Monday Book Club

One of my goals for 2017 is to read more! In an effort to share the book love, I've included links in this post that are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using the links.

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We were on a lovely family vacation to the beach last week, which meant I had a little extra time to read. Some people like to get out and do things on vacation - see new sights, visit new places. Me? Give me a chair and a book and just leave me alone. Even with extra help from family, two little kiddos make my vacation fantasy a hard sell, but I was able to finish one book and start another before heading home.

The Fate of Mercy Alban has been sitting on my bookshelf at home for a very long time and I thought it seemed like a good choice for beach reading. It's a story about a wealthy family and the ghosts (literally and figuratively) that haunt them and their historic home. It was a fun little read full of everything - murder, mystery, a haunted house, and even a romance. There were a couple decent twists and turns but I was able to "figure it out" before the big reveal. The book was fast-paced, sometimes annoyingly so, but squeezed in enough story to satisfy my vacation needs. Wendy Webb has a number of other books that seem to be similar in subject that may land on my to-be-read list.

My mom finished John Grisham's latest, The Whistler, in time to pass it on for Curt and me to read next. I haven't read a Grisham book in a couple years after Gray Mountain left a sour taste in my mouth. Mom assured me this book is back in line with what we expect and love from John Grisham. I'm only a few chapters in, but it seems to be headed in a promising direction. Curt is currently reading Grisham's Rogue Lawyer so I may be on a John Grisham kick for a few weeks to get caught back up on his catalogue.

 

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Monday Book Club

One of my goals for 2017 is to read more! In an effort to share the book love, I've included links in this post that are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using the links.

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Please forgive my delayed book this week! We were on a small family getaway but that meant I got in some extra reading time!

I started When in Doubt, Add Butter at the beginning of our trip and had it finished within a few days. It was light, fun, and mostly predictable with a few little twists. I've never read anything else from Beth Harbison, but I will be open to checking out more for my next trip.

Next from the vacation pile was another Carl Hiaasen novel: Bad Monkey. I'm about 100 pages in and enjoying the hint of mystery unfolding around the different characters who, at first glance, have nothing to do with each other, but will surely be fully intertwined by the end of the book.

  

Monday Book Club

One of my goals for 2017 is to read more! In an effort to share the book love, I've included links in this post that are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using the links.

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I finished last week's First Comes Love just in time to hit up the library for a new book. My first choice is still on hold so I quickly perused the stacks and the bright colors of the Carl Hiaasen section jumped out at me. After virtually no consideration, I settled on Star Island.

I'm nearly halfway through this book and enjoying it so far. It's a quick read full of over-the-top characters and the fast-passed world of celebrities. I have never read any of Carl Hiaasen's other books,  but after reading reviews, it seems they are easy and fun reads. I will probably pick up another one before my next trip to the beach.

Thank the Crayola gods for an hour of painting while I could do the dishes, tidy up, vacuum, and actually sit down and read today. 

Liam's Library : They All Saw A Cat

I love reading to my boys and think that sharing a love of books and reading is one of the greatest gifts I can give them. I am always looking for new favorite books and happy to share my recommendations. In an effort to share the book love, I've included links in this post that are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using the links.

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They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel 

Stop what you're doing and get this book. I casually grabbed this book off the shelf because it was about a cat and Liam loves cats. The minimalist illustration on the cover also drew me in .. yes I judged this book by its cover. Hard. I'm always drawn to books with hand drawn illustrations and this book goes far beyond my expectations. 

They All Saw A Cat is about a cat walking through the world, meeting other animals. There is plenty of repetition and a simple sentence structure. An early reader could easily work his way through this book. Even a nonreader like Liam can quickly catch on and know what words to expect. I love these types of books for working on sight words, and the varied text formatting and capitalization in this story make it so simple. 

After pointing out " A CAT" in the title to Liam, we talked about the letters and what they spelled. Then we read through the book, pointing as we read, and I allowed Liam to finish the sentences reading "A CAT." Now, I know he's merely spitting back the words I told him to say, but I hope it is creating a good foundation for when he does start reading.

