what I’ve been reading while staying home

hey friends,

I feel like it’s been a hot minute since I actually posted to the blog, so I thought I’d update y’all on what I have been reading while we’ve been staying home.

Since the stay-at-home order went into place here in Chicago, I have become a 24-7 stay-at-home mom. Please, let me just say, KUDOS TO ALL SAHMs out there! And while I’m at it, THANK TO TO ALL TEACHERS AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. I say this because taking care of kids– all day, every day– is hard. I don’t say this to complain because I am so lucky that I can stay home and am not out working on the frontlines (THANK YOU TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS & ALL THOSE ON THE FRONTLINES). However, if you know me, you know I like working, I like getting out into the world. I struggle often with restlessness and anxiety, so this has been a struggle for me like I’m sure it’s been for many. (Just keeping it real with you guys.)

So, looping back to the books. For my New Year’s resolutions, I had said that I wanted to make a conscious effort to read more and set that example for my daughter (less screens, more books). I hadn’t reeeeaallyy gotten back into that resolution yet (was reading the same book for over a month…), but quarantine seemed like a GREAT time to start, right? So picking up where I left off…

Book ONE:

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

The first book I read was the one I mentioned above… that I had been trying to finish for quite some time. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald tells about the life of Zelda (Sayre) Fitzgerald after meeting and marrying the great American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s historical fiction, but extremely well researched and truly gives you a glimpse into the lives of two of the most famous and haunted literary artists of the Jazz Age. I chose this book after reading and loving The Paris Wife, the heartbreaking story of author Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley. Both were on The New York Times Bestseller list. I highly recommend both if you’re interested in that era or if you’re wanting to broaden your horizons!

Book TWO:

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Next, I read Little Fires Everywhere. I’d heard so many good things about both the book and the new hulu TV series, but I wanted to read the book first. I also decided to start picking my books from Reese’s Book Club recommendations. This book tells the story of Mia Warren and Elena Richardson, two polar-opposite women whose lives and families become intertwined, which begins to expose everything they’ve both been trying so hard to hide. I definitely understand the hype of this book — highly recommend!

Book THREE:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

My third book was another RBC choice that several friends also recommended– Where the Crawdads Sing. I just briefly read what the book was about when I bought it, so I was very pleasantly surprised at the mixture of a surprisingly poignant yet beautiful coming-of-age story and a murder mystery. This bestseller is another high recommendation.

Book FOUR:

PS, I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

I decided to throw it back to a book I always wanted to read because of my love of the movie. PS, I Love You is the story of Holly, who recently lost her husband Gerry to cancer, but discovers that he has left her a series of letters, all ending with PS, I love you. *Spoiler* The sentence I just wrote applies to both the book and the movie, but that is basically where the similarities end. They’re VERY different. So if you want to read the book like I did, because of my love of the Gerard Butler movie, you may want to pass on the book. HOWEVER, I enjoyed them both, regardless of the differences.

Book FIVE:

UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

UNTAMED has been at the top of the Bestseller’s list for several weeks now, and rightfully so! Memoirs are usually not my cup of tea, but this was SO worth the read. Glennon Doyle teaches us how to find ourselves, even if you don’t feel lost, and how to be brave– her courage and honesty is so commendable and inspiring. It was more than a memoir, it was her wakeup call. Read it. You’ll be glad you did.

Book SIX

Postscript by Cecilia Ahern

I read somewhere last year that PS, I Love You was coming out with a sequel, so of course, I was excited, hoping one of my fave movies would also get a sequel, but as you read above (SPOILER), the book and movie are very different. However, after reading the first book, I decided I needed to read the sequel, too, and I’m glad I did. Postscript was a sweet continuation and tugged at my heartstrings just like the first. Like its predecessor, it was a pretty easy read.

Next up…

Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six, another NYT Bestseller, came highly recommended by a friend and is next on my reading list! Can’t wait to dive into it TODAY!

I hope you find some good recommendations out of this list! If you have any you’d like to share, make sure to drop them in the comments!