WHAT I READ IN FEBRUARY 2024

Not the greatest month of reading for me, but it was a short month (😉) and I had a baby smack dab in the middle so I think I have a good excuse for not reading quite as much. Nevertheless, some good recommendations coming your way.

THE ENCHANTED HOUR by Meghan Cox Gurdon

4.5/5 STARS

The Enchanted Hour was recommended reading by Jack’s preschool. It’s been on my shelf to read since August and I finally picked it up. I have to say, I loved it. I do really enjoy parenting books, and find myself cherry picking tidbits from the ones I read versus taking everything as the gospel. However, The Enchanted Hour is one I can get behind 100%. It’s all about the power of reading aloud to your children. I read to Jack every day– mostly at bedtime– and felt like we were doing a pretty good job reading for 20-30 minutes every night. Even before I finished The Enchanted Hour, I started upping our reading even more. I am trying to squeeze in books at all hours of the day now (in the playroom, while we wait at restaurants, during bath time if we’re feeling extra) and it’s been amazing!! As much as I love reading now, it got me even more excited for days in the future when I can read chapter books with the boys! Highly recommend.

TROUBLE THE LIVING by Francesca McDonnell Capossela

4.5 STARS

The author of Trouble the Living sent me a copy of her book to read! It was perfect timing because Mike and I had just started watching Derry Girls and I coincidentally found myself with a number of books based in Ireland. I really enjoyed this book, which goes back and forth between Northern Ireland in the 90s and modern day California telling the stories of a mother and daughter and the secrets both of them have kept. I love a book featuring complicated mother/daughter relationships and this one felt extra unique and compelling. It took me a tiny bit to get into it, but then I couldn’t put it down as the story unfolded.

YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL by Maggie Smith

3.75 STARS

I want to preface this by saying I think that You Could Make This Place Beautiful is a really well-written book… I just don’t think I was the target audience, so I struggled to connect with it. I went into it blind and that was probably my mistake as it’s her memoir mainly about the demise of her marriage. It’s quite beautiful though, reading more like a poem than an actual memoir and I imagine if you’re going through relationship struggles (particularly if you have children), it would resonate in a profound way. It did inspire me to explore more of her work.

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