Reading, Watching, Listening {May} & {June 2015}

I have read so many books in the last couple of minutes and I have had so little time to blog. However, so many of these books were completely fabulous that I have to share them. So here is my update in one sentence reviews.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton: Fun mystery with some depth and romance to it. 4 stars

Clariel by Garth Nix: The fourth Abhorsen book, it was not easy to read. Interesting to revisit a fantasy world I like, but not utterly satisfying. 3 stars

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain: A dense but eye-opening book, both about myself and my son. 4 stars

A Good Birth: Finding the Positive and Profound in Your Birth Experience by Anne Drapkin Lyerly: Possibly the most important book I've read this year in preparing to repeat an experience that was very traumatic for me. Very healing, very unbiased -- every woman who has a child or is planning on having a child should read this one. 4.5 stars

The VBAC Handbook by Helen Churchill: Not always relevant to me because it was written in the UK and much of the information is specific to the UK's health care system. Still, encouraging with some illuminating statistics and facts. 3 stars

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae: Lovely ideas in this book about coping with the demands of motherhood through the lens of faith and Christianity. At times a bit narrow-focused on stay-at-home moms, which sometimes left me feeling inferior as one who works outside the home. 3.5 stars

City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare: I finished the last three books in the Mortal Instruments series, and they were fun, although I found the 4th book a bit lacking. In order, 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars.

Sorcery & Cecilia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer: Jane Austen meets Harry Potter. It was as fun as it sounds, although occasionally long-winded. 3.5 stars

After Birth by Elisa Gilbert: Brash, offensive, and often inappropriate. But. At the same time, this author wrote things about postpartum depression and traumatic birth that I have thought in my own head and never heard voiced before. Not a book I recommend to others per se, but a very important book for me to read. Also, spends a lot of time on the importance of friendship and support postpartum in our modern, disconnected world, which is a pet cause of mine.

We Were Liars by e. lockhart: So addictive and devastating. I read it in a matter of hours and was shocked by the ending. 4 stars

My Other Ex: Women's True Stories of Losing and Leaving Friends by Jessica Smock, (ed.): Kind of depressing. Some of the stories were powerful but some of them made me think the women "losing and leaving" their friends were immature jerks. 3 stars

The Blue Jay's Dance: A Birth Year by Louise Erdrich: Definitely some powerful and beautiful images in this birth memoir, but the lack of cohesive narrative made this one a bit hit or miss for me. 3 stars

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish: Best. Parenting book. Ever. I'm definitely still working on these techniques but I have already felt a positive influence from learning them with Cal, working as a pediatric nurse, and in my relationships with adults. 4 stars

The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera: I liked the setting and the philosophical questions raised by this book, but it was a bit meandering and sometimes farfetched for me. 3 stars

To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han: Contemporary, fun YA at its absolute finest. I devoured these romantic books. What's better is that they were not formulaic and had plenty of surprises and a unique character that isn't the stock unique character if you know what I mean. 4 stars

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot: I am forever a Princess Diaries fangirl. This adult installment was fun. Everything was a little too tidy at the end but it's Princess Mia, and I wouldn't be happy if it wasn't a feel-good ending. :) 4 stars

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: This one was much heavier than I had imagined. I honestly had no idea how it would end until the last chapter. Definitely a lot to discuss from a bioethics standpoint, and lovable characters. 4 stars

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: Girlfriend is a little bit psycho. But her total dedication to her craft has led her to be excellent in it, and I am itching to dump the contents of my closet on my floor and have a tidying marathon (and to refold everything in my drawers). 4 stars

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin: I think this is a great read, albeit a biased one. As someone who adamantly wanted an epidural with my first birth and who adamantly doesn't want one with my second, it was a good education and I found myself frequently pointing things out to Scott as I read it on the airplane (to his chagrin, I think). Worth a perusal even if natural childbirth isn't your thing. 4 stars

{Watching}

:: Friends! (Of course)

:: I finished the most recent season of Call the Midwife. I have watched far too much of that show while pregnant and it isn't always the most comfortable thing. 

