Category: Books

Reading Round Up

I love reading. I love downloading books on my Kindle. I love going to the library and picking up a bunch of books to take home. I just had one of those delicious library trips where I filled my cart with treats, so I thought I’d share my pickings with you all.

 

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Simple pleasure: going to the library all by myself and spending time picking out a bunch of goodies! 🤗🤗🤗

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{Pssssst: I linked to each book on Amazon if you want to click through for a synopsis, but I highly recommend you put them on your library list before purchasing!}

Junk: Digging Through America’s Love Affair with Stuff by Alison Stewart
Find it here on Amazon (if you have Amazon Unlimited, it is free to read)

Initial Thoughts: I’ve been on a thrifting streak lately, which often leads me to wonder who is donating such awesome stuff. We’ve also done a bit of antiquing, which has made me want to bring cool old things into my house. On the other side of things, I’m getting to the point where I can’t stand clutter… and have been relentlessly purging things. So, cool stuff comes in… cool stuff goes out.

This was the first book from my library trip that I read and I have to say it is interesting… in parts. While I’m normally a ‘read the whole book from front to back’ kinda girl, this one had some parts that didn’t interest me, so I skipped right over them. It was very, very interesting though and now I want to take everything in my basement to the dump.

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: I love a good romantic comedy piece of chick lit, but it’s imperative that the lady be strong and quirky. No swooning dummies for me! I’m looking forward to reading this one and if I like it, it looks like there are a few others by the same author.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: Another chick lit book… this one about an American finding love while she is at Oxford. You know right off the book jacket that they are going to fall in love and she will have to make a decision about whether to stay or go. I’m hoping this is a good one!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorn and John Tiffany
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: I LOVE the Harry Potter series. Which is exactly why I have been avoiding this book. I just love it TOO MUCH, you know? This one was just sitting on the shelf staring at me and I decided that now is finally the time. So, now it is.

Approval Junkie: Adventures in Caring Too Much by Faith Salie
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: I’m not familiar with comedian/journalist Faith Salie, but this is a collection of essays “chronicling the author’s adventures during her lifelong quest for approval”. I’ve been on a bit of a Netflix comedy special kick lately, so this fits in perfectly with my needs right now.

How to be a happier parent: raising a family, having a life and loving (almost) every minute by KJ Dell’Antonia
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: I’m not typically a ‘self help’ book reader, but I’ve been listening to a lot of the Armchair Expert podcast and thought this might be a nice read. Now that I’m done my master’s program, I have a little extra time on my hands… so maybe a little self-improvement is in order.

On Starlit Seas by Sara Sheridan
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: This one looks like kind of a chick lit/mystery/romance/period drama. It’s a little out of my wheelhouse as I’m not really a historical fiction lover, so I figured I’d try it.

I am Malala: How one girl stood up for education and changed the world by Malala Yousafzai
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. This book was all the hype when it came out and in this current age of politics, when I saw it sitting on the shelf I had the strong urge to add it to my basket.

As You Wish: Inconceivable tales from the making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: I LOVE The Princess Bride and I remember putting this book on my list when I heard it was coming out. I have no idea what happened to that list. But I am super excited to read this one! This one is next on my list and I have it with me to start reading at lunch today.

I hate everyone, except you by Clinton Kelly
Find it here on Amazon

Initial Thoughts: This one is billed as a snarky collection of essays, so yeah. It had me from ‘snarky’.

 

What are you reading right now? Have you read anything from my current pile?

 

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In Dire Need of Good Reads

I’ve talked about how I’m a total bookworm before, but I’m having some trouble with my worminess.

The last few books I’ve read haven’t really done it for me and I’m dying for a new book or series that will excite me.

I have Amazon Unlimited for my kindle (you can find Reviewing Kindle Unlimited here), so there are a bunch of books to choose from… I’m just feeling a bit trigger shy after my last few choices bombed.

The last series I read and really liked was the The Origin Mystery trilogy (The Atlantis Gene, The Atlantis Plague and The Atlantis World). I recently finished the Jaime Baker trilogy (start with Being Jaime Baker) which was great if you like the supernatural world and a little bit of romance. I also drool over basically everything by Gina LaManna and devour her Lacey Luzzi books the moment they come out (start with Sprinkled). Due to the cute previews on TV, I read Me Before You (loved it) and After You (didn’t love it) by Jojo Moyes.

I’m down with YA books like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. I also like romance, lots of silly chick lit and suspense novels.

So, now I need your help. What have you read lately that you really loved? Bonus points if it’s available on Kindle Unlimited!

6/15/16 Update: You guys are awesome and I really appreciate every single recommendation! Please, feel free to keep them coming. There were also a bunch of recommendations on my Facebook page, if you want to check them out.

 

Disclosure: Pocketful of Joules is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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4 Kids Books I Don’t Mind Reading Over and Over and Over

As a parent to a 3 ½ year old, we tend to get in book ruts. We have dozens of books on Jack’s bookshelf, but he will request that I read the same books over and over again.

It got so bad that I had to hide a couple books because if I had to read them YET again, I would scream.

So, as a service to the other parents, aunties and kiddo friends out there, I have a list of four books that are so awesome I don’t mind reading them a million times. Get ahead of the Christmas rush and order a few for your gift giving. Believe me, the parents will love you!

4 Kids Books I Don’t Mind Reading Over and Over and Over

#1: Starlight Sailor by James Mayhew & Jackie Morris
Buy it here: Starlight Sailor
This board book had just the right amount of words on each page so I don’t feel like I have to “accidentally” skip any of them. The illustrations are beautiful and even after reading this probably a hundred times it looks as good as the first day we cracked it open. As an added bonus, on the last page of the book there are instructions for folding your own paper boat.

#2: How do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room? By Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
Buy it here: How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?
There is a whole series of the ‘how do dinosaurs’ books, but this is the only one we have. I can totally see buying a few of them as a really fun kid birthday or holiday gift because they are cute AND super reasonably priced. Jack loves the illustrations of dinosaurs doing human kid things, like hiding teddy bears under his bed and putting his matchbox cars in rows. I love that it is a quick read and still hasn’t gotten stale after a straight year of being on our heavy rotation list.

#3: The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown
Buy it here: The Diggers
You may recognize the author’s name because she also wrote the super popular Goodnight Moon book. If you have a kid who likes diggers and trains, you NEED to buy this book. You get to see how all sorts of animals, people and machines dig holes for different reasons. The amount of words per page is totally manageable for a bedtime story session and the illustrations are so pretty.

#4: The Prince’s Bedtime by Joanne Oppenheim and Miriam Latimer
Buy it here: The Prince’s Bedtime
I’m pretty sure that this is my favorite book that we have. The rhyming couplets are just so fun to read aloud and when Jack tells me that it’s my turn to pick a book I usually go for this one. The story is about a prince who can’t go to sleep, so everyone in the kingdom tries to figure out ways to make him sleepy. Believe me, I get it! It’s a little silly, a little sweet and all around one of my absolute favorites. It even comes with a CD if you’d like to hear it narrated by Jim Broadbent… we’ve just never actually listened to it.

Do you have a favorite children’s book that you can read over and over again?

Disclosure: Pocketful of Joules is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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