Jessica Reads: August

Another month has gone by and more reading has been done. With graduate school officially starting for me, I have transitioned mainly to audiobooks for my personal reading time. While I prefer to physically read books, I can listen to audiobooks while I am driving back and forth to school and work and while I am working out. This allows me to get a lot more "reading" time in. I have made the decision to do it this way because I must dedicate my time that I would normally be reading focusing on my academic pursuits.

This will likely be how I will continue to enjoy stories that I choose to read (or listen to) while school is in and then will physically read books during school breaks.

And with that, let's look at August books.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

I'll start off by saying that I tried to read this book several years ago and couldn't even get through the first few chapters. This time around I listened to it on audiobook. I did finish the story and only because I was determined to get through it. It was not worth it. I just kept hoping that it would get better. I was very disappointed because I've read other novels by Weisberger that I have enjoyed quite a bit. This one, however, was a pages and pages of dull characters, pop culture references and a predictable ending. I do not recommend this book. If you want to read something great by this author your better choices are The Devil Wears Prada or Chasing Harry Winston.

Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham

I first read Cocktails for Three nearly a decade ago. I really didn't remember much of the story when I grabbed it from the library. The story is from the perspective of three friends who meet monthly for cocktails to discuss life. Candice, Maggie and Roxanne work together at a high profile London magazine, but their lives are taking them in drastically different directions. Maggie is nearing the end of her pregnancy with her first child, Roxanne is a travel writer who is having an affair with a married man, and Candice is a reporter who is attempting to make up past wrongs. Through life and difficulties the women try to balance life, jobs and friendships. It is an enjoyable and at moments heart-wrenching novel. The older I get, the more I begin to identify with pieces of each of the woman. Well worth the read.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I don't think there is anyone who hasn't heard of The Hunger Games. What could there possibly be to say. Read it, listen to it, watch the movie. All enjoyable and totally worth your time.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Again, read it, listen to it, or watch the movie.

Be prepared to see the same advice next month when I finish up Mockingjay. 

Those are my books for August.

Jessica Reads: July

It is now time for the next installment of Jessica Reads. Things have started to settle down and reading has been happening again. But it's still not happening as much as I would like. This kids are reading like crazy. They finish multiple books a week. I have just not been able to concentrate fully as there has been still so much to do since we've moved.

Of course, there is always next month to help me catch up on everything.

But let's get to it. This month I finished two books and started several others. Hopefully, that means next month I'll have a much longer list.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I bought this book on a whim right before we left Nevada. I crazily thought that I would read it in the hotel after driving for 8 plus hours each day. I was a fool.

But once we got here, I picked it up and basically couldn't put it down. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It is a story about 3 women and the bond they have but also the secrets they keep. The secrets they hold are life altering, so each of them walks alone in them. 

If you are looking for a page turner this is it. 

Remember Me by Christopher Pike

While unpacking I came across Remember Me. I had read this back in middle school. I still actually have my original copy from way back then. I must have read it at least five times in my early teens. It's a story I still remember the entire story, even though it's been about 20 years since the last time I read it.

The story follows the death of Shari Cooper. She falls from a balcony during a friends birthday party. Her death is ruled a suicide, but Shari (now a ghost) knows that she did not kill herself. She sets out on a journey to find out just what happened at the party that caused her death.

If you want a story that takes your imagination back to the fashions of the late 80s/ early 90s, but still tells an awesome story it's worth picking up. You're probably better off looking online for a copy, because I truly doubt it is at your local Barnes & Noble.

Did you have a favorite book when you were younger that you read over and over again?

Jessica Reads: June

As I mentioned before, because of our recent move, my reading really took a hit. The books I did read this last month were ones that I read with my kids. Two of them were actually audiobooks we listened to during the cross country drive.