{Listening}

:: Lots of podcasts these days (it's probably going to get its own separate post)

:: Digging the Acoustic Summer playlist on Spotify. Usually I just listen to their seasonal acoustic playlists once or twice to pull out the songs I like best, but this one has been on repeat. Even though I haven't been familiar with most of the songs they come together really well and I love most of them. 

:: Hypnobabies, to be honest. 

Reading, Watching, Listening {March} & {April 2015}

No pictures this time because I am so behind to upload them all would mean I would never get it finished!

{Reading}

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

This book is about a teenage girl who had cancer and set out to accomplish several things on her bucket list (some of which included exacting revenge on popular kids in school), only to go into remission and have to live with the consequences of her actions. I had high hopes for this one as the premise was interesting, and I like reading about life after cancer, a topic very few authors focus on. However, I absolutely loathed the main character (and I am one who usually likes an unlikable character). She was selfish and nasty and undeserving of the wonderful people in her life, and it colored the whole book unenjoyable for me. 

2 stars

Out to Canaan by Jan Karon

This one was a reread. I love the Father Tim books -- they are comfortable and sweet and uplifting and I probably read about one a year. They are not necessarily exciting or earth-shattering, but reading one feels like curling up in a quilt, sipping hot cocoa, and passing a perfectly peaceful evening. 

4 stars

City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

I also read the first three books of the Mortal Instruments series, fantasy books set in modern day New York, about demon-killing, part-angel people. I have already read the prequel series to this one and loved it to pieces. I'm not quite as attached to the characters in this one, and did figure out most of the plot twists in the first 100 pages (these books usually clock in at over 500), but I still find them totally addictive and fun, which is what I've been needing lately as stress after stress seems to be piling on my head. I have the last three books in the series waiting on my shelf and I can't wait to get to them. 

4 stars each

The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore

This was definitely what some critics call "chick lit" -- the story of a unwed mother and a crotchety, childless crone, and their unlikely friendship, as well as the way the older woman's death affects the younger woman. It was interesting enough but not the type that stayed with me. 

3 stars

Great With Child: Letters to a Young Mother by Beth Ann Fennelly

This was easily the best thing I read in the last two months. Beth Ann Fennelly, a poet who also wrote the gorgeous Tender Hooks and mother of a two-year-old, writes letters to her pregnant former student and friend. She is so real and honest, and I loved both the descriptions of her two-year-old and her reminiscing on pregnancy and new motherhood. I feel that so few people are able to convey both the ugliness and beauty of those first traumatic weeks, and this book does perfectly. I want to read it again before this pregnancy is over. 

5 stars

The Irrational Season by Madeleine L'Engle

I love Madeleine L'Engle so, so much. This is the third of her Crosswicks journals, and so far my least favorite, although I did enjoy it. In it, she has a chapter for each season of the liturgical calendar, in which she discusses some of her doubts about the nature of God and how she lives with them. I don't know a lot about the liturgical calendar, so that in and of itself was interesting to me. I also appreciate when religious people are forthcoming about the parts of God that are confusing to them. I think most of us, when we search deeply, find some things that unsettle us -- if faith were easy, it wouldn't be faith. Reading this wise woman's experiences was uplifting as always, although I have preferred the more narrative style of her other Crosswicks journals. 

4 stars

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Another reread -- apparently my pregnant state of mind can mostly handle rereads and fluffy books these days. This book is one of my favorites, and I feel like anything I tell you about it can't do it justice. So just go read it and be prepared to have your heart squeezed and twisted and broken a little bit. 

