Here is a run down of what this book lover has been reading…
I recently finished four new audio books…
The Magnesium Miracle – I read this book a few years ago and loved it but this is a revised version and I wanted it on audio so I could listen a couple times a year. This book is THAT important. In the previous edition magnesium was linked to over 300 processes within the body, now it has been linked to over 700! Most people are magnesium deficient and do not even realize how badly their body is coping. This book got me back on track with my magnesium supplementation (topical, ionic liquid, etc). I am feeling incredible!
The Painted Veil – This is one of my favorite movies and I had no idea it came from a book written in 1925. At any rate I quite enjoyed it and it was another Audible daily deal! The story is beautiful. It follows Kitty and Walter…a spoiled socialite who marries a much too boring for her doctor and scientist simply to avoid her younger sister getting married before herself. When she ultimately has an affair, her husband forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic in China. What I love about this story is how it shows the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. The transformation that Kitty undergoes is inspiring, as are her realizations about the man she married. I also highly recommend the movie!
What are you reading this week?
Here is a run down of what this book lover has been reading…
I recently finished two new audio books…
Lost Among the Living – This is a spooky British novel or at least that is the setting. It was only a couple bucks via Audible’s deal of the day and I took a chance. I ended up liking it quite a bit. Essentially it is about a woman widowed in world war two. To make ends meet she becomes a paid companion for her former husband’s wealthy aunt and after some European travel they settle into the family’s estate in the Sussex countryside. That is when she learns more about some mysterious deaths that occurred there only a few years previous and she begins to suspect foul play. She also learns she hadn’t known her beloved husband very well at all. It was pretty suspenseful and kept me listening right to the end!
Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ – I read a hard copy of this book about a year ago and loved it. I loved the audio version even more. Yes, a book about your bowels can be completely fascinating and educational. If you ever wanted to hear the complete case for why your gut is the entire backbone of your immune system, this is it.
Paper books I recently read are as follows:
Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit – I heard an interview with this author on one of my favorite podcasts and immediately checked out the book at the library. I have always been curious about pawpaw trees and their fruit that supposedly tastes very tropical (banana crossed with mango). The curious part is that they grow in the upper midwest and eastern part of the US. My state even hosts an annual pawpaw festival. I loved the book and I special ordered two pawpaw trees!
Love the Home You Have: Simple Ways to…Embrace Your Style *Get Organized *Delight in Where You Are – This is a wonderful book written by an author and home decor blogger who bought quite a few different homes (including a castle with a ballroom) always searching for that perfect home only to find it was a mindset thing.
Now I am on to read Spark Joy the follow up book to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (which I loved).
What are you reading?
I bought and read (or rather listened to) this book because it was a daily deal from Audible. I used to be a member of Audible because I adore audiobooks and I have earbuds in my ears roughly 40 hours a week. I am not a member anymore because I am pinching pennies but I still get their daily deals in my email inbox. Everyday they offer a new audiobook for a super low price…usually $2.95 to $4.95.
Bricking It Book Review
I look at the daily deals, read the reviews, and 9 times out of 10 I pass. Bricking It though just sounded like a winner based upon the reviews and oh it was. It was pure joy from start to finish.
The story is basically about a brother and sister who inherit a very old, very neglected victorian farmhouse from their grandmother. When they find out what it can bring on the market if they renovate it, they decide to do just that. The sister is still shell shocked after a bad divorce to a verbally abusive man. The brother is really just a slacker with no real motivation in life. But they come together to do this crazy renovation and this brings into their lives an equally crazy cast of characters as they try to find the cheapest contractors they can.
To add a fun twist, the architect they hire is personal friends with a television celebrity who does reality TV renovations. So imagine that you buy a house, hire the help, and then one day you show up to see The Property Brothers at your new home. It would be my dream!
A slew of rich characters enter their lives while fixing the home (including a cow). They manage to identify a pot growing operation in their back garden. And they find clue after clue inside the house that ultimately leads them to a shocking revelation about their grandmother. The home’s history, the scandal surrounding it, and the fact that they had no idea who their grandmother was in her younger days, make for a delightful read. Once all is revealed, the siblings cannot help but think their grandmother knew they were directionless and flailing in their lives. She perhaps knew that her “secret” might help them discover that everyone can reinvent themselves when they find themselves hitting rock bottom and overcome any obstacle.
What I loved most about this book is that I was laughing and crying while listening to it. I am sure I looked like a loon but I could not help it. The adventures with Pat the Cow, the discovery of vintage sex toys on live TV, the no working bathroom situation, had me rolling. The end had me furiously wiping tears away…in a good way though because the book is not sad, just beautiful and inspiring.
I highly recommend it and if you like audiobooks definitely go with the audio version. The narrator for the brother has one of those phone book voices…as in I would happily listen to this guy read the phone book. Just click the link above and then click again on the “sample” icon below the image of the audiobook to hear a sound byte of that deliciousness. Hello!
Enjoy!
Books? Giveaway? Where do I sign up?!
Yes, I have been a big time book lover since I was a child and this love is one I hope that I am instilling in my own kids. Books are a huge part of our lives and will continue to be so…well forever, I hope. I get warm fuzzies when my kids are excited to accompany me to the library and pick out a new batch of books. I am thrilled when they ask for book fair money. Books are a perfectly acceptable habit to have because this habit makes you smarter and more creative.
Well a great online resource called Brightly feels that love too.The resource aims to help parents to raise lifelong readers and book lovers and they are giving away a bundle of books perfect for your kiddos.
Just in time for the holiday season, books make an awesome gift. Remember that saying “something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.” Well how about six somethings to read? Brightly is giving away a bundle of 6 books from their popular list, The 50 Best Books for 5 and 6 Year-Olds! The total approximate value is $69.94!
The Read Brightly Giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. There is no purchase necessary to enter, but you can only enter once per email address. The giveaway ends on November 12, 2015 at 11:00PM EST. Good luck!
This post was written in association with Brightly, all opinions are my own.
Nowadays it is all to easy to fall into the trap of becoming overly busy and over scheduling our kids. We have things that are important for us perhaps… church, volunteering, learning music, math club, and the like. Then there are the things they want like dance, sports, play dates, and all that fun kid’s stuff that seems so important each day. Our days may begin to fee as though we are running on auto-pilot and going through the motions. We spend more time in the mini-van bouncing from event to event then we do at home.
The book It’s Your Kid – Not a Gerbil is all about creating a less stressed, happier life. It battles the very idea that busy hands are happy hands and gives us some insight into why we might want to slow down and schedule less. Much of that is prioritizing and choosing activities wisely and it is also about making sure the home environment is a place the entire family wants to be, so they won’t feel the need to find stimulation elsewhere.
One aspect of the book that I loved was that it addresses the idea that our kids become the center of the universe as far as we or they are concerned. All of the effort we put into making sure they have all these opportunities and experiences is actually more likely to result in a selfish child who takes and takes, rather than gives. Not only can the over scheduling phenomena be exhausting for all involved it can be harmful for their future. Sooner or later they WILL be slapped with the reality that they are not the center of the universe. By that time it may mean they can’t hold a job or be a good spouse.
Another issue is that all the activities kids are involved with can be a source of pride for the parents. Retraining for all family members may be in order. Being so invested in your kids means you have lost a part of yourself and are living through them, which is not good for anyone.
If you need to slow down and get off the wheel I recommend this book. It is all about creating a happier family life, happier kids, and a less stressed mom and dad.