All three of the books that I will be covering today were ones that I have read before.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Oh, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. I discovered this book when I was briefly homeschooling Sidda. And what a joy it turned out to be! Recently Anya pulled this off the bookshelf and asked me to read it with her. That is why it is on my list for this month.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books are perfect for young children who are beginning to read but could still use assistance while they do so. We read through this book together, laughing at all Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's cures for the childhood maladies that many of the children struggled with, (like not wanting to clean their rooms, or eat their dinner) making this a very enjoyable easy book to read. Highly recommended.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I remember the first time I picked up The Lightning Theif. We were in California, taking Sidda to the zoo for her 4th birthday and I was looking for an easy fun book to read. I saw this on a table in a bookstore, I picked it up and the rest is history.

This is one of those books that really cemented my children's love of reading. This time, reading it was listening to the audiobook while we were driving. The adventures of Percy and his friends while trying to prove that he did not steal Zeus' lighting bolt are a joy to read. In fact, Percy's story gets better and better with each book. It is a series worth jumping into. This is a family favorite.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the Percy Jackson series. We also listened to this one on our drive.

I'm hoping this next month, with us beginning to settle down, I will be able to read a little more.

Jessica Reads: May

It's that time again. Another month has come and gone. I did manage to get some reading in but with the busyness of life, it never seems like it is as much as I would've wanted to. I always seem to have grand book plans, went to the library and picked some out, only to have them sit in the library bag for weeks, just to be returned without ever cracking one open. Instead, I ended up reading books that we already owned. Go figure.

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

This is actually my third time reading through My Not So Perfect Life. And I find I like it even more with each read. I thoroughly enjoy the story each time. It is about Katie, who is from the British country side, who has always dreamed about living in London and working in marketing and branding design. But living there is a lot tougher than she imagined. Especially the cost. 

A job loss sends her back home to the country where her family is beginning a glamping business. Which is where Katie runs into the boss who recently fired her. How will Katie seek revenge for being let go?

It's is a fun read. This book is more about getting to know who people really are because surfaces can be deceiving. I find that it is more than the average Chick Lit book that typically revolves around a love story. Instead, it is a story about self identity and acceptance.

The Martian by Andy Weir

So, I don't read too much science fiction. It is really not my cup of tea. This is one of Michael's books, and he really likes it, so I decided to give it a shot. Last year I read Weir's Artemis and didn't really like it. I thought his characters were too unrealistic for what he was trying to do, but The Martian was a pleasant surprise.

Since there is a movie that was very popular I am not going to go too far into a synopsis, but I will say, that the science mixed with humor and fear, makes for a very compelling read. Following Mark and NASA through their turmoil figuring out how to rescue rescue a man from Mars before he starves to death is very interesting.

Now, did I understand the science that was mentioned?

Nope.

But I found it was presented in a way that showed the characters knew what they were talking about, but without making me feel stupid while I read it. Which made it all the more enjoyable. I liked the book and the characters enough that I never rooted for Mark to die. I wanted to witness a rescue.

Storm by Evan Angler

Storm  is a book that I started with the family over a year ago. We had, for a while, been reading the Swipe series together. Each Sunday we would read a chapter. We got through the first two books in the series this way and it was fun for all of us.

I don't know what happened with this book that we just stopped making progress. But suddenly our routine changed and we weren't reading it every week. So a book that should've taken us maybe three months, at a chapter a week, took more like, 18 months to finish.

There is not too much to explain about it. It is about a dystopian society that takes place essentially after the rapture. We really enjoyed the first two books. This one was a little more difficult to get through.

There is still one more to go. Hopefully we'll pick it up soon and get back to our normal routine. Then we'll choose a new series to read together.

Do you have any favorite stories that you share as a family?

Bible Journaling: John 10:11

This Bible Journaling makes me excited because I drew a cute little sheep! Woo-hoo!

This passage is a good reminder about who Jesus is. In John 10, he tells about how the devil is the thief, and that the thief comes to "kill, steal and destroy" (John 10:10). But he goes beyond just telling us about the evil that is out there he reminds us of who he is.

Jesus tells us "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). 

Which is exactly what he did. Jesus did not just go around telling us who was our enemy and all the evils that surrounded us. He did not seek out to put us against each other. Instead he came to save. Just as the shepherd does for his flock. The shepherd protects his flock from, seeks out the lost sheep and saves them from the what is unsafe. Just as he does for us. He protects, seeks and saves.

He is the good shepherd.

