Guys….I have read so. many. books. It’s what I set out to do this summer…read all the books I could. I succeeded. Well, except I have one more on my list that I really want to read, but it’s good knowing I have one carrying me into the school year. I’ll tell you what it is at the end of this post.
Continue reading “The Summer I Read All the Books”Tag: books
How to Read More Books
Have you ever wanted to be one of those people that puts their phone down and picks up a book? I’ll be honest, I’m still guilty of this, and I actually really like reading. I came up with a few things that have helped me increase my book count over the years. I posted earlier this year that I read 59 books in 2021, and you don’t get to that number without picking up a few tips and tricks along the way. That’s what I’m sharing with you today.
Continue reading “How to Read More Books”Small Shops I’m Loving
This Christmas I was gifted several things from small shops. Some were local, some were Etsy shops, and one was an independent bookstore. I have had such pleasant experiences with them that I wanted to shout their praises here today. I also hope this reminds you to support all small businesses that you love. We shop big box stores and Amazon so often that we can forget what these creatives and hard working people have to offer.
Greenville’s Gems
The Roost- Ronaldo Bracelet
Now that I work at The Roost, I once again have access to an inventory of Ronaldo jewelry. For those of you that didn’t know, when the Wisteria Cottage storefront closed, The Roost was able to acquire their Ronaldo inventory. Well, not too long ago, a shipment of new Ronaldo bracelets came in, and I fell in love with the Drawn to You bracelet. I was very happy and surprised to open it on Christmas and have worn it almost everyday since! If you’re a fan of Ronaldo jewelry, The Roost can help you get the perfect piece for yourself or a loved one.
True South- Hat
True South is always a fun store to go in that has unique and trendy pieces. I know I can always count on some good accessories there, too, and that was just the thing I got. I have quite a collection of hats, but I didn’t have a navy blue one. Plus, this particular hat is red on the bottom side of the brim, and that is just the type of detail that can totally elevate an outfit.
McFerrin’s- Cross Necklace
I have pretty much lost count at the number of times I’ve received a McFerrin’s box over the course of my life, and it isn’t lost on me what a privilege it is to say that. When I opened another one this Christmas, I was extremely touched by what I found inside. Paul and my mom worked together this Christmas to match a gold cross from my childhood with the perfect gold chain. Jehle found the perfect color match and length of chain to create exactly what I wanted. Job well done to all three of them for giving me a very special piece of jewelry that I’ll cherish forever.
Etsy Shops
Shop Hello Harper- Holiday Styrofoam Cups
This holiday season I helped host a Christmas gathering with some friends, a Christmas Crawl, if you will, and I was responsible for hosting the cocktail hour of the crawl. In my search for the perfect coup glass, I found that my budget did not match my taste in barware. Go figure… Then I started thinking that maybe I could turn this into something cute, memorable, and travel friendly. Enter Etsy and Shop Hello Harper. The shop offers tons of styles and personalized options at a great price point. I was very pleased, and they carried me through several holiday gatherings.
Engrave This, Inc- Roman Numeral Bracelet
During Holiday Market this October, I stopped at a booth, Engrave This, started talking to the adorable owner, and ordered the show-special bracelet. My sister-in-law, Anna, was with us and suggested I have my anniversary in Roman numerals engraved on it. After a quick Google search of the date, I wrote it down for the owner, and she said it would be her first bracelet with a Roman numeral date. Mrs. Robyn bought it for me and gave it to me for Christmas. I love it so much. Unfortunately, I don’t see the bracelet in her shop, but she has many beautiful pieces, and I love all the engraving options.
The Bookshelf
I have been a long time listener of From the Front Porch Podcast that is hosted by the owner of an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia called The Bookshelf. Annie gives me tons of titles to read, and I just love her honesty about reading and life and just all the things. I had a few books on my list this Christmas and wanted to support her shop, so I was thrilled to receive not one but two copies of Hill House Living by Paula Sutton. Naturally, I wanted to return one and get the other book that was on my list, so I emailed asking what I should do to return the extra book I had received. The customer service could not have been nicer and more personal. I have the highest respect for the women who are running that very successful bookstore. Give the podcast a listen here if you like reading, and see all of Annie’s book reviews on Instagram here. And check out the website for books and gifts that are sure to fit the likes of many a book lover on your gifting list.
