My Picks to Re-“Kindle” 😉 a Love of Reading
I’ve been a bookworm my whole life. From the moment I learned to make sense of letters and words on a page, I was hooked. I didn’t watch TV or movies as a kid. Instead, you’d find me, often hanging upside down off a couch or a bed like a bat, with my nose buried in a novel.
It continued into young adulthood. Friday and Saturday nights in high school and beyond were spent at the local Barnes & Nobles, a magnificent 2-story treasure trove to browse while drinking all the coffee and feeling impossibly grown up.
Even into motherhood, books were my escape. I remember distinctly the haze of first-time motherhood with Easton, when for the first time in my life I was so overwhelmed and exhausted that I couldn’t focus on a book to finish it. It took 12 weeks before my concentration returned to the point where I could escape into a book again. And escape I did. I returned to avid reader status, finishing at least 2 books a month.
But then, about a year ago, I started a blog, I picked up freelance work, and I spent my free hours hustlin’: writing, editing, engaging, creating, building a community. It’s rewarding in an entirely different way but the reality is, there are only so many hours in a day. Hustling had completely replaced reading and so my beloved Kindle Paperwhite sat on my nightstand, uncharged and gathering dust.
This summer, a fellow Instagram bookworm (check out my inspiring friend @livlunamasha for momfluencer life and Insta marketing tips) challenged me to get back to reading with just 15 minutes a day.
You guys know I can’t say no to a challenge. I put my Kindle on the charger and browsed the Overdrive app.
The challenge did exactly what I wanted it to: After months away from reading anything except kids’ books, I fell back in love with reading.
It helps that I’ve been on a roll with my choices. I haven’t made a bad pick yet. So without further ado, here are the books that brought me back to reading:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy for all the boring details.
The Fiction Books That Made Me a Bookworm Again
Not gonna lie, I eased back into reading with some solid John Greene YA fiction. (You’re never to old to read Young Adult novels in my opinion.) This one focuses on mental health and sometimes was so raw that I almost wanted to look away.
A new spin on the World War II genre, telling a fictionalized story with roots in history about the women who aided the Resistance.
Hands down, the best book I’ve read all year. A sprawling mash-up of history and mythology with a female perspective. I didn’t want this one to end.
Lethal White (or any from the Cormoran Strike series)
A taut, tight mystery by the author of Harry Potter. Need I say more? The characters in this series are captivating and never disappoint; the ups and downs of their relationship are as intriguing as the mysteries they work together to solve.
A family saga told from the point of view of four siblings, spanning generations and and eras.
A historical page-turner that keeps you guessing until the very end. I revised my opinion over and over and over with bated breath as each new detail was revealed.
Sometimes a book is so good, you read it cover to cover in one sitting. This one was my 4-hour-flight-to-Las-Vegas read. It’s a quick, breezy read with ideas that stay with you after you finish.
Apocalyptic/futuristic fiction isn’t my usual genre of choice, but this one drew me in and kept me reading until well after midnight. The female empowerment themes were thought-provoking and deep.
What’s the best thing you’ve read recently? And tell me, are you an old-fashioned paper book person or an avid ebook reader? I swore I could never switch from the allure of turning pages but I fell hard for the Kindle Paperwhite because it’s lightweight (helpful when I drop it on my head falling asleep in bed) and illuminated (so I can read into the wee hours of the night in my cozy bed without disturbing #DoneWithFun Daddy’s slumber).
I’ll keep sharing my book picks here and on social media, so follow along on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more bookworm nerdiness. 🤓
