Review: We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids

Title: We Are the Gardeners

Author: Joanna Gaines and Kids
Illustrator: Julianna Swaney

Publication Date: March 26, 2019

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 40

ISBN: 1400314224

Source: Library/Purchased

Rating:

Synopsis (from Publisher):

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything!), and all the knowledge they've gained along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden. As it turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but the hardest work often yields the greatest reward. There are always new lessons to be learned in the garden!

You and your children can learn all about the Gaines family's story of becoming gardeners in Joanna's first children’s book—starting with the first little fern Chip bought for Jo. Over the years, the family's love for gardening blossomed into what is now a beautiful, bustling garden.

Julianna Swaney’s illustrations bring the Gaines family garden to life with colorful, whimsical watercolors and invite you to enjoy the beauty of a thriving garden.

Amazon | Goodreads

Joanna Gaines is co-owner, co-founder and lead designer of Magnolia Homes, and previous co-stars in HGTV’s Fixer Upper with her husband Chip. She appreciates the old ways of living, simple and hard-working with home at the center. Joanna was born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Communications and was inspired to join the world of design while interning in New York. Off-the-beaten-path boutiques felt like home in the midst of the big city. These shops were the influence for what came next. 

Joanna decided to open her own shop in 2003, bringing her NYC-inspired ideas and eye for design back to her roots—Waco, Texas. She soon discovered this emerging passion complemented Chip’s experience, and together they began remodeling and flipping homes. Joanna self identifies as a driver, and takes pride in her work. But she also loves to have fun with Chip and appreciates his hilarious antics. 

Joanna’s design preference is simple, fresh and timeless. She loves the use of industrial pieces that are a glimpse of how life used to be. Her specialty is making old things new and seeing the potential in every project-no matter how hopeless it may seem in the beginning. By preserving and highlighting the character of each home, Joanna keeps things original and one of a kind. Her passion is to create functional rooms that inspire and encourage others to own their space. 

In between filming for Fixer Upper, their many renovation projects, and running Magnolia, Joanna enjoys life on the farm and spending time cooking family recipes in her kitchen. Gardening soothes her soul and being with her five kids dominates all other favorites.

Magnolia | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

I had a rough weekend in the garden. I’d been planning a strategy since Fall and just finally started seeing my seeds sprouting in the greenhouse. Unfortunately, most of Middle Tennessee was under a wind advisory for the next 24 hours. I was inside the greenhouse when a major gust of wind came hurling against every solid object it could find. It became so windy, the above-ground pool lifted up and flew against the house.

It wasn't even ten minutes after sharing my excitement about my sprouts, the greenhouse starts crushing in on me. All of my seeds tipped over and spilled to the ground as I tried to hold the roof up while the metal bent. It felt like I was trapped in a tornado! After I got out, I just stood there in shock. My beautiful greenhouse and all of my plants were destroyed, and this wasn’t long after losing most of my childhood in the recent flood. I wasn't ready for another disappointment.

To cheer me up, my boyfriend surprised me with Joanna Gaines' new book, We Are the Gardeners. It had recently come across my desk (I was anticipating it), but I hadn’t gotten a chance to read it yet. I read through my gift copy and I can’t even tell you how much it encouraged me when I really needed it.

We Are the Gardeners tells the story of America's most beloved family's adventures in learning how to garden. Like most of us, it all began with a small house plant. In the case of the Gaines family, a fern that soon met its demise after being over-watered and overexposed to sunlight. Eventually, they bought a new fern and expanded to several houseplants (can't we all relate?) which inevitably inspired the beginnings of an outside garden.

As you journey with the Gaines children through their disappointments and lessons-learned, you are encouraged not to give up when you hit a snag in your plans.

"We debated if we should just give up. Was it really worth it to start all over again? Then we remembered one very important detail:

WE ARE THE GARDENERS.

It was our responsibility not only to grow this garden but also to protect it" (Gaines 35).

It’s just a children’s picture book, but even at 31 years old it inspired me when I felt really bummed about my garden dreams being crushed. The message is sweet and inspiring for all ages.

