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Hey loves. I have been doing a lot of reading and listening lately. It has really has helped with my mental health and stress. I have noticed I am more calm during the "witching hours" while making dinner and right before bed with everything that needs done and three kids. No I am not ignoring my kids but listening to a book has helped my mind. Instead of having so many reviews in one post I am splitting them up this month.
Total physical/kindle books: 4
Total audible: 7
Total for the month: 11
Total books for 2022: 39
Goal: 100 books 20 audiobooks
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Title: Still Waters
Author: Viveca Sten
Genre: mystery
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description: On a hot July morning on Sweden’s idyllic vacation island of Sandhamn, a man takes his dog for a walk and makes a gruesome discovery: a body, tangled in fishing net, has washed ashore.
Police detective Thomas Andreasson is the first to arrive on the scene. Before long, he has identified the deceased as Krister Berggren, a bachelor from the mainland who has been missing for months. All signs point to an accident—until another brutalized corpse is found at the local bed-and-breakfast. But this time it is Berggren’s cousin, whom Thomas interviewed in Stockholm just days before.
As the island’s residents reel from the news, Thomas turns to his childhood friend, local lawyer Nora Linde. Together, they attempt to unravel the riddles left behind by these two mysterious outsiders—while trying to make sense of the difficult twists their own lives have taken since the shared summer days of their youth.
My Review: I love a good mystery and this one didn't disappoint in the mystery aspect. I don't like a mystery that the killer just randomly pops up at the end of the book. (sorry little spoiler). I loved all the detailed descriptions of the setting making you to feel like you were there. I have heard good things about the series on Hulu and can't wait to give it a watch.
Title: Made for This Moment
Author: Madison Prewett
Genre: memoir
How I Read It: audiobook borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon Description: How do you stand firm in your convictions in a world that's trying to pull you down? Madison Prewett helps you keep your standards high and your roots deep in this strikingly personal look at why you were made for this moment.
When Madison Prewett competed on season 24 of The Bachelor, she was able to maintain her convictions not just because she was strong in the moment of pressure but because she was strong in the moments of preparation. In Made for This Moment, Madison examines how the biblical story of Esther will prepare you to:
- Discover how to predecide who you want to be before you step into your Big Moments.
- Claim your confidence so you can get out of the comparison game.
- Learn strategies for dealing with your past so it won't hinder your present.
- Break free from the labels others put on you.
- Learn how to respond to offense with grit and grace.
- Discover how to be yourself whether anyone is looking or not.
Made for This Moment will appeal to fans of Sadie Robertson, Jordan Lee Dooley, and Annie F. Downs, as well as to Madison's faithful following from her remarkable Bachelor season. People who are eager to make wise choices in dating, career, and family will love Madison's authentic voice and real-life challenges, making this a great gift for graduations, birthdays, or life transitions.
Made for This Moment will help you navigate the complex realities of living in an age of social media and confusing standards. God's timing is not a mistake - you were made for such a time as this.
My Review: Made for this Moment has been on my TBR list for a while. I borrowed the audiobook from the library this month for memoir March. I didn't know what to expect from the book. I watched Madi's season on the Bachelor and she was a favorite. I loved that she stands up for what she believes in, in life and in faith.
Title: As You Go
Author: Tanner Olsen
Genre: poetry
How I Read It: kindle unlimited
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description: As You Go: Words for the Unknown is a book filled with hope as it uncovers the simple beauty of life that is right in front of us. This collection of more than 100 poems and writings was written for your heart, soul, and mind. The words riddled throughout this book will remind you of the hope that has been inside you all along. These words are easy to remember, for it is always good to have a few words in your back pocket as you go into the unknown.
My Review: A friend recommended this book. I enjoyed the little poems. Reading on the kindle was hard to see where the poem ended and the next one started, compared to in the book each poem was on a different page. Very encouraging work, I would recommend to get the physical copy.