So, this got me thinking about other bookshops that I could support that are geographically closer to me. Here’s what I found:
Wetumpka, AL- Sweet Home Books
Birmingham, AL- Little Professor
Auburn, AL- Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers
Fairhope, AL- Page and Palette
I know most of you know how important it is to support our local and small businesses. I am guilty of taking advantage of the convenience and low prices of online shopping, but I know what a great feeling it is when we support these small businesses. Let’s support them more in 2022. Have a great day, friends!
Top 10 Books of 2021
I originally wanted this post to be the top five books of the year, but when you’ve read 58 books, it’s hard to narrow it down to just five. So, ten it is. When I finish reading a book, I imidiately log it into a Note on my phone with:
- the title
- the author
- the date I finished the book
- how I read it (audio, physical book, e-book)
- if it was for book club
- a few of my thoughts having just finished it
- a 1-5 Star rating
I’ll start with my 5 star books in the order I read them and work my way down letting you know for each book what the rating is, a brief idea of what each book is about, and why I liked it. I won’t give spoilers, and I’ll link each one. Again, everything is linked through bookshop.org where you can select your local bookstore of choice so that they get your support when you purchase a book. Here’s to all the good ones we read this past year.
Continue reading “Top 10 Books of 2021”What I Read in 2021
59 books! I read 59 books in 2021. As always, I count audiobooks and e-books as reading. The way I see it, any way you consume a book is reading to me, okay? Here’s how this post will go. I’ll do a little collage of the book covers and link them down below. I’m going to link everything through bookshop.org. This site allows you to choose an independent book store to support. Yes, we own kindles and subscribe to audible, but let’s support these hard working people who have made it their life’s work to provide us with good reads.
Also, I won’t go into great detail about each book, but I’ll let you know my real thoughts if you have questions. Just comment on the post and I’ll tell you everything! Let’s get to it, shall we?
5 Good Things | No. 9
Be honest, how many of you are listening to Folklore on repeat? I know I’m not the only one. What a happy surprise from Taylor! I’ve loved it. My top 5 songs:
1. The Last Great American Dynasty
2. Exile
3. Illicit Affairs
4. Cardigan
5. Epiphany
Also love Peace, Invisible String, The 1, and This is Me Trying but honestly, the whole thing is incredible. Well done, Ms. Swift.
5 Good Things No. 5
What a week last week was! I did some major adulting on Wednesday and bought new tires for my car. Hurt my feelings a little when he told me how much they cost, but I feel much better knowing I’m safer on the road. We attended a birthday party Friday night for Paul’s brother and his wife. Finally, Paul ran a big golf tournament over the weekend. Needless to say, we are rather tired and this week is shaping up to be just as busy. I’ve got a list of 5+ things to share with you this week. Let’s get started.
Continue reading “5 Good Things No. 5”What I Read in 2019
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I love to read. I’m in a book club, I subscribe to the Buzzfeed Books Newsletter, and I follow several Bookstagramers. I usually average a book a month, but this year I managed to work in twenty two books! Yes, several were audio books, but I consider that “reading” as well. If reading is your thing, scroll on through to see if you’ve read the books on my list or if there are a few titles you need to add to your TBR (to be read) list.
Continue reading “What I Read in 2019”What I Actually Read This Summer
Back in early June I put together a list of books I had on my TBR (to be read) list for the summer. It was lofty for me, but I knew I wanted to get in as many books as I could before school started back. Well, sadly summer is coming to a close, and I wanted to see how my actual book reading held up to my TBR list.
Continue reading “What I Actually Read This Summer”What I’m Watching and Reading this Summer
Summer is here! That means I tend to slow down, watch some Netflix and read a few books. I compiled a few lists of things to watch and read for this post. But I want your input. Look through the lists and tell me if it’s worth my time. Let me know if you’ve seen some of these shows or read some of these books.
Continue reading “What I’m Watching and Reading this Summer”