July Book Recap

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When I say I'm a slow reader...I put great emphasis on the word slow. I like to read, but I often read leisurely, whenever I have nothing else to do. I've thought about trying to schedule time to read everyday but I just haven't committed to it. So for now, in this season of life, I get through one or two books a month and call it a win. {I've also been busy creating content for my other blog - Ditch It & Switch It - so that has taken up a decent portion of my time.}

Anyways, back to the long overdue July Book Recap!

1. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

This was the first book by Liane Moriarty that I've read. It was recommended to me by a friend and I thought it would be a nice easy read after having just slogged through All The Light We Cannot See. The storyline is nothing profound or life changing but I found it to be endearing and a breath of fresh air. The story follows Alice, who falls off her bike at the gym and hits her head, resulting in the loss of all memories from the last 10 years. The book chronicles her journey to regain her footing, get back in touch with her present life and the complicated situation she finds herself in. If you are looking for some light reading, I would try this one! For my rating, I'd give this one 3 stars. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I'll cut to the chase, this was a solid 4 star book for me. It follows the real-life story of Lale Sokolov (the tattooist) and his will to survive as a prisoner in Auschwitz. It was his job as the tattooist that afforded him the opportunity to meet Gita, a girl that would turn out to be the love of his life. The book shares many gut-wrenching, devastating, and evil occurrences during the course of his time at the death camp. Through the horrors, they managed to look after one another. Lale came up with ingenious ways to use his privileges as the tattooist to help his fellow prisoners in the camp and managed to escape death's grip many times over. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a book that will certainly pull at your heartstrings. Don't forget to check out the last few pages of the book that contains the authors notes, you'll find pictures of Lale and Gita and an update!

So there you have it! For only getting through 2 books, I think they were worth my time. What books did you read last month? Any I should add to my reading list?

Alyssa | So Southern Sweet

Favorite Book of All Time

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It's no secret, I'm an on-again, off-again type of reader. Some months I might read two or three books and other months I'm lucky if I get through one. I think part of that comes from feeling guilty about sitting and reading instead of doing chores around the house or whatever I deem as a better use of my time. I find myself always having to challenge that mindset.

This takes me back to 2015. I vividly remember the first day of one of my finance classes at ECU when my professor passed around index cards and told us to write down how many books we read in a month. Most of us were a bit perplexed. How did the number of books we read in a month relate to finance or our success in this class? She went on to explain that many successful CEO's and executives read at least 4 books a month. This was quite shocking to me as the only books I had been reading were the textbooks that my classes required. She challenged us to read more, learn more, and work hard for what we wanted. She went far beyond her duty to teach finance, she taught the material for class but she also encouraged and motivated us to be successful in our endeavors outside of the classroom. She wanted us to succeed as students and professionals.

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Now that I'm back from the quick trip down memory lane, let's talk about books. I wanted to share with you my all-time favorite book in the hopes that you'll read it and fall in love with it too! Chances are many of you have already read this, and if that's the case, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

So without further delay...my favorite book that I've ever read is...

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale is set in France in 1939 during World War II and shares the story of two sisters with differing views and ideals as they seek to survive the war. Read the full synopsis here.

I'm not a big book buyer as I generally prefer to use our public library but I loved this one so much and I know I'll want to read it again so I'm adding it to my bookshelf. I fell in love with her writing style. Her descriptions put you in the middle of the scenery and her compelling storytelling makes you feel sympathy towards characters you wouldn't think possible. She has written many books (upwards of 20) so I jumped at the chance to pick up another one when I saw it on Book of the Month. 

The Great Alone

The Great Alone was another fascinating read by Hannah. It wasn't quite good enough to knock The Nightingale out of the top spot but I gave it a solid 4 stars. I enjoyed that it was unlike anything I had read before. 

Set in a desolate part of Alaska, the family lives off the grid. It shares the story of 13-year-old Leni, her mother and her father as they try to survive the brutal Alaskan climate and her fathers deteriorating mental state as he suffers as a result of being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Read the full synopsis here.

Have you read any of Kristin Hannah's other books? Which one/s would you recommend? 

What is your all-time favorite book? 

I'm always looking for new ones to add to my reading list!

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