In addition to the message, this is a beautiful book. Julianna Swaney's folk-style botanical designs are the perfect ornament to the narrative, making this an ideal gift book for aspiring gardeners.

We Are the Gardeners could not have landed in my hands at a more opportune time. I feel it will hold special meaning for me for years to come, especially as I rebirth my garden and watch it grow. I fell in love with it so much, I decided to read it for storytime the next day accompanied with DIY mini-greenhouses complete with flower seeds! My library families loved it.

If you're starting a family garden, or need an extra boost of encouragement during your own journey, pick up a copy of We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines. You won't be disappointed!

*  *  *

Some of the wind damage:

 

Luckily, I have a 5 year warranty on it and was informed I can still get a full refund. Instead we'll be building a bigger, sturdier hoop house, which we weren't planning to do until next year. If you're curious about what that is or how to build one, check out this video.

If you'd like to see the press release for my Seed Library, you may find it HERE.

Review: The Illustrated Herbiary by Maia Toll

Title: The Illustrated Herbiary

Author: Maia Toll

Publication Date: July 7th, 2015

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 176

ISBN: 1612129684

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating:

Synopsis (from Publisher):

Rosemary is for remembrance; sage is for wisdom. The symbolism of plants — whether in the ancient Greek doctrine of signatures or the Victorian secret language of flowers — has fascinated us for centuries. Contemporary herbalist Maia Toll adds her distinctive spin to this tradition with profiles of the mysterious personalities of 36 herbs, fruits, and flowers. Combining a passion for plants with imagery reminiscent of tarot, enticing text offers reflections and rituals to tap into each plant’s power for healing, self-reflection, and everyday guidance. Smaller versions of the illustrations are featured on 36 cards to help guide your thoughts and meditations.

Amazon | Goodreads

Maia Toll spent a life-changing year apprenticed to a traditional medicine woman in Ireland. She mentors spiritual wellness seekers, practitioners, and teachers through her online program, The Medicine Keepers Collective, and is the founder and owner of Herbiary, a natural products store with locations in Asheville, North Carolina, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Maia has taught Botanical Medicine at West Chester University and at the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research in the Peruvian jungle. She lectures at hospitals, universities, and herbal conferences and runs her own Deep Magic Retreat in the North Carolina mountains during the witchy twilight of autumn. She blogs to an international following at maiatoll.com and lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

MaiaToll.com | Herbiary.com | Facebook | Instagram | Lunar Lab Podcast

I have Celiac Disease. When I was attending the PLA (Public Library Association) Conference in Philly back in March, I got sick off of cross contaminated food. For the first two days I was there I was miserable with a migraine, sleeplessness, stomach problems, inflamed lymph nodes, and fatigue. One day, when I was meeting up with some conference friends at Reading Market for lunch, I stumbled upon the Herbiary.
I’m generally drawn to any place that looks like it was plucked fresh from a wildwood, so I went to see what I may find. I told the girls at the counter I was needing something for lymphatic health, and they lead me to a burdock and red root compound. I also decided to purchase some Moon Drops to help me sleep, and off I went.
Within 10 hours of taking the compound I finally felt better and slept through the entire night. I was able to enjoy the rest of the conference without issue! I decided to look this “Herbiary” up and was ecstatic to find this book was releasing...but not until August!
Back up a little. Herbalism is something I’ve taken an interest in over the last year or so. My family doctor is a Naturopathic Doctor, and I’ve always favored natural pathways to health. I knew how to use plants once they got to me, but cultivating the plants themselves is something I’ve never done before. So, I moved into a house and started a garden and learned to wildcraft. Because of this, Maia Toll’s approach to building a relationship with the plants came through to me in a language I wanted to understand better. That’s why I preordered the book back in April and anxiously awaited its launch (and attended the online watch party!).
The Illustrated Herbiary is one of the most gorgeous books I have ever owned. Kate O’Hara’s artwork is lavish and inspiring. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it online, but when I had it in my hands the metallics brought it all to life.
Each section has a beautifully illustrated interpretation of a plant, followed by Maia Toll’s commentary on the importance of that plant. After we are introduced, Toll provides a ritual and reflection to know our plant better. A ritual may be a meditation or a recipe, and the reflection will give us a focus.
In the back cover of the book, all those illustrations are provided as oracle cards for easier meditation. I love this aspect of the book. In the last several pages, you will find images or them laid out, and advice on how to use them.

