It’s book day! Yay! I feel like I am slowly getting back in to some kind of reading groove. I read some decent ones this month, and a few that were sort of meh. A balanced month I suppose!! Linking up with Steph and Jana.
After I Do by Tara Jenkins Reid
Love love love this book!!! I think that anyone who has ever been in a relationship can relate to some of the issues that this couple had. I felt like I could really relate to the characters, as TJR builds them so well. This book reminds you to not take your relationship, partner or family for granted. I found myself reaching for this as often I could and flew through it. Which is quite the task with a newborn, let me assure you.
Bottom Line: Read it! Such a great read.
Rating: 5/5
Pretty in Plaid by Jennifer Lancaster
I really liked Bitter is the New Black and Pretty Fat, but this one fell a little short for me. I sort of got bored several times throughout the book. I guess right now my expectations from a book are really high since I dont have near the time to read as I used to and something has to be really good to keep my attention for long.
Bottom Line: If you are a really big fan of Lancaster’s, you may enjoy this book. I got bored with it.
Rating: 2.5/5
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
I really enjoyed this book. It is about an American woman who is married to an English man and they live together in Paris. She mainly observes French parenting in this book and I found it all very interesting. To be honest, I have some similar views and instincts of parenting that is common for the French. Which, in reality, is the way that the older generations and our parents raised us.
The way I got Zoe to “do her nights” is very similar to the way all the French do it, which is pausing when they start to cry to see if they really need you or if they will self sooth. It isn’t quite the same as cry it out, which is more aggressive. It had Zoe sleeping 5-6 hour stretches by week 7 without me changing anything. The food section is really what drew me in. I don’t want to have a picky eater and it seems that the French follow more of the “baby lead weaning” which is what I plan to try. We shall see how that goes!
Bottom Line: If you are a parent or soon to be parent, I would recommend this book. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t care.
Rating: 4/5
Trying It All by Chrisi Barth
This is the forth book in the Naked Men series. Honestly, after reading the last three books I have realized there is very much a formula that they all follow and so I got a little bored. It is still a good series, but I wish the author would have changed it up some and not been so predictable. This book follows Riley, who is a control freak and Summer who is a live in the moment kind of girl. It is fun to watch the banter with all the guys of the blog/podcast and see all the girls interact from the previous books. I will still read the next one about Josh.
Bottom Line: If you are invested in this series, this book has its good moments. Just a little predictable at this point.
Rating: 3/5
**I received a copy of Trying It All from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
Yellow Owl Workshop’s Make It Yours by Christine Schmidt
Flipping through this book, I started to realize that a lot of these projects are very basic and easy. Honestly, that is all the time I have for a crafting project these days anyways. I was a little underwhelmed by them, but they are fun ideas. I think this book would be great to work on with my daughter when she gets a little older. Or as a gift for someone who is just starting out in DIY and has no clue where to start or what to do. This may help boost their confidence. I appreciate that the books spells everything out and makes it easy to understand what to do.
Bottom Line: Would be great for the beginner crafter who is looking for basic ideas. Probably not for the Martha Stewart type person who has a higher level of crafting skills.
Rating: 3.5/5
**I received a copy of Make It Yours from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
Did Not Finish
Evelyn, After by Victoria Helen Stone
I am not sure what it is about this book, but I just couldn’t get in to it or care about it. I think maybe I just disliked all the characters? Honestly, because I couldn’t get in to this book, I went about a month without reading anything and when I decided I wanted to read again I didn’t grab this one. this was a did not finish for me, so I suppose you can take my review with a grain of salt. The premise of it sounded great, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood? I refuse to force a book on myself.
**I received a copy of Evelyn, After from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
33 Comments
I’ve yet to read a Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but I will.
OK, I have not gotten my reading groove back yet, usually when the weathers nice though as it’s starting to be, I sit outside more and read. So you had given me some goodies to feast my reading eyes upon! I just renewed my library card so I’m pretty excited!
A coworker recommended Bringing Up Bebe to me. I’m torn because it probably has good ideas, but I’ve seen a few books that promote the “French way” of doing things and it makes me feel almost offended? Like why are we just assuming that that particular culture is better and has it all figured out? Lol! That’s probably stupid and I should just read it. Knowing how I feel about self help, I will love it. The pausing method for seeing if baby will calm down and sleep is what we did too, without knowing it was a method. Lol! Orion isn’t the same every day but he often sleeps 5-7 hour stretches at night and it makes life so much easier. It also makes life easier now that I can tell the difference between real crying and just fussing. I’m not always hovering over him and panicking over every little noise.
I want to read Bringing Up Bebe bc I’m a Francophile and as a nanny, I find different perspectives on parenting/raising kids super interesting!
Bringing Up Bebe sounds really interesting. I think it’s probably on my “for someday way in the future TBR” already. 🙂 Glad that you enjoyed it. I think there is one called The Danish Way of Parenting that also sounds interesting, they’re the happiest nation in the world I think! 🙂 Bummer about the dnf, but it happens, and life is TOO short. 🙂 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I really want to read Bringing Up Bebe- I heard about it before having my little girl but never got around it. Thankfully LO has been a good eater so far but I want to keep it that way so that part especially is intriguing.
