October & November 2016: Recap + On My Shelves

October & November 2016: Recap + On My Shelves

• Dec 5, 2016

I know I sound like a broken record, but where in the world did 2016 go? I had a wonderful fall packed with so many lovely moments and memories, but I still can't believe it's already the end of the year!

1. A Bookish Event - I already talked about the In the Company of Women tour in a post, but it was worth mentioning again. The panel of female entrepreneurs was so inspiring! Although I don't aspire to run my own business, I have so much respect for people who take that risk and live their dream. It's been nice to sit down at home, flip through the book and read interviews with a variety of creatives. 

2. A Wedding in the Family - My little brother got married in October, and it was such a lovely wedding! It was so fun to celebrate him and his bride, to see out-of-town family members, and to dance the night away with my husband and baby. My brother met his wife at my wedding five years ago, so they decided to get married at the same venue that I did. It definitely made their wedding a fun trip down memory lane!

3. Fall Family Fun - Nick took a Friday off work in October, and we went to a cool farm that's not too far from our house for a little fall fun. There was a corn maze, pumpkin patch, petting zoo and farmer's market! We had the best afternoon and took so many adorable photos of our sweet boy. I can't wait to go back when he's old enough to really participate in the activities! I have no doubt it will become a family tradition.

4. My Growing Baby - Our boy turned six months old in November, which is absolutely crazy to me. He's growing and changing so fast! The past two months brought a number a new milestones - sitting up, eating solid foods, babbling and CRAWLING. He's into everything these days, which is exciting and exhausting. Ha! But it's been incredible to see his little personality start to emerge and watch him make new discoveries every day.

Read 17 Books | Favorites:

Six of Crows + Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Honorable Mentions:

For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy
who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet.
And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter
because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does.
Only that boy earns your heart.”
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

 “I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you,
and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

 “Letters tell the truths a person will not speak. They contain the deepest of feelings,
the wisest of stories. Letters are powerful. They contain messages of hope, love, change.”
Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier

 “Unattended hurt, anger, and bitterness can destroy even the best marriage.
Lean honestly into every hard place, each tender spot,
because truthfulness hurts for a minute but silence is the kill shot.”
For the Love by Jen Hatmaker

 “The way he said her name made my heart cramp.
In all my years of word collecting, I've learned this to be a tried and true fact:
I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name.
I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe
in another person's mouth. When you know they'll never shout it out like a cuss word,
but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time.”
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

 “All books are judged by their covers until they are read.”
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

I honestly didn't think I'd blogged about anything during the past two months, but I did manage two share two posts that I loved writing: A #BossBabes Book List (with a recap of a fun bookish event I attended in October) and So Obsessed With: The Fall 2016 Edition. There are a number of posts I'm hoping to write in December - it's one of my favorite blogging months because I love reflecting on the past before moving into a new year!

1. Low Reading Months by Lauren from Bookmark Lit - This post was particularly timely for me. I'm used to reading approximately 150+ books per year, and this year I've read around half that many. There are plenty of reasons for the decrease, but it's still so weird to see the sharp decline. So, I enjoyed Lauren's tips!

2. 7 Tips for Raising Kids Who Love to Read by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy - Another month, another bookmarked post from Modern Mrs. Darcy. I just love the content on this blog, and I probably could have chosen a number of other posts to highlight. But this one was my favorite since I'm hoping to raise a reader.

3. On Reading Epiphanies and Getting Back to Bookish Roots by Laura from Scribbles & Wanderlust - I'll probably always have a soft spot for posts reflecting on how blogging has changed someone's reading habits and how react to that change. I'm excited to see if Laura is able to accomplish her purpose!

  

Favorite Album #1: Georgica Pond by Johnnyswim

I already talked about this album in a recent post, but I had it mention it again.

I love Abner and Amanda's voices and had this on repeat for weeks. The title track is my favorite!

Favorite Album #2: The Weight of These Wings by Miranda Lambert

I listened to a lot of country growing up - it's just not my go to music anymore.

But I love anything from Miranda Lambert, and I'm so glad her new album didn't disappoint.

Bad Moms (2016) starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn - I have a soft spot for Kristen Bell because of Veronica Mars, which made me interested in this movie when I first heard about it. But I knew I didn't want to go see it in theaters, so I waited until it came out in Redbox. I'm glad I did because I wasn't a fan. It just wasn't that funny to me. Several of the moms just came across as caricatures - in an eyeroll-y way.