If you are looking for a textbook on herbs, this probably isn’t what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a practice to connect more with your herbs, then I highly recommend it.

Review: Secrets of Successful Book Tours by Roxanne Rhoads

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours

Quick Tips for Authors Guide

Roxanne Rhoads

Rating: 

Book Description:

Are you considering a virtual book tour?

Not sure where to start or exactly what an online tour will entail?

Roxanne Rhoads, book publicist and owner of Bewitching Book Tours, shares her virtual tour expertise in this Quick Tips for Authors Guide.

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours will guide you in utilizing the best marketing tool available- a virtual book tour, which can create online exposure for your book, jumpstart your book sales, help build your author brand, and expand your network.

In this guide you’ll learn:

·       what you should do before a tour

·       the components of  a great author website

·       the best social media outlets for authors to utilize

·       tips for building your author brand

·       how to write great guest blogs

·       what to expect from an online book tour

·       the secrets of successful book tours

·       how to schedule your own virtual book tour

And you’ll receive in-depth details about what to do during a virtual book tour to guarantee success.

Amazon    BN    Kobo    Scribd    iBooks

Smashwords    Inktera     Createspace

The world of publishing is continuously evolving thanks to technology and the Internet. It is now easier than ever to publish a book. But with the growing number of new books being released every day it is also harder than ever to get your book noticed in the crowd.

If your line of thinking includes- “If I publish it, people will buy it,” think again.

Indie publishing requires a dedication to self-promotion. Gone are the days an author hermits them self away to write, then hands the book to the publisher who does all the leg work for promotion. Even NYT Bestselling authors and those with contracts through the big publishers still have to do a certain amount of self-promotion.

There are many ways to promote:  social media, advertising on popular websites and blogs, print advertising in trade magazines, attending reader oriented conventions and events...but one of the best ways to get your book out there and build name recognition as an author is through a virtual book tour.

In this Quick Tips for Authors Guide, you will learn why a virtual book tour can be an author’s most effective marketing tool.

Roxanne Rhoads has been working in the world of online book promotion since 2005. She has worked as a freelance writer, author, book reviewer, book blogger, editor, self-publisher and book publicist. She has a unique advantage of knowing how multiple sides of book publishing and promotion operate.

Roxanne understands how book bloggers work and what they want to make their jobs easier while also understanding that authors need promotion to be streamlined, easy, and less time consuming.

Roxanne shares some of her knowledge in Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Bewitching FB |  Facebook | Bewitching Book Tours

What Readers Are Saying About Secrets of Successful Book Tours

“As a book blogger, I am often surprised by the number of new authors I meet that do not really promote their books. There are a lot of inexpensive and free ways for them to do so. Roxanne Rhoads does an excellent job of laying these ideas out. The book is well-organized and easy to follow. She points out author mistakes and faux pas. She speaks from her past experiences. I have a background in marketing. Roxanne Rhoads has a strong understanding of marketing and does a great job of explaining her suggestions and ideas. I highly suggest this book to all authors. There are many great ideas in this book that can help brand you as an author as well as get your books noticed. There are so many books out there. It is absolutely necessary for an author to promote themselves.” ~ Diane Lynch, Book Blogger

“Jam-packed with useful tips that had be scrambling for my calendar. And the conciseness is frankly another selling point for a busy authorpreneur. Who has time to wade through a bunch of fluff? Not me. And Roxanne doesn't waste our time with that -- she gets straight to the business of book tours. Want to run your own tour? No problem. The book provides advice on DIY'ers as well. From lists of blog ideas to the legal in's and out's of using images, Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours has something for novices and old hands like myself. And I believe her branding advice was spot on.” ~ Kirsten Weiss, Author

“This is a must have for any author planning to do a virtual book tour. Most of us wouldn't even think of half this stuff. Roxanne's advice is golden.” ~ Serena Synn, Author

“This book is packed with information on how to not only promote your book but also promote yourself as an author.” ~ Bonnie Amazon Review

I have been doing blog tours with Roxanne for quite some time now and I can say her organization and skills are without a doubt top notch.  If I ever actually get around to writing my novel I can assure you that I will use this as a guide.   She covers everything from building your brand to what to expect on a blog tour.