I’ve wanted to read Bringing Up Bebe for a while and haven’t gotten to it yet. I will probably have a toddler by the time I do, oops. We did CIO with her and I never thought I would. Now if she cries, something’s usually up but I give her a minute to see if she needs me. After I Do sounds really intriguing!
I don’t like Jen Lancaster.
I loved the TJR book!
How have I STILLLLL not read a TJR book???
Adding after I do to my list!!
My library only carries one TJR book and it doesn’t interest me. But I did get approved on NetGalley for her new book. YAY! I’ve noticed romance series can get so formulaic too. I wish they would change it up more because too often I quit a series because it gets so predictable. I really enjoyed The Girl Before and hope you are as well!
I have “After I Do” on my TBR list! I can’t wait to read it!
As you know, I LOVE TJR. I can’t wait to read her new book when it comes out. I really liked After I Do for the same reasons you mentioned…as a married person, it just really spoke to me. I love the way she writes. Etc. etc. etc. I could go on for days. Haha.
I read some of Bringing up Bebe and I love some of the French ideas about parenting – especially around eating. We did BLW with both of our girls and particularly with my younger daughter and she is an INCREDIBLE eater for a 3 year old. As in, last night, she begged and begged me for more kale salad and I was sad not to have any more in the house to offer her! While it’s not for everyone, I am personally SUPER into baby led weaning and I think my favourite part of it is that you can all enjoy your meals together instead of spoon feeding your baby (which was key for us with our second child :)). Some fascinating things to consider as a parent for sure!!
TJR! YAY!
I used to be a HUGE Jen Lancaster fan and then she started to become her own biggest fan and her books began to suffer and I think it’s been about 2 years since I’ve read a book of hers.
I need to pick up After I Do for sure!
After I Do was my first TJR book! So good. I’ve read several of Jennifer Lancaster’s books but have thought they’re all “eh” so have given up on them!
I have Bringing Up Bebe as a later-read… as in some day when it’ll pertain more to my life. Lol. I think it looks really interesting, though!
I have After I Do and another Taylor Jenkins Reid one, One True Love on my TBR! I’ve never read anything by her but I’ve heard so many rave reviews. I had an almost month long hiatus trying to get myself into On The Road, and just couldn’t do it! I saw that Pretty in Plaid was a prequel to Bitter is the New Black, and since I didn’t love that one, I think this one is a skip for me. The Girl Before is on my TBR too; I’m curious to hear your thoughts on it!
i’ve heard mixed things about after i do, i think i need to read it regardless because i want to read all of her books. ugh i hate when series follow the same formula. very annoying!
Hooray for The Girl Before! It’s been one of my favorites all year, so I hope that you love it too! I swear I need to read a TJR book, and soon! Everybody seems to love her books so much! One of my friends is pregnant and she was telling me about Bringing up Bebe. It sounds like a book that I’ll need to read when the time comes!
"Ramesh Ponnuru and Kate O'Beirne have nothing but contempt for Republicans like Broesk"Woll whaddaya know – I have something in common with the teabaggers after all.But I will say, the baggers are showing a lack of respect for those who spawned them.
The Girl Before is on my Audible wishlist. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
When has TJR steered us wrong in a book – just love her writing!! I have the girl before on my holds list and I hope it becomes available soon -I want to read it!! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
I really liked The Girl Before. I hope he comes out with another book.
The Girl Before is sitting at home waiting to be read – can’t wait to get into it. I haven’t read a TJR book yet, but it sure sounds like I need to!
I really loved Jen Lancaster’s first memoir and I do want to read the rest. Sorry this one fell a bit short though. I’ve heard of Bringing Up Bebe; sounds interesting!
-Lauren
Look at you getting all those books in. Lancaster is normally hit or miss for me. Sometime I like them, and sometimes I don’t — but I love that because you couldn’t get into a book, you just said peace out.
Ok my to read list just grew a mile! Definitely adding The Girl Before and After I Do <3
I keep saying I’m going to read another Jen Lancaster book, I’ve read Bitter is the New Black and loved it, but I haven’t ever read anything else. Will probably skip over this one as the next choice though! Bringing up Bebe sounds so interesting (and how cute is the cover?? haha), it’s always nice to read something that you can find relatable.
I haven’t’ read Bringing up Bebe but my friend has and loved it. It does sound really interesting.
I'm looking forward to our first big snow! Living in southern-ish U.S., we're not quite there yet (but we did get freezing rain that turned into hail this monnfng..iur). I'm definitely embracing winter this year, I just hope it embraces me back!
I really liked Bringing Up Bebe! Of course this is coming from someone who doesn’t have her own kid yet, but so many of the things she said just made sense! I took TONS of notes on that book, haha!
Oh no I think I have Evelyn, After on my list to read as well. I’ll still give it a go because it does sound interesting. I’ll have to give the After I Do book a read, but the cover irks me because I hate burnt toast haha! But I think I can get over that 🙂