I am super excited to introduce you to my friend Stephenie AKA @reads.on.wednesdays today. She is a fellow boy mom and we have such a similar taste in books.
Welcome to another edition of my reading list and book recommendations guest post series. I have a great lineup of reading friends and book professionals sharing their current reads the next few weeks and I couldn’t be more thrilled!
Katie and I are #bookstagram buddies and you might know her by book tree she featured this past holiday season that went totally viral in the online book community!
Katie posts daily book content which I am always super impressed by and loves so many of the same genres as me so she is always a go-to for me if I needing some book feedback or inspiration.
Katie is not afraid to share her honest thoughts on the reads she reads which I always appreciate and is just so much fun (except when she gives me grief about not reading Harry Potter yet!!)
I am actually meeting up with her and two of my other reading friends Kristina and Stephanie this spring at the 2020 Book Expo in NYC and I can’t even wait! I hope you enjoy learning more about Katie today.
Hey everyone! My name is Katie (aka @katieneedsabiggerbookshelf) and I am a born and raised Jersey Girl! I spent my college years in Savannah, GA which is where the “y’alls” come in that I sometimes throw out!
I currently live in Delaware with my boyfriend Dave, my cat Brody, and his dog Courtney. They love each other deep down, they just never show it!
When I’m not reading, (aka when they force me to do that thing called work) I sell yearbooks for Walsworth yearbooks. I just started this job in May and am loving it so far!
I spent five years doing sales for Pepsi so when this opportunity came along to do sales but also get to add in my love of photography and graphic design I had to jump at the chance! I love getting to work with the students, and help them get creative with their book! I also love to crochet, knit, paint, photograph, sew, and really just do anything crafty!
One of my favorite stories is that I had trouble learning to read. When I was in first grade, I could fly through the math worksheets, but reading gave me a ton of trouble. I went to extra help for it and it was game over from there.
My math skills quickly disappeared once subtraction was introduced, and soon you couldn’t find me without a book in my hand. My reading tastes are really all over the map, especially since I started my #bookstagram. I read pretty much anything except I don’t do a ton of fantasy, and I really only read sci-fi if it’s by Blake Crouch.
I read any time of day! I don’t really read in the morning because I am NOT a morning person. I am a roll out of bed, get dressed and brush my teeth, grab a bite to eat and my coffee on the way out the door!
I will read if I get to an appointment early and have a few minutes in the car alone, and always on my lunch break (when I take them.) Since I spend all day in the car, I always have an audiobook or a podcast going! In terms of sitting down to crack a book, I am mostly a nighttime reader though.
I just finished The Simple Wild and Darling Rose Gold and am starting on The New Husband, Before Anyone Else, and The Other’s Gold.
This is a really tough one! There are so many I have loved recently. I am going to give my three 5-star reads from January though! A Sky Painted Gold, Hum If You Don’t Know The Words, and Catch and Kill. All were amazing reads that I couldn’t put down!
There are so many great sounding books coming out I don’t even know where to start! Some I am excited about include Truths I Never Told You, He Started It, Night Swim, and Beach Read! They are all repeat authors for me (except Truths I Never Told You-which I need to read her first one ASAP! It’s on my backlist shortlist!) And I can’t wait to see what they have come up with for their next read!
I was hoping to love Normal People, Three Women, and Saint X. But they just didn’t do it for me. The first two I did finish and was mad I bothered, and the third I DNF’d.
I am listening to The Others Gold, and am anxious for my pre-order of Children Of The Land to come in.
I generally prefer non-fiction on audio, but if I’m not listening to a book I love listening to Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, Here To Make Friends (the Bachelor is my guilty pleasure), or Bad On Paper Podcast.
My nightstand is pretty boring. I have my books (bottom is my next read, the middle is my current physical book read, and the top is my kindle.) I generally read my kindle in bed because I’m a side sleeper and its easier to read a kindle on my side than a physical book! So I almost always have three books going at once!
Then I, of course, have my phone and apple watch chargers, water, chapstick, and the tv remote to turn it off once Dave falls asleep! My favorite part isn’t my nightstand, but my amazing floating shelves above my nightstand! They make me so happy and contain some of my TBR, minus my superwoman one that has my lady power books!
Our room doesn’t have a lot of room for bookshelves, but I did just add these gems upstairs in the office. Since I had to put all my book tree books away it made for a good time to organize the shelves a bit better! And I see some blank spaces waiting to be filled! I have several bookshelves throughout the house, but this one looks the prettiest!
Thank you so much for sharing today, Katie. I loved hearing all about your recent reads and I now need floating bookshelves ASAP!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Welcome to the first Nightstand Series post in 2020! I love being able to share book content with a wider range of perspectives and genres and I am so appreciative of all my reading friends who have helped make this happen by sharing their reading list and recommendations.
I started this book friends series last January and it has been so fun looking back at all the people and books that were shared. You can check out all of my 2019 Nightstand Series posts below…
Kristy @kristy.dooley.photography
Kristina @kristinasbookishlife
If you are a reader and are interested in sharing your booklist & recommendations in 2020, please comment below and I will send you an email to get you on my guest post calendar.
Today I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Michelle AKA @michellenputney! She was one of my very first #bookstagram friends and I always love seeing what she is reading and enjoying.
Michelle writes the most amazing reviews over on Goodreads and is never afraid to share her honest thoughts while also sharing an incredible amount of detailed perspective. Anytime I see a book I want to read on there, I have to see what Michelle thought first because her reactions are always spot on!
I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Michelle today!
