For The Love Of Books | April 2017

This post is part of a new monthly series " For The Love Of Books" where I track and share what I've been reading in 2017. I'm also trying to do that on Goodreads as well if you are already into that platform. My hope is to post on or near the first of each month to share what I ended up reading last month and then share what books I'm selecting from Book Of The Month (BOTM) for the next month.

Please Note // This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Before I share more about what I've been reading I wanted to share three things I'm loving about being a part of Book Of The Month Club. (1) It's easy, (2) it's motivating, and (3) it's making me read things I might not have chosen otherwise. Here's a little more detail on each of those points: (1) It's easy because I have a limited number of choices - many of you guys know that I love limited choices as a method of simplicity in so many areas. (2) It's motivating because I know that another book or round of books will be coming the next month and my goal is to finish the one's I order before the next round comes. (3) One of the things I really do love that I'm being introduced to new authors, new kinds of stories, and to books that I might not otherwise pick if I was just walking into the store or library or browsing online. This style of reading is currently really making me happy in my life overall. I love how it is encouraging me to simply read more for pleasure.

In March I read five books. FIVE. You can see those titles in my completed 2017 list below. I can't remember the last time that happened.

Out of those five I think that Pachinko ended up being my favorite of the ones I read in March probably followed by Exit West.

In April I finished three books: Good As Gone, American War (BOTM) and Into The Water (BOTM). You can read my longer reviews at the bottom of those post but I ended up loving American War after having a tough time getting into it. After that one I started and finished Into The Water in just a couple days - a fast read where you just want to know how it ends (from the author of Girl On The Train - see promo regarding this book below).

Today is May 1 and that means it's time for current BOTM subscribers to choose books from this month's selections. If you haven't joined yet read below for a cool joining bonus this month.

For May's Book Of The Month I chose the following books:

• Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (author of Mystic River and Shutter Island) // Started reading this over the weekend and I've been sucked into it already.

• Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

• The Leavers by Lisa Ko

I'm really excited about all three of these books (all fiction this time).

Sometimes people ask how I have my books already for May when most people are just choosing? I initially received a gift subscription from Katie for Christmas and started posting about it on Instagram because I was so in love with the idea of getting a book in the mail each month. After that I was contacted by their media team and invited to be part of their Ambassador program where they give me the chance to see the books in advance and they send them to me in exchange for a post when the new books become available each month.

"INTO THE WATER" PROMOTION

And, this is cool: BOTM has an awesome bonus for new subscribers and an add-on option for current subscribers for May - Into the Water By Paula Hawkins - the brand new book from the author of Girl On The Train. If you are not a member yet you get a copy for free when you sign up for 3 month subscription with Book Of The Month using the promo code WATER. If you are a current member you can pre-order Into The Water on their site for only $9.99 and I believe it will ship with your book selection for May.

Looking for a fun Mother's Day gift idea? Consider giving the gift of reading. Gift a BOTM membership and get a 1 month free for yourself! Gifts are available in 3, 6 or 12 month plans. This offer starts on April 25th and runs through May 15th. The free month can be redeemed at any time after the gift is purchased.

This is how I first started with BOTM - Katie gifted me a three-month membership and I love it.

Also, at some point today I'll be opening a giveaway over on my Instagram account for five winners to receive a 3-month subscription to Book Of The Month.

IN PROGRESS

Currently Reading:

• Since We Fell (BOTM)

• At Home In The World: Reflections On Belonging While Wandering The Globe // A new book from Tsh Oxenreider who runs the site The Art of Simple. This one is a memoir about her family's nine-month traveling adventures.

Started But Haven't Finished // 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:

• 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.

READ IN 2017

NOTE: (BOTM) means the book came from theBook 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.

• Marlena (BOTM) // Gave this one three stars on Goodreads. I'm going to go with "like" but not "love" on this one. I kinda think, after finishing it, that it might be one that will pop up in my mind as I go about my days (so maybe it should get a better review). I enjoyed the story and she used a few writing techniques that I really liked. Sometimes it felt slow and I just wanted her to get on with the story :).

• Pachinko (BOTM) // Seriously loved this one and am super glad I picked it up again after putting it down before our Mexico trip. Epic generational tale of Koreans living in Japan (really loved learning more about that).

APRIL

• Good As Gone (Kindle) // Definitely stayed interested and engaged with the story and wanted to know what was going to happen. As others have mentioned, the beginning felt stronger than the end. Felt like the author had a unique voice. Glad I read it. Three stars.

• American War (BOTM) // This book took me longer to read than others recently and sometimes I would forget that it was a future US civil war vs. the past civil war and I wondered more than once where in the world the story was actually heading (and was it actually heading anywhere)? There were days where I felt like I was making myself read it - which I don't always don - but for some reason I wanted to keep reading. There was a certain point in this book, probably more than halfway through the story, where I realized that this was an exceptional book. I finished it today and I think it's one of the best books I've read in awhile. I found the author to be an extremely sophisticated writer/storyteller who was very purposeful and deliberate with his prose - I can't remember the last time I really felt that way about the words I was reading on the page.

• Into The Water (BOTM) // A super fast, page-turning read for me. At first I felt like it was hard to keep up with all the different narrators but as I got more into it I was able to keep all the characters straight (it was one of those where I needed to keep flipping back and forth to remember who was who). Definitely enjoyed for a quick read!

MAY

• Since We Fell (BOTM) // Started this over the weekend and I'm totally into it.