*THIS – AND ALL POSTS – DO NOT (Currently) CONTAIN ANY AFFILIATE LINKS. AS I AM NOT MAKING A PENNY OFF OF ANYONE – FEEL FREE TO CLICK AWAY TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT!*
I have recently started to write – however poorly – some book reviews. Having come to the realization that I both love to read and love to write – it seemed a rather interesting idea. Perhaps it will garner some great followers – or perhaps not – but either way, I am enjoying the process of exploring how a book makes me feel and what a book makes me think.
As mentioned previously – here – I asked for book recommendations from a group of strangers on Facebook called Cultivating Hygge. Though it has been extremely hard to narrow it down – and given that I will not be purchasing these books unless I really find I cannot live without them AFTER I read them – I am forced to wait for whatever is available at my local library.
Now, I LOVE the library – but at times find it difficult when getting into a good book as I may not always have finished said book within the allotted borrowing time allowed. Usually it is not a problem as I can just renew the book for another borrowing period – EXCEPT when said book has been requested by another person. Which brings me to a major conundrum on what to read, as MOST of the book recommendations I have received are also highly sought after by other people. HENCE either a rather long waiting list or a short reading window. Therefore, I have decided shelve my First Book of 2018 in favor of borrowed books at the moment.
*NOTE: This in no way implies that I am not enjoying my first book of 2018! It has, so far, proved to be a fantastic read – but as I own said book, I have the luxury of reading it at my leisure as opposed to the other books on my recommended list.*
Which brings me to the books currently on my shelf for 2018 (let’s hope I do not acquire too many late charges!):
Bitten – by Kelley Armstrong
“Elena Michaels is the world’s only female werewolf. And she’s tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her–her temper, her violence–but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she’s growing content with that life, with being that person.
So she left the Pack and returned to Toronto where she’s trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she’ll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants. Really.”
– quote from kelleyarmstrong.com
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – by Claire North
“Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.
No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.
Until now.
As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. ‘I nearly missed you, Doctor August,’ she says. ‘I need to send a message.’
This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.”
– quote from kategriffin.net
Ross Poldark, A Novel of Cornwall 1783-1787 – by Winston Graham
“Ross Poldark is the first novel in Winston Graham’s hugely popular Poldark series, which has become a television phenomenon starring Aidan Turner.
Cornwall in the 1780s – when powerful forces of revolution and reaction are at large in the world.
Tired from a grim war in America, Ross Poldark returns to his land and his family. But the joyful homecoming he has anticipated turns sour, for his father is dead, his estate is derelict and the girl he loves is engaged to his cousin.
But his sympathy for the destitute miners and farmers of the district leads him to rescue a half-starved urchin girl from a fairground brawl and take her home – an act which alters the whole course of his life . . .”
– quote from panmacmillan.com
Clutterfree with Kids – by Joshua Becker
“Children bring smiles, laughter, and energy into our homes. They also add clutter. Sometimes, as parents, balancing life and managing clutter may appear impossible.
Clutterfree with Kids offers a new perspective and approach to overcoming clutter. It invites us to change our thinking, discover new habits, and free our homes. And it just may inspire you to live the life you’ve been searching for all along.”
– quote from becomingminimalist.com
There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather – by Linda Akeson McGurk
“Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this lively, insightful memoir about a mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children.
When Swedish-born Linda McGurk moved to small-town Indiana with her American husband to start a family, she quickly realized that her outdoorsy ways were not the norm. In Sweden children play outside all year round, regardless of the weather, and letting young babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is not only common—it is a practice recommended by physicians. In the US, on the other hand, she found that the playgrounds, which she had expected to find teeming with children, were mostly deserted. In preschool, children were getting drilled to learn academic skills, while their Scandinavian counterparts were climbing trees, catching frogs, and learning how to compost. Worse, she realized that giving her daughters the same freedom to play outside that she had enjoyed as a child in Sweden could quickly lead to a visit by Child Protective Services.
The brewing culture clash finally came to a head when McGurk was fined for letting her children play in a local creek, setting off an online firestorm when she expressed her anger and confusion on her blog. The rules and parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart.
Struggling to fit in and to decide what was best for her children, McGurk turned to her own childhood for answers. Could the Scandinavian philosophy of “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” be the key to better lives for her American children? And how would her children’s relationships with nature change by introducing them to Scandinavian concepts like friluftsliv (“open-air living”) and hygge (the coziness and the simple pleasures of home)? McGurk embarked on a six-month-long journey to Sweden to find out. There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is a fascinating personal narrative that highlights the importance of spending time outdoors, and illustrates how the Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthier, resilient, and confident children in America.”
– quote from simonandschuster.com
* NOTE: Though I really shouldn’t fail to mention that I have almost completed my Second Book of 2018 – and am almost prepared to do my first full review of said book. AS it is still officially ON my bookshelf, here it is:
The Life-Changing Magic of NOT GIVING A F*CK: How To Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have With People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want To Do
– by Sarah Knight
“Are you stressed out, overbooked, and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? It’s time to stop giving a f*ck.
This brilliant, hilarious, and practical parody of Marie Kondo’s bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt—and give your f*cks instead to people and things that make you happy.
The easy-to-use, two-step NotSorry Method for mental decluttering will help you unleash the power of not giving a f*ck about:
- Family drama
- Having a “bikini body”
- Iceland
- Co-workers’ opinions, pets, and children
- And other bullsh*t!
And it will free you to spend your time, energy, and money on the things that really matter. So what are you waiting for? Stop giving a f*ck and start living your best life today!”
– quote from barnesandnoble.com
