Third Quarter Reading

This quarter was a huge reading quarter for us (me personally and me and the kids) - both in actual books read and books listened to. No better time to read than the summer!

Books I Read

Books I Listened to

Excellent

1. Still Me by Jojo Moyes. Louisa Clark has just arrived in New York City ready to embrace her new adventure while keeping her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across the ocean, but of course she finds that is easier said than done. After loving Me Before You, but kind of slogging through After You, I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. I would rate it right up there with Me Before You - I loved it!

2. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. The lives of four young neighbors weave together in unexpected ways in this book that won the Newberry Medal for 2018. I only needed a book that was nominated for an award in 2018 for my reading challenge, but I decided I wanted to read an actual winner. This one reminded me of Walk Two Moons which was also a Newberry Winner and a favorite of mine from my childhood.

Great

3. Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella. Sylvie and Dan have been married for 10 years and are so happy together until at their yearly physicals their doctor tells them they will probably both live long lives - meaning they could be married for another 68 years. Suddenly they begin to panic and decide to plan surprises for each other to keep their marriage fresh. This goes terribly wrong and things are looking pretty bad for the couple until a real surprise is revealed that changes everything. After liking the first few Sophie Kinsella books I read years ago, I suddenly decided they were just too stupid and I hadn't read any more of her books until I heard this one compared to Liane Moriarty and then you know I had to read it. I was regretting my decision to start it because the beginning was really stupid and I almost gave up, but then suddenly it became very good and I understood the Liane Moriarty comparison.

4. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. Rachel is always the good girl and is always outshined by her best friend, Darcy, who seems to get everything she wants. But things change when on her 30th birthday, she discovers she has feelings for Darcy's fiancé and amazingly he has feelings for her too. I was almost immediately sucked in by this book and couldn't wait to see how it turned out.

5. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Rachel exposes twenty lies that hold us back from living joyful and productive lives and then convinces you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be. I feel like EVERYONE read this book this summer and I'm not sure I loved it quite as much as everyone else did, but I enjoyed listening to it.

6. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Ove is a cranky old man who has about the saddest backstory you can imagine. He spends his days trying to kill himself, but seems to always be interrupted in his attempts. I needed a book in translation for my reading challenge and was uninspired by all the books on that list until I came to this one that was also one of two books chosen for our August book club. It's such a sad story, but somehow it's told in a way that makes you laugh and think fondly of all the cranky old men in your life.

Good

7. Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. Marion has a secret she's carefully kept hidden for 18 years. That secret suddenly shows up on her doorstep in the form of an 18 year old girl who she gave up for adoption days after she was born. I've heard that this is Emily Giffin's least popular book which isn't surprising to me, but it definitely wasn't terrible either.

Books I Read to Corbyn and Peyton

What Was Hurricane Katrina by Robin Koontz. This book talks about Hurricane Katrina on a level kids can understand and enjoy. Since Rog served his mission in Louisiana and was an AP during Hurricane Katrina (meaning he had a lot to do with the evacuation of missionaries and other logistics), I figured the kids should have some sort of an understanding about it.

Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan and Nanny Piggins and the Runaway Lion by R.A. Spratt. These books remind me a lot of Mary Poppins where each chapter is about a different adventure that Nanny Piggins takes the kids on. Corbyn and Peyton both love them!

Changes for Josefina by Valerie Tripp. The last book in the Josefina series. Tia Dolores announces she is planning to leave the rancho and Josefina must change her mind.

Meet Felicity by Valerie Tripp. Felicity is a 9 year old girl living in Williamsburg in 1774 (just as the colonists are getting ready to declare independence from England and start the Revolutionary War). In this book, Felicity falls in love with a mistreated horse and saves him from his owner.

Books We Listened to in the Car

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. A fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square and orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The mysterious answer (An elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a remarkable chain of events. 

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This is a story about a mouse who falls in love with a princess named Pea. I missed the beginning of this one and never could get into it, but the kids enjoyed it.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment because her mother is too embarrassed by Ada's clubfoot to let her outside. When her little brother, Jamie, is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. I had read this one before, but it was fun to listen to it again with Rog and the kids.

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. When Ada's clubfoot is finally surgically fixed, she knows that she's not what her mother said she was—damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as physically. Now as the war rages on, she has to figure out who she really is. I hadn't read this one before and it was a good conclusion to the first book.

Harriet Spies Again by Louise Fitzhugh. Harriet M. Welsch has just received the best news of her eleventh year—Ole Golly is coming back! But the circumstances of Ole Golly's return remain unclear. Where is George Waldenstein? Then she overhears Ole Golly saying she's innocent—but innocent of what? I remember reading Harriet the Spy as a child, but couldn't remember if I had read this one. Then as we were listening to it, I figured out (remembered?) the secret and was so excited to get to the end and hear the kid's reaction. If possible, this one is even better than the first!

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker. Princess Emeralda isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh is like a donkey's bray rather than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet and she does NOT like Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emma ever thought of escaping her life, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! Continually finding new books to listen to with the kids is not always an easy task. So when I found this series (with 9 books!), I was overjoyed. 

Dragon's Breath by E.D. Baker. When Emma's grandmother refuses to change Grassina's heartthrob Haywood back from being an otter, Emma and Prince Eadric are charged with gathering the ingredients needed to lift the curse.

Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker. Emma is anxious to marry Eadric, but first she must undo the family curse that threatens to turn her into an evil hag after her upcoming 16th birthday.

No Place for Magic by E.D. Baker. Emma and Eadric are finally ready to get married, but Eadric's parents are not so sure about having a witch in the family! 

Usually after a quarter like this one, I lose steam and have a terrible quarter of reading. Being almost a month into the next quarter already, I can happily say that at least so far, that has not been the case! Here's to another great quarter of reading at the Phillips' house!