I love books! I love discovering new books to read and falling in love with the characters and the story, the setting... all of it. But what I end up doing most of the time is rereading my favorite books over and over again. I just get hooked. I've read the Twilight, 50 Shades, & Hunger Games series countless times and have yet to get sick of any of them. I've read the Harry Potter series once throughout and read a couple of the books more than once... I'm currently stuck on HP #4. For some reason I start the series and end up stopping on Goblet of Fire before finishing the series again. So hopefully I can muster up the nighttime energy to finish the series soon so that I can find a new book to read and fall in love with.
Here is a list of a few books I have recommended to people recently! Like I said, I haven't done a whole lot of reading new books lately but these are five books I have absolutely loved.
ONE. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I definitely have no ever cried so hard while reading a book... maybe not since reading Nicholas Sparks' The Guardian (if you love good books and love dogs... read that book). Also, take into account I was reading this while 20 weeks pregnant so maybe that has something to do with the extra strong emotions. I do think a lot of it had to do with the characters in this book being so incredibly relatable, reliable, and so so real. It made everything feel as if it were happening to me or extremely close to me. There's a second book in this series and I started to read it but I had a hard time getting into the book - so I hope to try again soon.
TWO. You Matter More than You Think: What a Woman Needs to Know about the Difference She Makes by Leslie Parrott
It's been a while since I've read this one but the two things I love most about this book was how simple & uplifting of a read this was it was each time I sat down with this book. At the end of every chapter there were a few questions to reflect upon that brought me out of my comfort zone to answer. I considered this a great thing - you want to be outside that comfort zone as much as possible when it comes to self reflection. This is a book you can (and should) revisit every so often as we are always changing. I'm adding this to the list of books I'd like to read again in the near future and I'm sure it'll be something I document here on my blog when the time comes!
THREE. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
I was so super pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't want to say much about this book except that I think it's one hell of a good book. I didn't feel very invested in the characters at first and felt the book in general felt sooo slow in the first few chapters. Everything changed about halfway through the book for me and I was hooked. There were some really suspenseful parts to this book and typically that's not the type of book I read but I am so glad I did. And I highly recommend it and don't want to give anything away!
FOUR. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
I felt like everything in this book was so incredibly unique. There are lots of comparisons from this book series to the Twilight series but I never really felt that way. (The thing they had in common for me was that I was completely in love with both series!) The characters & all the various relationships (familial, romantic, friendships, etc.) in the book is really what got me interested and kept my attention! I also read Beautiful Darkness, Dream Dark, Beautiful Chaos, & Beautiful Redemption... but I read them all so fast that it's all kind-of a blur at this point. I will say that I enjoyed all the books so so much. I'll definitely be rereading these some day! If you like to use your imagination while reading then I recommend checking these out if you haven't already.
FIVE. Our Q&A a Day: 3-Year Journal for Two People by Potter Style
Okay, so this might be a less traditional answer for the prompt since it technically isn't a book you read... but I have enjoyed it so much (when we remember to keep up with it) that I'd love to share it here. I remember my Gramma Myers encouraging me to write and to journal from a very young age and ever since then I've kept one. Most of my life it was the traditional "Dear Diary..." every day but occasionally my journaling included daily writing with prompts. I benefited so much from all types of writing but it feels so great writing with a purpose greater than what you did that day. What makes this journal so special & fun is that you get to complete it side-by-side with someone else. Here are a few examples from the book:
So that's it for this week's prompt. I'm halfway through the Thursday Thoughts list I put together and I'm sure I was supposed to be done with it by now! Considering we have no clue when Crosby will make his way into the world I should probably start writing these now & schedule them out for the next few Thursdays ahead of time.