Title: Win The Day
Author: Mark Batterson
Genre: personal development
How I Read It: kindle unlimited
My Rating: 2 out of 5
Amazon Description: Too many people delay, downsize, or shrug off their dreams just because they don’t know where to start, but playing it safe doesn’t account for the massive cost of a life not fully lived. Win the Day is the jump-start you need to go after your goals, one day at a time. You’ll discover how to:
1. Flip the Script: If you want to change your life, start by changing your story.
2. Kiss the Wave: The obstacle is not the enemy; the obstacle is the way.
3. Eat the Frog: If you want God to do the super, you’ve got to do the natural.
4. Fly the Kite: How you do anything is how you’ll do everything.
5. Cut the Rope: Playing it safe is risky.
6. Wind the Clock: Time is measured in minutes; life is measured in moments.
7. Seed the Clouds: Sow today what you want to see tomorrow.
As Batterson unpacks each of these daily habits, you’ll see how simple it is to pursue them with focus and dedication—not someday down the road, but now. Transform your perspective of a single day and you’ll discover the potential waiting to be grasped at the beginning of each new sunrise.
My Review: I couldn't get into this book. I had high hopes from all the reviews. It felt like he was trying to hard to get his point across and it was nothing new that you haven't heard before.
Author: Cara Bastone
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description:True love is put to the test in this romantic comedy brought to hilarious life by Santino Fontana (Frozen, The Marelous Mrs. Maisel), Stephanie Einstein, and a full cast!
This Psych 312 assignment just might send me off the deep end. Determining whether love at first sight really exists with Robbie Moravian as my project partner of all people?
He’s the sappiest man alive, so upbeat I could scream, and clearly rooting for happy endings at every turn. How does he not learn from experience considering our own meet-cute last semester almost got us expelled?
But we both need to pass this course to graduate. So we’re interviewing five random couples about their meet-cutes and relationships and spending all this time together. Which is certainly...educational.
Because it turns out Robbie isn’t just the charming golden boy I thought I knew. There’s some actual depth beneath all those lame dad jokes and the ‘70s-inspired thrift wardrobe (even if he does look ridiculously great in a flared collar). Next thing I know he’s walking me back to my office on the regular and finishing all my sentences and protecting me from freak storms, and...
Wait. Could Robbie be right? Can happy endings really come from unhappy beginnings? Is he about to change my entire world view?
My Review: A cute little story, not much romance going on with the main characters. I enjoyed all the love stories of all the couples that were interviews that made this book worth reading.
Title: The Mistake
Author: K.L Slater
Genre: mystery
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description: You think you know the truth about the people you love.
But one discovery can change everything…
Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later, he is found dead.
Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy’s death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother?
Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life. But one day Ronnie falls ill, and Rose goes next door to help him… and what she finds in his attic room turns her world upside down.
Rose thought she knew the truth about what happened to Billy. She thought she knew her neighbour. Now the only thing she knows is that she is in danger…
My Review: Rose blames herself for her brother's death that happened 16 years ago. The story lines goes back an forth from past to present. I enjoyed the twists and wondering until the end. The characters were not very likable either.
(spoiler- unknown character appears at the very end that you never saw, not my favorite ending)
Title: Fitter, Calmer, Stronger
Author: Ellie Goulding
Genre: memoir
How I Read It: physical copy borrowed from the library
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon Description: Combining a mindful approach to exercise with delicious, nutritious recipes, global superstar Ellie Goulding will help you kick-start healthy habits, develop a positive mindset, and establish clear, achievable goals.
Ellie Goulding has amassed multiple UK #1 singles, Brit Awards, and Grammy nominations over the span of her career. Now, after years of inspiring fans with her love of fitness and wellness, Fitter. Calmer. Stronger. shares her favorite recipes, workouts, and training principles.
