For The Love Of Books | January & February & March 2017
I love books. I love reading. I always have and probably always will.
I like stories that take me away and I like stories that teach me about other cultures & places and I like stories that make me turn the pages one after the other.
I make time to read for both enjoyment and enrichment and often choose it over other activities ( which is much easier in winter time when the weather is rain, rain, rain). I don't watch a lot of TV (we just have an Apple TV and Netflix and HBO). Aaron I just recently started watching Game Of Thrones (we are just starting season four and that's really the only thing I'm watching right now). All the kids in this house have daily reading expectations. It's just what we do.
So all that said, last year for Christmas I put a subscription to the Book Of The Month Club on my list and Katie got it for me. I'm totally loving it and I think it's really spurred my reading again. Basically it's a monthly book subscription where they offer a selection of five books and you choose which one you want to read for that month. You can also add additional titles for $9.99.
After I started posting about what I was reading on Instagram I was invited to be an Ambassador for them which basically means that they send me my selections early in exchange for helping them to promote the new selections at the beginning of the month on Instagram. Disclosure: I am also an affiliate for Book Of The Month so if you purchase via one of those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale.
If you want to try the Book Of The Month Club they have a 3-month membership offer + a free BOTM tote bag for $9.99 available here.
I'd like to start sharing what I'm reading a bit more regularly here on my blog. I've also been sharing using the hashtag #aereads2017 on Instagram if you are interested in following along over there. I'm also trying to stay up to date with what I'm reading over on Goodreads.
I think you should know that I am not a super picky reader - I just like to read. And, as you probably know already, I really like stories.
IN PROGRESS
Started But Haven't Finished And/Or Currently Reading:
- Pachinko (BOTM) // About 1/4 of the way into this one.
- Secret Garden // I think I have about 1/4 left of this one.
- Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind The Frantic For A Simpler, More Soulful Way Of Living // Reading this one slowly when I feel like I want/need to read the words.
- Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood (Kindle) // Loving this one and picking it up here and there between other books.
- Marlena (BOTM) // Actively reading this one right now and am about 1/3 of the way through.
Sometimes I start a book and get part way through and set it down for one reason or another - lately it's been that I've been more excited to read something else.
READ IN 2017
NOTE: (BOTM) means the book came from the Book Of the Month Club.
JANUARY
- You Will Know Me (BOTM) // First book from BOTM. Read it in a day and a half (suspense). Enjoyed.
- Lucky You (BOTM) // I remember liking this one as I was reading it but to be honest I can barely remember it now. This is why I'm trying to remember to post some short thoughts on Instagram when I finish each one.
FEBRUARY
- Behind Her Eyes (BOTM) // Suspense. Crazy twist. Enjoyed.
- Perfect Little World (BOTM) // Vacation read. Liked the change of pace on this one (had been reading more suspense). This one was a sweet little story with topics of motherhood and family and tribes of people and how things change.
- What Alice Forgot (Kindle) // Vacation read. Totally enjoyed this story and imagining what it would be like to experience memory loss in this way. Not suspense.
MARCH
- The Twilight Wife // Aaron picked this one out at Target to read while we were on vacation and I read it when he was done. I thought this one was okay - probably had something to do with the fact that I read What Alice Forgot right before this one and they both deal with memory loss (this one is more suspense).
- The Stranger In The Woods (BOTM) // Non-fiction. This true story about a man living in the woods of Maine for almost 30 years read like a long-form magazine article. I enjoyed the break from the fiction I've been reading.
- Exit West (BOTM) // This one was a lot different from what I've been reading and I appreciated it for that. Different kind of narrator (omniscient) and subject matter (refugees). Glad I read it.
Yeah!!! I love books too. I do so hope you'll post more on this subject and love your personal review on all the titles. This year I am making a 12 x 12 page each month of everything I've read. In other years I've created smaller albums, but I love documenting/scrapbooking what I've read.
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I picked up Pachinko at my local library a few weeks ago and it was a beautiful story! I love historical fiction most of all especially when it's set in different cultures. This one is all about family. It's tragic but so well written and such a different look at the time period around World War 2. It's almost like the war is just going on in the background which is very unique to me.