Speaking of Crosby's debut, I visited my doctor today. At this point the visits are on a weekly visit but they've been quite uneventful. Except for today's visit, that is. My doctor came in and we chatted and he measured my belly and checked for the heartbeat. He told me I was still measuring small and I still don't see HOW that is possible. He told me he was pretty sure that Crosby was still not head down and if that were the case then he would like to try turning/spinning him. It would be possible to get Crosby into position before labor started and wouldn't be much of a possibility to do so after labor starts. Since I am 100% not wanting major surgery after two successful vaginal deliveries, I was all for having my doctor attempt to move the baby around. This would require a trip to labor & delivery. It seemed like baby was still side lying in there and while that would mean a smaller/easier spin for baby and me, it would also mean it would be easier for Cros to just pop back into side lying after the procedure. If this were to happen then my doctor would flip him again and then break my bag of waters so that baby would have less mobility in there/less chance to go right back out of head down position. Oh, and this could happen as soon as today! Which means super potentially that there was a slim chance that in about 24 hours - give or take - we'd have a baby in our arms.
At this point, this sounded like music to my ears!!! Obviously it would be great to not go through the pain of having Crosby manually spun around while in my uterus... but to get this show on the road and maybe even meet Crosby by the end of the day? Hell. Yes. So I headed to ultrasound to see what was going on in there... and guess what? Crosby is technically head down but just kinda in a funky position! So no need to spin him around (YAY!) but also no need to induce which means no baby today. I felt relieved but I also felt a bit bummed. All this potential excitement just fizzled right out. At least for today. The rest of the evening I felt sick and weird and potentially was having contractions/Braxton Hicks. It was no fun! I got in the bathtub here at home and thankfully started to feel better. I suppose all the talk about induction got my body thinking it was time to start warming up for game day! I have no idea when he'll be here or even if I've dilated at all yet... but I do know my due date is just a tad over two weeks away. Even if I'm pregnant for another two weeks, that's still only fourteen days left. That's no time at all. So I suppose it's time to tie up all our loose ends and make the most of it!
Thanks for reading everybody... if you could keep us in your thoughts & prayers over the next few weeks through this huge life change, I would love and appreciate that gift. Please let me know if I could return the favor and in what ways I can be keeping you in my thoughts & prayers in that time period as well. XXOO
Recap on the Thursday Thoughts prompts: Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six
Here is a list of a few books I have recommended to people recently! Like I said, I haven't done a whole lot of reading new books lately but these are five books I have absolutely loved.
ONE. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I definitely have no ever cried so hard while reading a book... maybe not since reading Nicholas Sparks' The Guardian (if you love good books and love dogs... read that book). Also, take into account I was reading this while 20 weeks pregnant so maybe that has something to do with the extra strong emotions. I do think a lot of it had to do with the characters in this book being so incredibly relatable, reliable, and so so real. It made everything feel as if it were happening to me or extremely close to me. There's a second book in this series and I started to read it but I had a hard time getting into the book - so I hope to try again soon.
TWO. You Matter More than You Think: What a Woman Needs to Know about the Difference She Makes by Leslie Parrott
It's been a while since I've read this one but the two things I love most about this book was how simple & uplifting of a read this was it was each time I sat down with this book. At the end of every chapter there were a few questions to reflect upon that brought me out of my comfort zone to answer. I considered this a great thing - you want to be outside that comfort zone as much as possible when it comes to self reflection. This is a book you can (and should) revisit every so often as we are always changing. I'm adding this to the list of books I'd like to read again in the near future and I'm sure it'll be something I document here on my blog when the time comes!
THREE. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
I was so super pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't want to say much about this book except that I think it's one hell of a good book. I didn't feel very invested in the characters at first and felt the book in general felt sooo slow in the first few chapters. Everything changed about halfway through the book for me and I was hooked. There were some really suspenseful parts to this book and typically that's not the type of book I read but I am so glad I did. And I highly recommend it and don't want to give anything away!
FOUR. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
I felt like everything in this book was so incredibly unique. There are lots of comparisons from this book series to the Twilight series but I never really felt that way. (The thing they had in common for me was that I was completely in love with both series!) The characters & all the various relationships (familial, romantic, friendships, etc.) in the book is really what got me interested and kept my attention! I also read Beautiful Darkness, Dream Dark, Beautiful Chaos, & Beautiful Redemption... but I read them all so fast that it's all kind-of a blur at this point. I will say that I enjoyed all the books so so much. I'll definitely be rereading these some day! If you like to use your imagination while reading then I recommend checking these out if you haven't already.
