Recent Reads

I absolutely love to read and enjoy swapping book recommendations with friends. Today I’m sharing some of my recent reads… and they are all over the place as usual. I loved some, I loathed some… I actually laughed AND cried. Spoiler alert… I saved the best for last on this list.

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Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

This was a book club selection by the author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and had the same quirky, unpredictable feel.  The story takes you on a bit of a wild ride.  It’s an easy, quick read that will leave you guessing until the end.

I Will Carry You by Angie Smith

This is a book I’ve owned for a long time and gifted to friends who dealt with infant loss.  For many years I avoided reading it because I knew it would be extremely difficult.  I finally picked it up and yes, the tears came.  It’s a gut-wrenching, beautiful story of faith and deep love.  Not ever experiencing this kind of loss, I felt it gave me tools to help walk alongside friends who go through the unimaginable.  I was deeply touched by this one.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

This is a tough one for me to review.  Rachel Hollis is all the rage right now and this book had some great motivational tools and ideas.  On some levels it is inspiring.  In other ways I feel it’s deeply lacking.  A like-minded friend sent me this article which parallels a lot of my thoughts.  As with anything, approach this one with discernment.

Standing Strong by Teresa Giudice

Y’all.  I kind of want the time back I spent reading this book.  I found Turning the Tables to be somewhat fascinating, so when I spotted this one on display at the library, I grabbed it.  It’s all over the place.  Not a favorite.

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

After reading Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, I was so excited to read this one and saw the Crazy Rich Asians movie in the middle of it.  These books are a delight, an indulgence, and too fun.  You must see the movie if you haven’t already.  If you are looking for a twisting, saucy series go ahead and grab the trilogy.

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Buy this right now along with a few extra copies to gift your girlfriends for Christmas.  Put on your best Draper James dress, pour yourself some sweet tea, and ENJOY.  This book is a delightful mix of Southern secrets, stories and recipes.  I loved it.  Turns out, Reese and I share an affection for hot rollers and calculating a cooking schedule for dinner parties.  She even has a darling collection to celebrate the book.  This one is a treasure.

Those are my most recent reads… what’s next on your reading list?

Book Club: All We Ever Wanted

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A warm summer night, a saucy book and great friends are the ingredients of a perfect evening.  I had such a nice time hosting book club this month.  Summer is winding down, so we soaked up the carefree feeling and warm weather as much as we could.  

Our selection was All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin.  We all enjoyed it, but just a note... if you've read her other novels, you'll be surprised at the content in this one.  Let's just say it's not for kids!

The only thing shallow about my book club was this pool. Ha!  I floated La Croix in little inflatable holders and the result was lots of fun.  I've wanted to do this for a while and this was the perfect setting.

I also busted out my Lilly for Target plates and accessories.

Dinner was Texas Caesar Salad followed up by a selection of desserts from a French bakery near my home.  They were so, so pretty!

I love a party favor, of course, so I used some things I had stashed away.  Book marks, Lilly for Target nail files, and a chocolate.

These flamingo cups held everything nicely.

It's always nice to send your guests off with a little something at the door.

I truly enjoy decorating, cooking, planning out a theme, and hosting, but it's the friendships that grow with each evening spend lingering around the dinner table that are my favorite part.  Here's to the last days of summer and many good books to come!

A Great Book and a Giveaway

A sure sign of a good book is when you feel compelled to drop everything, throw your to-do list out the window, and let your children fend for themselves for dinner so you can keep reading.  That was the case with Lincee Ray's Why I Hate Green Beans.  I could not put it down!

Not only do Lincee and I share a hatred of green beans and a deep affection for both Dr Pepper and Troy Aikman, but we both absolutely love television.  I first came across Lincee through her wildly popular recaps of The Bachelor franchise.  I'm thrilled to get to be on the launch team for her book which releases tomorrow.

She has a great sense of humor so I KNEW I would laugh.  I laughed a lot through this book.  What I didn't expect was to burst into tears as Lincee revealed deep hurts and struggles.   We all wrestle with insecurities, disappointments, and circumstances we wish we could change.  Lincee is so brave to share hers in a raw and genuine way.  What I loved most in the book is how she uses her faith to find her true identity and stability when life is unstable.  It was incredibly encouraging to me.  I know it will encourage you too.

Hurry, hurry and pre-order the book here.  If you order it today, you'll get the audio version for free!

I'm also giving away a copy of Why I Hate Green Beans to one lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment and tell me what food you detest.  The giveaway ends Wednesday at noon mountain time.

Happy reading!