My ReadsBy Any Other Name by Lauren Kate: In full disclosure, when I went to put
By Any Other Name on hold at the library, I was actually looking for the book {with the same exact title!} by Jodi Picoult. I ended up putting both books on hold. I started reading the one by Jodi Picoult, but I just couldn't get into it. I
very rarely stop reading a book once I start it, but this was one of those few times for me. I did read Lauren Kate's
By Any Other Name, which is kind of a bookish romance. It was just okay for me--nothing too special.
The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon: I heard of this book on a bookstagram account that I follow, and it was a big win for me! It's kind of historical fiction meets romance.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty: I have read a few of Liane Moriarty's books in the past, but it has been a while. This is her newest book, and I've never read anything like it before--I really enjoyed it!
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella: If you like Sophie Kinsella, you'll like this one!
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and Murder of a President by Candice Millard: Read this one immediately!! This is non-fiction account of the assassination of President Garfield that reads like the most compelling story you've ever heard. I admittedly knew very little about Garfield, and I kept having to stop throughout the book to share tidbits of what I was reading to Derek & the kids. It was truly so, so good. When I finished the book, I immediately looked up the rest of Candice Millard's books. I'm eager to read more of her work!
The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman: When Derek was out of town recently, I watched a movie called The Life List on Netflix. At the end of the movie, it said it was based on a book by the same title. I can't remember ever watching a movie first and
then reading the book--I'm a firm believer of book first
and that the book is always better! But in this case, I watched the movie first & it was
way better than the book! So my vote would be to skip the book altogether & just watch the movie!
Read-Alouds
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day: I read this book aloud to all three kids, and all four of us
loved it! It is non-fiction that reads likes a narrative--so, so good!
The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye: Brady & I read this together as part of our homeschool curriculum. This book is actually a sequel to
The Turtle of Oman, which we had never read. This book was just okay in our opinion--not enough substance or action in the plot for our taste.
Thirst by Varsha Bajaj: This was another book Brady & I read aloud together during homeschool. The novel is set in Mumbai & the main characters have limited access to clean water. I have never read a book about this topic, so it was very interesting & inspired a lot of conversation.
