Stephanie Howell

What I'm Reading | July 2015 Edition

How gorgeous are these Puffin in Bloom books by Rifle Paper Co.? I just had to treat myself to this set. I'm in love.

 

Hey y'all! Welcome to the July edition of what I'm reading!

As per usual I'm constant updating my reading only Instagram account  (@whatstephreads) and through my Goodreads page.

 

Here's what I've read lately and what I've got coming up.

 

Read

1. We Were Liars | by E Lockhart - This book totally surprised me. And that rarely happens these days. The writing style takes a little getting used to (and it annoyed me at times) but it's a quick and captivating read. I have other books by this author on order because I'm now a fan.

 

2. Sweet Forgiveness | by Lori Nelson Spielman - This one was a pretty easy chick-lit type of read. But I had some serious problems with the way that the author handled certain issues...mainly abuse. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I also never really connected with the main character.

 

3. A Man Called Ove | by Fredrick Backman - I mentioned this one already in a previous post. I LOVED this one and it was my only five star this book. Try to tell me you don't fall in love with Ove after reading this book. He's the most lovable curmudgeon EVER. This book made me laugh and cry in equal measures and it captivated me from the very beginning.

 

4. That Night | by Chevy Stevens- I thought this was a really interesting premise for a book but by the end I had lost interest. Not sure why, it just happens sometimes.

 

5. The Animals | by Christian Kiefer - This was definitely not an easy-breezy summer read and it's probably not for everyone but I thought this book was so freaking interesting. A man (who's made serious mistakes in his past) moves to the middle of nowhere to run a wildlife rescue. I loved the parts from his past and from his present equally and I loved his relationship with the animals. This book is pretty violent and raw so if you don't like that then you won't like this book. One of the strangest books I've read in a while but I mean that in a really good way.

 

6. Luckiest Girl Alive | by Jessica Knoll- There's been a ton of buzz about this book and while it was worth the read, I have to tell you I HATED the main character. Despised her. There was nothing redeeming about her to me. That said, it's worth a read.

 

7. You |by Caroline Kepnes- Y'all. This book FREAKED me OUT. The creepiest grossest book I've read in a long time. Listen. It's graphic. I warned you. And I don't even know what I thought about it. I still shudder thinking about it. I honestly didn't know how to rate it. Obsession, stalking...yeah. Disturbing.

 

 

Currently Reading

 

1. The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared |Jonas Jonasson

 

On My Radar/On Order at the Library

 

1. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks | E Lockhart

2. Since You've Been Gone | Morgan Matson

3. The Book of Speculation | Erika Swyler

4. The Royal We | Heather Cocks

5. The Summer of Good Intentions | Wendy Francis

 

 

Whew! That's it for this month! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts + recommendations.

Happy Reading.

xoxo

s

What I'm Reading | Summer Edition

Whew! I haven't done one of these in a looooong time have I? I have been doing all of my book recs and "what I'm reading" photos through my reading only Instagram account (@whatstephreads) and through my Goodreads page.

But I thought I'd do an update here, too. It's been so long I'm not going to share alllll the books I've read, I'm just going to share some favorites from the past few months as well as what I'm up to now.

 

Recently Read and Loved/Highly Enjoyed:

 

1. Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon -really good but also very sad. Similar to We Need to talk About Kevin but with a twist. 

 

2. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan - a couple's love story told in an innovative way...through dictionary entries. I devoured it in one short sitting. It was nice to read something different.

 

3. Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight - Not an all-time fave but a good twisty summer read.

 

4. Whiskey & Charlie  by Annabel Smith- Lovely, touching, and so clever with the title of each chapter. Realistic portrayal of the complicated relationships we have.

 

5. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova-  Beautiful, heartbreaking, and gut wrenching. Huntington's disease is a cruel monster but reading about the way that this big, love filled, loud family dealt with it was a joy. Must read.

 

6. We Are Called To Riseby Laura McBride - This one sucked me in and stole my heart. The military connection is probably a big reason for that but I just thought it was wonderful.

