed watching her videos and learning from her. It was fun to finally read one of her books and to enjoy it so much. The Other World has Little Mermaid retelling vibes, a well-done love triangle, and some captivating character arcs. I am looking forward to trying Abbie Emmons’ other books.

    London Calling by James Ponti

    London Calling is the sixth book in the City Spies series. My kids love the series (we listened to it together) but I have to admit I was starting to get a little tired of it and wasn’t as excited to have a new book come out. It surprised me, though, how much I enjoyed it! I really loved seeing more of Mother’s kids and the entire plotline around them, and the plotline around the super computer. This book made me excited that there will be a seventh!

    The Survivors by Jane Harper

    Despite being third here, The Survivors may have been my favorite book this month. Like Jane Harper’s other books, it is a slowburn, character-driven thriller. They never seem like my kind of books before I read them, but I’ve loved every single thing she’s written. This one follows a small family of three as the murder of a nonlocal girl mixes with accidental deaths of the past. I loved the characters and the journey they went on. I am really excited for her next book!

    Next Level Plot by KM Weiland

    Next Level Plot Structure was my nonfiction read of the month and it was very well done. I read her first plot structure book (Creating Character Arcs) years ago and got a lot of out of it. I wish I had done a refresher of that book before reading this one, as this uses a lot of information from the original book to go deeper. Sometime in the future, I’d like to revisit them in succession.

    By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

    By the Shores of Silver Lake was technically a reread for me (I am rereading all the books this year using this reading chart), but the last time I read it was when I was a little girl and I have very few memories of it (most of my Little House memories come from the show).

    Those were the books I loved most in May! What books have you been reading and loving lately? What five star reads did you have in May? I’d love to hear about your recent reads and chat about books!

  • What I’m Buying on the Audible Sale!

    Audible is doing a big, sitewide sale this week (ends June 8) in honor of Audiobook Month! I love when Audible does this sale, because a lot of books are steeply discounted (under $5 or $10, which is very rarely seen with audiobooks). It’s a great way for me to stock up on Audible books. I have added quite a few books to my cart, all under $5 (I won’t be sharing the exact price, though, because the prices can vary some from person to person based on purchase history, browsing history, etc).

    Today I am sharing the books I am buying on the sale!

    The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

    The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay are all on a good sale. We own the books, but not the audiobooks, so I thought this would be a good chance to get them. My own kids are also getting closer to an age where they might enjoy them.

    Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

    Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest release in the Hunger Games world and I haven’t read it yet. I was originally planning on skipping it, partially because I wasn’t blown away by Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Since then, however, I have heard that a lot of people love it, even when they didn’t love Ballad. I decided I should give it a try, especially at such a low price.

    From Sand to Ash by Amy Harmon

    Amy Harmon is an author I’ve been working on reading through all her books and really loving most of them. I’m excited to try From Sand to Ash!

    The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

    The Hobbit is such a classic and owning this on audio could open it up to my kids in a new way (I’ve read it to them before).

    Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

    Ender’s Game is the only Orson Scott Card book I’ve read, but I really enjoyed it. I think it has some language and violence in it, so I wouldn’t have the kids listen until they were teenagers at least, but it is one I also have been considering rereading.

    The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

    This is a series I read quite a few years ago and really loved it. The Vine Witch is the first in the series, but also wraps up fairly neatly as a stand alone.

    The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton

    The Great Train Robbery is written by the same author as Jurassic Park, a book I found myself surprised by how much I loved it. I am excited for this one, because I love heist-type books and I’m interested to see if I will like anything else written by this author.

    The Gorgon’s Fury: Tales of Newel and Doren by Brandon Mull

    The Gorgon’s Fury is the newest release in the Fablehaven world. I’m mostly buying this for my kids, as they love Fablehaven, but I’m also interested for myself because Newel and Doren were some of the best characters in the Fablehaven series.

    Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

    Pay Attention Carter Jones is a middle grade coming of age contemporary that I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. I could see myself revisiting it, but having it on audiobook also makes it more likely some or all of my kids will eventually read it too (or maybe we’ll listen to it as a family!).

    The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West

    I’ve slowly been reading my way through Kasie West’s books and enjoying them. Like all of her books, The Fill-in Boyfriend is a sweet and clean YA romance. I haven’t read this yet and I think it will be perfect when I’m in the mood for something fun and light.

    Lucky in Love by Kasie West

    Lucky in Love is another Kasie West book I haven’t read. She had quite a few others on a pretty good sale, but these were the only two under $5 for me and since there were already so many books I wanted to buy, I was trying to limit my buys this time around.

    So True a Love by Joanna Barker

    Joanna Barker is another author that I have been reading a lot of lately and really loving. She writes regency romance and So True a Love looks like a cute one! It’s the sequel to a book I recently read by Joanna Barker that I loved and I’m excited for the “investigation” side of it.

    One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen

    This has been on my TBR for awhile–I actually have a hard copy from the library right now, but I have only made it a few pages in with the new baby. Maybe having it as an audiobook will help me actually get to it. One Wrong Step is a middle grade historical fiction about climbing Mount Everest.

    The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery

    I didn’t know LM Montgomery had written more than Anne and Emily until recently, but The Blue Castle became one of my absolute favorite classics when I read it! It has a romcom feel to it and it’s fun to see the way the main character grows into herself. I’m very excited to own the audio version of it.

    Infinity Blade: Redemption by Brandon Sanderson

    Infinity Blade wasn’t my favorite duology (I’ve never played the game) but it is by Brandon Sanderson, so of course I am going to own for only a couple of dollars.

    Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge

    I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I have loved the Phyllida Bright series (Murder Takes the Stage is the fourth). Now I only need the first in the series and will own all the books on audio. I got the audiobook from the library to read them originally and really loved narrator as well.

    Matilda by Roald Dahl

    Matilda is a classic for a reason and I’m excited to own the audiobook, especially for my kids. There were a few other Roald Dahl books on a pretty good sale, but this was the only one that was under $5 for me.

    The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

    James Ponti wrote City Spies and Framed!, both of which the kids and I have really enjoyed together. I think The Sherlock Society is his latest series and I’ve been wanting to listen to it with the kids. This one is the only book I am getting that isn’t under $5, but it’s still on a good deal and I was planning on buying it this month or next anyway.

    Those are the books I am buying during this Audible sale! It’s a pretty good haul and I’m excited for all of them! Are you getting any audiobooks this week? What are some of your favorite books to listen to?

  • Beginning Read Aloud Chapter Books –  Perfect for Ages 4 to 6! 

    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 Believe by 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!

  • Five of my April 5-Star Reads!

    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!

  • Five of my March 5-Star Reads!

    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!

  • Top 10 Books of 2024!

    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!

  • A Little House Readathon for 2025!

    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!

  • Bookish Bullet Journal 2025!

    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!