FIVE. Our Q&A a Day: 3-Year Journal for Two People by Potter Style
Okay, so this might be a less traditional answer for the prompt since it technically isn't a book you read... but I have enjoyed it so much (when we remember to keep up with it) that I'd love to share it here. I remember my Gramma Myers encouraging me to write and to journal from a very young age and ever since then I've kept one. Most of my life it was the traditional "Dear Diary..." every day but occasionally my journaling included daily writing with prompts. I benefited so much from all types of writing but it feels so great writing with a purpose greater than what you did that day. What makes this journal so special & fun is that you get to complete it side-by-side with someone else. Here are a few examples from the book:
Today was rewarding because _______.It's fun and easy - you've got about three lines to speak your mind for the question that day. Afterwards we'd compare answers and talk about it. It's something little to get you talking to each other at the end of your day. I love it & definitely recommend it. Tony & I have fallen off the wagon so hopefully this will be our calling to get back into it! And a huge thank you to Hannah for introducing me to the journal!!!!
What color are your socks today?
What's the foundation of your relationship?
If you were to make a playlist for your partner, what would the title be?
Jot down three things you can't live without.
So that's it for this week's prompt. I'm halfway through the Thursday Thoughts list I put together and I'm sure I was supposed to be done with it by now! Considering we have no clue when Crosby will make his way into the world I should probably start writing these now & schedule them out for the next few Thursdays ahead of time.
Speaking of Crosby's debut, I visited my doctor today. At this point the visits are on a weekly visit but they've been quite uneventful. Except for today's visit, that is. My doctor came in and we chatted and he measured my belly and checked for the heartbeat. He told me I was still measuring small and I still don't see HOW that is possible. He told me he was pretty sure that Crosby was still not head down and if that were the case then he would like to try turning/spinning him. It would be possible to get Crosby into position before labor started and wouldn't be much of a possibility to do so after labor starts. Since I am 100% not wanting major surgery after two successful vaginal deliveries, I was all for having my doctor attempt to move the baby around. This would require a trip to labor & delivery. It seemed like baby was still side lying in there and while that would mean a smaller/easier spin for baby and me, it would also mean it would be easier for Cros to just pop back into side lying after the procedure. If this were to happen then my doctor would flip him again and then break my bag of waters so that baby would have less mobility in there/less chance to go right back out of head down position. Oh, and this could happen as soon as today! Which means super potentially that there was a slim chance that in about 24 hours - give or take - we'd have a baby in our arms.
At this point, this sounded like music to my ears!!! Obviously it would be great to not go through the pain of having Crosby manually spun around while in my uterus... but to get this show on the road and maybe even meet Crosby by the end of the day? Hell. Yes. So I headed to ultrasound to see what was going on in there... and guess what? Crosby is technically head down but just kinda in a funky position! So no need to spin him around (YAY!) but also no need to induce which means no baby today. I felt relieved but I also felt a bit bummed. All this potential excitement just fizzled right out. At least for today. The rest of the evening I felt sick and weird and potentially was having contractions/Braxton Hicks. It was no fun! I got in the bathtub here at home and thankfully started to feel better. I suppose all the talk about induction got my body thinking it was time to start warming up for game day! I have no idea when he'll be here or even if I've dilated at all yet... but I do know my due date is just a tad over two weeks away. Even if I'm pregnant for another two weeks, that's still only fourteen days left. That's no time at all. So I suppose it's time to tie up all our loose ends and make the most of it!
Thanks for reading everybody... if you could keep us in your thoughts & prayers over the next few weeks through this huge life change, I would love and appreciate that gift. Please let me know if I could return the favor and in what ways I can be keeping you in my thoughts & prayers in that time period as well. XXOO
Recap on the Thursday Thoughts prompts: Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six
