Read and Wright

Okay, slept through the night for the first time since Thanksgiving. I know I seriously dropped the ball on here and on my Instagram this month. I think i was just feeling so sluggish and frustrated. Living with roommates is not always easy, my friends. I have one who is like a sister and one who I don’t get along with. It makes things really difficult in a living space. Sometimes you just want to be by yourself but then someone walks in and that’s ruined. Other times you want help cleaning but no one can be found. 

It’s been a tough couple of months, especially since I know that I’m moving in with my fiancé in just 5 months (!!!!!!!). I’m sure that will bring a whole new set of challenges, but I feel really great this morning and I know it’s because I am actually RESTED. I can’t tell how often I have been woken up in the middle of the night because someone is loud and stomping through the apartment, or talking on the phone, or blasting a movie.

City living is hard but I wouldn’t trade living here for anything because when I tell you i love New York, I am one of those crazy people who will yell in a crowded bar in BOSTON that, “NEW YORK IS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD” cause it is, no question. It’s the best. 

I share all this with you today because why not? It’s What I’m Reading Wednesday but a little more about me. I think a million times a day that I have enough stories to start a book about living here or my own tv show (that would be a million times better than Girls, I promise). Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading. 

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand 

The final book in the Winter Street Series! It is so good. So well done. A full review will be up tomorrow in the Throwback slot. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and I finally started it yesterday. I was contemplating saving it for the new year but I just couldn’t. I am so excited and so proud. I wrote that out and don’t know what the instinct was, but I am I proud to love and support Michelle Obama. 

Her writing is impeccable. I was upset when my train pulled into my station and I had to stop reading! It is so clear and really pulls the reader in. I can just hear her voice while reading and it’s so soothing. Ugh, I love this woman. I know she doesn’t want to but I am 1000% behind a presidential bid in 2020. 

I hope you all have a great Wednesday and are okay with me opening up  a little bit. This space is incredibly important to me and I want to dedicate myself to it fully. Check back tomorrow for a Throwback Thursday review 🙂 

And all of a sudden, it’s one week until Christmas. How does this always sneak up on us so quickly? I’m trying not to be sad, I just love the season so much I never want it to end! Are you still in need of gift ideas? Today’s gift guide is a little different and a little more informal…

The gift of reading is one of the most special and meaningful gifts you can give. My brother received the first Harry Potter book as a gift when he was nine and it changed our lives. My friend gifted me a copy of Ella Enchanted for my birthday and it quickly became my favorite book. I reread it to this day. But even if it’s not a physical book, I think giving your time to children can inspire a love of reading. 

Look into local homeless shelters in your area. There was one where I grew up that had a children’s room and you could volunteer to read to the kids during specific reading hours.

A family friend of ours (who’s British) always volunteered for story time at the children’s hospital. The kids loved his accent. Taking a sick child out of their circumstances and into a story is so important.

Churches and libraries are also always looking for readers for their story hours. Participate in book drives at such places as well! 

Go through your book shelves and donate books you don’t read anymore to shelters, underprivileged schools, or teachers in need of stocking their libraries. 

In fact, that’s what I’m going to do this year! A friend from high school recently started her teaching career and I have SO. MANY. BOOKS I can share with her classroom library. I’m going to let her take what she wants and then the rest I will bring to our local library. 

It’s kind of crazy to think about how much money I’ve spent on books over the years. It’s better than drugs I suppose (lol) but there are so many people out there who are not as fortunate as me. The gift of reading is the gift of knowledge. 

How are you going to give the gift of reading this holiday season? 

A fresh week and a short week! Thursday begins my Christmas vacation and I am so looking forward to it. I’m going to do a full reflection on the year after Christmas, but like…wow. What a beautiful, scary, painful, exciting year. SO much happened. 

I bring this up within my review of The Next Person You Meet in Heaven because this book helped me put a lot of the year into perspective. We are given a finite amount of time on this earth and every choice we make matters. And every moment of our lives whether it be joyful or painful is what has led us to some of the greatest accomplishments. 