Her knowledge is well shared and I think every author that wants to build their brand should read this guy.  Simply put this is a must read for any author that wants to exposure that can come with a blog tour. ~Jen Brooks The Cubicle Escapee

In this era of self-publishing, an author needs to do as much as they can to get themselves noticed. Enter the virtual book tour, a tour of blogs on the Internet - as opposed to visiting book stores - with the aim of increasing an author's online presence and ultimately increasing book sales. Roxanne Rhoads guides you through the dos and don'ts of virtual book tours, with great advice on providing fresh material for each tour stop. She covers both tours run by established tour companies and tours you plan yourself, and she includes a list of sites where you can find book bloggers to contact. She also gives you some great advice about setting up your online and social media presence, as well as social media mistakes to avoid.

Roxanne Rhoads is the guru behind Bewitching Book Tours, the first book tour company I ever signed up with. If you're interested in a well-organized blog tour, be sure to check out Bewitching Book Tours. As Roxanne states, "Publication is only the beginning of the process ... promotion is the road to success."

An excellent quick guide for all authors. ~ Lynda Dickson - Books Direct

Recommended reading for anyone considering a blog tour. There is information here that I didn't know and have never come across before. If you want to do-it-yourself, there is a section to help with that as well. How to write a good guest blog, do's and don'ts, even copyright information. It changed the way I think about blog tours and I will be doing things differently the next time around. ~ kmontemayor Amazon Review

This little gem was borne out of Ms. Rhoads' experiences and speaks for itself. It is a must-have reference for authors old and new. ~ AoBibliophile

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours is fantastic compilation of tips, tricks, and learning tools for ensuring your book tour is to your liking.  The guide is filled with do's and don'ts as you navigate your tour whether it's your first or your 10th.  Learn what a book tour is all about, how to market your author brand, write guest posts, and much, much more. Highly recommended for authors and bloggers, alike. ~Amber Marr Saph’s Book Blog

I have been a virtual book tour host for 4 years now, and I have seen many benefits from promoting a book this way. I have also seen authors simply try to promote by word of mouth, booths, visits to businesses, etc. Although this is also effective, it tends to keep an author within the area they are currently in. With a virtual book tour, your outreach is global.

Roxanne Rhoads owns a virtual book touring company called Bewitching Book Tours. I have been one of her hosts since the beginning of The Indigo Quill, and I can say in full honesty that it's one of my favorite tours to be a part of. I have seen both effective and ineffective companies, and BBT has proven to be one of the more successful. I am excited to introduce a title from Rhoads herself that will guide authors to meeting faithful followers and potentially aid book sales.

In this quick and comprehensive collection of tips, Rhoads lays down the foundation to boost your publicity actively and passively. In this treasure trove of information, you will find advice on getting a website going, utilizing social media, and creating a professional presence to help your advances. She also covers what kind of expectations you should and shouldn't have (be sure to read the fine print of your touring company) and how to create content that you can re-use in the future such as guest blogs and character profiles. 

It is so important in this progressive age for authors to actively get their work noticed. Even though I've been a host for years, there was information in this guide that I hadn't even thought of. Rhoads does a fabulous job of using her own experience paired with observation to create the perfect compilation for aspiring authors everywhere.

I don't want to give away all the gems you will find in this book, but as a librarian, tour host, and reviewer, I can tell you with confidence that this is a good resource to have at your fingertips if you are self-promoting. Secrets of Successful Book Tours is well organized and a quick and easy read. It makes the perfect reference guide for both new and seasoned authors alike. I would highly recommend it!