Let's talk illustrations! As the cat encounters new animals, the pictures reflect how that animal views the cat. Some of the animals see in black and white, others are blurry, and as Liam excitedly noticed, the bee views the cat as "polka dots!" With every new page, it's exciting to see who the cat will run into next and how their views of the cat vary.

In its simplest form, They All Saw A Cat is a cute story about a cat and the animals in its world. But there is so much more to this book: animal habitats, predator versus prey, or how our perceptions of the world can be so different. The illustrations are gorgeous and engaging, the story is simple, and we could easily spend a week studying the book and find something new to talk about every day. A+

What's your favorite children's book this week?

Monday Book Club

One of my goals for 2017 is to read more! In an effort to share the book love, I've included links in this post that are Amazon Affiliate links, which means I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using the links.

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What are you reading this week? I've been reading First Comes Love by Emily Giffin. 

I've read a number of her books, beginning with Something Borrowed when it first released. It is what it is - easy-to-read chick lit. Most of her books have left me feeling 'meh' and I admit to abandoning one halfway through, but they are the equivalent of another notch on my book bedpost. 

Next on my list will most likely be finishing A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab. According to my Goodreads, I started it 9 months ago which just so happens to be right around when I gave birth, so that explains the lack of a finish! I enjoyed the first book in the series, A Darker Shade of Magic, and look forward to reading the whole three-book series.

Let me know what you're reading, what you loved, or what's next on your list!

Liam's Library

Reading has always been a huge part of my life. When I was younger, I always had a book in tow and read whenever I could. I don't read nearly as much as I used to or would like to for me, but Liam and I spend lots of time reading together everyday. Reading introduces us to new worlds and characters, teaches us, makes us laugh and cry, and for me and Liam, is a great way to wind down before a nap or bedtime.

Before he was born, my family gave us a shelf-full of books at a baby shower and we have continued adding to them since. In addition to adding to our own collection, we visit the library on a regular basis to enjoy baby story time and borrow new books. 

I decided to start documenting our book reading, both our personal library and the books we check out from the public library. I hope it will be a good resource for others looking for a good book for their little ones and I would love for you to share your favorites as well! I'd also love to update posts in the future after Liam is older and has his own opinions and favorite books.

To kick things off, I thought I would start with two new books Liam received for Valentine's Day from his grandparents. 

"Toes, Ears, & Nose!" by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Karen Katz. 

This book is a cute pop-up style with flaps that reveal different body parts. The text is pretty straight forward: "Inside my mittens I've got fingers. Inside my boots I've got toes." etc. There is a little bit of a rhyme throughout the book, but I think the purpose is more about identifying body parts than cutesy wordplay. The illustrations are colorful and full of cute prints and patterns. The kids are boys and girls of different races, which I appreciate.
The book itself is a nice size and weight. Although it is a board book, the pages have a little bend to them. The flaps are made of a thick paper glued on to the pages; they will definitely rip if Liam gets ahold of them, so I think this will be a "long-distance" read (aka at an arm's length and out of Liam's reach) until Liam understands what 'gentle' means.
Overall "Toes, Ears, & Nose!" is a cute book and will be even more fun once Liam starts to identify body parts.


"I Love You Because You're You" by Liza Baker, illustrated by David McPhail



This is a really cute book all about when a Mommy fox loves her son. The story goes through all different feelings and situations in a nice verse style that rhymes: "I love you when you're happy and grinning ear to ear. I love you when you're sleepy and want to snuggle near." I think it will be a nice introduction to feelings and behaviors, as well as the fact that no matter what moods Liam is in, he is always loved. The pictures are cute little vignettes that go with each emotion.
The cover of the book is a thick, squishy material that Liam would love to get his teeth on. The pages are very bendable, so this may be another one Liam will have to wait to get his hands on.
In the meantime, we will add this to our daily reading and practice showing our emotions by making silly faces as we read.

Both these books are cute and fun to read, and we will learn a lot in the process!

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a percentage of sales if you make a purchase using these links.**