Now, I believe in God but my relationship with organized religion has changed over the years. I was raised Catholic and went to private Catholic school my whole life. I will be getting married in the Catholic Church because it means a lot to my parents and I’ve always seen myself getting married there. But, I know it has an incredible amount of flaws. 

I was wary of picking this book up because I didn’t want to be forced into a religious story. That happened with a Christmas book I picked up last year and it was frustrating. However, I should have known to trust Mitch Albom’s writing. 

I don’t know about his personal life, but I have read Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven and was incredibly moved by both of them. I can assume he leads a spiritual life, but it did not feel overtly religious. And yes, I do believe there is a difference. 

If you’ve read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, this is the sequel and I would definitely recommend reading them in order. The first book tells the story of Eddie, an 80 year old man who dies sacrificing himself to save a child at the amusement park where he’s worked since returning from WWII. And in the second, we find out what happened to that little girl, Annie. 

I would say I enjoyed the first book more, but I read that in my wide eyed teen years, so that may be why. I also love WWII stories, so I was attached that. I found Annie to be kind of unlikeable, but I think that was the point. Here’s a woman who grew up with rough circumstances and made a lot mistakes, yet found love and happiness and we are still effected by her loss. 

This book definitely has a twist ending I wasn’t expecting and I always am attracted to those stories; I like when an author doesn’t follow the predictable path. 

Overall, I’m glad I read this book and I would recommend it. It’s a short read and I think can put things in perspective for the most cynical of us. I’m gonna give it 3.5/5 starts purely because it wasn’t the most sophisticated writing, but I do think that means younger people could read it and be impacted positively. 

What a week! Which is how I feel like I start all of these posts…but it’s true! It was nice to have some reading time this week. I felt like I hadn’t been able to really spend that time in the last couple weeks. December is always a crazy month, which is honestly why I think I like to get into the Christmas spirit early! It allows me to enjoy the small things so when it gets crazy busy I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. 

Here’s what I’ve read this week. 

Books Finished: One Day in December and Winter Storms 

I actually loved One Day in December more than I thought I would. I did a little review of it on Wednesday but let me know if you want to see more! 

Winter Storms is always one that surprises me. It’s the first book in the series that deviates from the eatablished formula, but it definitely works. I love getting to see different sides of all the characters, especially Jennifer. I wish we got to see more of her rehab, but do think Hilderbrand does a great job discussing substance abuse and mental health throughout the series, like in the previous book when Mitzi has fallen into a deep depression due to her mission son. 

Currently: Winter Solstice 

This is the final book in the series and it always makes me a little misty. Honestly, I may read them again before Christmas. I just love the Quinn family so much. 

Next Up: Becoming by Michelle Obama

I am SO excited to start reading this one! I’ve heard literally only the most amazing things about it. I love her so much! 

Recommendation: Chicken Soup for the Christmas Treasury

Weekend plans: Christmas cookie baking with my mom and Christmas “morning” with my roommate! 

What are you up to this weekend? Happy reading! 

It’s snowing in NYC! I decided to take a slow morning cause it’s been a busy week to sit by my Christmas tree and watch the snow fall with my coffee. It’s been much needed! 

 Every time I reread the Winter Street series, I’m always struck with how much the writing makes me slow down and fall into the world of the Quinn Family. I think with Winter Storms Hilderbrand realized how much love fans had for the family! 

This is the first book in the series that spans the full year. We travel from Spring to Summer to Fall and then specifically The Holiday season. The food that is described in this book is drool worthy. I want her to release a cookbook of all the recipes! 

We left off with Kelley feeling ill, Ava unsure between Scott and Nathaniel, Patrick still in jail, and Bart still missing. 

It’s so hard not to post spoilers in these reviews! Needless to say, the book does not end the same as it begins. We begin with Margaret’s wedding which is just delightful. I think this is when we finally get to see the real Mitzi, because her relationship with Margaret is incredible. Obviously it took some major issues to get to this point, but I really admire the maturity. 

