April 2017: Recap + On My Shelves

April 2017: Recap + On My Shelves

• May 9, 2017

April was a really lovely month in Georgia, especially because a special visitor came to stay with me! I love the return of spring weather - the sunshine, the new blooms, the compulsion to just go outside and soak it all in.

1. Gorgeous New Bible - I've known about She Reads Truth for a while now, but I hadn't kept up with them in recent years. So it was a total surprise to learn they'd come out with the She Reads Truth Bible in April. Their tagline is “Inherently Beautiful, Intentionally Designed,” which is very fitting. The details in this Bible are just stunning: artwork for key verses, reading plans, and new maps, charts and timelines. 

2. Happy Easter - Easter is one of my favorite holidays because of what it symbolizes and means to me personally, but there was an added joy to it this year! I loved putting together a little Easter basket for my boy, dressing him up in a sweet smocked Jon Jon for church and walking him around to find eggs afterward. It's crazy how much a child can make you look at things with new eyes!

3. Planner Heaven - This is old news to anyone who knows me or regularly reads my blog, but I'm a huge planner nerd! I've written about Lilly Pulitzer agendas and discovering the world of traveler's notebooks - two things I still love. But I purchased a Happy Planner in April (partly because of Lindsey from Bring My Books) and now I'm OBSESSED. I have one for planning and one for memories, and they're amazing!

4. Kelly Comes to Visit - This was the highlight of April! Kelly from Belle of the Literati is one of the best friends I've made through blogging, but we'd never gotten the chance to meet in person. When the timing and details worked out, Kelly finally booked a trip to Atlanta! I loved having her here for a few days because I got to show her a bit of Georgia, spend all day chatting and bring her into the planner obsession. PLEASE COME BACK.

Read 8 Books | Favorites:

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

 “Like most girls, she'd already learned that pretty exposes you and pretty hides you
and like most girls, she hadn't yet learned how to navigate the difference.”
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

 “We would’ve told her that all together, we got centuries on her.
If we laid all our lives toes to heel, we were born before the Depression, the Civil War,
even America itself. In all that living, we have known men. Oh girl, we have known littlebit love.
That littlebit of honey left in an empty jar that traps the sweetness in your mouth
long enough to mask your hunger. We have run tongues over teeth to savor that last littlebit
as long as we could, and in all our living, nothing has starved us more.”
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

 “A daughter grows older and draws nearer to her mother, until she gradually overlaps her
like a sewing pattern. But a son becomes some irreparably separate thing.”
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

 “Could you be nostalgic for a friendship that wasn't over yet
or did the fact that you were nostalgic mean that it already was?”
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

In April, I shared my March 2017 recap, which is always fun. Alexa from Alexa Loves Books and I got caught up on sharing The Picky Pledge Reading Challenge reviews. For me, that included Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu and She Reads Truth by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams. I talked a bit about how I found Alanna by Tamora Pierce a little disappointing but found a new favorite in Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. And finally, I recapped what I read in March with my Quick Lit: March 2017 post. 

1. Mug Life {1} by Kelly from Belle of the Literati - I'm so excited about Kelly's new feature... and not just because I helped her come up with a few categories! I think this is such a fun way to share a peek at what she's up to currently + feature a cute photo. And bonus: I had a great time contributing to her most recent Mug Life!

2. The Other Side of Anne of Green Gables by Willa Paskin - Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books and a huge reason I'm the reader that I am today. I loved the 1980s mini-series for TV, too, so I'm both eager and nervous about the upcoming adaptation (on Netflix May 12!). This article gave me so much insight into it!

Favorite Song: "Now or Never" by Halsey

I became so obsessed with a few of Halsey's songs a few years ago, 

and I've been looking forward to new music from her since. This song didn't disappoint.

Favorite Album: Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by James Newton Howard

I used to love movie scores, but I haven't spent as much time listening to them in recent years.

But I had this one on repeat in April, and it provided the perfect background for blogging and crafting. 

Prison Break: Resurrection (2017) starring Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller - The summer after my freshman year of college, I became completely obsessed with Prison Break. You can ask my family about it - I have no doubt they'll remember. I was super annoying about it! So, I was more than a little excited when I heard about the nine-episode revival. It started in April, and I've been enjoying it so far!

Book Depository: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

New Lovely: She Reads Truth Bible

For Review: Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams and Sleepless Nights and Kisses for Breakfast by Matteo Bussola

Kindle Deals: The Course of Love by Alain de Botton, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, The Best Man by Kristin Higgins and Roots and Sky by Christie Purifoy

Audible Credit + Sale: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella and The End of the Affair by Graham Greene