I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. My parents like to tell the story of how when I was two I’d fall asleep with books scattered around me. As soon as I could read, I was engrossed in books. Once I hit school, that kind of took away a lot of my free time for reading anything for myself, but now that I’ve graduated I’m back on the bookworm bandwagon and enjoying it more than ever!
Each month I’m going to blog about five books I’ve enjoyed reading. This month’s Top 5 are all (very) good ones!!
Something Like Happy by Eva Woods
This book was SO captivating. I probably read nearly half of it in the first day. The book follows the story of two women who come from vastly different lifestyles, but connect one day at a hospital. Polly’s been diagnosed with cancer and told she has 100 days to live. She convinces Annie to be her friend and participate in a 100 Happy Day Challenge with her: do one thing that makes you happy every day. I was laughing, I was tearing up, it was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines
Okay, I have to make a confession. I bought this book without having ever watched Fixer Upper. I know, I know! But, the story was so good. It was particularly fascinating to me to hear how they expanded their business so much over the years; bit by bit, persisting and always dreaming. And, I loved how they gave God all of the credit. If you’re looking for a true story that will inspire you in life and your faith, this book is a good choice.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
As soon as I heard John Green had published a book about anxiety, I picked it up. Turtles All the Way Down follows the story of Aza (love that name), a highschool student who battles anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s written in a way that is so easy to read and you gain so much insight. Highly recommend this one.
I learned about this one from @kate.eskuri (check her out, she’s the cutest!) and it’s become one of my favorite parts of the day. Every day, you’ll be prompted with a question (“What’s your dream vacation?” or “Can people change?”) and you’re given about 4 lines to write your answer. There are five paragraphs of lines – one for each year. So, every year you’ll be able to look back and see what your answer was the previous year and how your perspective/ideas have changed. So cool! I love it.
Wild & Free by Jess Connolly and Haley Morgan
If you’re looking for a good devotional, choose this one! Hands down, the best devotional book I’ve ever read. Jess & Haley take turns writing each chapter, re-defining the phrase “wild & free”, and laying out all the reasons why Jesus wants us to be wild and free in our daily lives. My perception of Jesus evolved and grew to see him in more beautiful ways than I could have imagined.
I hope you enjoyed this post! I’m excited to begin sharing my top 5 recommendations each month. Do you have any good reads you’d recommend for me? I’m always open to suggestions!!
xo,
Joelle
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