We also get to meet Potter, Ava’s new love interest. I adore Potter. But I also understand Ava’s reservations at jumping into a new relationship after the drama of her last two. 

Jennifer’s pill addiction swings out of control even once her husband comes home but she saves the day when it truly matters. 

When I set out to reread this one, I didn’t remember loving it as much as I did this time around! 

Tell me these reviews have inspired you to read the series? Last one will be here before we know it…12 days til Christmas! 

Is anyone finding these posts repetitive? I love writing my What I’m Readings and Weekly Wrap Ups. But I’d absolutely love your feedback if you think it’s too much! 

I said to my roommate yesterday that I feel like I’m in an end-of-semester slump even though I’m not in school. I need a vacation so badly yet it still feels so far away! However,  I did finally finish a book I’ve been plugging through for quite a bit, so that helped me feel a little accomplished at least. 

Here’s what I’ve been reading: 

Circe: Okay, I gave up on this one. I think I need a paper copy of this book or at least an e-reader to keep everything and everyone straight. It was ambitious of me anyway to assume I could commit to such a detailed audiobook. Like I’ve said before, audiobooks are super hit or miss for me and this one was a miss. It wasn’t grabbing me to focus at all! But I know this is a hugely popular book so if you read it and loved it, let me know! 

One Day in December: Ugh, I finally finished and I’m so glad I pushed through. This was actually really good, in a frustrating way. I respected the character of Laurie so much. I was so invested in the friendship between Laurie and Sarah that I almost didn’t care about Jack. I was a bigger fan of Oscar to be honest, but I am glad Jack and Laurie never physically acted upon their feelings (except that kiss). I think the writing was quite good. It has just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting while also being incredibly romantic. But again, the friendship between the women was the most important relationship to me. It made me miss my best friends! 

Up Next: Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand and Becoming (!!!!!) by Michelle Obama

Okay, I caved and bought Becoming. Michelle was doing a book signing in Union Square and I could’t resist. Talk about once in a lifetime! 

What are you reading this week? I’d still love some more holiday recommendations for my week long break coming up! 

Thanks for letting me take the weekend and Monday off from posting! We ended up having WAY too much fun this weekend. We had friends in town from college who we haven’t seen in a while, did all the Christmas stuff in the city, and then traveled to Connecticut to see my mom’s ballet companies production of The Nutcracker! To top it all off, Sunday evening was my acting classes annual Christmas party. So safe to say, Monday was a fun hangover and I had a very long day to get through. 

But now it’s Tuesday and I am feeling refreshed and it’s two weeks until Christmas! I can’t believe it! I thought I’d share some great reading accessories for any book lovers on your list. 

Tablet Pillow

This is great for a Kindle or iPad! 

Book Stand

These are great for cookbooks but I think can also be useful on cold nights when you want to read and hold your mug of cocoa or tea at the same time! 

Book Light

I’ve had this one since college, when I needed to read or do homework in the dark theater! 

A Custom Library Embosser 

How cool is this?! I think I may need to add to my list myself. 

Page Holder

A less intrusive version of the book stand

Old Book Candle 

Could definitely help set the mood especially if you read on an ereader! 

Kindle Cover

And speaking of e-readers…how cool! 

Are you done shopping yet? I have just a few things left to pick up…but I’m already exhausted by the shopping! And I started in August! How do I still have things to pick up?! 

I have never felt a TGIF so hard. This was a LONG week and I really need some time to enjoy Christmas movies in my PJs. But tomorrow it’s our Christmas in New York Day! My fiancé travels a lot for work so this time of year it gets hard to get through everything we want. But now we have a hold day! 

Here’s what I read this week.

Books Finished: The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

I enjoyed this and it was a great quick read. It wasn’t my favorite book, but I think it’s message is really important. I remember watching the TV movie version and being obsessed with it so it nice to revisit the similar style. 

Currently: Circe and One Day in December 

I may need to revisit Circe when I can get a physical copy…this is hard to listen to. There are so many details and I feel myself zoning out. If you’ve finished it and loved it, leave me some encouraging words to keep listening! 

