This month I read three books, all very different from one another. Here’s what I thought…

This book was wonderful! I have been listening to Rick & Bubba’s radio show for years and this book is written by Rick’s wife, Sherri. This is the story of their family losing their youngest son Bronner in a drowning accident, how they dealt with it all, and how they grew closer to God through this tragedy. It was amazing to hear how they turned to God instead of away from him after the death of Bronner. Of course there is a little sadness in this book, but overall it is an inspiring and uplifting story with God at the center. If you are looking for a little inspiration in your life, let me highly recommend this book to you!

Friends, I have made no secret that I love the Real Housewives of everywhere. I have watched the New Jersey ladies from the very first episode. Of course, I knew that Teresa had gone to prison for some kind of fraud. When I grabbed this book, my husband may have lovingly rolled his eyes at me but I thought it would be an interesting tale of her time in prison.  I. Was. Wrong. I felt like this book was a fraud, just like her legal troubles. She tells her life story from birth through prison in this book and keeps saying she wants you to get to know the real Teresa. For some reason I just didn’t find her stories or accounts of events to be believable. I feel like she used half truths and took creative liberty to expand upon those truths. Of course, I wasn’t there and I can’t say for sure that this book is all half truths and fabricated stories but as the reader that is how it felt for me personally.

Yes, you all know I am still reading through the Harry Potter series based on the recommendation of my creative writing girls from summer camp. I am still loving the series and think it is one of the best and most intriguing series I have ever read. This book was no different, I loved it as much as all the others. I think the Year 3 book is still my favorite but this one gave it a run for it’s money.

If you have any good books you think I should read leave it in the comments. I am always looking for the next good book or series!!

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I am a reader by nature…I was a reading teacher for 9 years! I LOVE to read, I would rather read than watch TV or anything else. This year I thought I would share the books I have read each month. I am also using the hashtag #wslbookclub on Instagram so you can see what I am reading throughout the month.

People ask me when I find time to read with 2 small kids running around. I read early in the mornings {when I can} before the girls are awake, I read during the girls nap/quiet time, and I read at night before bed. I also keep a book in my bag so if I am waiting at the doctor or in the car I can snag a few minutes to read.

I am calling this my January book review, but these are actually the books I read in December. I read more than I usually do since we were in the car traveling for the holidays!

I read Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand to put me in the Christmas spirit and it did. This is my first Elin Hilderbrand book and I really enjoyed it! Some reviews I read said that the characters didn’t stand alone on their own, which I agree with, but I think as a cohesive story it all worked. It ended in a cliff hanger which prompted me to immediately order Winter Stroll! Overall I liked the book a lot!

Next I read Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I somehow had it in my mind that it would be like Gone Girl and take a turn you didn’t see coming. While it was a very interesting story I don’t think there was a huge turn in the story. Yes, “the incident” made it very interesting but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I was not a fan of the main character Ani but found myself interested enough to keep on reading.

Yes, I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner if Azkaban this month! This past summer I taught a creative writing class at a summer camp. My middle school girls convinced me to read these books and I really really am glad they did. I don’t think they are just for kids, a good story is a good story no matter what age you are. This is the third book in the series and I have to say it is my favorite so far. If you haven’t read this series yet I highly recommend it!!

For the Love was such an encouraging and funny book. I read this book during my daily quiet time over the month and I found myself more than once cutting paragraphs out of the book and pasting them in my daily quiet time journal. No matter what stage of life you are in this is a great uplifting and encouraging book to read.

I liked this book a lot, but not as much as the first book. I felt like the story wasn’t as deep as the first book, it just felt like all the characters were superficial in this one.  I will for sure be reading the third installment in the series when it comes out next year to catch up with the Quinn family though!

I feel like this book spoke to my heart. It is HARD staying home with little kids all day. This book was a good reminder that God has me right where I am needed most. I find myself thinking about her tips and ideas during the day as I correct and discipline our girls.  This book is super short {under 100 pages} and I would recommend it to anyone who is staying home with small kiddos. The chapters are very short and can be read in short spurts. After I finished For the Love, I read this book during my quiet time each day.

WHAT I’M READING TO MY KIDS: 

Reading to the girls is probably my favorite kind of reading to do! At the end of my monthly book reviews I thought I would throw in what books my girls are requesting most this month.

My mother in law reads this book to Libby every time we go down to visit as the bedtime story. When we came back from Christmas, since we knew we wouldn’t be going back for a while, GaGa sent this back with Libby and I think we have read it everyday since. It is a retelling of Noah’s Ark. The fox, who usually hunts at night, wakes up and goes out one morning and sees all the other animals walking two by two. He follows them to a boat where Noah is welcoming all the animals on board.

You know my Libby Lou loves dinosaurs so this book she loves. It is about a dinosaur who is trying to find ways to show his parents he loves them. He is a little naughty and makes a few messes along the way but his message gets across to his parents.