February Reading List
I love reading, but didn't make much time for it at the end of last year. I made it a goal this year to read at least a book a month. So far, I'm off to a good start.
Here are a few recaps on what I've read lately:
Would Like to Meet - Rachel Winters I love a good meet cute and a chick flick with a good storyline. I picked up this book because it had a cute cover (sorry, but I tend to judge a book by its cover a lot) and seemed to have the things about romantic comedies that I love. Evie Summers works at a film agency and is trying to move her way up in the world and find her way back to her love of writing in the process. To prove that she can work her way up the ladder, she agrees to help a client with a romantic comedy he’s supposed to write and owes the producers. Her job is to put meet cutes to the real life test, and see if they are actually practical. In true rom com fashion, there’s a coffee shop, a love triangle and, of course, a wedding. While it was a cute and entertaining story, it often felt too slow and the characters didn’t really make me feel too much. Sure, I was curious what was going to happen, but I can’t say I was rooting for them one way or another. Most of the time, it just felt like, ‘let’s get on with it.’ As far as books meet meet cutes go and following the rom com formula, “Waiting for Tom Hanks” by Kerry Winfrey is the one to go with. Rating: 3/5 Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You (Audiobook) - Dolly Parton Last summer, I decided to get a subscription with Audible. It was a chance for me to listen to books on my plane ride to Europe, since I couldn’t bring all of the booksI wanted with me. Since that point on, I’ve been hooked. Most recently, I finished one of Dolly Parton’s books, read by Dolly herself. It’s filled with nuggets of inspiration and Dolly Lama wisdom, weaved throughout her own story - her childhood, life in the limelight and overall, how she’s gotten to where she is today. She also ended each chapter with a song, fitting for the chapter she’d just explained. I will admit that sometimes it’s hard for me to focus and I tune out at times with audiobooks. But, Dolly kept it entertaining. It was the perfect thing to put on for inspiration while at work and be filled with the motivation of someone who has experienced hardships, but fought for what she wanted and to tell her own story. If you’re a Dolly fan, a country music or just need a pick-me-up, this is the perfect read or listen. Rating 5/5 All Along You Were Blooming - Morgan Harper Nichols Morgan Harper Nichols has a way of bringing peace and hope to readers in her writing. She reminds you that you’re not alone. She reminds you to slow down with the pacing and rhythm of her words. To find beauty in the small, seemingly insignificant moments, that are really about growth. There is something to be learned in everything we go through and experience. I love that a lot of her work focuses on the uncertainties of life - the heartbreaks, not knowing what comes next or how things don’t always fall into place exactly as we thought they should. There’s a comfort in that. If you follow her on social media, you’re already familiar with the arrangements of her artwork and words. Her book is an extension of that. I found so much healing in her words for this season in my life. This is one that you really just have to read for yourself and let her words run through your mind, as if advice from a friend. It was the perfect read when I just had a few minutes to quiet my soul, either in the morning or at night. Rating: 5/5 Heart Talk - Cleo Wade I found out about Cleo Wade from a friend, who was always sharing her posts on Instagram, but didn’t know much about her until she was on the Reese Witherspoon show “Shine On.” I finally read her book “Heart Talk.” WOW. It really does feel like you’re sitting across from a friend at coffee, as she shares short essays and poetry about life - heartbreak, not worrying about everything, how to keep going when the road is hard, the narrative we tell ourselves and so much more. I was underlining and nodding my head the whole time, like ‘yes, I know exactly what she means’ or ‘mhm, she really gets it.’ And she does. It’s realistic, but optimistic at the same time. Rating - 5/5 If For Any Reason - Courtney Walsh One of the best fiction books that I’ve read in awhile and was one that I couldn’t put down was “If For Any Reason.” One night, I even stayed up til 1 a.m. reading it, because I kept telling myself, “just one more chapter.” This story follows Emily Ackerman, a child-turned-Broadway star, who returns to Nantucket to renovate the summer house her grandfather left her after he died. Her mother died when she was young and all she has left is a book of letters she left her. She also has a lot of questions, which she discovers, as she goes - meeting people from her mother’s past and other comments made by her grandmother, who can be a bit difficult to get along with. It’s there that she reconnects with her childhood friend, Hollis McGuire, who was recently injured from playing Major League Baseball, who is also back on the island. His daughter visits him for the summer, and since he wasn’t around much for her younger years of growing up, it gives him the second chance he needs with her. There are a lot of themes to unpack with forgiveness, taking risks for love and second chances. Hollis and Emily’s stories intertwine in such an effortlessly beautiful and realistic way. It took me forever to finish the last couple chapters, because I was so sad to see it end. The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft and Creativity - Louise DeSalvo I practiced the art of slow reading for this one, because it was one to be savored. I started sometime last year and finally finished it. It was a book I’d pick up when I wanted to be inspired or just couldn’t seem to get motivated. I loved this book because I feel it got to the psychological workings of a writer - how we process, how we write, how we finish a project. There are so many examples and works from other writers that makes a writer feel like he/she isn’t alone. It’s easy to compare journeys or feel like you’re so far behind, but looking at other success stories and failures, it made me see that we all have different paths to take to get that novel or work written. It’s also just beautifully written - so descriptive and eloquently explained that it hooks you in, aside from the good advice sprinkled throughout. Rating - 5/5
Currently Reading:
Note: I tend to read multiple books at once. Not always the best way to go, but I like a variety!
* Open Book - Jessica Simpson (Audiobook on Audible)
* More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) - Elaine Welteworth
* The Dating Charade - Melissa Ferguson
*Eat Cake. Be Brave - Melissa Radke
*Find Your Path - Carrie Underwood
*Get Out of Your Own Way - Dave Hollis
*I'll Have What She's Having (How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy - Erin Carlson
*The Ministry of Ordinary Places - Shannan Martin
*Start with Your People - Brian J. Dixon
*The Girl He Used to Know - Tracey Garvis Graves
I think that sums it up! I'll be updating with another list as soon as I wrap this list up.
What are you reading right now?
That's all for now,