One Day in December is cute so far! It’s not what I thought it would be at all so that’s always fun. I finally think I’m starting to get into it…last night on the train I was hooked! 

Next Up: Winter Storms 

Recommendation: Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson 

I read this last year. It’s twelve stories for the 12 Days of Christmas. It’s slightly non-traditional but it’s cozy and a BEAUTIFUL cover. I love how it looks sitting with my other holiday books under the tree! 

Weekend Plans: Saturday is our Christmas in New York day and then on Sunday we are traveling up to Connecticut to see my mom’s production of The Nutcracker. She’s a ballerina and I used to be in it every year as well! 

Happy weekend reading! 

How are you liking these Throwback posts? I love writing them because it gives me a chance to revisit a story I loved before. Plus it helps me from getting too repetitive with content and just writing reviews for the sake of writing them. Let me know your thoughts! 

Winter Stroll is the second installment of the Winter Street series, which I reviewed last week. Instead of taking place over the three days surrounding Christmas, it begins on the Friday evening of Nantucket Stroll. I grew up in small New England town, so I’ve had experience with Christmas Strolls. It’s a weekend when vendors elevate the shopping experience, usually serving hors’devors and wine while people browse their store. There are carolers, the best decorations, deals, and usually some raffles. I’ve always wanted to go to Nantucket’s Stroll. It’s on my bucket list! 

Here’s the thing: I LOVE Winter Street. I think it’s my favorite in the series, because everything is just so warm and cozy and I have certain loyalty to the characters in that one. It’s hard to watch some of the things fall apart in Stroll that Street set up so perfectly. 

However, this is still a devious holiday read. We get to see where Ava has landed in her relationship, meet Kevin and Isabelle’s baby, and get to know Mitzi and Jennifer better. I think that may be the best part of this book. Mitzi and Jennifer were merely described in the last book, so our opinion of them is formed by others. It’s always nice to get to spend time with other characters. 

A huge part of this book is dealing with the loss of Bart, the youngest Quinn, who is being held as a Prisoner of War by a vicious group of radicals in Afghanistan. We see how each member of the family is dealing with this “loss” under the stress of the holiday. 

I think my biggest issue with this book is that Scott always really lets me down. I love how he and Ava fall in love in the first book, so when he does what he does in this book (caring for another teacher and neglecting Ava on the weekend of her niece’s baptism where she’s the godmother) it just really disappoints me. I always want to see Ava get engaged and married! But, I suppose there’s a greater purpose: Ava needs the right guy, not just the right situation. 

Have I enticed you yet? I can’t recommend this series enough! 

Phew, what a week. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve been this tired in a long time. It’s taken a lot to recover from our whirlwind travel this past weekend, but I think it’s gonna take quite a bit to catch up. 

Thankfully, it hasn’t stopped me from reading but I’m definitely not getting through at an epic pace. 

Currently: The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Circe by Madeline Miller, and One Day in December by Josie Silver.

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven is a great quick holiday read. It’s not centered on the holidays, I just think it shares the same message. If you read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, this is the sequel. It tells the story of Annie, the little girl Eddie saved by sacrificing himself. 

Circe is currently a struggle for me. I’m listening to it because that’s the only way I could get my hands on a copy. I know it’s been a hugely talked about book this year and I am enjoying it, but I so wish I had a physical copy. It’s about Greek mythology, the Titans and their children. I actually speak Greek and know Latin (obviously it isn’t spoken) and they were my favorite classes in high school and college. If you like Greek mythology, this book is amazing. 

One Day is December is Reese Witherspoon’s bookclub book for the month! I had no idea, it’s been on my library hold list since October but I am so glad it came in this month! It’s about a woman who sees a man at the bus stop in London and immediately falls for him, claiming love at first sight does exist because she has felt it. She spends the next year trying to find him. 

Up Next: Winter Storms! My Reread of the Winter Street Series is on hold for now, since I have so many other books going, but I will return to it in due time. 

What are you reading this week?