GIVEAWAY! Introducing Animals for Smart People by Jess Keating

From the publisher: 
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky author and zoologist Jess Keating unveils her new science channel on YouTube: Animals for Smart People this week! 

Jess’s new channel is all about science, zoology, and downright bizarre creatures: animals for smart people. Everything discussed is suitable for classrooms, kids, and adults alike.

Be sure to follow Jess Keating's new adventure on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter!

 To help celebrate we are giving away two sets of Jess Keating’s critically acclaimed middle-grade series: My Life is a Zoo Books 1-3 from Today, November 9th-Monday, November 16th.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Pocket Guide to the Outdoors by Jean Craighead George

Title: Pocket Guide to the Outdoors
Based On: My Side of the Mountain

Author: Jean Craighead George, Twig C. George

Publication Date: September 17th, 2009

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre: Middle Grade Non-Fiction

Pages: 144 

ISBN: 0525421637

Source: The Library

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Generations of readers have escaped into the woods with My Side of the Mountain, the story of a city boy named Sam who learns to live in the wild. Now, Newbery winner Jean Craighead George offers an easy-to-follow guide for fans who want to live the adventure?just like Sam. Learn how to start a fire, build a shelter, catch a fish, identify useful plants, and much more. Hands-on activities are perfect for backyard campers or an afternoon stroll through the park. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings and packed with activities, naturalist trivia, and practical wilderness tips, this entertaining and informative handbook is your guide to outdoor fun.

  

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.

The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories." 

Website | Facebook

Pocket Guide to the Outdoors is the hidden gem of Jean Craighead George. Most people have no idea that it exists, and if you are an outdoor enthusiast, then you need to pick up this book.

George shares practical knowledge she learned out in the wilderness on how to survive in the most vulnerable circumstances. Learn how to build fire, make a shelter from ferns, make your own clothing from animal skin, which plants are poisonous, edible, and medicinal, and even how to identify different species of birds from the pattern of their singing.

One of my favorite feats about Pocket Guide to the Outdoors is that George also includes scientific names. It's a wonderful ode to education when a reader can pick up on the multiple names given to a species simply because an author took the time to provide it. I love when authors do this. There are no live images in this book. If there are images, they are drawings. In a way, this makes it harder to identify what you are looking at, but it also adds charm to the overall feel of the guide.

When I go for a run, I always stop by the river that's surrounded by a wooded area. I've been able to use what I've learned in Pocket Guide to the Outdoors to go further into the wilderness because I was able to identify the plants I was walking through. I was even delighted to find that I could identify a few of the bird calls I heard while I was out. I love going outdoors and learning survival skills just for the heck of it, and this book has opened numerous doors for me. Not to mention, it takes My Side of the Mountain to a whole new level.

If you enjoy spending time outdoors, I would highly recommend this book. You will be amazed how much more enjoyable it is to be outside when you have a better understanding of your environment and how to utilize its resources.

Review: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

Title: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
Author: Roz Chast

Publication Date: May 6th, 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir

Pages: 228

ISBN: 1608198065

Source: The Library
Awards: National Book Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2014), Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction (2014)

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

#1 New York Times Bestseller

2014 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

In her first memoir, Roz Chast brings her signature wit to the topic of aging parents. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, and a narrative as rife with laughs as it is with tears, Chast’s memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents.

When it came to her elderly mother and father, Roz held to the practices of denial, avoidance, and distraction. But when Elizabeth Chast climbed a ladder to locate an old souvenir from the “crazy closet”—with predictable results—the tools that had served Roz well through her parents’ seventies, eighties, and into their early nineties could no longer be deployed.

While the particulars are Chast-ian in their idiosyncrasies—an anxious father who had relied heavily on his wife for stability as he slipped into dementia and a former assistant principal mother whose overbearing personality had sidelined Roz for decades—the themes are universal: adult children accepting a parental role; aging and unstable parents leaving a family home for an institution; dealing with uncomfortable physical intimacies; managing logistics; and hiring strangers to provide the most personal care.