My name is Michelle Putney and I’m a 37-year-old bookworm from Buffalo, NY. I am married, have a 2.5-year-old daughter, Olivia and 2 golden retrievers Apollo (10) & Atticus (8.5). I would have 10 golden retrievers if I could, but sadly that isn’t a reality at the moment!!
I work in the life insurance industry but am happiest when I am with my family, walking the dogs and reading. I love instilling my love of reading in my daughter and so far she loves to read just as much as I do! We go to the library about every 2 weeks and check out about 10 books at a time so we can read before nap and bedtime.
I have always been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. My parents used to yell at me to get my nose out of my books while driving to our family vacation destinations of Cape Cod, MA or Bar Harbor, ME so I could see the beautiful scenery. (Nancy Drew was much more interesting to me!)
Even though I have been reading/recommending books for years, I finally figured out that people use Instagram to connect with other like-minded readers and decided about 6 months ago to become a more serious #bookstagrammer.
My handle is @michellenputney (let’s connect and be friends!)
Since I have such a young daughter I don’t get as much time to read or be involved in the book community as I would like, but I am very appreciative to be a member of this great group of people. I typically read during Livie’s nap time or after she goes to bed.
I am reading All The Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White and Long Bright River by Liz Moore.
The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup and Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano.
Westering Women, The Majesties and I have very conflicted feelings about Saint X.
For the rest of January and for February – Long Bright River (I’m only 100 pages in so I still have a lot to go), The Dark Corners of the Night (UNSUB #3), The Sundown Motel, A Good Neighborhood, and Eden Mine.
I would love to listen to audiobooks, but I wouldn’t be able to stay focused the way I need to while doing chores around the house (otherwise, I could get a lot more reading time in!). I only have a 10-minute commute, but I make it twice a day to spend my lunchtime with the dogs so I do get a chance to listen to some podcasts.
I am listening to the latest episodes of In The Dark right now, as well as The Rachel Maddow Show. I loved Serial and listen to Pod Save America and Pantsuit Politics as much as I can (I’m a political junkie too!).
My nightstand is pretty boring since I don’t want anything nice to get accidentally knocked over by my daughter since she is very inquisitive 😉
I have a stack of books I’d like to get to next, my iPad with everything I have from Netgalley and Edelweiss and the alarm clock I’ve had since 1997 (my first year in high school). The thing is a relic and is only used for the clock, but it reminds me of simpler times in life. I also like that it’s been in my childhood bedroom, my college dorm/apartments, and now my home with my own family.
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Michelle. I am going to check out some of your political podcasts, I think I will need them during 2020! <3
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Hello! I hope you are enjoying this time between Christmas and the New Year. This week of the year always throws me off because the kids are home from school but Lucas is quite busy at work during this time of year, so he doesn’t have a lot of time off.
So while it is festive, it is also kind of like normal…except we have none of our regular routines or activities scheduled! We tend to thrive off of this stuff, so each day is kind of a mixed bag. 😉
I always have these dreamy ideas of what school breaks will be like, and then I am snapped back into reality. While we do have fun, I still spend a large percentage of my life refereeing between our boys and answering the question “can I have something to eat?!” while I am currently cleaning up from the food we just made…
While I haven’t had as much time to devote to this space during the last two weeks, I am trying to stay consistent with my guest posts, and today I am excited to introduce you to my book friend, Tancy!
Tancy is not only one of my Bookstagram reading buddies, but she also makes my most favorite book sleeves ever! You can visit her Etsy shop, Beyond Booked, HERE.
If you haven’t heard of a book sleeve before, they are fabric pouches that protect your books so you can bring them with you wherever you go! Tancy has the most gorgeous fabric choices and is just so wonderful to work with.
In addition to loving her book sleeves, I love reading her thoughts and reviews of the books she is reading. She is always so thoughtful with her feedback and she always inspires me to add new book selections to my TBR pile! I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Tancy today!
My name is Tancy Campbell and I currently live in San Diego California. I am a native of North Carolina but as a military spouse, I tend to move around frequently. My husband is a Master Chief in the US NAVY. He has served for just over 18 years and has plans to do 6 to 7 more. We also have two children, Kennedy 9 and Dallas 4. We have one 15-year-old Maltese who is about 5 pounds but has an attitude of a 70-pound dog.
I am a stay at home mom that loves to read, run, sew, and help others with their finances. I am in the process of turning my hobbies into businesses. I have an Etsy shop where I create stylish book sleeves for readers on the go. In addition to that, I am in the process of becoming a certified financial coach.
I’ve always enjoyed reading as a kid. I remember sitting my dolls in front of me while I read to them. I was a very bored kid but I could count on books to entertain me endlessly. Once I went to high school and college, academia sort of sucked the fun out of reading, so for about 8 years I read just to get by.
Once I graduated I began picking up books here and there but it wasn’t until I found the Bookstagram community in 2018 that the desire to read was fully reignited. This was a learning time for me, as I didn’t even know what I was interested in anymore. The more I read the more I found myself attracted to certain genres. I enjoy dystopian, WWII Fiction and Non-Fiction, and African American lit.
I read whenever I find the time. This maybe while for my daughter to get off the bus or whenever my son is in swim, or maybe I’ll get a couple of pages in while waiting in line somewhere. I tend to keep a book with me because you never know when you will have downtime. I plan to get in the habit of setting aside read time maybe every morning or every night.
I genuinely look forward to reading all the books. It’s such a nerdy thing to say but I get overwhelmed just thinking about all the books there are vs the time available to read them.
I am currently reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, and like most reviews will probably mention its fantastic. My favorite book this year is Atomic Habits by James Clear. It guides you on how to successfully create good habits and break bad ones.