 

 

Currently Reading:

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

2. The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christoper Scotton

3. A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable

4. The Animals by Christian Kiefer

5. Silver Girl by Elin Hildebrand

 

 

On My Radar/Waiting for at Library:

1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman

2. The Royal We by Heather Cocks

3. Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling

4. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

5. The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

 

 

There you go! The summer version of what I'm reading. As always, I'd love to hear what you are reading, fellow bookworms!!

xoxo

S

 

 

What I'm Reading | February 2015 Edition

 

Hey y'all. :)

Yes, I'm here...I'm here. Sorry for going MIA lately, I've just been in a bit of a slump. But y'all know nothing gets my pulse racing and my mouth babbling like books do. So I thought this would be just the post to get me out of hiatus.

Still doing the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge. Jimmy was right...I under-challenged myself. I've read 11 (nearly 12) of 50 books. Oops. Next year I'll aim higher, haha!

Okey dokey, here's my February edition of What I'm Reading.

 

 

{What I've Read Recently}

 

1. Sharp Objects // So freaking creepy. Gillian Flynn is a weirdo or genius. I'm stuck between the two. It terrifies me how easily and believably she writes incredibly messed up scenarios. In my best Jimmy Fallon voice...EW.

 

2. Wedding in Provence //  Light, fluffy, sweet. I needed more of that and less heavy this month. I went lighter in quite a few selections and this one was sweet. Made me long to visit France again.

 

3. I'll Give You the Sun // This is YA. I read a lot of YA and I love it. Hands down my favorite read this month. Hands.Down. No contest. Get it and read it now. It broke my heart, made me laugh, cry, you name it. I couldn't put it down. It's beautiful.

 

4.Revival // Classic King. A creepy page turner. It literally gave me chills several times. He is so damn good.

 

5. They All Fall Down // More YA. This one requires some suspension of disbelief but I don't care. I really loved it, sort of Gossip Girl-ish.

 

There are a couple more, but these are the ones I wanted to share. You can find all of my recently read books HERE.

I also tried and abandoned a bunch of books. My life got so much better the day I gave myself permission to abandon books I wasn't enjoying!

 

 

{Up Next}

 

1. Lost Lake

 

2. Leaving Time

 

3. The Enchanted

 

4. Tell the Wolves I'm Home

 

There you have it!! What are you reading?

xoxo

S

What I'm Reading | January 2015 Edition

TGIF y'all!

Welcome to the January Edition of "What I'm Reading". One of my personal goals for this year is to get better about tracking EVERYTHING I read on Goodreads.

I also joined the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge. J says I sold myself short going for only 50 books, considering I've read already read four so far in January. HA!

 

{What I've Read Recently}

 

1. Station Eleven // I devoured this one and it stuck with me. I still think about it often. To me- that's the hallmark of a great book. It's a dystopian novel and I always love those. But this one just also has a wonderfully tender side too. I read a review somewhere that said that this book makes you "miss and long for the world you are living in right now" or something like that and I agree.

 

2.The Book of Unknown Americans // This book really touched my heart. I love that it was written by a fellow papercrafter, I love that it gave me insight into the life of an immigrant in America (one that I have even MORE compassion for after living in a foreign country and realizing how scary it can be), I loved everything about it. It was beautiful.

 

 

3.Yes Please // I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this book. Let's put it this way. I've already read it twice and underlined most of it. This book will get an entire post to itself.

 

4.Everything I Never Told You // This book broke my heart. It was borderline too sad for me. But it was just so lovely I couldn't stop reading.

 

 

 

{Up Next}

 

1. Revival // Who doesn't love a new Stephen King novel? I got really excited when I saw this on the shelf at my library.

 

2. I Remember Nothing : and Other Reflections  and  I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman // It's been a long time since I've read Nora and I need her back in my life.

 

3. Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography // I LOVE NPH. I've heard mixed reviews on this but I still look forward to reading it.

 

And I also have five other books on order from the library. It's a sickness.

I LOVE this time of year because all of the "Best Book" lists have come out. I pin them here if you'd like to follow!

 

Have a beautiful weekend!

xoxo

S

 

several of the links in this post are affiliate.

What I'm Reading

This month I'm talking about one book. Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel.

