A Few Good Reads

Since I first learned how at the age of five, reading has been my favorite pastime. I've always loved the feeling of getting so involved with a book that it seems as if you're actually a part of the story yourself. If I really connect with something I'm reading, I'll stay up all night to finish it. It really is just about my favorite thing to do.

Since Grayson was born it's been much harder for me to find the time to actually sit down and read a good book. In fact, I hadn't actually read much of anything at all until a group of girlfriends of mine decided to start a book club a couple of months ago. I'm so, so glad that they did, because it's got me back into it.

When I went to purchase the first book we were set to read, I couldn't find it in the store. Arsen suggested downloading it to my iPad, which I honestly hadn't ever even considered. So I downloaded the Nook app, and since then I've been just been buying books there. I've always loved the feel of sitting down with an actual, physical book, but this is SO much more practical for me now. I can lay in bed at night after G is asleep and read, which I can't do with a book without turning on the light. (Since he's in our room that doesn't work) So it's been the perfect solution!

These three books are what I've read most recently. Not all of them were book club books, but now that I've started reading again I'm getting the urge to read more than one book per month. I can honestly say I would recommend all three of them, although I much prefer two of them. If you're looking for some good reads, check these out.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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This novel was a quick read for me. I finished it in about two days, simply because I was so involved in the story that I read it basically anytime I got the chance. It's narrated by a 16 year old cancer patient named Hazel, who has a more impressive vocabulary than any teenager, or adult for that matter, that I've ever known. This novel is absolutely heart wrenching, but in the best way. I most definitely recommend it...but make sure you're prepared to shed a few tears. It's a heartbreaker, I tell ya.

The Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

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This was....difficult to get into. I've never read any of the Harry Potter books (Or seen the movies. Gasp!), so I'm not familiar with J.K. Rowling's writing style, but from what some of the girls in book club said this is written in a similar manner. The descriptions were sooooo loooong. I don't need to know every last detail about what the pub the character is sitting in looks like. Every. Last. Detail. It got to the point where I started skimming the descriptive passages. But other than that, I thought this was a pretty decent read. It's a mystery, which isn't a genre I typically read, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I'm kind of 50/50 on this one. I ended up liking it once I got into it, so I would say it's worth the read.

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

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I've also never read a Nicholas Sparks novel, although I've seen several of the movies that are based on his books. This was, of course, a love story, but not really your typical romance novel. There were two major story lines going on that eventually intertwined, and I actually enjoyed that. Kept things interesting.The main characers are a young guy and a young girl in their twenties, and then also an old man in his 90's who reflects back on his life throughout the book. Even though it has a romantic vibe to is, it isn't the typical chic lit type book. A little more depth, maybe? I found it to be an enjoyable read.

Have you read anything good lately? If so, let me know in the comments. I'm always looking for a new book to try out :) 

Heaven Is Here: My Thoughts

I am a BIG fan of reading, and have been since I learned how around the age of five. When I was younger, anytime I had friends over to play my mom would have to force me to put my book down and play with them. It's something I have always loved, and I can get wrapped up in a book so easily that everything around me disappears. I don't have much free time to read anymore (what with working full time, taking care of a home, and now, blogging) but I try to fit it in wherever I can. So I thought whenever I read a truly great book, why not share it with you all?

I'm always looking for book suggestions, so maybe some of you will enjoy this as I would. By no means will this be a "regular" thing on my blog, at least at the present time, because unfortunately my reading is a bit sporadic these days. However, I did recently read a book that I absolutely loved, and that truly touched me: Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.

The first time I heard of Stephanie Nielson was on Oprah. I've never been an avid Oprah watcher, so it was random that I happened to be watching that day. I remember being completely overwhelmed by her story and amazed at the strength and courage she had, and I would think of her from time to time.

Fast forward a couple years, and I slowly started to become a part of this amazing blogging community. Stephanie, or NieNie, is one of the blogging world icons. I saw mention of her new book several places, and decided to pick it up.

After just the first few chapters, I was hooked. She describes her life before the plane accident she was involved in so beautifully, and as a newlywed myself I can only imagine the complete happiness and contentment she had when her little family started growing. She had everything she had ever wanted: she was a stay-at-home mom to four little ones, she and her husband were madly in love, she had a new home that she was making their own, and she had recently found a wonderful pastime in blogging. Maybe I connected to it so much because that's really my dream for the next few years of my life, and I can only imagine how elated you would be when it started coming to fruition.

And then out of nowhere, her perfect world was shattered. In a way that you could never imagine happening to you, and to the most horrifying level.

The amount of strength that this woman possesses is truly amazing. When I think of myself in this position (because when you're reading this story she's so easy to identify with that you can't help but imagine it happening to you) I wonder if I could be so strong. I can't imagine that I could.

Her recovery after the plane crash that took the life of a friend and burned the majority of her body, as well as severely injured her husband, is something that is tough to read at times. From being in a coma for months, learning that she was severely disfigured, re-learning how to do the most basic tasks, and her children being afraid to look at her, it's emotionally draining to read. I cannot comprehend going through it myself, and I was brought to tears several times thinking of this poor woman and all that she had to endure.

But more than anything, what I got from this book was a message of hope, courage, strength, determination, and faith. For someone who lost so much, she has embraced life with such a beautiful attitude. I'm a faithful reader of her blog, and I know that she still struggles with things on a daily basis, such as people making remarks about her appearance or not being able to do something that she could have so easily before the accident. Again, heartbreaking and tough to read, but the perseverance and amazingly upbeat attitude that she has is truly encouraging. 

I came away from this book with a renewed sense of gratefulness for all that I have, and a determination to not let the little things get me down. It's so easy to dwell on the negative (for me especially), but to see someone who has overcome so much is truly encouraging. I 100% recommend this book to anyone. I think you will be truly inspired by her story.

Now, a question for you all: Does anyone have any book suggestions for me? I'm always looking for my next favorite book, and I will read just about anything and everything. I would love it if you would share your favorites with me!