Another favorite of mine this year was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I was very surprised to have liked this book, let alone LOVE it. I completely judged the book by the title thinking it was based on romance but after several recommendations from the Bookstagram community, I read it and LOVED it.
My podcast list is long and mainly in the area of personal finance and business. I’m currently listening to…
I’m also planning to listen to The Simple Path to Wealth very soon.
Currently, on my nightstand, I have 4 unfinished books and 2 books I would like to start soon. By having them on my night table I can see them and be reminded that I need to finish what I started.
I also keep a small jewelry box there, one I received from my children a couple of Christmas’s ago. Then, of course, night light and my phone charger. I’ll sometimes bring water up to hydrate before bed. Other things that can occasionally end up on the side table are my planner and pen so that I can jot notes for the next day.
Thank you so much for sharing today, Tancy! I have Atomic Habits on my bookshelf and you have made me want to read it ASAP.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Hi everyone! We are in the final countdown to the holidays and I am feeling it. The kids are definitely amped up and there is something so special about seeing this time of the year through their eyes. While I do love the festivities, the feelings holidays can bring up are mixed for me in many ways and I can’t say that I am not really looking forward to January in a lot of ways!
While I will be home with the kids during their school break(which as any parent knows isn’t exactly a “break”), I am looking forward to a slower pace than our usual leaving the house by 7:30 weekday schedule.and just have daylight time to get out and do some winter adventures together. There’s a fine balance to do this though and having some kind of plan to get out of the house at least once a day is necessary for parent survival!
This is a busy time of year for Lucas at work so it will be a lot together time just three of us (plus Buzz!) so I am hoping that we are able to get together with friends quite a bit. I am also crossing my fingers that the snow sticks around (and more comes soon!) so that we can have a White Christmas!
‘Today I am excited to introduce to you another one of my #bookstagram friends, Stephanie. Stephanie is one of my favorite people to follow on #bookstagram. She has mastered the art of finding time to cozy up and read between the juggling of daily life as a working mom and I love how she always makes it a priority. Her reviews are always so fun to read and I love that we enjoy so many of the same genres. I hope you enjoy learning more about Stephanie today!
Hello, hello! I’m Stephanie, wife of eleven years and mama to a four-year-old little lady who loves books almost as much as I do. We have a little Bichon Frise, Andy, we rescued eleven years ago – his favorite activity is lying on my lap while I read.
We live in a cozy century home in northeast Ohio, and it’s about the time of year that I am busily preparing for my months-long hibernation with a stash of tea and coffee alongside a pile of books and my heated blankets (yes, plural) to see me through ‘til spring.
I have worked as a travel consultant for seven years, and also do social media and marketing for our company – there are days I cannot believe I am paid to write blog posts, do creative social media and help people plan vacations.
I absolutely love my job and feel very blessed to be part of the travel community. This summer I also started teaching ESL online to children ages 4-12 in China – it is so much fun, and seeing the smiley faces of the kiddos when I log on while the rest of the Eastern Standard time zone sleeps is pretty great.
Besides reading, I love travel (obviously), crafting, playing board games and video games, doing puzzles, cooking vegan food, and making family memories at fun events and activities around Cleveland. I started a neighborhood book group for the women on our street, and we meet monthly for a hang-out but select a book for every other get-together. One of my favorite projects has been decorating our home, and I love the concept of hygge living and making it a place we love.
@brownhousebooks (my reading life)
@travelbystephanie (my travel life)
I have always been an avid reader. I grew up on Little Golden Books (my mom always let me pick one when we went to the grocery store) and moved on to Beverly Cleary, The Babysitters Club, the American Girl series (when I was young there were only THREE American Girls!), the Nancy Drew series, and then read anything by VC Andrews that I could get my early teen hands-on (no judging). One of my earliest memories as a young bookworm was my mother speaking with the librarians to ensure that my reading selections were age-appropriate.
My love of reading continued through middle school, high school, and college, where I majored in English Literature and Spanish, so my final years at Ohio University were all about reading and writing papers in two languages – because of this, I barely read for pleasure during that phase of my life.
As an adult, I read about 80-100+ books per year across genres. I prefer literary fiction but will dabble in middle grade, narrative nonfiction, self-improvement books, mysteries, and thrillers. I don’t read much sci-fi, fantasy, or YA.
I squeeze in my reading whenever I can. I used to start my day with a cup of coffee and a book before my little one would awaken, but now with teaching ESL in the morning, I don’t do this as much. I love to read before bed and during the kiddo’s nap time. When I work from home, I try to fit in some pages before I start my workday.
I am currently reading What Happens in Paradise (*the second book in the Paradise Trilogy) by Elin Hilderbrand and some cozy Christmas fiction. I am a HUGE seasonal reader, and I love settling in with a Christmas story during this time of year – I usually read about five of these during the season. This year has been an incredible reading year for me with so many standouts I will highly recommend to those seeking their next selection.
The One (John Marrs), How to Find Love in a Bookshop (Veronica Henry), The Mother-in-Law (Sally Hepworth), Into the Jungle (Erica Ferencik), Daisy Jones & the Six (Taylor Jenkins Reid), Evvie Drake Starts Over (Linda Holmes), The Girl He Used to Know (Tracey Garvis Graves), The Escape Room (Megan Goldin, and The Story of Arthur Truluv (Elizabeth Berg).
My biggest disappointments of the year have been: The Unhoneymooners (Christina Lauren), The Chain (Adrian McKinty), and Nine Perfect Strangers (Liane Moriarty).
