Reading, Lately

1 // 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess I've heard things about this book for while, but I just recently read it when my sister let me borrow her copy. It is an extremely easy read, and I love Jen Hatmaker's writing. She is so honest, and she words things in a way that can just make you laugh! I loved the premise of the book, which is to simplify seven areas of life to focus more on what matters and to fight against the lifestyle of excess that is so prevalent in the U.S. The extent to which Jen experimented cutting back in these seven areas was quite impressive, as practically I don't think I could do what she did. For that reason, I didn't see the book as a guide or an example of something I would like to try, but I did like that it made me stop and think about how much food I waste, how many things I throw away, how much time I spend on the internet/phone/social media, how many clothes are in my closet that I don't wear, etc. I think it is important to be mindful of just how much we are blessed with, because it moves us to be more grateful.

2 // Undetected I love all of Dee Henderson's books, and this was no exception. It's a perfect summer read, as evidenced by my reading the entire book by the pool one Saturday. Dee Henderson writes in such a way that you feel like you really get to know the characters, and I love that in her books. It is a sweet love story that is maybe a little predictable, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

3 // Bittersweet I have to admit that this book was a little darker than I was hoping. It's about a poor college girl who spends the summer with her very wealthy roommate's family at their summer estate. The girl finds herself mixed up in the family drama and works to uncover the many secrets she believes the family has. The book was good in the sense that I wanted to keep reading it to find out what happens, but it wasn't uplifting or funny or inspiring by any means. Overall it was just not the type of book that I normally read, but that isn't to say it's not worth picking up if you'd like an easy read with some twisted rich people drama.

4 // The Girl You Left Behind This was by far my favorite book out of this bunch, both for the writing and the story line. I hadn't read anything by Jojo Moyes before, but I'm excited to read some of her other works now! The book starts in France during World War I, where the main character Sophie and her sister work to keep their families safe as their husbands fight at the front. Sophie's most prized possession is a portrait of herself painted by her husband, but exactly what happened to the painting during the war is a mystery, as a century later the new owner of the painting is threatened with losing it forever. I couldn't put this book down - highly recommend!

5 // We Were Liars This book has quite a good plot and a great twist at the end. I don't want to say too much else because I don't want to give it away, but I really enjoyed reading this one!

Disclosure: I received Bittersweet from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Reading, Lately

Delicious! I have read most of Ruth Reichl's books and really enjoyed them, so I was thrilled to hear she had written her first novel. This ended up being my favorite book of hers, and I certainly hope she will continue writing fiction. She is such an excellent writer, and I didn't want to put this book down. Oh wait, I was at the beach so I literally did not put the book down all day :)

Choosing Gratitude This book really challenged and stretched me in the area of being thankful. Having an attitude of thanksgiving really transforms your person, your day, and really your whole life. I especially loved the chapter on worship. The author says that you cannot whine and worship simultaneously, which is so true. There is so much to be thankful for, and if we are in a constant state of thankfulness, it translates to worship, and as we worship we will not even be able to whine or complain.

The Fault in Our Stars I had really high expectations for this book after hearing about it and seeing it everywhere, and I'm afraid they weren't quite met. That isn't to say it wasn't good, because it was. It was a great beach read, which is incidentally where I read it. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly was missing from the book that would have made it a great read for me. I think I just wish the book hadn't been hyped up so much.

The Nazi Officer's Wife I initially bought this book for Caleb to read while we were on vacation, but I finished all of my books and needed another, so I picked up this one. It was quite a fascinating read about, as you can imagine from the title, a Jewish woman who survives the Holocaust by marrying a Nazi officer. I loved the autobiographical view of World War II and the Holocaust. It was a gripping read and, like any other book on the Holocaust, left me in disbelief at all that happened throughout the Holocaust. Definitely recommend it if you're enjoy memoirs or history or World War II.

Delancey This is Molly Wizenberg's (of the blog Orangette) second book. Her first book is one of my all-time favorite books, so I knew I would love this one as well. This book chronicles Molly and her husband's journey through opening their restaurant: the stress, the fun, the recipes, all of it. It reaffirmed to me that I would never survive in the restaurant business, but I really love Molly's style of writing.

What have you been reading so far this summer?