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I am excited to kick off a new segment on my blog where we share what we have been reading with you guys!
We are in a season of our lives where we read a lot and I appreciate book recommendations more than ever and want to return the favor by sharing our favorites and not so favorites with you. Now, for the most part we are reading actual books but truth be told I am almost always reading an e-book and listening to an audiobook at all times too. I use both Audible (get two free books with a free 30 day trial by clicking here) and the Libby app (link your library card for free and enjoy ebooks and audiobooks for free). And speaking of the library — if you are not taking advantage of your public library, PLEASE DO! It’s such an amazing resource for kids and adults alike. Here is a past post I wrote about when we rediscovered the library.
All have their benefits but turning paper page will always be my favorite! And also, if you haven’t read my post about READING JOURNALS make sure to because there is where I am pulling notes for these posts! And please feel free to leave a comment with books that YOU recommend!
JAKE
Jake is almost 8 and still struggles a bit with reading. It is mainly an attention / confidence thing. He would rather read short books quickly at this point than get into a big chapter book. We have found two books / series lately that he has really enjoyed. I do read a lot of books aloud to him (we love the Magic Tree House series) but am mainly including the ones hes reading on his own here.
Jake loved these two books! We found one at the library and ended up buying the second one online. They are very beginner chapter books that are probably best for 5-7 year olds. The books are mostly dialogue between two caveman (who are best friends) and Jake loved reading it in their “voices”. He read them over and over again which is rare for him so I want to give these a big thumbs up.
We stumbled upon these at the library and Jake loved them! They are short chapter books that he read in one sitting before quickly moving on to the next. Again, anything that keeps him excited makes me happy. When looking at them on Amazon they all have pretty much 5 stars so I guess other people like them too! These are again an early chapter book series catered more toward the 5-7 year olds. I just love watching him fly through them. It helps build his confidence so much!
ABBY
Abby just turned 10 and is a strong reader. She is one girl who knows what she likes and doesn’t like. She is not afraid to abandon ship on a book 50 pages in if she isn’t enjoying it. She is consistently grabbing the Who Was books and still working her way through the Harry Potter series. Here are some of her other recent reads.
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
I know we raved about this book already on Instagram and Facebook but this is probably Abby’s favorite book ever. She read it in one day and couldn’t put it down. I didn’t read it (should have) so here are Abby’s thoughts! –> A book about a girl who was struck by lightning and became a math genius and was forced to go to middle school. She tried to play dumb, made friends, fell in love with a dog named Pi. This book made me cry. 10/10. Spoiler Alert — you have to read this book! I have had several people message me and tell me that their kids loved the book as much as she did so… grab this one!
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Abby gave this a 9/10. She seemed to have a little trouble getting off the ground but then couldn’t put it down. I like that this touches on racism and social injustice in a way that children can understand. It has won a ton of awards and can teach a child a lot. Plus, it’s good fiction. It’s a mystery targeted towards ages 8-12. Abby loved the main character (12 year old) Candice.
Layfayette! by Nathan Hale | Hazardous Tales #8
So, we picked this up because we are studying the American Revolution and I thought it would tie in great. I had no idea that it was a series and we will be grabbing more. It was written in a comic book style / graphic novel and Abby said it was fun to read. It’s targeted towards ages 8-12 and very entertaining. I am a huge fan of living books or any type of historical fiction. It really keeps kids interested and I feel like they retain so much more about an era or event being exposed to it this way vs a textbook, or at least to supplement a textbook. Here is a link to the whole series which is worth checking out!
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Several people have recommended this series to us and I am so glad we got to it! Abby actually just finished this book (book #1) yesterday and is already halfway thought book 2. There is a 3rd book out already and the 4th comes out in May. Nickelodeon has even made it into an original movie although the reviews are mixed. Abby says this book has a lot of cool puzzles and even a secret one. Her favorite character was Sierra. It gets 10/10 stars. There was a plot twist at the end and I stayed up really really really late reading it. Don’t tell my mom.
SARAH
Sarah just turned 37…. Haha.
Ok, so here are some of my recent reads. I am typically a sucker for memoirs, personal growth books and fascinated with food science type books. I have been trying to work in more fiction because once I get into them I just can’t put them down but my trouble is getting started on them.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I LOVED this book. Over 6600 reviews on Amazon and 5 stars. I love taking recommendations from Reese’s Hello Sunshine Book Club but typically read then several months down the road because the library always has a huge wait on the new ones. I will say that the last half is better than the first and actually it takes a little while to get into the story and the characters but once you are in it will be hard to put down. The characters were complex and her writing made you feel like you were there in the swamp with them. I can’t wait for her next book!
Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
I picked this up in Libby on a whim and read the ebook pretty quickly. I had no idea what to expect going in and I have to say that I am more a Parenthood fan than a Gilmore Girls fan. Scratch that… Parenthood was the best show I have watched as an adult and if you have never watched it then do it now! This book as a pleasant surprise and anytime that I can finish a memoir and like the person even more than before is a win which is a contrast to the other memoir I read this month (see below). It was a little talky in some part but she shares a lot about her life and behind the scenes to these shows and I think she’s a class act!
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
I really liked this one too! It is a perfect Spring break or beach read. I read it in basically 2 days and wouldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and made myself a note to read more from Lauren Weisberger. It was lighthearted chick lit but did have some good twists. The characters were fun… a little Real Housewives meets a semi-real life storyline.
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
Rachel Hollis is the face of living your best life this past year. I like her. And I like her drive to encourage women to go for their dreams. I listened to this book on Audible and she reads it so it’s well done. You can listen to her read a lot of it on her Rise Up podcast… so check that out if you are on the fence. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “Every year you close a new chapter of your story. Please, please, please don’t write the same one 75 times and call it a life.” It gets me thinking and motivated! As much as I love motivational / personal growth books, sometimes it’s exhausting being told do live your best life all the time. It’s hard being on 24/7 so show yourself some grace and know that it’s ok to rest too.
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Phillips
I wish I liked this one more. I actually liked the first half better than the second maybe because she gets negative and I am not a fan of the hurtful things she said about her husband and other people. It just felt a little judgy. I know she didn’t have it easy and was wronged several times but it just felt a little vengeful in parts. That said I would still give it like 7/10 stars. It was a fast and easy read and held my attention. She’s has an interesting life that I enjoyed learning about and I am happy that has came out on top with her new show but it just left me feeling wierd… like I’m not sure she’s down to earth enough for me and I am scared to ever cross her. I read through the Amazon reviews just now and it’s funny – people either loved it or had the same reaction that I have had to it.
I can’t wait for Volume 2 because I have like 4 books in progress right now. Story of my life and one is really really really good!
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