I don’t listen to many audiobooks because when I do work in the office my commute is short, but the bigger reason is that I LOVE PODCASTS. I have been listening to podcasts for about ten years, back when I had to hook up my iPod to my desktop computer to download them for listening. (Guys, I am old.)
I have so many downloaded and so many listed in a journal to come back to, but my current listens are: The Deck the Hallmark Podcast (to accompany our Hallmark Christmas movie viewings), The TV Talk Machine (even though I don’t watch much television I love listening to these guys), Watch What Crappens, Be Our Guest, Currently Reading, Hello from the Magic Tavern, Sorta Awesome, Stuff You Should Know, The DIS Unplugged, and The Popcast with Knox and Jamie.
I like a tidy nightstand, so I try to keep the stuff from accumulating. Usually on my nightstand: my earbuds, my Kindle in its Novel Nuzzler sleeve, and my vintage-inspired alarm clock.
The tv remotes (I am bingeing ER on Hulu and watching at bedtime), my current library book, chapstick, an oil roller, and lotion. (In the winter months, my controller for the heated blanket.) I keep my acupressure mat next to my nightstand and use it every night.
Thank you so much for sharing today, Stephanie!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Hi everyone! How is your week going? I can’t believe we are so close to the kid’s holiday school break, considering it feels like Thanksgiving break was just yesterday! We have been busy at work getting all our 2019 things tied up before we have almost two weeks off from school and this time of the year always feels like a race to the finish line.
We try to keep it low key with the holiday festivities but even so, it always feels like a lot. As much fun as this season is, the kids are always wired, the noise decibel is high, there is so much sugar EVERYWHERE and there are just so many things to remember(or a lot of times, to forget, in my case…ha)
I often struggle to try to find the right balance between being real and straight up whining and I think it can especially be hard online. Family life is great AND it can feel like so much. As the kids have grown older, some things feel much easier and some things feel SO much harder.
I have been feeling like I am treading water lately and while I know I am not alone it can sometimes feel that way. I am always grateful for friends, both in “real life” and online that remind you that NO ONE has it all figured out.
Today I am excited to introduce you to one of those people, my #bookstagram friend Caroline!
Caroline and I connected over DMs on Instagram. Caroline is part of the amazing #bookstagram duo @texacalibooks. Friends Caroline and Nina share about all things reading and for this post, I asked Caroline to share how @texacalibooks came to be…
Nina and I went to law school together and have been besties ever since. Nina had the account for about a year called “One Awesome Book” and about 50 followers. She kept telling me to start one too since we constantly gave each other book recs.
We decided it would be more fun to do it together since we don’t live in the same city. So we changed the name, got me added, my obsessive personality kicked in and here we are !!
We may live on opposite sides of the country, but we always end up having so many things in common. Her kids are a bit older than mine so I always appreciate her great perspective and advice.
We love chatting books, work/life balance, and COFFEE and she is just one of the sweetest most genuine people and her writing always makes me smile. I am excited for you to learn more about Caroline today!
My name is Caroline and I live in Los Angeles with my husband, who I met in law school, and our two kids – Alexa is 14 years old and Beckett is 11 years old. I grew up in Tucson, Arizona and went to the University of Arizona for undergrad and The Ohio State University for law school (go Bucks!). I am a partner at a law firm in Century City specializing in real estate finance and have been at the same firm for almost 18 years. Ack, I am old!
Simply put, I am a working mom constantly trying to find that elusive work-life balance and failing miserably. I work very long hours and every weekend so between that and having two very active kids who play club sports, there is not much time for hobbies.
My daughter plays soccer and is also on her high school lacrosse team and my son plays soccer, basketball, and baseball. Life in sunny California means club teams are year-round and I am that soccer mom who has a sweatshirt, tee-shirt, and hat for my kids’ soccer club that I wear while I pace on the side of the field.
I basically spend my time not working acting as their Uber driver to and from practices and cheering them on in games that are all over Southern California – as far south as San Diego and as far north as Santa Barbara. We had one weekend a few months ago where the kids had 9 games between them, all out of town and about 25 miles apart from each other.
But I do carve out a little time for myself every day by running about 3 miles very early in the morning (and in the dark!) before my kids are awake and I always make sure that I read before bed every night regardless of what time I am finally going to bed. I also have an intense love for coffee, Target, extra soft sweatshirts, sneakers, Hallmark movies, and Bravo shows.
We are family who loves to ski so we go to Utah every winter for a family ski trip and we also spend a week doing nothing but laying by the pool in Hawaii every spring break. In the summer our crazy lives come to a grinding halt because my kids each go to sleepaway camps in Wisconsin.
My husband is from Chicago so my son attends the same camp that my husband went to as a kid and my daughter attends the sister camp that is owned by a camp friend of my husband. So after a very hectic school and sports year, my husband and I have an empty house which is always weird. However, the time is filled quickly with work, scouring the camp websites for pictures of the kids and making sure that we are not messing up our son’s many fantasy baseball teams while he is away.
I have been a reader my entire life. I was the dorky kid who brought a book everywhere with me. I remember being the only kid at sleepaway camp who actually read in the cabin during rest hour. The only time I had a lull in my reading was in law school because between all of the studying and working, there just was not time to read.
When I graduated law school, the chick-lit genre was just starting and authors like Sophie Kinsella, Jane Green, Jennifer Weiner, and Helen Fielding sucked me in immediately and kickstarted my love for reading.
I read in the mornings when I am getting ready for work. I put the book on the bathroom counter, propped open with hairbrushes while I brush my teeth, blowdry my hair, etc.
