What I've Been Reading

I have always loved reading. When I was sick as a child, my Mom would let me sit in her bed with a huge stack of books to keep me entertained. As a teenager I remember always having a stack of books on my nightstand lined up to read. If you look at my nightstand today, it looks exactly the same.

These days I have very little time to read, but I try to reserve 10 minutes every night before bed to crack open a book. Not a Kindle or other electronic device, but an actual book. Reading relaxes me and allows me to temporarily escape to another place. I almost always prefer fiction, although I will read non-fiction if it is about a topic I am really interested in. But when I only have a few minute to read a book, I want it to be something entertaining, rather than another book telling me how to be a parent.

I get most of my books from the library. I request them online and then every few weeks I take the kids to the library to pick up my books. (And play with the awesome train table in the kids' area!)

Some of my favorite types of books to read are:

ANYTHING by Francine Rivers
Anything by Sophie Kinsella
Murder Mysteries (Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson)
Fiction set during World War II
Amish mysteries and love stories
Cookbooks! (Do they count?)

I thought it would be fun to share what I've been reading lately. I'm hoping you can suggest new books for me to read because I'm always looking for good suggestions! Here's what I've been reading over the last couple months:


The Rumor is the first book I have read by Elin Hilderband, and I really enjoyed it! The main topic (infidelity) wasn't necessarily something I love to read about, but the storyline was so entertaining that I couldn't put it down. I'd like to read another book by this author to compare.


It's Not About the Broccoli. I absolutely devoured this book (haha get it?). It made so much sense, and I found myself wanting to use a highlighter to underline sections so I could remember them. It is all about the importance of teaching your kids healthy eating habits for life, even if this means making nutrition less of the immediate focus. While it hasn't solved my problems of how to feed my picky children, it has given me some new ideas to try. I'd definitely recommend this one!


14th Deadly Sin is the latest in James Patterson's women's murder mystery series. And it did not disappoint! I love a good murder mystery, and James Patterson's books are such quick reads because the chapters are so short. There is no extra "fluff"....they just get straight to the point, and I appreciate that. I love this series because it is set in San Francisco. Be warned though, there is some language in Patterson's books.


Ok please don't laugh at me. I'm a hopeless Bachelor and Bachelorette fan. It's my one guilty pleasure on TV! For the Right Reasons is written by the famous bachelor Sean Lowe. I was interested to read how he navigated the dating show as a Christian, and I loved reading about all the "behind the scenes" tidbits. If you are a Bachelor fan definitely pick this one up!


I mentioned this book in my previous post here. How to Live in Fear is written by the Pastor of our church! He takes us through his journey of fear, anxiety, and severe panic. It was fascinating to read. Not only because I know the author in real life, but also because I could relate to SO much of what he wrote. The book also includes a really practical section for dealing with anxiety in your life and how it relates to God. Great book!

Shopaholic to the Rescue is Sophie Kinsella's latest book in the Becky Bloomwood series. Her books make me laugh so much! While I wouldn't say this was my favorite in the series, it was very entertaining and easy to read. I can easily see this book becoming a movie.

All Dressed in White is the last book on my list and I literally finished it today. I've been reading books by Mary Higgins Clark for many many years. I would categorize them as very tame murder mysteries. Her books are starting to become pretty predictable for me, but I always like reading them.

I've already got a few books lined up to read next, but I would love to hear your suggestions! What should I read next? What is your favorite book?