As you know, I love to read. It’s my escape. My comfort. My favorite free-time activity.
I know not everyone is this way. But, today, especially being surrounded by so much technology and screen time- I think it’s still so very important. By reading, we model to our children that reading is good and fun and interesting. They truly learn by seeing what we’re doing- not what we tell them to do.
This is the challenge for Beginners- not a lot of rules, and a lot of room for you to make your own decisions…so, no pressure!
So, this year, even if you’re not a huge reader- I’m extending you this challenge.Read 4 books. 1 per quarter. That’s 1 every 3 months. YOU CAN DO THIS! Here’s your Challenge categories for this year:
*Historical Fiction
*Non-Fiction
*Humor
*Mystery/Suspense
Even as a new Mommy I found snippets of time to read. Full disclosure- even if it was in the bath tub or on the toilet. Take 10 minutes from your busy schedule to fit in a chapter or 2. Even if it is on an audiobook, I’ll give you a pass. I’d rather you read it- but I do understand busy schedules- believe me. I haven’t seen my best friend in 2 months. Or had my hair cut in a year….you get the picture.
I’d like to share some of my favorite books from this past year with you, and hopefully it will inspire you to read one of them.
-If you’re a fan of historical fiction, which I’m usually not at all, check out one of these. I enjoyed them all, and got totally immersed in all of the stories.
The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France–a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. (Synopsis via Amazon.)
A memorable coming-of-age story and love story, laced with suspense, which explores a hidden side of the home front during World War II, when German POWs were put to work in a Wisconsin farm community . . . with dark and unexpected consequences. (Synopsis via Amazon.)
Committed to a Baltimore psychiatric hospital in 1932, Zelda vacillates between lucidity and madness as she fights to forge an identity independent of her famous husband. She discovers a sympathetic ear in her nurse Anna Howard, who finds herself drawn into the Fitzgerald’s tumultuous lives and wonders which of them is the true genius. (Synopsis via Goodreads.) On another note, I have begun a love affair with the 20’s and also would recommend The Paris Wife and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.
-If you’re into Non Fiction- I’ve already shared my love of For the Love and Longing for Paris this year. {Click links for my reviews.} But, here’s some of my other fave Non-Fic Picks:
Nobody’s Cuter than You is a laugh-out-loud look at the special bond that exists between friends and a poignant celebration of all the extraordinary people God had the good sense to bring into our lives at exactly the right moments. (Synopsis via Amazon.) This book is so cute and will have you calling your best friend in no time!
-If you need a good cry:
On an ordinary September day, twelve-year-old Jack is swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with the awful questions: How could God let this happen?And, Can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace. (Synopsis via Amazon.) Seriously heartbreaking- but so, so, so good.
-And if you just need a good laugh:
-Or like some dark suspense:
Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.
(Synopsis via Amazon.)
Gaby Mortimer is the woman who has it all. But everything changes when she finds a body near her home. She’s shaken and haunted by the image of the lifeless young woman, and frightened that the killer, still at large, could strike again. (Synopsis via Amazon.)
I could spend all day recommending books- but this is a short version of what I’ve read this year. To see my whole list, check out my Goodreads. {Or if you need a recommendation, don’t hesitate to ask!}
So- this year, do it for you. Go pick up a book and read! Keep me updated on your fave books of the year- and subscribe to keep up with my favorites. I’ll also share them throughout the year on my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Read along with me!
Next Week I’ll post my challenge for Avid Readers- it will have a lot more categories, and be quite a bit harder. Which challenge will you join?
Tag #ReadWithMrsBishop to follow along on Twitter and IG!
*This post contains affiliate links, so that you may easily access the info for these books*