Jessica Reads: April

Another month has passed us right by and I didn't read as much as I would've liked. Actually, I read quite a bit, I just didn't read as many books as I would've liked to.

In fact, in April I only read a single book.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

I picked up 11/22/63 by Stephen King because my husband had decided he wanted to read it. We got a really good deal on it from Better World Books (the best place to buy used books online in my opinion) but Michael did not start reading it right away because he is currently too busy reading The Wheel of Time series. And since I was in between books, I picked it up. It literally took me all month to read for two reasons: 

1. I have been incredibly busy all month long. I didn't blog as much as I wanted and I didn't read as much as I wanted because there was just too much going on around here.

2. This book is nearly 900 pages long.

I've read long books in a shorter amount of time, but the combination of busyness and the length is my excuse.

But, I am completely fine with only have read a single book this month because it is SO GOOD.

I was sucked in from the very first page and I kept coming back to it and looking forward to reading it when time allowed.

The basic synopsis is: A man goes back in time with the intent on stopping the assassination of JFK. And really, there is so much more to the story, but I don't want to give too much away. It is really an adventure and very enjoyable. Pick it up, read it, take your time, and love it.

Any books I should pick up for May?

Jessica Reads: March

Man, March is already over. Where February felt like it lasted forever, March flew by and suddenly turned to April. I got some reading done this last month, though for some reason it barely felt like I read at all. Yet, somehow I got through five books and had a pretty good time doing so.

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella. I have been for years and years. While I have read this book before, and knew the ending, I actually forgot a lot of the things that happened in the story. It was almost like reading it again for the first time. Surprise Me is about Sylvie and Dan. They have been together for about 10 years and have a set of twin daughters. They are both in good health which has a doctor tell them that they are likely to live until they are each 100 plus years old. This completely freaks out the couple who know each other so well. Their solution, begin finding ways to surprise each other. However, none of the surprises quite work out as expected and make Sylvie question is she really knows Dan as well as she thought.

While this is not my favorite Kinsella novel (that would be Twenties Girl) she delivers a wonderfully fun story that reminds me the importance of family.

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Now, you would think that since my oldest child is named after a character in this novel that I would have read it before now... but you would be wrong. I saw the movie that was based on The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and fell in love with the name of Sandra Bullock's character. And that was that. I loved the name and have meant to read the book for years but never really gotten around to it until now. And really... it was just ok. The story has it's moments of interest but really, it dragged on and on and on. The movie, while it's not exactly the same as the novel presents the story in a much better format. It may be that this story plays better out on the screen than it does in the pages. But, as much as I did not really enjoy the book I have a love for it because it gave me my daughter's name.

I Owe you One by Sophie Kinsella

Yes, Kinsella is making a second appearance in the month of March. I Owe You One is her latest book that just came out. I am always excited whenever she has a new novel because I love her stories. While this one starts off a little slow at first by the time I reached the middle I was really enjoying it. The story is all about Fixie. Fixie runs her family's shop and struggles with doing so. Her siblings don't help like she wants but they also overwhelm her, so she often gives in to their whims. She also is struggling in love. Fixie is a likeable character, though she can be annoying at times with her need to fix everything (hence the name Fixie). But overall a good quick read.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

What is there really to say about Harry Potter? Everyone knows the story. I picked up the first book in the series because I realized that it had been over six years since the last time I actually read the books. It's even been a couple of years since I've listened to the audiobooks. I'll probably read through the rest of the series in the coming months.

On Writing by Stephen King

I love to write. I'm never writing as much as I really want to, but I love reading about the craft of writing and this has been one of my favorites. I think it really is because King, instead of just offering a bunch of random advice that is regurgitated over and over again, he treated this like a memoir, of his life, his work, and the thing that he loves to do. It's not just a "do this, do that" instruction manual it's the story of his life and how telling stories has contributed to that. I loved, loved, loved it. I'm so happy that I finally took the time to read through it. I highly recommend it. 

And that's it. This is what I have been reading lately. I don't really know what I'll be reading in this next month. I don't really plan it out it advance. I just grab what might pique my interest or what sounds fun or interesting. 

What are you reading lately?