Finding Dory (2016) starring Ellen DeGeneres - Finding Nemo is such a great movie, and I was looking forward to watching the sequel. The biggest question in my mind was whether or not it would live up to the original. And while I still love the first movie more, this was an enjoyable follow up. The story made me so sad, even with the humorous moments, because I kept imaginging how Dory's parents must feel. #sobs

Ghostbusters (2016) starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones - I was standing at Redbox, flipping through the new releases and spotted Ghostbusters. I wasn't really interested in it but thought Nick might be, so I rented it. Y'all, this was probably the biggest surprise of everything I watched! I really enjoyed this movie and laughed so hard. The casting was seriously perfect!

The Legend of Tarzan (2016) starring Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie and Christoph Waltz - This was another movie Nick and I wanted to watch but didn't get a chance to go see in theaters. But it worked out for the best because it's way more fun to watch movies at home in your jammies! Anyway, I had mixed feelings on this one. The animals/CGI were so unbelievable, but the story was interesting because I liked the casting.

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey - I went and saw this movie at the beginning of October - all by myself. If you have kids, you probably know just how much of a treat that is. Haha! I love my baby, but I now have a much deeper appreciation for things like solo trips to the movies. That being said - I wasn't a huge fan of the movie. Bridget's antics just wore on me by the end.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol - I adored this movie! To be honest, I was a little surprised by just how much I loved it. I'd heard a lot about it and was excited to see it - but it was even better than I could have imagined. Eddie Redmayne solifided his place as my favorite. *swoon* Now I can't wait to see the next installments! 

Moana (2016) starring Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson - Nick and I both enjoy Disney/Pixar movies, so we were excited to go see this movie together. The animation was incredible, and I was a big fan of the music. I can't get the song "How Far I'll Go" out of my head - it's just so memorable! I enjoyed the humor and was a big fan of the agency that the story gave Moana, although it wasn't my favorite movie overall. 

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016) starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel - I had such high hopes for this revival, and I ended up really disappointed overall. Everything just seemed awkward, I guess. I hated some of the characters' decisions, wasn't crazy about the open ending and wanted to fast forward through multiple scenes. Oof. (That being said, there were definitely a few moments that I loved!)

Poldark: The Second Season (2016) starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson - Oh dang, where do I even begin?! I intended to watch the second season week to week but ended up waiting a bit, which was perfec because I got to binge most of the episodes quickly! I wanted to murder Ross (he does NOT deserve Demelza), but it made for great discussion with Kelly. And now I can't wait for the next season!

Bookish Event: In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney (in What I Loved)

Bookstore Browsing & Bargains: Molly on the Range by Molly Yeh, Heartless by Marissa Meyer, She Reads Truth by Rachael Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, Greenglass House by Kate Milford and When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad

Pre-Order Purchases: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen, The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines, Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham and This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

The Movie Made Me Obsessed: The Case of Beasts by Mark Salisbury and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Book Outlet Breakdown (Middle Grade): Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks, Summer of Lost and Found by Rebecca Behrens, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Kat, Incorrigible, Renegade Magic and Stolen Magic by Stephanie Burgis, All Four Stars and The Stars of Summer by Tara Dairman, The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Frederick Vogel, Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica George, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu, The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Leila Howland, Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson, Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell, When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead, Swing Sideways by Nanci Turner Steveson and The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood 

Book Outlet Breakdown (Young Adult): Stars Above by Marissa Meyer, The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson and Spoiled and Messy by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Book Outlet Breakdown (Adult): Re Jane by Patricia Park, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley and The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennet by Kate Rorick and Rachel Kiley

From My Mama: The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore, Parenting by Paul David Tripp, Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst and None Like Him by Jen Wilkin

For Review: Life in Balance by Donna Hay, The Flavour Principle by Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol, We Were on a Break by Lindsey Kelk, Who's That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane and Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

From the Author: Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley

Kindle Deals: Ross Poldark by Winston Graham, Frederica by Georgette Heyer, The Cecilia and Kate Novels by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer and The Falconer and The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Netgalley/Edelweiss for Review: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella, Maud by Melanie Fishbane and The Capsule Wardrobe by Wendy Mak

Discounted Audios: In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Anne of Green Gables by Rachel McAdams