5 stars

{Watching}

I'm still watching Friends, and have also been watching the new season of Call the Midwife. (I always tell people not to watch it when they're pregnant, and I have watched in both my pregnancies. Oh well). I've also been watching Wolf Hall -- it is THE BEST, you guys. Usually I say read the book first, but in this case the show may be the best way to go, although it has a few differences -- the book is written sort of oddly, and even though it works, I think being able to see the characters in a more condensed version might make reading the book more enjoyable. Definitely want to reread it now. 

{Listening}

:: Josh Groban came out with his new "Stages" album yesterday. It is all music from Broadway musicals and it is good stuff. Listening to "What I Did For Love" on repeat (and then going to the piano and warbling it out myself)

:: I realized that "Drops of Jupiter" by Train was officially supplanted as my Favorite Song Ever (since I was like, 11) by "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin. I feel so inconstant.

:: New songs on my "Current Faves" playlist on Spotify are "Budapest" by George Ezra, "Ghosts" by Laura Marling, and "Should Have Known Better" by Sufjan Stevens. 

Reading, Watching, Listening {February 2015}

{Reading}

I received this book from NetGalley for review back when I was more active on my book blog. It is essentially a collection of anecdotes about righteous living from the two authors, who have a podcast and blog. While I felt like the format worked better for a blog than a book, I did enjoy reading the life stories of these women. They are both touching and humorous. 3 stars

I've been reading this one slowly. It is a comprehensive examination of the doctrine behind Christ's crucifixion and atonement for the sins of mankind. It was absolutely beautiful and definitely worth digesting slowly. 5 stars

I loved Jean Kwok's first book, Girl in Translation, and also used to be into ballroom dancing, so I was really anticipating Mambo in Chinatown, the story of a girl who breaks out of her family's traditional lifestyle to become a ballroom dancer while still trying to remain close to them. While I found the book difficult to put down because the plot was advancing quickly, I found the writing and characters to be a bit flat. 3.5 stars

This book was heavy and emotional and gorgeous, and not for the faint of heart. The story of a girl who lost her sister and subsequently her way in life, and a boy who struggles with mental illness, but who is interesting and passionate and vivid, who meet and change each others' lives. I still can't stop thinking about this book days later. 4.5 stars

This book is an examination of LDS doctrine about what went down when Adam and Eve fell in Eden. It wasn't really any new information, but was a good reminder and also a good examination of the feminine in religion. 4 stars

This nonfiction book goes through a Victorian person's life from morning til night. It was very interesting and at times shocking to learn what was normal life for people in this time period. The writing was dense and it took a long time to get through, but the information was worth digging for. 3.5 stars

This companion novel to the Kingkiller trilogy was beautiful and ethereal. As the author warns, nothing much actually happens in this novella, and I doubt it would appeal to someone who hasn't read the other books in the trilogy, but if you do love these characters and a good dose of descriptive writing, The Slow Regard of Silent Things will probably appeal to you. 4 stars

This is a collection of talks from the 2013 BYU Women's Conference. I bought a huge bundle of these collections and am working my way backwards through them. I love how accessible they are and the way the women presenting them are normal women trying to live the best lives they can and sharing the lessons they've learned. Looking forward to reading more of these books. 4 stars

This is another novella based on supporting characters from a trilogy, in this case the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. I read this on Valentine's day and it was absolutely stunningly perfect. Laini Taylor's writing is so perfectly vivid and unique, and I adore these characters and the chance to get to know more about them. Honestly, it might be worth reading even if you don't read the rest of the series. I loved this. 5 stars

This was a reread for me. I love Jhumpa Lahiri and have read all of her books; this was her first novel and I last read it when I was 18, so I figured it was time for a refresh. I think I liked it even better this time around. Heartbreaking as all of her books are (I wonder what her personal life must be like for her books to be so sad), but gorgeous. 4 stars. 

This was another review book off NetGalley, also based off a blog. The author is funny and definitely not one of those staged, "motherhood is bliss" types that populate so many of our instagram feeds. However, I would have liked to see more depth and dimension in this book -- it is mostly anger and sarcasm (although I guess I should expect as much from a book titled People I Want to Punch in the Throat). Still, her tirades can be refreshing -- we all have those moments when we want to roundhouse kick someone (right?). Probably not one I'd recommend, but it did have my laughing/nodding my head because I could relate a few times. 3 stars.

