What I've Been Reading Lately
I only have time to read one or two books a month, so in this case lately means the past year :) Click the links to read more about each book and bonus: if you buy any of the books I get a (very) small percentage of the sale.
1. Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Leland gave me this book as a Christmas present in 2016. It took me about 6 months to read it and I finished it last summer. It is an annotated autobiography, so it kind of reads like a textbook (and is about the same size too!) I loved reading it though. I have always been obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and this book gave me so much new information. To be honest, this book would probably be boring to the average person but it's great if you're an avid LHOTP fan. :)
2. Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
This is a fictional book about foster care. A single mother is jailed for being an illegal immigrant and her baby is placed in the foster care system. Honestly this book was so sad. It really did a good job of helping the reader see the brokenness of the system. However it was pretty sensationalized (i.e. the birth mother breaking in and kidnapping the baby back) and had some mature themes/language. The book definetly is "against" the foster parents most of the story, but it was nice to read from the opposite perspective of most books about foster care. I liked it overall but probably won't read it again.
3. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
My Aunt recommended this one to me. It was a little slow at first but really made me think about my own life and be grateful for what I have. Although it is a Holocaust book it is much more hopeful and less dark than most I've read. Also the fact that it is a true story makes it much more meaningful.
4. The Orphan Keeper by Cameron Wright
So even though this is a true story it reads like a novel. I just found the way the story was told felt weird and artificial. It is about a boy who was kidnapped in India and sold to an orphanage, then adopted by a family here in Utah. I have read a few other books by this author, and I am just not a fan. He is really popular here in Utah though. Also the story is almost exactly the same as the movie "Lion". I felt Lion was a much better story though. So really what I'm saying is you should go watch Lion (It's on Netflix!).
5. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
I really liked this one. It is a thriller romance and a pretty quick read. It does have a lot of the same themes as Stephanie Meyers other books, while still being unique. She does seem to be overcompensating with the girl power/feminist vibe but it was a good book overall.
6. A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
I saw this book recommended on a blog about motherhood. This one is a lot like the Little House on the Praire series but with a more grown up take. Motherhood is obviously a big theme in this book so I really liked that about it. I also felt the main theme of marriage and overcominng finacial obstaces together make it a timeless book.
7. The Selection Series by Kierra Cass
I got the first novel in this series from the library at the beginning of January. I loved it and read it so fast. There was a huge wait list for the second book at the library, so I ended up breaking our spending fast to get a digital edition to read on my phone. The second book was okay and the third was a little better. This book is a YA dystopian romance, one of my favorite genres ha. It was a lot like Hunger Games with a little Bachelor thrown in ha. I really liked the series overall.
8. Parenting With Love and Logic by Foster Cline
I have heard this book recommended so much so I thought I'd give it a read. Like all parenting books I found some ideas I thought were useful and some I'd rather not implement. The main idea is about giving children the power to make their own decisions and following through with natural consequences. Such as if your toddler won't eat the dinner you made then you accept their choice but follow through with the consequence that they will be hungry until their next meal. Or for a teenager who forgets his homework, you don't "save" them by bringing it to them, you just let them deal with the consequences. Some of the ideas seemed pretty harsh, especially for little ones or children from traumatic backgrounds, but it gave me things to think about.
9. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
This a is definitely my favorite book on this list! If you read any of them let it be this one. I love a good historical romance and this one fits the bill. I reread it all the time and there is always a long hold list at the library for it so I know it's not just me!
10. The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
RPE was one of my first favorite authors. Some of his latest books have been a little disappointing, but I loved this one and read it through twice before I had to return it to the library. I like to read his books at Christmas time as they are usually fast reads but deep enough to put you in the Christmas Spirit. This one has also been made into a Hallmark movie so I'll have to remember to watch that next Christmas.
1. Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Leland gave me this book as a Christmas present in 2016. It took me about 6 months to read it and I finished it last summer. It is an annotated autobiography, so it kind of reads like a textbook (and is about the same size too!) I loved reading it though. I have always been obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and this book gave me so much new information. To be honest, this book would probably be boring to the average person but it's great if you're an avid LHOTP fan. :)
2. Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
This is a fictional book about foster care. A single mother is jailed for being an illegal immigrant and her baby is placed in the foster care system. Honestly this book was so sad. It really did a good job of helping the reader see the brokenness of the system. However it was pretty sensationalized (i.e. the birth mother breaking in and kidnapping the baby back) and had some mature themes/language. The book definetly is "against" the foster parents most of the story, but it was nice to read from the opposite perspective of most books about foster care. I liked it overall but probably won't read it again.
3. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
My Aunt recommended this one to me. It was a little slow at first but really made me think about my own life and be grateful for what I have. Although it is a Holocaust book it is much more hopeful and less dark than most I've read. Also the fact that it is a true story makes it much more meaningful.
4. The Orphan Keeper by Cameron Wright
So even though this is a true story it reads like a novel. I just found the way the story was told felt weird and artificial. It is about a boy who was kidnapped in India and sold to an orphanage, then adopted by a family here in Utah. I have read a few other books by this author, and I am just not a fan. He is really popular here in Utah though. Also the story is almost exactly the same as the movie "Lion". I felt Lion was a much better story though. So really what I'm saying is you should go watch Lion (It's on Netflix!).
5. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
I really liked this one. It is a thriller romance and a pretty quick read. It does have a lot of the same themes as Stephanie Meyers other books, while still being unique. She does seem to be overcompensating with the girl power/feminist vibe but it was a good book overall.
6. A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
I saw this book recommended on a blog about motherhood. This one is a lot like the Little House on the Praire series but with a more grown up take. Motherhood is obviously a big theme in this book so I really liked that about it. I also felt the main theme of marriage and overcominng finacial obstaces together make it a timeless book.
7. The Selection Series by Kierra Cass
I got the first novel in this series from the library at the beginning of January. I loved it and read it so fast. There was a huge wait list for the second book at the library, so I ended up breaking our spending fast to get a digital edition to read on my phone. The second book was okay and the third was a little better. This book is a YA dystopian romance, one of my favorite genres ha. It was a lot like Hunger Games with a little Bachelor thrown in ha. I really liked the series overall.
8. Parenting With Love and Logic by Foster Cline
I have heard this book recommended so much so I thought I'd give it a read. Like all parenting books I found some ideas I thought were useful and some I'd rather not implement. The main idea is about giving children the power to make their own decisions and following through with natural consequences. Such as if your toddler won't eat the dinner you made then you accept their choice but follow through with the consequence that they will be hungry until their next meal. Or for a teenager who forgets his homework, you don't "save" them by bringing it to them, you just let them deal with the consequences. Some of the ideas seemed pretty harsh, especially for little ones or children from traumatic backgrounds, but it gave me things to think about.
9. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
This a is definitely my favorite book on this list! If you read any of them let it be this one. I love a good historical romance and this one fits the bill. I reread it all the time and there is always a long hold list at the library for it so I know it's not just me!
10. The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
RPE was one of my first favorite authors. Some of his latest books have been a little disappointing, but I loved this one and read it through twice before I had to return it to the library. I like to read his books at Christmas time as they are usually fast reads but deep enough to put you in the Christmas Spirit. This one has also been made into a Hallmark movie so I'll have to remember to watch that next Christmas.
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