Sometimes it is nice to get away.
I am not talking about traveling (which is really nice too), but I am talking about getting away and becoming lost in a story.
I rarely watch TV, but I read ALL THE TIME. I still sleep with my youngest two children so when bedtime arrives for them, it has also arrived for me. Being 30 weeks pregnant and having three other children, I am absolutely beat by 7:30-8:00, which also happens to be around the same time when my youngest two are usually going to sleep, so I don’t mind ending my day as soon as they do. Although I am so exhausted, it’s not always easy to turn my thoughts off, so I cuddle up close to my babies and spend some quality time with my friend Kindle.
I have read some of the best books over the past few months and wanted to share a few of these reads with my fellow bookworm mamas. If you like to read, these books are absolutely fantastic and will take you away from the mundane of routine as you flip through the pages.
Six reads for my fellow bookworms
Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey
From an author living in Charleston, this is the first book in a three-part series. This is the first book I have ever read from start to finish in one sitting—I started it at 8:30 p.m. and finished it at 2:30 a.m.—I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about this book, except when one of the characters kept making me mad by the choices she would make, haha. This flirtatious, sexy, maddening love-story is one that you’ll feel to the core. You’ll have giddiness circuiting throughout your entire body even days after finishing the book.
The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons
This is the first book in a three-part series. Don’t let the lengthiness of it’s 800 plus pages scare you away. If you’re looking for historical fiction, a one-of-a-kind love story, and a plot that always surprises you, this book is for you. The characters are intense and the plot is one in which you can completely visualize as you’re reading each word. The unconditional love felt between these two characters is hypnotizing. This book highlights the absolute strength of true love and dedication. You can FEEL the love and the heartache between the two characters. It is beautifully written and wholeheartedly captivating.
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne Maclean
Get lost in a historical-fiction story that never seems to stay on a straight path. There is a little bit of romance, family drama, and suspense that keeps you continuously surprised until the very last page. Nothing about this book is predictable, but everything about it is the epitome of a great read.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
A marvelous story based on the true experiences of a courageous, war hero Pino Lella in World War II. The book is not short of action and is full of suspense. The darkness of World War II is offset by the love story that evolves in the book. This book showcases the power of never giving up, and the fact that sometimes life isn’t what it seems, but when we stay true to and let our heart lead, we can make a big impact.
The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel by Marie Benedict
Marie Benedict showcases the strength of a woman by sharing the remarkable story of Hedy Lamarr. The Only Woman in the Room is an engaging biography about a woman who invented technology that helped create how we communicate today. From the life she lived as a young girl, the abuse she overcame, and the impact she made on life decades after her death, she makes this book extraordinary.
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
This is a more serious read with an overall feel-good impression. This book emphasizes the uniqueness of unconditional love and the strength in community. Sometimes in the midst of our darkest days, good is unraveling all around us.
I have several other recommended reads; however, these were the ones that immediately came to my mind for fellow moms. Life with young children may temporary suspend the spicy relationship with your husband, but a good sensual read such as Present Perfect or Bronze Horseman can put the pep back in your step. The courage and determination exhibited in The Only Woman in the Room, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, and A Fire Sparkling seem fitting to the days when motherhood isn’t the fantasy we envisioned. We have to maintain courage in ourselves when making parenting decisions that we’re not completely sure of and the courage to believe we are doing the best we can.
We have to stay determined in paving the best life possible for our kiddos even when it feels like the odds are against us. The surprises in motherhood are endless. Things don’t often go the way we had expected or even how we hoped sometimes, but as Ove learns in A Man Called Ove, something beautiful generally reveals itself after the setting of the dark. We just have to stay on the course that our life paves for us and believe (oh how hard this can be sometimes) that the things that are happening and the people that are coming in and out of our lives are actually framing a better story than we could have imagined.
Happy reading!
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