5 Recent Reads

Hum If You Don't Know the Words // I can't say it better than Amazon does: "Perfect for readers of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help, a perceptive and searing look at Apartheid-era South Africa, told through one unique family brought together by tragedy." This is beautifully written, unique, and I loved it so much. 5 stars

Victoria // This is a novel based on the diaries of Queen Victoria, so much of it is true! Daisy Goodwin wrote the PBS Masterpiece show Victoria, and this book follows season 1 of the show almost exactly, as you can imagine. We watched the show first and then I read the book, and both are great! I don't think you need to do both, since they are so similar. Either one is perfect for fans of Downton Abbey or The Crown. 4 stars

The Four Tendencies // This is Gretchen Rubin's newest book, and since I'm a big fan of her work, I naturally had to read this one. She touches on the Four Tendencies (her personality framework that looks at how we respond to expectations) in her book Better Than Before, but this book is a complete deep dive into the framework. I LOVED the chapter on the Four Tendencies in Better Than Before (and the whole book, for that matter. Find more of my thoughts here), so I was super excited to read this. I did enjoy it, but the chapter about my tendency was obviously my favorite. The chapters that didn't apply to me or Caleb were a little bit of a drag to get through. But, I do think it's totally worth picking up to read the chapter on your tendency as well as your spouse/partner. It has sparked really great conversations! 4 stars. I did receive this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review. All opinions are 100% my own.

The Lifegiving Table // This book is all about creating a rich culture around your table, something I am all about! Sally Clarkson covers why spending time with your family (and friends) around the table eating is important, and how it impacts your children for the rest of their lives. She shares many practical ideas for conversations, personal stories from their own family, and recipes to try yourself. I really enjoyed reading this one, as it reinforced many things I believe and also gave me some new ideas. I've only tried one of the recipes so far, but we loved it and Caleb told me I definitely need to make it again! 4 stars. I did receive this book from the published in exchange for a review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World // This book has been on my shelf for a while, but I had an itching to read it as we enter this Christmas season. I loved it, and I found it to be very thought-provoking but also offer practical tips for helping cultivate gratefulness in kids of all ages. It's one of those books that I've been thinking about since I read it, and I'm sure I will either read it or reference it many times in the future. A great read! 4 stars