As I sit here thinking of what to write, what to tell you...I find myself at a loss for words. There's just no way to explain this book.

I will tell you this. It's not an easy read. It's not light. I had to put this book down, close it, and cry several times.

If you have ever said Thank you for your service! to a member of the military, then this book will explain to you what you are thanking them for. The demons they fight when they come home, the horrors they face. 

This book isn't for the faint of heart. It talks about PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, high suicide rates in veterans.

I believe that everyone needs to read this book.

I won't forget it as long as I live. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to read, but I needed to read it. I highlighted many, many passages and this book will be one I hold on to and reference for years and years.

It's easy to live in a pretty bubble and pretend like everyone is okay and like things are over once they come home. That's not true for anyone. These men and women need our HELP. They need more than our words and our platitudes.

I'll stop here, before I start rambling. Just wanted to share this with you all.

 

S

What I'm Reading // What are YOU reading?

Ehhh...a whole bunch of nothing.

I'm still attempting to read, but nothing is holding my interest. Truly. The only book I remember reading lately is Jojo Moyes' new book.

And it was sweet and lovely...but just okay. I wanted the magic of Me Before You. Sigh.

Other than that I've read crap. Crap that I don't even want to record on Goodreads because it doesn't matter.

And I've been checking out books from the library, but they don't even interest me enough to read them.

I guess you could say I'm in a reading slump. Or maybe exercise has taken my reading time. And that's okay, but I would love to read a good book.

So it's your turn. What have you read lately that you loved? I want something that will grab me and pull me in. I want something that I will immerse myself in. I want something GOOD. I don't want to struggle. I want to be consumed.

Whoa. That's quite the laundry list, no?

Go!

 

 

What I'm Reading // March/April Edition

Okay. So I sort of fell off the blogging about reading wagon. :) But after a gentle reminder from some of y'all...I've decided to do a little update!

Thank heavens for Goodreads...or I wouldn't remember any of this!

 

 

What I've read in the past few months:

1. The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick - Loved this one. I've seen lots of mixed reviews and I get that. It's totally quirky. Wait...it bypasses typical Matthew Quick quirky and veers into weirdo land. But I loved it.

2. The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry- It was interesting but never fully sucked me in. Sort of Gone Girl-esque. Worth a read, and the setting (Tangiers) is really interesting.

3. Mad About the Boy (Bridget Jones) by Helen Fielding. NO. JUST NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO. It makes me mad just thinking about it. HORRIBLE.

4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty- I adored this one. I am a new fan of Moriarty. Light and fluffy, but good.

5. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham- Disclosure...I LOVE Lauren Graham. So that might have given me some bias here, but I really liked this book. It's no secret I'm a fan of good chick lit. This was adorable.

6. Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos- eh. and a little blah. That's the best I've got. Super disappointed considering I've loved everything else by this auther. Maybe my expectations were too high?

7. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight- Really good. Sad and scary and pretty on point with things going on in the world today.

8. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty- Oh how I loved this one. Just a good read. Not deeply intellectual, but I needed a brain break. Loved loved.

9. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss- I kind of just kept waiting for something to happen/click and it never did. I really liked the characters, though...I've just heard so much about this that I expected something different I suppose.

10. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion- Awesome. Quirky, different, interesting, and funny as hell. Two thumbs up.

11. Joyland by Stephen King- Man...King just rocks. Another great book. A bit coming of age/retrospective, a bit mystery.

11. The Dinner by Herman Koch - I don't really know what to say about this one. Highly entertaining and a quick read. But seriously messed up and disturbing.

 

What's in my "To Read" pile:

1. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

2. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

3. Wonder by RJ Palacio

4. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

 

You can see my past recommendations HERE.

So what about you? What are you reading?

xoxo

S

What I'm Reading 2014 // February 2014 Edition

One of my goals for 2014 is to be more intentional about reading. To track my books via Goodreads, to pay attention to what I read and didn't read, to share what I'm reading here.

For the January edition of What I'm reading (including how I select books and my entire process), click HERE.

This month I want to talk about WHEN I read. I get asked this question all.the.time.

