Monday, December 8, 2014

Book Review

My reading has slowed down significantly. I blame the days getting shorter, and also after finishing "All The Light We Cannot See" no other books compare.  I only read two books in November and finishing one was a struggle.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This book was really good. I don't often read non-fiction, but when I do it's usually in memoir or biography form. It took me a while to finish the book because I couldn't read it before bed since I would have scary dreams about being a POW or eaten by sharks. I mostly read it on the couch while Charlie watched football. I kept gasping because things just kept getting worse for poor Louie. I can't remember ever gasping out loud while reading a book before. I wanted Charlie to read this book so we could have a book club but he was not into that idea. I don't want to read the science books he's reading so the book club idea died. I think it caught on with my brother-in-law and his wife though, so at least someone is doing it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I liked Eleanor and Park so I thought I'd like this book by the same author, but I pretty much hated it. I forced myself to finish because although I hated it, I wanted to know how terribly it ended.  Spoiler...it ended terribly. In between each chapter was a clip from a fake book that was a lot like Harry Potter and it super annoyed me. Towards the end I just started skipping those parts to finish faster. I was annoyed by the whole book, I probably should have stopped reading it.

After returning Fangirl to the library I was uninspired by reading so I didn't get another book to read. That was probably a bad sign. To get myself back into it I've done what I usually do, read a book I've read 20 times already. In the summer the book is Summer Sisters,  in spring, The Times Travelers Wife, and in winter Little Women always wins. My copy is from 1921 from my grandmother. The old book smell just adds to the charm and comfort of reading it.  Reading it under a cozy Christmas quilt doesn't hurt either.



Do you have any good book recommendations? What book could you read 100 times?

Lauren

Friday, December 5, 2014

December Bucket List

Did you guys know it's December 5th! I kind of forgot. I'm not sure why but I am not feeling the Christmas spirit as much as in years prior. Perhaps I was just way overboard back then? In an effort to get more into it I've made a bucket list. Some are admittedly things I have to do, while others are just fun and I like doing them.

  1. Cut our own tree and decorate it with ornaments that Blaze cannot destroy. 
  2. Put white lights in the windows of our house. (I already did this, and I love driving home at night and seeing the candle lights on in the windows, it reminds me of my home when I was little.)
  3. Watch Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and Home Alone 2.
  4. Bake Christmas cookies. (Most likely using this recipe.) 
  5. Sip hot cocoa with marshmallows next to the pellet stove.
  6. Wrap all my Christmas presents at the same time while listening to Christmas music.
  7. Listen to the "Celtic Woman Christmas" station on Pandora until my ears bleed. 
  8. Finish sewing all my presents by Dec 17th so I won't be stressed out. (This means I actually have to start sewing.) 
  9. Eat dinner by candlelight every night.
  10. Decorate a wreath for the front door. (Sadly this year I did not collect milk weed pods to decorate my wreath, and now the snow and ice have come and ruined all the pods.)
  11. Go for a night walk when it's snowing.
  12. Have a bon fire. 
  13. See a Christmas play (this weekend we're seeing A Christmas Carol.)
  14. Go to the Newfound Inn for dinner and drinks, and to look at all the lights and decorations. (a three year tradition that I absolutely love and so look forward to.)
  15. Start a new tradition.
  16. Decorate the mantel.
  17. Send Christmas cards. (This year I really felt totally out of ideas and found cards on sale for 50% off that I loved, so I did not/will not be making cards from scratch. Had I realized how upsetting this would be to my aunt I may have re-considered. The convenience factor was key.)
  18. Buy presents for the giving tree. 
  19. Go to a Christmas concert.
  20. Take a family picture that all four of us look good in. (That could take until next Christmas.) 
One of my favorite Holiday sights. The Newfound Inn. 

What's on your December Bucket list? Any favorite traditions?

Lauren 
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