Ellie's much sought-after fitness and health philosophy is based on becoming the brightest, strongest version of yourself. In this book, the pop powerhouse provides advice and regimens to improve your health and fitness, such as:
- a holistic approach to feeling and being your best
- learning to listen to your body
- establishing permanent rituals that work for you
Going far beyond just diet and exercise, Fitter. Calmer. Stronger. encompasses all that improves your relationship with your physical and mental health. This means prioritizing self-care and flexibility and approaching wellness from a perspective that is sustainable—one that doesn’t allow anxiety to win or leaves you feeling like you’ve failed and, most importantly, allows for fun and creativity. Drawing on Ellie’s experiences, as well as the advice of friends and experts like Ant Middleton, Fearne Cotton, and Katie Taylor, you can use these tools and techniques every day to build a fitter, calmer, stronger you.
My Review: I have been a fan of Ellie's music for years. I enjoyed learning more about her and she has some very helpful tips on living a fulfilling life.
Title: Silent Ones
Author: K.L. Slater
Genre: mystery
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon Description: When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?
As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?
Juliet is crushed. Nothing will ever be the same for her darling girl. But she knows that to find out what really happened that day, she and her sister must unlock the secrets of their own terrible past, a past they swore never to speak about again …
My Review: This book keeps you guessing, all the twists and turns, backstories of the family, and the what ifs.
Title: Something More Than This
Author: Barbie Bohrman
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description: Katy Lewis has it all: a sports reporting job she loves, a great roommate, and two brothers who, while nosy, always have her back. But when Conner Roberts, Katy’s unrequited first crush, suddenly shows up—and shows interest—after nine years, she reverts to a sweaty, panicked sixteen-year-old once more.
And if trying to read Conner’s signals isn’t tough enough, Katy’s heart is sending some mixed messages of its own. When a beautiful blonde coworker starts pursuing Katy’s boss, Dylan Sterling—her longtime mentor and friend—she realizes she may have a problem with that. A reunion with Conner is what she’s dreamed of for so long…so why can’t she stop thinking about Dylan?
For the first time ever, Katy must fact-check her heart. Should she go after the guy she thought she always wanted or see if there’s something more with the one who’s been there all along?
My Review: A long triangle she didn't expect to happen. Her longtime friend, and her first crush. Friends to lovers romance with forbidden love all mixed in.
Title: False Start
Author: Jessica Ruddick
Genre: romance
How I Read It: kindle unlimited
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description: As an engineering major, I'm used to being the only girl in the room. Usually, being one of the guys doesn't bother me... except when it comes to Carson Fleck. He's my older brother's best friend and the man I've been in love with for half of my life. Carson seems fine with seeing me as another buddy, but I'm sick of being stuck in his friend zone.
The problem is Carson only cares about three things: scoring in football and with the ladies, and keeping his promise to my brother to watch out for me. There's chemistry sizzling between us, though, and he feels it, too. But how can I convince him that he doesn't need to protect me from himself?
My Review: Friends to lovers, with her brother's best friend. Will her family approve, will the relationship be more than a fling. A cute love story with likeable characters and spice.
Title: A Dirty Business
Author: Tijan
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook for bookclub
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description: When Jess Montell meets Trace West at a hockey game, she doesn’t know his name or occupation. What she does know is there’s an instant attraction that’s impossible to ignore—or forget. And forgetting is exactly what she wants to do when she learns he’s not just a successful Wall Street suit but the heir to one of New York’s biggest Mafia families.
The last thing Trace needs is a romantic anything with law enforcement, and parole officer Jess has trouble written all over her. Too bad he likes trouble. Especially when it’s a brunette bombshell with attitude and legs for days.
She’s an absolute spitfire, and he wants to stoke that flame.
Trace didn’t ask for the Mafia life. Jess doesn’t want any part of it. They both know it’s safer to stay away, but the temptation is too hard to resist—no matter how great the danger.
My Review: I loved this book, the narrators, the storyline, the characters, but it ended with a cliffhanger.
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Currently Reading:
What are you reading this month?
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