People genuinely want to know how I read so much. The answer? It's a priority to me. Reading is like breathing. I simply have to do it.

I am a really fast reader. So fast that Jimmy swears I've taken a speed reading course. I haven't. So that helps.

But I also always have a novel in my purse. Waiting in the carpool line? I read. In the waiting room at the doctor's office? Reading. I even read when I walk. True story. Not so great considering how clumsy I am. HA!

This month I checked out a stack at the beginning of the month. I ended up taking most of them back because they just weren't doing it for me.

Here's what I ended up with and here's what I will most likely read this month:

February List:

1. Joyland by Stephen King

2. The Dinner by Herman Koch

3. TransAtlantic by Colum McCann

4. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

5. Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman

6. What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman

 

Books I completed last month:

1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed- LOVED this. Loved Loved LOVED. Devoured it, in fact. Just an awesome story of strength and redemption. I heard they are making it into a movie and I'm not 100 percent sure how I feel about this.

2. The Returned by Jason Mott- Blah. Had potential but I never connected or really cared about the characters. I kept waiting to like it but I never really cared one way or another. Totally fell flat for me.

3. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker - I'm having a hard time explaining how I feel about this one. I enjoyed it but found it very depressing. I find dystopian books terrifying/intriguing and this was no exception. Walker did a beautiful job of explaining life in junior high. I found this an interesting juxtaposition with all of the crazy cosmic stuff that was going on. Super easy/quick read.

4. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes- Moyes is one of my new favorite authors. I found this book absolutely fascinating. I have to say I found the flashback portions much more interesting than the "current day" portions, though.

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - WOW. Wow wow wowwwww. Still processing this book. This book tore my heart out and broke it in to a million pieces. I honestly don't feel that any review can give it the worth it deserves. There are just no words. The horrors, the pain, the death...yep. It broke my heart. Beautifully told. I need to quickly read everything else Zusak has written. One more thing- I had tried to read this once and gave up on it. SO glad I stuck with it.

 

There you go! The February version of what I'm reading. As always, I'd love to hear what you are reading, fellow bookworms!!

xoxo

S

What I'm Reading 2014 // January 2014 Edition

One of my goals for 2014 is to be more intentional about reading. To track my books via Goodreads, to pay attention to what I read and didn't read, to share what I'm reading here.

I hope this will be a monthly feature, but I've learned by now never to say anything for sure. HA!!

Let me share how I devour read and choose books.

My favorite thing about the end of the year is the "Best Of" lists you can find. I've pinned several of them to my Books Pinterest board HERE.

As I read the lists I add books to my Goodreads "to read" list.

The other day I added a bunch of books from the Kirkus Best Fiction of 2013 list...and when I got to the library I pulled up my Goodreads app and went from there.

When I go to the library I check out all the books that catch my eye. I don't expect that I'll read them all, but I'm not sure which ones will and won't get read. I take a stack and return the ones that I'm not feeling.

 

 

January List:

1.Wild by Cheryl Strayed

2. The Returned by Jason Mott

3. Canada by Richard Ford

4. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

5. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan (just noticed this one is 2nd in a series I haven't read the 1st of...probably won't be reading it).

6. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

7. The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

 

Books I completed last month:

1. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett- Didn't like this one. Ann Patchett is a beautiful, poetic author but I really disliked this book. It bored me (no matter HOW MUCH I wanted to like it) and the ending ticked me off.

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon- Loved it. Beautiful, lyrical, spine-tingling and mesmerizing. Makes me want to visit Barcelona badly.

3. Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews- Devoured it in a few hours. It's another Weezie/BeBe Savannah book and it was adorable. I didn't want it to end. My only complaint is that it made me miss Savannah terribly.

4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes- I fell in love with this and never wanted it to end. I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain- Thanks to Paula, I'm now obsessed with the Lost Generation and the Jazz Age. I've always been intrigued by Hemingway/Fitzgerald/Stein/Joyce etc...and this book sealed the deal. Highly recommend.

6. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand- It was okay. Highly forgettable but passed the time just fine. I've already forgotten about it.

 

Okay, there you go!

Hopefully I can keep up with this all year!

What are YOU reading?

xoxo

S