At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read 12 books during 2015. Since having kids, I’ve rarely read books even though it is something I enjoy. I’ve already surpassed my yearly goal and have almost 100 books on my Amazon wishlist that I can’t wait to dig into in the future. It’s funny that after having one child I thought there was no time to read, but now that I have three children, I realize that it is crucial to make time for things I enjoy. In the past, I spent time blogging, partnering with many amazing brands, and while I loved what I did, I know that I will never return to blogging in that way. I look back now and realize the pressure I put on myself to meet deadlines, connect more, share, tweet, pin, create new content, etc. and the time it took away from my children when my hobby became my job. I was constantly saying “Not now. Mommy’s working.” or “Just one minute.” and I rarely sat with my family without my Macbook attached to my lap.
I do finally feel like I will get back to this blog. It’s something I’ve seriously struggled with as I mourned the loss of my dad. He was my biggest fan in all areas of my life, but especially when it came to this blog. So writing here knowing he would never read it, that I wouldn’t have his encouragement, it was too painful. I tried. I’ve written a handful of posts since cancer took him, but my heart wasn’t in it. As the fog rolls away, I am better able to focus on the happy times instead of the end and that has freed my heart and my mind in a way that allows me to return to writing- and even partnering with a few brands- without the constant ache that he won’t call me up to chat about my latest post.
A post about the books I’ve been reading has turned into a therapy session. All of that said, here are a few of my favorite books I’ve read the past few months. I recommend each of these books and thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I am not one of those people who can push through a book I don’t like… If it’s a dud, I put it down and move on to the next one!
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Dear Mr. Knightley: A Novel by Katherine Reay
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel
Books I Plan to Read:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (current read)
Paper Towns by John Green
Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
Two Way to Save on Kindle Books
I buy most of my books from Amazon and read them on my iPad. One of the reasons I keep a book wishlist is because it helps me save money on Kindle books. Did you know you can sort your Amazon wishlists by items with price drops? It’s true and it is super helpful! Each day I take a minute to go to my book wishlist and sort by items with price drops to see if any of the books are on sale. For instance, I just purchased Liars. Inc. by Paula Stokes yesterday for $1.99 because I saw that it was on sale. Today it’s back up to $9.99!
If you are an Amazon Prime member, be sure to take advantage of the Kindle First program as well. Each month, Prime members are allowed to choose at least one (sometimes two) book from a selection of 4 for free before those books are released the next month. Two of the books on my list (Wreckage and Crooked Little Lies) were free through Kindle First.
I’d love to hear your recommendation so I can add them to my ever-growing book wishlist!
This is something which every working mother faces. After having kids mom start to neglect their health, hobbies, preferences but this is good to know that you are balancing both of it so well. Keep it up.