I love getting book recommendations from our readers and the new Community Reads section of the site is quickly becoming my go-to for new books to pick up from our local library. I hope you are loving it too!
If you are a part of our MomAdvice Hangout Group, each month I will ask about what you are reading and ask for a short blurb on a book. You can also email books you are loving to me to amy(at)momadvice(dot)com and I can also add them to our monthly lists. By joining this group, you can also take part in a REALLY awesome online book club- I wouldn’t want you to miss this fun discussion and exploration of a new book each month.
My hope is to inspire you to connect with at least one incredible book this year and I hope you will enjoy this new feature with even more reads each month!
Recommended by: Enid
This book is magical- a word I don’t often use. I picked it up because I so enjoyed A Man Called Ove, and this second book by the author is even better. I loved the precocious 7 year old main character and her exploits, and I don’t feel that she acted “too old”, considering she spent so much time with her eccentric grandmother. I was almost sorry to finish the book as I enjoyed spending time with these characters. It is one of those books where if I try to explain the plot at all, I am afraid I will ruin the story for you, and I don’t want to take that risk. If this author writes more books, I will even be willing to pre-order them- something I rarely do.
One caveat- if you have recently lost someone dear to you, then you might want to consider postponing picking this book up for a bit- it can hit you hard in a couple of places.
Read It: Second Life by S.J. Watson
Recommended by: Tanya
I read this psychological thriller in less than a day and kept telling myself just one more chapter. A sister is murdered. The other sister stops at nothing to find the killer. Lots of secrets and twists and turns.
Recommended by: Enid
I really liked this- good mystery, great characters. The clues were there, along with lots of red herrings- I like it when the reader actually has a chance to figure out the case along with the detective. I will read the second book in the series in the near future.
Lende is an obituary writer for a the paper in her small Alaskan town. The book is a compilation of essays about family, friends and the people who have crossed her path in life and death. Some are sad, some are sweet, and all of them brought a smile to my face.
Recommended by: Monica
This is a story about a girl with distorted views about her body image and what constitutes a successful life. But as the flashbacks to her high school life unfold, the unfortunate series of traumas endured begins to explain her present day self.
In the beginning I was disgusted with the main character. I thought about how she embodied all that we want young girls not to see. By the end you are rooting so hard for her that when the story ends you are left wanting more.
Editor’s Note- Be sure to check out our interview with Jessica Knoll in our Sundays With Writers series!
Read It: An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff & Alex Tresniowski
Recommended by: Bridgett
This is a true inspirational story about a relationship between an 11-year old pan handler and a NYC advertising executive. It is inspiring the difference she was able to make in his life by just noticing him on the street one day as he is begging for change. She turns back and asks to take him to McDonalds which begins a weekly meeting and a lasting relationship/mentoring that spans decades.
An amazing look at how one person can make an impact if we just take the time to notice. Get the tissues, this one is a tearjerker and a great read. I could not put it down and had it read in two days.
Recommended by: Enid
This was a re-read for me for a book club. I enjoyed the book quite a bit, although this time the character of Hannah annoyed me a bit. I love the forensic detective work of discovering what the different bits of things and stains are that have gotten into the book over 500 years.
Since I knew what was coming this time, I didn’t find some of the historical bits as disturbing as I did the first time- but torture during the Spanish Inquisition is still not my idea of good bedtime reading.
Recommended by: Laura
I just read Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (author of The Glass Castle), a “true-life novel” that tells the incredible story of her grandmother’s life. It was fantastic, full of grit and spunk and set in the wild southwest. It made me want to be a bolder woman.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get these books and read them myself! What did you read this month that you loved? Feel free to recommend your favorite reads below or join us in the group to chat about your favorites! We love new friends!
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