My son also reads before bed so if I can take a breather from reviewing documents for work, I snuggle up to him with my book. Also, I always read a little before I go to sleep. And I suffer from insomnia so I often read my books in the middle of the night with my little itty bitty book light.
The ultimate is when one of my kids has an out of town game and there is not a conflict between the schedules so my husband drives and I can read in the car. Freeway reading is the best.
I am all over the board right now in terms of genres. I still love chick lit the best but I am also very into thrillers, young adult, historical fiction and contemporary fiction.
I recently finished American Royals and The Swallows and loved them both so much. The last book that really shook me and stayed with me long after I finished it was A Woman is No Man and I had a major book hangover after The Flatshare.
I am desperately waiting for the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and American Dirt!
My one real book confession is that I didn’t love The Goldfinch. It dragged on too long for me and I was impatient and bored.
I only listen to music in the car. My kids insist on it and I am usually at my office before I realize that I am still listening to whatever they put on. They went through a major Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen phase but now it is more pop music.
I always keep a glass of water on my nightstand because I wake up thirsty in the middle of the night. Other necessities are my glasses because all of my reading at work has made me absolutely blind and lotion (I have a whole routine at night where I put lotion on my feet and then sleep in socks and my feet are nice and soft when I wake up.)
I have an alarm clock, my phone, the remote control that I have to keep on my side or my husband will find it and put on sports, a picture of my kids hugging each other so I can remind them that they actually do love each other, candles because this is LA and we have earthquakes, a flashlight because this is LA and we have earthquakes (see candles), my Casper light which is my most favorite thing ever and a little ceramic keepsake that my mom gave me when I was a little girl.
On the shelf under my nightstand is my stack of library books. I am a big library supporter which I love because I never spend money on books and I don’t have to worry about clutter when I am done reading them. The downside is that it also means that I am always a little behind on the hot new books and I am beholden to the library due dates. The struggle is real!
Thank you so much for sharing with us today! I hope you enjoyed learning more about Caroline. <3
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Welcome to another edition of The Nightstand Series! It’s been so fun to have this series back in the swing of things and today I have another book-loving friend sharing her reading list and book recommendations!
Mandi and I have known each other since our early 20s and she has been a part of my adult reading life for almost as long as I can remember. We have always swapped books and it has been fun to watch our reading tastes grow and change over time. Mandi has always had an impressive amount of books and I could always count her to have a bookshelf full of amazing recommendations…and she is still that way today!
I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Mandi today!
My name is Mandi AKA @mandireads and I live in South Burlington, Vermont with my husband and our yellow lab Chance.
I enjoy being active (hiking, spinning, group workout classes, walking), being on the lake in the summer, music (if it’s live, even better), spending time with friends and family, eating candy, true crime, podcasts and obviously reading.
I love traveling both within the US and abroad and have been fortunate enough to have been able to travel to some incredible places. I have a real soft spot for our annual trip to Maine every fall and after our destination wedding in April, Barbados is my favorite island that I’ve traveled to.
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, hands down. (I LOVE FOOD!) Growing up my parents would make whatever we wanted as a birthday dinner; my request was always a full Thanksgiving meal (thanks Mom)!
I have always been a reader. I had to take a little hiatus during grad school (there just weren’t enough hours in a day with school, a full-time job, and life), but once I graduated I jumped right back into reading!
I have been known to read a book cover to cover in a day. In the 7th grade, we had to do a book report on a trilogy or three books by the same author. I was the kid that read three John Grisham books!
I love a lot of different genres, some of my favorites being true crime, mysteries, thrillers, romance and military (true stories or works of fiction). I am a mood reader and try to be open to different types of books and joining #bookstagram and Book of the Month has helped with that. That being said, I can’t seem to get into or enjoy time travel, sci-fi, and dystopian type books.
For a long time, I was strictly a physical book reader and put off getting an e-reader for a long time. When I finally cracked and got my first Kindle I understood all the hype! You can read anywhere and anytime without having to carry around a ton of books. You never have to worry about running out of something to read when you’re traveling either!
During the week I get most of my reading done in the afternoon and evenings. I don’t watch a ton of TV and can tune out background noises so I can read while my husband watches sports or one of his shows. On the weekends it always depends on our plans, but rarely is there a day I don’t get some reading in.
I am currently listening to Call Me God, about the DC Snipers in 2002, through Audible. I just finished Daisy Jones & The Six (thanks for letting me borrow it Gen!) and need to figure out what to start next.
Some books I loved so far this year have to be Beyond The Point by Claire Gibson, Verity by Colleen Hoover, Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. I could add so many other books that are worth picking up, but I’ll try and keep this short 😉
Off the top of my head, the books I’m most looking forward to reading in the next few months have to be The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff, Regretting You by Colleen Hoover, Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin and The Swallows by Lisa Lutz.
Lock Every Door was a miss for me. I loved Riley’s other books (Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied especially) but this one fell short for me. My Friend Anna is a book I went into with really high expectations (the overview sounded so good) that also fell short. It was an interesting read but I had a hard time connecting to it.
I love podcasts and listen to a few. I get my morning news highlights from ABC’s Start Here and my True Crime fix by listening to True Crime Garage and Crime Junkie. My foray into podcasts was Serial (again, thanks to Gen) and I was instantly hooked. A few other true crime podcasts that I always recommend are Dirty John, Up and Vanished(especially the first season on Tara Grinstead), 22 Hours: An American Nightmare and The First Degree.
Audiobooks are something I got into this summer. I typically listen to them when I walk the dog, which is a lot and has helped pass the time with all those miles and sniffs and pee breaks and on solo car rides (when I’m not giving a concert anyway)!
