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Have you ever read a book that just sticks with you? That’s what A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, did for me.
Ove is a man who likes everything to be in place and to his liking. So his world is upended when a young couple with young kids move in next door and decide to befriend Ove, whether he likes it or not. A Man Called Ove seamlessly transitions from Ove’s backstory to present day. And it will remind you how important it is to get to know others before judging them. And of how important it is to love one another and spend time with those you care for. There’s a movie too (in Swedish with subtitles) on Amazon Prime! I cannot recommend this book enough. I absolutely love it and I’ll definitely be giving it a reread. I’m glad I bought it so I can share it with friends too. Have you read it? Is it going on your to be read list? Let us know in the comments below.
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This week for What to Read Wednesday I'm bringing it back to the classics. And with summer in full swing I thought a short fun summer read was in order.
If you've never read the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, Treasure Island, you are really missing out! It is a fun coming-of-age tale that's action packed and captivating. Though I will admit that the beginning was a bit slow, but I got past it by imaging the characters as the Muppets (from my favorite movie adaptation Muppet Treasure Island). But after the first chapter, the story really picks up. I didn't actually read Treasure Island until I was in college. I loved it so much I would tell everyone I met they should read it too. And I tell you the same, read Treasure Island, it's an incredible story.
Treasure Island follows a young boy Jim Hawkins who finds a treasure map and joins the crew put together to find the treasure. Unbeknownst to any good natured man on the ship, the crew has been infiltrated by pirates planning a mutiny. Jim must choose then to join the mutiny and pirates or try to fight them off.
It's a great book for kids and adults and may be a fun listen. I saw that there is a dramatic reading of it on Audible that you can get for free with a free trial of Audible. I love listening to books with my kids as it helps them engage their imagination and is great for their speech development. As a busy mom, listening to books allows me to multitask, I can clean the kitchen and "read" a book at the same time. It's a win-win. If you're feeling like you're struggling to find time to read, maybe you should check out Audible too. And maybe your first listen should be Treasure Island.
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Have you ever stayed up all night reading a book. I've done this twice in my life, the second time was last night. Admittedly, it was a foolish decision as I have two children to take care of during the day. But this book was so good I couldn't put it down.
You may have heard of Educated by Tara Westover and for a good reason. It's the memoir of a girl who grew up with fundamentalist parents, and 6 siblings, on a farm in rural Idaho. The kids didn't go to school, nor did they really homeschool. So it's amazing when 2 of their kids (including the author, Tara) make it into college. It's in college that Tara realizes her father likely has some kind of mental issues. Vogue described the book as "Beautiful and propulsive...Despite the singularity of Westover's childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?" I share the quote because it describes the book perfectly without giving too much away which I am always worried about. If you're wondering how extreme the circumstances of her home life were, when she went to college she didn't know what the Holocaust was. She thought it was perfectly fine to let her food rot in the fridge without taking it out. Anyone wearing clothing that showed any kind of skin was trying to lead her down the path to Satan. She was like a baby sea turtle hatched into the real world without any real knowledge of what she was getting into. A lesson I'm taking from this is to be more understanding of people's differences. We never know their backgrounds and how that has affected their personalities. And although you can tell her life was difficult and scary at times, she doesn't write out of anger it seems. She does write with compassion and strength. Her retelling of stories from her childhood, doesn't fill me with anger but a compulsion to help those around me to not be trapped in her same circumstances. This book is really sticking with me and I hope you will read it. It's really good.
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Sorry I've missed What to Read Wednesday the last two weeks but I'm back again with a book I'm still listening to but love so far: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan.
You may know him as the Hot Pocket comedian. I know him from his first Comedy Central special and the joke about mayonnaise. This was the late 90's and my family had it on in the background, but by the end we were all watching and laughing. Since then we have enjoyed Jim Gaffigan's stand-up and acting. So when his book, Dad is Fat, came out, I knew I wanted to read it. It's been on my To Read list for a long time. And let me tell you, it is funny, and enjoyable. Dad is Fat is about Jim's observations of parenthood. He has five kids, so he's no stranger to parenthood. In stead of those parenting books you give to expecting parents, you should give them Dad is Fat. Dad is Fat is a great realistic way to see parenthood, but it won't scare you away from it. One of the things I love about the book is the how much you can tell Jim loves his family, his kids, but especially his wife Jeannie. I'm just a sucker for a loving family I guess.
His humor mixed with amusing anecdotes of parenthood, make this an easy and insightful read. I highly recommend. Listening to the book adds another dimension because Jim reads it himself. I always think that adds something special to the audiobook. If you're on the fence about trying Audible, maybe start with the 30 day free trial and use it for this book. You won't regret it!
And it makes me excited to read his other book Food: a Love Story. AND even more excited to read Jeannie Gaffigan's book coming out in October, When Life Gives You Pears. So called because she recently had a pear sized tumor removed from her brain. She is Jim's writing partner and executive producer for his shows. So if you like his stuff, I'm sure you will like her book. I haven't read it yet, I just have that feeling. It's available for pre-order now.
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Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
July 2024
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