Educated is the story of what happens when you have nothing to rely on but yourself, a book, and some very willing loved ones to get you out of a tough situation. Tara Westover was raised in a strict Mormon household in the mountains of Idaho. In addition to being conservative, traditional parents, Tara’s parents were also survivalists. Tara, along with her six other siblings, was homeschooled for the majority of her life, worked either in the junkyard with their father or in the kitchen putting together homeopathic remedies with her mother, and was always prepared for the second-coming. At 17, Tara was convinced by her older brother, Tyler, to leave…
Fall TBR List
I think it’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Nashville, and I could not be more excited. This summer has been nothing short of amazing, but I’m ready for cooler days and for it to be more acceptable for me to stay at home and read on the weekends. Fall is the perfect time to read some creepy thrillers, magical mysteries, and cozy love stories. Let’s get into my fall TBR list… Image from Amazon 1. It by Stephen King I’ve been trying to finish this book since last year. It’s such a monster of a book, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I hope to finish it this year around…
September Book Haul
Round two of talking about books I bought! I told y’all I went a little crazy last month during the Barnes and Noble sale. Let’s jump right into the rest of the books I bought for this book haul! Image from Amazon 1. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane Truth be told, I picked this one up because I’ve heard great things about it, and I loved the cover. Ask Again, Yes is about two families whose lives are intertwined because of their proximity and children. Francis and Lena live with their daughter Kate, and Brian and Anne live next door with their son Peter. A tragedy blossoms from Lena’s loneliness and…
Top 6 Fall Book Releases 2019
I know it’s not quite yet fall in Nashville, but I already want to pull out my sweaters and sip on some piping hot apple cider at a coffee shop all day long. The mornings have been a lot cooler here, which brings a smile to my face every time I walk out the door, so I figured I might as well pull the trigger and share some of the fall book releases I’m excited for in 2019. Let’s get started! Image from Amazon 1. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo — October Galaxy (Alex) Stern is the sole survivor of an unsolved multi-homicide, so when she’s in her hospital bed…
August 2019 Book Haul
I have been heavily utilizing the library this year, which has been great for my wallet, but Barnes and Noble finally had a sale, and I went crazy. Truthfully, this is only the first part of my haul since I also ordered about seven books online, but these are the ones I picked up in-store. I didn’t mean to pick out a specific set of books, but I think I was subconsciously drawn to historical fiction. I took advantage of the buy two, get the third free deal and 30 percent off deals. Let’s get started! Image from Amazon 1. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed…
August Reading Wrap Up
You may have noticed, but I skipped out on doing a July reading wrap up since I read so little that month. Between moving and being out of town, I really hit a reading slump last month and only read two books. And even though I only read three books this month, I got half-way through two others, and I feel like I’m back in the reading game. Let’s get started! Image from Amazon 1. Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs A well-written auto-biography from Steve Jobs’ “forgotten” daughter, Small Fry is an eye-opening read. Brennan-Jobs shares stories of her childhood and the strange way she and her estranged father used to interact. I’ve never been…
Daisy Jones & The Six | A Review
Daisy Jones is a force to be reckoned with, and The Six had no idea what it was getting into when they asked her to join the band. It all started out as an innocent co-writing session, and it ended in the best band of the era. Daisy Jones & The Six is the oral history of the greatest band there ever was. Their time together was short, but their impact lasted for generations. The story begins with Billy and his brother starting a band. They go through the regular crap a band does (members that quit, writing woes, etc), but eventually, they end up as The Six — Billy, Graham,…
Top 5 Books to Turn into Movies
This past weekend was so much more relaxing than anticipated. I was house/dog sitting about 30 minutes out of Nashville, so I spent most of my weekend up there watching movies on the couch. It reminded me of how much I actually enjoy movies, and it got me thinking about what books I would like to see turned into movies. Typically, I’m in the camp of “the book is better than the movie,” but sometimes, sometimes they are both great in their own way, and I think these books could land in that camp if they were made into movies. I read all of these books (or parts of the…
Favorite Book Quotes
I’ve always loved a good quote. I feel like if I’m going through something, whether it’s good or bad, I can always find a quote that perfectly encapsulates how I’m feeling. I’ve gotten into the habit of adding to my notes in my phone every time I come across a quote in a book I like, so I thought I would share a few. Each quote means something different to me and reminds me to make the most of what I have. Let’s get started! 1. “I’m under absolutely no obligation to make sense to you.” — Evelyn Hugo, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 2. “Happiness can be found, even…
Top 5 Booker Prize Longlist Nominees
The Booker Prize Longlist was announced two weeks ago, and I’m here to give my top five picks from the lot. The Booker Prize is an award given to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. It’s a life-changing award that’s been given out for over 50 years. I try to read at least one winner every year, but there are seriously so many amazing novels from these lists that it’s hard to get to all of them. Here are my top five Booker Prize nominees from the 2019 longlist. Let’s get started. Image from Amazon 1. My Sister, the Serial…