You will always find my kindle, whatever physical book I’m reading, lotion, chapstick, water and my apple watch charging up for the next day. Sometimes you’ll find a book sleeve, books I want to read soon and whatever hair tie or clip I used that day. For the most part, I am pretty minimal and don’t handle clutter well (especially on my nightstand!)
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Mandi! You certainly made my TBR and podcast list even longer!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you.
After a little hiatus, I am so excited to bring back my book friends series, What’s On Your Nightstand? If you need a little refresher, each week I invite a book-loving friend to share their recent reading lists, including what they have recently read(and loved OR didn’t love!), what they are currently reading and what’s coming up next. In addition, we get to know them as readers and get small peek into their regular lives as well.
Kristina and I met over our love our reading on Bookstagram. We bonded when we realized that we were reading a lot of the same exact books and having very similar reactions. Kristina is an amazing book reviewer and her reading genres are very in sync with mine so I can always count on her for a great recommendation or honest feedback about ones I should skip! I can’t wait for you to get to know Kristina more today, she’s wonderful.
Hi, my name is Kristina!! I live in New Jersey with my husband and two children—-a 15-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. A month ago we adopted our 1 1/2-year-old kitty, Nala. She completes our family. I work as a Program Coordinator for a non-profit organization, working with individuals that are homeless and have a severe or persistent mental health diagnosis.
As a family, we enjoy watching movies together, traveling and exploring different places. I enjoy walking when the weather is nicer. Another hobby (besides reading) is looking up new places that we could travel to in the future.
Another hobby of mine is to write reviews for my Bookstagram. I enjoy reading others’ reviews and writing about the books I read. It’s a way to connect and build a community. My Instagram handle is: @kristinasbookishlife
I remember learning how to read when I was about 4 years old. I would sit down with my father and try to read the comics section, while he read the newspaper. One day it just clicked. Another early memory was reading Dr. Seuss books. I have been reading since that day and only took breaks during Grad school and when my children were newborns.
I enjoy reading in the early morning. I usually get about 30 minutes to read in the morning before it’s time to get up and ready. I feel that reading in the morning sets the tone for the day. I recently started listening to audiobooks so as I get ready, head into work, and on the way home, I will listen to one. When I come home, I make dinner, spend time with the family, and then will get about 2-3 hours of reading done. I’m not a person that will watch tv or movies unless it is a family movie night on a Friday. Therefore, I get a ton of reading done!
I am currently reading The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. This has been on my TBR for a long time, so when @meetmeinthestacks and @lauralovestoread announced they were doing a buddy read, I said why not? This book has grasped my attention from the beginning but I have slowly been working my way through it. Looking forward to seeing how it unravels!!
I recently read Long Bright River by Liz Moore. I was lucky enough to win the book in a Goodreads giveaway. This book came on my radar a few months ago and what drew me to it was that it’s based in Philadelphia(Philly). I consider Philly my home away from home, my mother still resides there. What captured and kept my attention though was the two main characters, Mickey and Kacey. This book was so much more than a mystery.
The mystery is that Mickey is a police officer walking the same beat where her sister disappeared from. The story unfolds as she is on the search for her sister, as many women in the same section are killed. This is all in the synopsis so no spoilers!! But it’s so much more! As you see the past and present unfold you learn about the sisters and what lead them to their current path. It was an amazing read and a book that will stay with me for a long time!
Another read that I recently finished and will be pushing into friends and family’s hands is American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. From page one, you are literally thrown into the story of Lydia. A mother who experiences a horrific tragedy and is faced with the choice of giving up or doing what she can to survive. I read this book with my heart in my throat the entire time. It’s so relevant to the times we are in now. A necessary read.
I am looking forward to reading Know My Name by Chanel Miller. I know it’s going to be a tough read but one that is necessary to read. I’m looking forward to reading her story as the victim and the impact it had on her. I’m looking forward to viewing her growth through the lens of a reader.
A book that I was excited for but haven’t been able to get through is Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. This was my most anticipated book of the year, so imagine my disappointment!! I attempted to read it three times but am having trouble getting past the first part. It doesn’t go in order and starts basically in the middle of the story. I am having trouble reading it for this very reason. I’m finding it confusing. I often do not finish books if it’s not for me; however, I want to try to read this one. We shall see if it actually happens.
As stated above, I am newly into audiobooks! I’m finding them great because I can listen to them as I get ready for work, make breakfast and dinner, on the way to and from work. Basically any time I can’t have a physical book in my hand!
I’m currently listening to Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. It is amazing!! The narrator sounds great and just the overall magic of the story! It’s basically a story within a story and I am savoring every moment. I already know this will be a re-read or re-listen for me.
When I’m not listening to an audiobook, I enjoy catching up with a few different podcasts! My favorites are Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, All the Books, and What Should I Read Now.
Besides my basket full of books, I like to keep it pretty bare. I keep my book light on my nightstand and normally clip it to the basket that holds my books. I have many bookmarks on top and inside the nightstand (can never have too many of those)! On top of the nightstand, I keep 2 bottles of water, my Apple Watch, and phone on the charger. In the drawer, I have my nightly medications, lip balm, rings, a pen, post-its, socks, lotion, and body spray! At the bottom, where there is an open space I keep a box of tissues.
We got our nightstands from Target when we moved into our new apartment in August. My husband felt that we didn’t need them. I laughed and laughed because where’s a girl to keep her books?! Well, I still went ahead and ordered two, for each side of the bed. He now loves it just as much. His side is messier because he doesn’t have books that need protection!
