8 Recent Reads I Loved vol. 2

Hi friends!

As many of you know the time leading up to when Jay was born aka the whole entire month of September seemed to stretch on forever for me. I was ready for him to arrive and with prodromal labor I wasn’t quite sure when he would make his appearance. Of course he waited until the absolute last day of the month which gave me plenty of time to find ways to keep my mind busy. One of my favorite past times is reading which I know is no surprise to you since I talk about reading all the time here (I even have a whole page on here dedicated to books!) but in the month of September I set a new record for myself and read 5 full books. FIVE. Obviously I needed the distraction! So I’m coming at you with another recent reads post and trust me these are all fantastic and worth your time. Don’t forget to hop over to GoodReads and follow my reading list, because I don’t share everything I read on here and it can be really tough to choose. But never fear I’m already halfway into another book post… there’s always more good things to read!

Mom Genes – By Abigail Tucker

Jon actually purchased this book for me for Mother’s Day last May and at first I didn’t really understand why he did. After several months of reading (it has a lot of content I wanted to digest after reading), and after having Jon read it, I’m so glad he bought it for us. This is one of those books that you have to be patient with because it contains so much information you need to take a break to process what you are learning. It also helped me understand myself as a mom and my own mom more than I could have imagined. The basis of the book is talking about the biology behind moms and why we are the way we are. That we truly can’t control many of the biological reactions that happen in order for us to become moms. Truly a fascinating read that was so appropriate for me to read while pregnant.

The Dollhouse- By Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. She is so inventive in how she connects different timelines and characters while progressing all of their stories at once. “The Dollhouse” is based in New York City at two different times and somehow the women featured in these two times are connected by a mystery that unfolds as the book progresses. It was a fast and enjoyable read that made old New York City glamour come to life.

The Lost Apothecary – By Sarah Penner

I found this book on a random reading list and I had literally no idea what I was getting into when I picked it up. It took me all of about five minutes to get hooked and from then on I was totally captivated. Sarah Penner does a fantastic job of keeping the line of reality and what might be possible very blurry. The story features the unlikely friendship of an old apothecary and a young girl who didn’t realize they needed each other. The two main characters inevitably find themselves in a twisted predicament that binds them together and truly seems impossible for them to overcome. Do they? Well that’s up to you to find out…

The Defined Dish: Whole30 Endorsed, Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes – By Alex Snodgrass

This book was a gift from my sisters and another one that took me a while to get through. I am the worst when it comes to trying to process information I read. I love to take my time and spread it out over small doses to be sure I can absorb all the information. “The Defined Dish” is a recipe book so it was fairly easy to read through a section or two but then I wanted to try all the recipes which is where I had to slow myself down. I loved how easy yet complex the food is and Alex is a wonderful story teller and cooking instructor. This is a great read for someone who wants to shake up their weeknight meals like we do.

Birth Story Pregnancy guidebook + journal: A 42-week Discovery into Your Pregnancy – By Heidi Synderburn

This book is a super special one for me because it was written by my Doula and friend Heidi. It’s the most comprehensive and least scary maternity book I have ever read. Yes I am biased because I know the author but also I am being totally honest. Most pregnancy books are scary and don’t tell you everything you need to know. This book is broken into one week chapters so you can read it all at once or do like I did and read a chapter a week all the way through your pregnancy. Each chapter features a birth story that Heidi attended along with helpful information to guide you towards birth. Her goal is to help you not only feel prepared for birth but not fearful of it. Birth can be really scary, especially for someone who hasn’t done it before and Heidi takes those fears and replaces them with excitement. Highly recommend reading this book instead all the other maternity books on the market.

The Girl in the Mirror – By Rose Carlyle

“The Girl in the Mirror” is one of those books that I stayed up way too late reading and then when it finished I immediately felt like I needed to talk about it with someone. It was compelling, bewildering, terrifying, and thrilling all at once. It had me asking “Is this possible?” and saying “No way” all throughout. Its the perfect book club book or “buy a copy and share with all your friends” book. Go read it so we can talk about it, please!

The Masterpiece – By Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis did it again! Another split time line story based in New York City featuring the glamorous world of art and two women. I learned so much but also found myself appreciating aspects of New York I had never really considered before. Centered around Grand Central Terminal there were so many bits of history and information sprinkled into the story that I kept pausing my reading to go look up what they were talking about. I felt like the story ended too quickly for me and I wanted to keep living with the wonderful women who’s story was being told.

The Great Alone – By Kristin Hannah

I am forever a sucker for a good Alaskan adventure story and this was definitely no exception. Kristin Hannah who also wrote “Firefly Lane” is a fantastic author who gives her audience just enough but never everything. She is so good at helping her readers become totally invested in the long term journey of the characters while making you feel like you truly are right next to them seeing this through their perspective. “The Great Alone” is about Leni and her unconventional childhood in the 70’s with her Vietnam veteran father and her ever faithful mom as they start their lives over in the wilderness of the Alaskan bush. This is one of those books that satisfies the romance and the adventure lovers.

Have you read anything interesting lately? What should I add to my list?!

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