Hello friends! I'm so excited to introduce a new feature here on the blog called Books & Babes! Allison and Becky are the brain children behind this little project, and they were thoughtful enough to invite me to be a part of it. Basically, about every two months, we are going to share a post highlighting our most recent favourite read and then the book, or books, we are looking forward to reading in the following month.
If you're anything like me, I always enjoy seeing what my friends have been reading and this is a great way to discover new books to add to those never-ending TBR lists!
*****
I was doing really well at finishing a book a week until
last week; I was tired, cranky, and honestly preferred an episode (or three) of
Nashville on Netflix to reading. Or maybe cracking open my first Hemmingway
novel was intimidating. Either way, Ernest is still on the nightstand and I
have a sinus infection which is making focusing on reading really, really hard.
Favourite: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life by Kelsey Miller. I loved it. I've been following Kelsey's Refinery 29
column, The Anti-Diet Project, for a few years now and
her book was even better (I can not say the same for Field Guide, also a
biography by a columnist, I did not like the writing style at all).
I'm in year 20-something of a long-standing, seemingly never
ending, feud with my body. It loves dairy and carbs and I hate it. It loves to
hold on to pounds and I hate it. It's refreshing to read something so honest
that wasn't "solved" with a can-do attitude, extra time in the gym,
and carrot sticks for lunch. While that works for some people (go you! no, honestly, that's awesome if it's your thing), it's not me.
I do not have a can-do attitude about anything and having the lowest of low
self-esteems I detest the gym. There's a chapter about mindlessness (or the
positive, mindfulness) and how Kelsey filled every second of her day with
distractions (internet, podcasts, music, tv, reading) as to not have to be alone with her thoughts. That was terrifying and eye-opening.
That's what I do. I fill up every second of my day: iTunes or a DVD series
while I work, more music while I prep dinner, TV or Netflix in the evening, and
if I can't sleep, more music. Silence was (IS) my enemy, and honestly, even
though I'm aware of it, I'm not ready to turn off the noise/distractions just
yet.
Looking forward to: In a twist of fate every book on my to-read
list is currently available at the library. With all the rave reviews I'm
thinking The Light Between Oceans. My list includes: The Paris Affair, The War
That Saved My Life (thanks Brie), The Invisible Bridge, The Nightingale, and
All the Light We Cannot See. Maybe try Hemmingway again? I'm just going to cry
myself through February and March, aren't I? Gotta get the serious ones out of
the way now because I refuse to read heavy material on vacation and I'm headed
to Florida at the end of March.
*****
I've never really kept track of how fast (or slow) I read and
how many books I read in a year. This year I decided that I would aim to read
at least one book a month. So far I've already finished four and am well on my
way to completing a fifth by the end of the month.
Favourite: It's so hard choosing a favourite. It's a toss
up between both Gillian Flynn books and Yes Please. I think I will choose Yes Please this month. While the essays about her early career days weren't as
interesting (or funny) to me, the personal essays really touched me. The first
100 pages were the best, and this passage has really stayed with me since
reading, "When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit
about me I turn around and say, "Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don't
talk about her like that." Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we
would about one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes
it works."
Looking Forward To: I just started reading Can I Say, the
memoir of Travis Barker, which I'm really excited to get into being a big Blink
182 and Travis Barker fan. I have a thing for biographies and memoirs.
Side note: one time, I saw Travis and his kids in the lobby of a hotel room before
a show in Edmonton. We're basically best friends now.
*****
January
started out really strong for me on the reading front, and I read some great
books. February hasn’t been as kind to me. I chalk it up to my mom visiting so
my husband and I got a few extra date nights which means less time to read in
the evenings. Or maybe my last few book choices just weren’t as engaging?
Here’s hoping for a better end to the month!
Favourite:
Can I pick two? It was so hard to choose as I read
two amazing books in January, but they were both from completely different
genres . If I have to pick, then I’m going with The Light Between Oceans by
M.L. Stedman. This is a heartbreaking and beautiful story about a lighthouse
keeper and his wife who’ve suffered several miscarriages and a stillbirth. When
a baby shows up in a rowboat, the couple makes decisions that will impact their
lives and those around them, more than they ever could have imagined. A truly captivating story, and one that will
stick with you for a long, long time once that last page is turned. Keep a box of tissues nearby!
Looking
forward to: The hardest part for me, as an avid
reader, is deciding what book to read next. My TBR (to-be-read) pile is always
growing, and even when I think I have an idea of what I want my next book to be,
there’s always a new one being added to the list! A few I’m hoping to tackle in
the next month: Into the Abyss by Carol Shaben, The Kitchen House and Glory
Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom, and The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. Too
many books, too little time, amiright?
*****
Most favourite recent read?
Book you're looking forward to reading next?
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