Thank you so much for sharing today, Kristina! You were the perfect person to get this blog series back in action. <3
Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Good morning and happy Friday! How was your week? Spring is in the air around here and yesterday we finally had one of those beautiful sunny April days we have been waiting for! Spring in Vermont can be a rollercoaster ride and it isn’t uncommon to still have a mix of winter weather like we did earlier in the week.
We are used to this but it’s tough to welcome snow with the same feelings as we did back in November…its a long 6 months! Someone asked me on Instagram yesterday why we still have baseball practice inside right now for the kids. If you haven’t been to Vermont this time of the year(you are not missing anything!) we are currently experiencing the 5th season of the year…mud season…which if you can guess from its name, is quite the mucky mess! So they try and keep everyone off the fields until it dries out a bit more and usually, by the end of April, we are in the clear, but you never know!
Today I am super excited to welcome my friend Melissa to my blog! She was one of my very first book friends on Instagram and it is quite amazing how much we have realized we have in common. She is truly the most wonderful and genuine person and I am inspired by her not only as a reader but as someone who is always trying to try and grow to be the best person and parent she can be.
She also has two boys that are a bit older than my own so it is helpful to have someone who has “been there and done that” when I need some advice or perspective on parenting(which is a lot!) 😉
I hope you enjoy getting to know Melissa today and be sure to follow along on her Bookstagram Instagram feed. She posts the most amazing book chatter and recommendations and is just a lovely person to know!
Hi, I’m Melissa. I live in Illinois with my husband, our two boys (15 and 12), our old puppy, and our two cats. I work in the field of medical documentation and you can often find me running my kids somewhere or attending one of their meets or games. Free time is a rarity, but when I have downtime I like to do something relaxing, as I tend to get overwhelmed by too much stimulation.
As an 80s kid, I devoured the typical fare of Sweet Valley and Babysitters Club books, one summer reading about 70 of the Sweet Valley High books. However, reading at that pace, you run out of books pretty quickly, so I read just about anything I could find. This included Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, and, once when I was desperate for something to read at my aunt’s house, Hollywood Wives. None of them were really appropriate for a preteen, but that never stopped me!
During college and the early years of adulthood, my reading for pleasure slowed down drastically. It wasn’t actually until my youngest was a toddler that I picked up reading anything besides parenting books and articles again. We were visiting the library and, as my kids played, I noticed someone had left an adult book in the children’s section. After realizing no one was coming back for it, I took the book, Lauren Weisberger’s Chasing Harry Winston, home with me, finished it that night, and rediscovered the thing I had loved so dearly as a child. I would love to say that my reading took off again after that, but things tend to get in the way, especially when you’re a parent, so I continued to read but probably only a dozen or so books a year.
The last couple years, as my children have gotten older, I’ve found myself with a little more free time and discovered a little corner of Instagram where people are positive, kind, and happy to geek out with you over books fondly referred to as “Bookstagram”. I quickly fell in love, started my account @readalotwritealot, made some great friends and have grown my to-be-read list exponentially!
The books on my nightstand only represent a few of the books I’m reading in April. I began There There last fall as a library book but only made it three chapters before having to return it. I’ve since picked up my own copy and am determined to find out what happens in the rest of the book! Bird Box was a Christmas gift and my husband keeps asking if I’m ever going to get to it so he can finally watch the movie, so I know I need to read that one soon!
The Silent Patient is one I’ve only heard good things about and I’m always up for a good psychological thriller. WITCHDOCTORPOET is the only book I’ve actually started so far. April is National Poetry Month and I was gifted this copy by the author and saved it to read this month. I’m loving the poems! Last, but certainly not least, is On The Come Up. Last year, Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give was one of my favorite books and I’m very excited to dive into her sophomore novel.
I jumped on the e-book bandwagon when they first became popular but quickly went back to regular books and hadn’t actually read any until this year. This month I’m working on some ARCs which include Jennifer Weiner’s Mrs. Everything and Fredrik Backman’s Things My Son Needs to Know About The World as well as my Amazon Prime First Reads Pick One Word Kill. I’m rediscovering the ease of reading on a tablet and enjoying not having to wear my reading glasses!
I had never done audiobooks before last year, but it was actually at Genevieve’s suggestion that I finally started listening to them and I never looked back! I’m currently listening to The Good Neighbor which is about Fred Rogers and read by LaVar Burton. I don’t think it gets any more 80s than that! I’m also planning to listen to Glenn Doyle Melton’s Love Warrior for my book club later this month.
My nightstand, which is actually a piece of furniture that used to be in my mother-in-law’s kitchen, currently looks a lot more organized than it normally does! The Hello Kitty bin holds my reading paraphernalia, favorite candy, and odds and ends. My visor is from one of my favorite vacations and my IKEA reading lamp is perfect because I can set it on the bed and it moves with me as I stretch from one reading position to another. I love to write and I don’t idle well, so notebooks and a coloring book are a must.
Also pictured is a little jewelry dish that a friend gave me. I love earrings, bracelets, and necklaces and almost always have bobby pins in my hair, so this is the easiest way to keep the cats from stealing those things. Not pictured are the million little things that are sentimental to me stashed below, the water glass I always have at night, and many oils, lotions, and lip balms. I’m a very pale girl with dry skin. Hydration and multiple applications of moisture-retaining agents are a must for me!
