Books for Breakfast

This book was an absolute delight; it was like a cup of tea and a warm blanket wrapped up in pages and bound in leather. Except of course, that I read a Kindle edition of this story and not a physical copy... but that's neither here nor there. I read the predecessor, The Bookshop on The Corner , last year and at first blush had no interest in reading the second book. I'll admit, I have a sort of bias towards books that center around an adult woman with a child and relationship problems; it's just not where I'm at in my own life and so I find it hard to relate and thus remain interested. However, I saw this book floating around on Goodreads and decided to give it a try. When my Libby hold finally came in after a couple weeks, I was able to dive headfirst into Scotland and the Loch Ness. This is one of the reasons I adore reading: I can visit new places without even leaving my home. Today, I was able to experience Scotland and London. While it took me several days to com...

And I thought February was hard... This month has been difficult and I pretty much lost all interest in reading about halfway through. So I'd say it's a feat that I managed to read 5 books. I've got my reading mojo back now; I'm still deep in Gone With The Wind and need to get back to regularly reading it. I also started reading Pride and Prejudice again as a comfort read and I'm enjoying it so much. Here's to hoping May is a good month for reading goals! There's not much to say except to list the stats for this month. Since I didn't read that much, I don't have many strong feelings about any of the titles I did read. (Except for In The Woods ; check out my review for it if you want to read some intense feelings...). April Stats 5 total books 4 total authors 2,184 pages read Longest Book: HP and The Goblet of Fire (734 pages) Shortest Book: The Penderwicks (262 pages) Favorite Read: The Penderwicks Least Favorite Read: Mr...

There's nothing quite like finishing a good book on a warm (not quite summer) day. The sun is slowly setting, the birds are happily chirping, and the breeze is cooling the weather down. I can't think of a better story to wrap up than The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. There will be some exciting changes happening in my life this week; exciting but slightly scary! This continues my comfort read-a-thon and it was just what I needed. I loved this continuing storyline of the four Penderwick sisters. Even though the original Penderwick novel will always be near and dear to my heart, the follow-up was just as sweet and endearing. Each sister got their time to shine and the storyline involving their father was well fleshed-out and relatable. I think Birdsall was really able to expand on each sister's personality in this story, and we get glimpses of where she might take them next. I can't really say much more, except please read this sweet story! Stats: Completed: Apr...

 There is comfort in friendship. The Lord has led me to many different ones over the years, some discouraging, but many uplifting. I am so grateful for the friends He has blessed me with now. The ones I can pour my heart out to; the ones that listen with an attentive ear and speak with a quiet wisdom. One of these friends, in particular, is my reading buddy. She is one that I have had many conversations with regarding books, from George Elliot to Jane Austen. I trust her book recommendations and have enjoyed many stories as her suggestion. She has a quiet and steadfast demeanor that is soothing and I am so blessed that she is in my life. This particular season of life has been difficult, not just because of the current world climate. She showed up at my door today with a little care package and my soul felt comforted. It's funny the ways God comforts us; sometimes He does it directly through His peace and sometimes He does it through other people. In the bag were two books: s...

YAY! I've hit 30 books! April has been a really slow month for me. Due to a family tragedy, my interest in reading plummeted. I have not wanted to touch a book for the past couple of weeks. This month has been hard. So when I did decide I wanted to pick up a book again, I wanted something comforting. Comfort reads, for me, are familiar and usually re-reads. I already know what's going to happen, so I'm not surprised or blind-sided. My comfort read this time just so happened to be a childhood favorite, The Penderwicks. I can't tell you how many times I have read this over the years. It's actually a series, with 5 books I think, but I have only read the first two. I think there was just something about the original book that touched my heart and kept me coming back, over and over again. The Penderwicks reminds me of Little Women  in a way. Four sisters, an absent parent, and a boy that becomes a close friend. Each sister has a fully developed character and story...

I have owned this book for approximately 5 years and have only just now read it in its entirety. I would like to use this book to make the case that timing matters when it comes to reading. A novel you read 10 years ago and absolutely abhorred might shine in a different light were you to read it now. In the same way, a book you adored 10 years ago might not hold the same appeal to you now. We change and evolve; our tastes and interests take many paths, and while certain stories might hold sentimental value to us, the reading process will always change. I can't tell you how many times over the years I have picked up Mr. Penumbra ; each time, I get a little farther in the reading, but ultimately put it down out of boredom, disinterest, or simple ambivalence. This weekend, it finally clicked for me. I felt myself in a mini-book slump. I had started Voyage of The Dawn Treader , but really wasn't in the mood to read it. I'm still 30% deep in Gone With The Wind , but again, ...

via weheartit Harry Potter is back for another year of Hogwarts, and this one might be the most exciting yet. The Triwizard Tournament is coming to his school, and with it, comes students from two other magical academies. When his name is put into the Goblet of Fire, declaring him a Hogwarts Champion, alongside three other students, he quickly realizes someone has it out for him... again. I looked forward to diving into Goblet of Fire because the movie was such a fun ride; mazes and mermaids and dragons, oh my! I was curious to see how Rowling would tell the adventurous story of Harry competing in the Tournament. Man, this book was a CHUNK! And it's not even the longest one :) I think this was the first book where I read significant portions that were not included in the movie. I mean, I can't blame the movie writers; like I said, the book is enormous, something had to be cut. Despite the excitement of the plot in this installment, I felt like the story really dragg...