{Watching}

I'm planning on watching the season finale tonight. Can't wait to see how it all plays out, and wondering if there will be any (satisfying) resolution to the issues that built up during the penultimate episode!

Still enjoying my guilty pleasure -- I just started watching the 3rd season. There is nothing like a 20 minute sitcom to help me feel better after a stressful day. 

Confession: I haven't watched any of the seventh season yet. Scott just started watching it, so I have been watching some of the old episodes with him. I plan on watching the seventh season when he gets to it. Also, I don't want it to be over. 

{Listening}

:: Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness. My favorite band in high school was Something Corporate, I loved Jack's Mannequin in college, and now it seems appropriate that McMahon's new project is getting me through young adulthood. And his song, "Cecilia and the Satellite," about parenthood, makes me bawl my eyes out. 

:: I've been getting back to Josh Groban these days. Laugh all you want. His music is beautiful and comforting and it makes me happy. I think my favorite album right now is Illuminations, which may or may not be because that is the album he was promoting when I saw him on tour. 

:: Also going back to Mumford & Sons a lot these days. Somehow "Awake My Soul" slipped through my grasp when I was first obsessed with them. It's my current favorite of their songs. 

What are you reading, watching, and listening to these days? Any good recommendations? 

Reading, Watching, Listening {January 2015}

I have stepped away from my book blog in the last several months, but I'd still like to write mini-reviews of what I am enjoying these days.

{Reading}

My fellow-nurse friend, Lorna, leant me this one. It's about the QA nurses' military experiences during World War II. I found it fascinating to learn what it was like to be a nurse during this time, especially as I feel like women in war and particularly nurses in war are not discussed that often. At times the writing was a bit dry, but the subject matter was well worth it. {3.5 stars}

This was probably my favorite book read this month. Another World War II story, it is the converging tales of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl living in St. Malo during the war, And Werner, a German soldier who is a genius with radios. The writing was lovely and the story was unique and compelling. I also loved reading a book set in St. Malo, because I've visited that city (I always love reading about places where I've been or places where I live). {4 stars}

I've been reading this monster for. ever. I finally had time to really sink into it and finish it while I was visiting my parents in Idaho. I loved it, despite the fact that it took me months to get into it and read it. I love the way Henry James characterizes his... characters. It reminded me of Edith Wharton, and if I'm not mistaken I actually have a book on my TBR that is letters from Edith Wharton to Henry James. This was my second Henry James (the first was Wings of the Dove), and while both really took some effort to get through the writing was beautiful and I feel rewarded by the time I spent. {4 stars}

This is the story of a working mother who is torn from all directions as she tries to make her life work. While I am not at work nearly as much as the protagonist in this book, so much rang true to me. I don't have a lot of friends who work and I often feel like no one understands how hard it is to have to leave your children, especially when it isn't really a choice but a financial necessity. I felt like I was having a chat with a friend, one who occasionally made stupid decisions but who was absolutely understanding. I was rooting for her to make it out the whole time. I read somewhere that it was "Bridget Jones for the working mother" and I couldn't agree more, except I actually found it more entertaining than Bridget Jones (maybe because I relate more?). Anyway, it was nice to read something fun, even if at times it struck too close to home. {3.5 stars}

{Watching}

I'm unabashedly obsessed with this show, although some of the characters' decisions this season have me shaking my head. Currently two episodes behind, though... I need to catch up!

I never watched this when it was on TV... having fun with it now! I just started the second season. 

{Listening}

Favorite songs this month: 

:: "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin (This has been a favorite forever, but I rediscovered it this month)

:: "Helsinki" by the National Parks

:: John Mayer's cover of "XO"

What have you been into this month?