Thank you so much for inviting me to do this, Genevieve! You’re one of my favorite people on Bookstagram and I’m so glad we’ve gotten to know each other in real life, too! <3
Thank you so much for sharing today, Melissa!! xo
Good morning and happy Friday! The kids don’t have school today because of parent-teacher conferences and we are expecting a larger March snow storm today and tomorrow. I have lived in Vermont almost my entire life and I still get surprised when we have snow in late March and early April…I am not sure why! Once we have that sneak peek of spring weather it is easy to forget that it doesn’t come that easily around these parts. 😉
Today I am so excited to introduce you to my friend, Elisa! Her oldest and my youngest are in the same kindergarten classroom this year. It is always fun to have mom friends that have kids in the same situation as you so you can discuss boring details that only they truly understand. We often text each other because we forget something or feel like we dropped the ball and it is always nice to know you are not alone!
Elisa is so sweet and is always up for an outdoor adventure with or without the kids. She loves coffee as much as I do and is always up for a 4:45pm cocktail and then popping by the grocery store on our way home at 7pm..we know how to have fun and get things done!
Elisa has amazing taste and is the co-owner of a local interior design company, Corduroy + Pine Interiors. She always has a new project underway at her own house and it made me laugh out loud to find out that she painted her bedroom wall just for the photos for this series…I think she was going to do it anyway but there is nothing like a little time sensitive motivation! I hope you enjoy learning more about Elisa today!
Hey, it’s Elisa! I also live in Vermont with my husband and three kiddos – two boys (6 and 4) and a girl (almost 3). I was mostly a SAHM for the past 6 years but recently started an interior design company with a good friend. I still stay home with my two youngest a couple days a week. As a family, we love to get outside whether for a walk/hike, playing at a playground or exploring a new place. I love coffee and red wine. I prefer to drink them out of the home, but also enjoy curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. These days, I probably read food blogs more than I do books. I’m always on a search for a good new recipe for myself (vegetarian) or something the kids will actually eat.
I go through phases with reading. I’m currently in a rut (a year-long rut), but hoping the books on my nightstand pull me out of it. Before moving to Vermont in 2011, I lived in DC and started a book club with my grad school friends, after graduating of course. This was the turning point for me in regards to reading as an adult. I started with one book a month and soon found myself reading 3-4 books a month. Then we moved to Vermont, bought a house, had a baby and reading just wasn’t a priority, sleep was. Ha! About three years after moving here, I organized another book club with some friends and we went strong for 2+ years, but then life happens. So here I am looking at my nightstand and feeling excited and hopeful.
Truth be told, the books in the picture only represent half of the books on my nightstand, but they’re representative of all the books. I’m currently between two books, Becoming by Michelle Obama and Oh Crap! Potty Training. We’re getting ready to finally get my youngest out of diapers and probably a little late to the game. I bought this book when we were in the midst of training our middle child because it was not going as easily as it did with our first, particularly at night. It’s been our parenting philosophy that if we’re getting rid of diapers, then we’re getting rid of diapers which means no pull-ups. This was fine for our first, but our second was more difficult and I needed more advice on how to train for night time and this book helped so much. I’m currently re-reading sections as we get ready to train our youngest.
I love a good memoir and have so much love and respect for our former First Lady so when her book came out, I added it to my Christmas list. I ended up getting it for my birthday in early January. My husband says he ordered the large print by accident, but I’m wondering if he’s trying to tell me something. I did just turn 39, hmm… I’m loving it so far, I just wish I made more time to read it. Like a few other guest bloggers wrote, I don’t make nighttime reading a priority. By the time the kids get to bed and I finish all my other chores or work I wasn’t able to get to, I’m exhausted and/or just want to watch a show with my husband.
The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain and The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin, I’m borrowing from Genevieve. She recommended these books to help me get back into reading. They both sound really fascinating. I love historical fiction novels, so I think I’m really going to enjoy The Aviator’s Wife.
The last book in the stack is The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber. I bought this about a year ago and sadly haven’t really started it, but feel strongly about this topic. As our kids get older, we want them to truly understand the value of a dollar, the importance of saving, and family value of ours, giving back. When I bought this book, I also bought each kid a give, save and spend coin bank. Maybe this will be the year I read the book. As anyone else read this? I haven’t heard any personal recommendations about this, instead, I’m trusting the reviewers on Amazon.
What’s a Kindle? Kidding. But seriously, I haven’t read a book on a Kindle or other electronic device, and not sure when I will. I really enjoy holding a book, and also try to limit my screen time.
Like books, I go through phases with podcasts and the only audiobooks I’ve listened to are from the Magic Treehouse collection – do these count? I’m not sure I was a good pick for this blog series, ha. I’m an NPR junkie. I love to listen to it in the car when not with the kids. I’ve recently started listening to the podcast, Brave Little State, by VPR and really enjoy learning more about our state.
What you see or what is really there? In the picture, you’ll see a decorative box that hides my peppermint lip balm from Beautycounter, a dollar because you never know when the tooth fairy might need to show up and some random pieces of jewelry. Also pictured is our not-so-stylish landline phone for when the school calls to cancel or when a family member needs to get ahold of me. The real reason the phone is there is that I’m a paranoid person. When my husband travels, I like the security of having a landline phone close by. Not pictured – my Fitbit charger, cell phone charger, dust bunnies, and a random sock or other articles of clothing.
My nightstand is actually a cedar chest that my grandfather had built for my grandmother as a wedding gift. It’s not the most functional nightstand since there’s no drawer and I have to remove everything off the top when I want to access the storage compartment, but it’s perfect for the spot and an heirloom.
Thanks for inviting me to write for the series, Genevieve and for the motivation to finally paint my bedroom.
Thank you so much for sharing, Elisa! <3
