Reading Lately, Volume 2
Perhaps it’s the former English major in me, but I’ve been struck with both the desire to write and the desire to surround myself with good writing lately. Here are my favorite books and my kids’ favorite books from the last few weeks!
I’m a brand partner with PaperPie and an affiliate with Bookshop.org. I earn a commission from any books you choose to buy through my links to those websites. (Clicking on the book titles in this post will take you to those links.) I promise to share our favorites!
Mama
Create Anyway, Ashlee Gadd
This is the book I am THE MOST excited to tell you about. It releases March 28th, but I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of being on Ashlee’s launch team, so I get to share my review with you early!! You can preorder through my Bookshop.org link above or through Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, or Baker Book House.
I’ve followed Ashlee for nearly as long as I’ve been a mom, and this book is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while. With a baby and a toddler to take care of, it feels like all my creative passions have been pushed to the back burner time and time again. This book is an encouragement to create, an inspiration to create, and a reminder of why I love to create.
Lately I’ve been feeling a tug to start creating things again, and the words in this book could not have come at a better time for me. Create Anyway has been just the message I needed to hear to inspire me to write down the words on my own heart, to pick up my crochet hook again, to put seeds in the ground and see what blooms. If you’re a mama and a maker of anything, be it songs or cakes or paintings, this book is for you. Let this book bless you and encourage you to bless the world with the creative gifts God has given you!
“This means where God calls, we go. When God calls us to write, we write. When God asks us to sing, we sing. As artists made in the image of the ultimate Artist, we paint and draw and sew and sculpt, not bitterly or lazily, but with enthusiasm, devotion, and a sense of joyful eagerness to participate. Because when we link arms with our Creator to do what He uniquely designed us to do, we usher a bit of the Kingdom into this world—and God gets the glory for it.”
The 5 Love Languages of Children, Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell
Whether you’re already familiar with the 5 Love Languages or not, this is a wonderful book for learning how to love your kids in ways that will connect with them and that they’ll receive. My kids are 3 years old and eight months old, and I have an idea of what their love languages might be already, but the author encourages parents to love their very young kids in each of the love languages. This book offers great ideas for how and why to express love to kids in a variety of ways. I think it’s worth a read for any parent!
Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout
I wrote last month that I’d be adding more Elizabeth Strout to my reading list, and I’ve since read both of her Olive books. They’re the perfect example of great character-driven writing. I loved getting to know the character of Olive Kitteridge and seeing how she developed and grew. By the end of the second book I was sad to say goodbye to her!
All My Knotted-Up Life, Beth Moore
Wow, wow, wow. I loved Beth Moore’s new memoir so much. If you’ve done any of her Bible studies, it’s absolutely worth picking this one up and letting her tell her story. She made me laugh, she made me cry, and she made me reflect on God’s faithfulness. What more could I want in a book?
Littles
Jamberry, Bruce Degen
A family member sent us this adorable little classic as a gift, and my son loves the rhythmic, rhyming text about berries and jam. Reading it never fails to bring a smile to his face.
Don’t Forget to Remember, Ellie Holcomb
Ellie Holcomb was at the top of my Spotify Wrapped last year because we listen to her music constantly. I love all of her albums, and I love that she’s made the lyrics from some of her songs for children into books. We gave our daughter this book for Valentine’s Day, and it’s full of sweet truth for little hearts. The illustrations are playful and gorgeous too!
Peek Inside How a Fire Truck Works, Lara Bryan
This one is brand new on our shelves, and I say “on our shelves” very loosely because it’s been in my son’s hand for most of the time since it arrived. There are lots of flaps and fun things to learn about fire trucks and firefighters. This Peek Inside series is probably my favorite PaperPie series!
