I spent a little time last month reading some books from my own bookshelf as well as ones waiting to be reviewed. I participated in the #5books7dayschallenge with @lottelikesbooks on Instagram and even though I didn’t accomplish my goal, I finished a book I had started before the challenge, finished one complete book from the challenge and started two others books. I’ll be sharing those with you soon! My week on Sunday was completely open and had lots of room for reading so I thought this challenge would be “easy”. But, then Monday started with a sick child which led into Tuesday, Wednesday through Friday I ended up subbing but I was able to read during some of the class time, and Saturday I spent the day at a show choir competition where I did get some reading in.
I am finding that just when I think I am going to get caught up and I have a slow week ahead, my week ends up being busier than the previous one. I’ve barely had a day off from subbing and if I do, it’s because I have something else already going on. We have a lull now from basketball season until track season starts in a couple weeks, so I’m planning to enjoy some of our evenings off.
I do have some great books to share with you this month. These books found their way into my mailbox. I am only going to spend time reading books that I find enjoyable and interesting. If I am not interested, I’m going to put it aside. I can’t get to all these books that come my way, but at least, I can tell you about them here and I hope to review them just as soon as I can.
If you would like to purchase any of these books,
clicking on the photo of the book will take you directly to Amazon.
If you choose to purchase, I will receive a small commission
without you having to pay any more for your purchase.
to share our stacks of books for February.
To see her Stack of Books as well as other bloggers’ Book Stacks, click
HERE.
BOOKS FOR REVIEW
THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP
Stories that Celebrate the Beauty of Shared Moments
By: Dawn Camp
Published: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Revell
Format: Hardcover
I absolutely love these kinds of books that share stories that bring us joy or remind us of someone we love. When I saw the list of contributors, I knew it was something I wanted to read.
Whether next door or in the next time zone, our friends provide some of our most important relationships. We cherish time spent with them, bemoan time spent apart, and look forward to the next time we can have coffee or rush to greet them as they walk toward our door. And nothing warms our hearts like stories of true friendship.
Collecting over fifty true stories from some of today best writers, Dawn Camp offers readers a chance to sit back and experience the gift of friendship. With its beautiful photographs and poignant prose, this collection is a great gift for a dear friend and the perfect pick-me-up anytime you need a boost. Contributors include Crystal Paine, Liz Curtis Higgs, Tsh Oxenreider, Myquillyn Smith, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Lisa-Jo Baker, Jessica Turner, Lysa TerKeurst, Bonnie Gray, Holley Gerth, Renee Swope, and many more.
THE MOMENT
A Practical Guide to Creating A Mindful Life in a Distracted World
By: Achim Nowak
Published: December 21, 2015
Publisher: New Page Books
Format: Paperback
I am intrigued by the premise of living each moment fully present. So many moments in my life are rushing by at lightening speed and I want to cherish them more. Skimming it after it arrived has me wondering if it is a bit to “New Age” for my taste, but I’ll give it a shot.
“Living in the moment” is the ultimate cliché. We toss this phrase about as if we knew what it meant, talk about being more mindful, and get excited about reestablishing our innocence.
A moment is an elusive event. It stands out from the events that precede it and those that follow. It tends to happen quickly. And it often evaporates in the blink of an eye.
The proposition of THE MOMENT is simple: What if we could experience each moment more deeply as it unfolds, make it last longer, make it more memorable? We would have a more momentous life—a more richly lived, fully experienced life.
While it may seem daunting to live fully in the moment in our fast-paced, distracted world, THE MOMENT is a disarmingly practical, no-nonsense guide that introduces Four Keys that can instantly elevate your experience of any moment:
Wake up your senses to create a more sumptuous experience of the world.
Crave meaning to discover a deeper appreciation for moments as they unfold.
Wave-ride energy to create the thrill of momentum in your life.
Make time stand still and be rewarded with the gift of the flow experience.
THE KNOWING BOOK
By: Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Published: February 23, 2016
Publisher: Boyd Mills Press
Format: Hardcover
I reviewed this inspirational children’s book last week. See my review,
HERE. This would be a great book to give as a gift or add to your own inspirational library.
Inspiring and wise, this story begins and ends with the sky that is always above you. In between, a young rabbit travels through the wide world, experiencing joy and sorrow and all the wonder that the world has to offer. Along the way, he chooses a path, explores the unknown, and ventures along trails on and off the map. And at the end of the journey, braver and more confident, he returns home, the place he can always count on and will always know.
PUTTER AND THE RED CAR
A Cross-Country Family Adventure
By: Kate K Lund
Published: January 18, 2016
Publisher: Kate Lund
Format: Paperback
I love that this is the beginning of a series of children’s books about empowerment. I’m anxious to share this one with you!
Putter and the Red Car is the story of one family’s cross-country road trip narrated by a lively Airedale terrier. The book incorporates ideas related to family, change, geography and adventure with a backdrop of bright colorful illustrations. It is a perfect book for the emerging reader, young children just learning about the world around them and those who love dogs – particularly Airedales.