I hope you like it!
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Hi Ali!
Love that you are doing this! I am trying to read 52 books this year. I was wondering if you minded if I could add you are a friend on Goodreads?
Many thanks
Pamela
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I love to read too! I saw you post about the February books before and looked them up. I really enjoyed What Alice Forgot last year. Because suspense is my favorite genre of books, many of these books appeal to me. I'm currently trying to juggle three books, unsuccessfully. It's better for me to read a book in its entirety, then move to the next. I will definitely be checking out some of these books. Thanks for the suggestions.
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I clicked the link to sign up for the 3 month membership at $9.99 and don't see the information? Thank you for sharing this!
Morning! Did you click through to the end of the process - I think that's when you can see more options? I seem to remember that is how it worked for me originally.
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I got a subscription for Christmas after you mentioned it in a post. Great gift from my husband as I love to read too and don't do it enough. Reading Behind Her Eyes on vacation now :-) thanks for mentioning them!
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LOVE this post. I am also a BOTM subscriber...been almost a year now and I love it. You and I have chosen almost the same selections :) Currently reading Pleasantville by Attica Locke for our April book club selection. It was slow to start but I don't want to put it down now. It's a slow burn suspense/psycho thriller/crime story.
Can't wait to continue to see what you read. Go Ali go!!
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I have a registered Little Free Library in my front yard that was the idea of my children for my 60th birthday and created by my husband just for me. John is an avid reader, but he also maintains most of his books in a library of sorts - really just a growing set of bookshelves. I also like to read, but mainly on my Kindle/KindleApp. I do like to thrift books for my library. I may try BOTM - wondering if it is the same as BOMC as John used to get their monthly selection list - this would be a good way to add to the LFL.
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Ali, I got a 12 month BOTM membership, starting in March, because of your Instagram posts. I love that I get hardback books every month and just chose two books this month: "East West" and a previous month's selection: "Swing Time". I've read both and loved them! Thank you so very much. I know I will order a full box for April and will look forward to your book posts on Instagram. I contacted BOTM and explained I joined because of your posts. They forwarded my letter and I'm hoping you will receive credit as an ambassador.
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I love these reviews as I add more books to my list! I too love to read and always have books around me in all parts of my life! I love how reading brings people together! Thank you for sharing!
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I've been wanting to read more books than just the "fluff" of magazines which as a mom to two littles seems like all I can get in, unless I'm on "vacation" do moms ever get that even on vacation? Well I try. So I'm in a book group and read one book a month with that and figure it is time for me to read some books other than my monthly book. Here's to reading 18 whole books this year! I have the read digital kit and have been taking pictures of the covers, but I do need to write a few things down about them when I finish reading each book. That's for your suggestions, Ali. when we pick books for next year, I'll have a few of my own to add.
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Love knowing what you are reading as your the only blog I have time to follow, giving me this info is awesome. Read twilight wife.. it was ok, reading what alice forgot now and enjoying it. Thanks Ali.
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I listen to audio books during my work commute. I listened to Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime" and it was fantastic. If you have a roadtrip planned (without the kiddos), consider giving it a go. Hearing his story in his voice, his accent, his languages is amazing. If there is a book that should exist in audio form only, this one might be it.
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Ditto what everyone said in their comments! I love your eclectic reading selection. Was wondering how you keep everything straight when you are reading multiple books at a time? I am a one book at a time person, even when I struggle with a book like I am right now "Furiously Happy" is a struggle for me.
Right now I'm usually reading one at a time with the others usually started and stopped somewhere in the process. Something like Furiously Happy is one that I would start and then probably want some fiction mid-way through so I would switch and then come back to it after I finish the fiction story.
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Ah, I love Behind her eyes and I am almost finished. I left it at moms by accident so I am waiting to get it back so I can finish it. I almost bought "You will know me" and I didn't. Will add that one to my list. Lucky You was just eh, to me. It was an easy read though and I didn't not enjoy it. Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about it. I subscribe to the club and love it. So glad I made the choice to sign up!
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