An amazing portrait of two lives at their end and an only child coping as best she can, Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant will show the full range of Roz Chast’s talent as cartoonist and storyteller.

  

Roz Chast has loved to draw cartoons since she was a child growing up in Brooklyn. She attended Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in Painting because it seemed more artistic. However, soon after graduating, she reverted to type and began drawing cartoons once again.

Her cartoons have also been published in many other magazines besides The New Yorker, including Scientific American, the Harvard Business Review, Redbook, and Mother Jones. Her most recent book is a comprehensive compilation of her favorite cartoons called Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, and Health-Inspected Cartoons of Roz Chast, 1978-2006. She also illustrated The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter, Z, the best-selling children's book by Steve Martin.

Website | Facebook

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? : A Memoir, Is a graphic novel by Roz Chast that tells the story of her experiences caring for her elderly parents as they make their way through the least popular stage of life; the last one. Chast uses her unique and candid voice and eccentric drawing style to illuminate a very dark topic in society. What she creates is a story that is equal parts hilarious, heartwarming and downright depressing. 

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant gives a brutally honest account of the author’s life and the lives of her parents from childhood to the inevitable conclusion. Chast pulls no punches when describing the challenges of caring for an aging parent. She manages to distill every moment of heartache and comedy out of everything from senility to generational differences to just plain stubbornness. Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant is part biography, part memoir, part new Yorker comic, except it’s actually funny. The comedic portions are extremely funny but the dark aspect to the humor had me wondering if I should be laughing at times. The idiosyncrasies of Chast and her family make for some truly funny moments until they are put against the backdrop of the hurt that bore them. In that sense, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant is a perfect slice of the human experience; funny on the surface, dig a bit deeper and it is morbidly depressing, see the big picture and everything kind of turns out all right. 

The entire book feels like a therapeutic exercise on the part of the author. She really delves into the problems she had with her parents, especially her mother and how those problems affected their dynamic later in life. Extremely complex feelings are unearthed and captured in comic form. The medium of the comic lends a lighthearted air to what is a very uncomfortable subject, but Chast also uses it to profound effect to plumb the depths of familial relations. Her brutal honesty for her portrayal of events is only matched by her brutal honesty about herself. For every strip about an annoying quirk of her father or the brash overbearing nature of her mother, there is one about her own guilt over her impatience with her parents or selfish thoughts. It all goes a long way toward chronicling the unceasingly arduous, mercilessly expensive, insanity inducing and at times extremely funny experience of taking care of the people who once took care of you. 

Calvin and Hobbes holds the same kind of importance for young, only children as Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant will hold for those in the sandwich generation. It is the quintessential dark comedy for anyone with aging parents but should by no means be limited to that. Within hours of reading it, I had already recommended it to everyone close to me. I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a laugh, a cry, or both at the same time. Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant is incredibly evocative and charming and is well worth a read.

My Favorite Books from 2014

2014 was a really good year for reading! I've collected some of my favorite books from different genres to share:

Adult Fiction

    

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Non-Fiction

    

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chas

The Bohemians by Ben Tarnoff

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Young Adult

    

To All They Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny 

Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

Middle Grade

(This was a tough one! So many great books this year)

   

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve

The Riverman by Aaron Starmer

West of the Moon by Margi Preus

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Children's Books (This was also a tough one!)

    

The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Before After by Matthias Arégui

Have You Heard The Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray illus. Kenard Pak

Graphic Novels

   

The Graveyard Book, Vol 2 by Neil Gaiman

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Soppy: A Love Story by Philippa Rice

Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Stacy King

Poetry

   

Lullabies by Lang Leav

Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louis Glück

Jessica's Journal by Kathryn Perez

No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay

Christian Fiction

   

The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

Christian Non-Fiction

   

I've Never Been to Vegas, but My Luggage Has by Mandy Hale

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Unstoppable by Christine Caine

The Storm Inside by Sheila Walsh

What were your favorite books this year? Did you get to read any of these?