THE ONES WHO MATTER MOST
By: Rachel Herron
To Be Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Berkley NAL
Format: eBook
I recently read my first Rachel Herron book, SPLINTERS OF LIGHT and even though it was a difficult topic, I found it to be handled delicately with beautiful writing. See my review,
HERE.
After her husband dies unexpectedly, Abby Roberts comes across something startling: wedding photographs of him with another woman, along with pictures of a baby boy. Shocked, Abby does something utterly impulsive: She embarks on a journey to discover the family her husband apparently left behind.
Money has always been tight for single mom Fern Reyes, and never tighter than now. But this month, in place of a child-support check, her ex’s pretty, privileged wife appears on her doorstep with far too many questions. Unfortunately, her young son is so taken with Abby that Fern doesn’t have the heart to send her away.
What begins as one woman’s search for truth becomes a deep bond forged between the unlikeliest of people, and the discovery that there are many ways to make a family—as long as you take care.
MODERN GIRLS
By: Jennifer S. Brown
To Be Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Berkley NAL
Format: eBook
I was fascinated by this premise…mother and daughter facing unimaginable circumstances at a time in history that this type of situation can lead to devasting consequences.
In 1935, Dottie Krasinsky is the epitome of the modern girl. A bookkeeper in Midtown Manhattan, Dottie steals kisses from her steady beau, meets her girlfriends for drinks, and eyes the latest fashions. Yet at heart, she is a dutiful daughter, living with her Yiddish-speaking parents on the Lower East Side. So when, after a single careless night, she finds herself in a family way by a charismatic but unsuitable man, she is desperate: unwed, unsure, and running out of options.
After the birth of five children—and twenty years as a housewife—Dottie’s immigrant mother, Rose, is itching to return to the social activism she embraced as a young woman. With strikes and breadlines at home and National Socialism rising in Europe, there is much more important work to do than cooking and cleaning. So when she realizes that she, too, is pregnant, she struggles to reconcile her longings with her faith.
As mother and daughter wrestle with unthinkable choices, they are forced to confront their beliefs, the changing world, and the fact that their lives will never again be the same.
BOOKS I WON
THE GRATITUDE DIARIES
How A Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life
By: Janice Kaplan
Published: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Dutton
Format: Hardcover
I won this book through BookReporter.com and it has been one I have been interested in. I’ll be sharing about this book soon!
On New Year’s Eve, journalist and former Parade Editor-in-Chief Janice Kaplan makes a promise to be grateful and look on the bright side of whatever happens. She realizes that how she feels over the next months will have less to do with the events that occur than her own attitude and perspective. Getting advice at every turn from psychologists, academics, doctors, and philosophers, she brings readers on a smart and witty journey to discover the value of appreciating what you have.
Relying on both amusing personal experiences and extensive research, Kaplan explores how gratitude can transform every aspect of life including marriage and friendship, money and ambition, and health and fitness. She learns how appreciating your spouse changes the neurons of your brain and why saying thanks helps CEOs succeed. Through extensive interviews with experts and lively conversations with real people including celebrities like Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, and Jerry Seinfeld, Kaplan discovers the role of gratitude in everything from our sense of fulfillment to our children’s happiness.
With warmth, humor, and appealing insight, Janice’s journey will empower readers to think positively and start living their own best year ever.
BOOKS I PURCHASED
The 4 x 4 DIET
4 Key Foods, 4-Minutes Workouts, Four Weeks to the Body You Want
By: Erin Oprea
Published: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Harmony
Format: Hardcover
I read an introductory sample of this book and really liked the approach to a healthy lifestyle. I haven’t finished it yet, but I am totally on board and am anxious to finish the book and start this approach. The author is the trainer to Carrie Underwood, who has also written the Foreword to this book.
Discover the 4 key foods and the 4-minute workouts that will change the way readers look and feel in just 4 weeks. Celebrity trainer and former marine Erin Oprea’s motto is “lean and clean.” Her unique 4 x 4 diet shows readers how to get clean by reducing the 4 major hitches in most diets: sugar, starch, sodium, and alcohol. She also tells readers how to get lean, using her 4-minute tabata workouts: 8 repetitions of 20 seconds of high-intensity moves, then 10 seconds of rest. Within 4 weeks, the average person will be able to reduce bloating and belly fat; gain increased muscle definition in the arms, legs, and stomach; improve cardiovascular endurance; and break sugar and sodium addictions. Complete with meal plans and recipes, the 4 x 4 diet is perfect for anyone looking to streamline their body and lifestyle.
As always, if you read any of these books, be sure to let me know your thoughts! Spring is almost here. I know I can’t wait for my crocus, daffodil and tulip bulbs to start peeking out of the ground!
I always like seeing the books you add to your reading stack – invariably you add some to my TBR.
This month it's definitely The Gratitude Diaries since I saw you've already reviewed it – it sounds like one I'll like and your review says it's worth reading.