If I had to dream up the perfect day it would include sun and sand and a fruity drink and a book to read or maybe a warm cottage with a fire and wine and a book to read or even just a few hours in a coffee shop with a latte and a book to read.
Somewhere in my 20’s I embraced my nerdy-ness and my love of big words and now my heart beats fast every time I find someone who wants to discuss what they’ve read instead of their favorite tv show because I have no idea what is on any channel other than Disney and Nick Jr.
So here’s my list of must reads books from 2013 with a little help from my book-loving friends (not all published in 2013, just what we read and loved):
The Mourning Hours
Me Before You (recommended by Bethany of I Love Them Most When They Are Sleeping and Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing)
Ready Player One (recommended by Jen of PIWTPITT)
Where’d You Go Bernadette? (recommended by lots of people on my Facebook page)
The Chaperone (recommended by Vikki of Up Popped a Fox)
The Good Mother Myth (recommended by Kim of All Work and No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something)
Eleanor & Park (recommended by and Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing)
AND no must-read list would be complete without a list of the best blog posts I read through the year… I could give you long explanations of my I chose each but truly, when I think back on the year, these are the first ones I remember, they made me laugh or cry or think or wish I could drop everything and put words together as perfectly as these women have done.
The Story of Ferdinand by Allison Slater Tate
Old Timey Parenting in a New Agey World by Bethany of Bad Parenting Moments
Pictures Can’t Lie by Kathy of Kissing the Frog
On How Not to Disappear by Bethany of I Love Them the Most When They Are Sleeping
How Being a Parent is Like Being a Rockstar (not from 2013 but I LOVE it) by Kim of Let Me Start By Saying
“What’s Wrong with Him?” is better than “He Doesn’t Exist.” by Jo Ashline
It’s Not About the Hair Dye by Stacey of Is There Anymommy Out There?
I’m Jealous of You by Lexi of Mostly True Stuff
Happy reading!!
If you have other books or blog posts to add, leave them in the comments.
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I will add these to my list…I read Fault in Our Stars and loved it.
Thank you for sharing your list! Always looking for good books and I will check out the posts too. Happy 2014. xo
I’m so honored to have made your list.
What a marvelous post! Some great books and blogs for me to check out here. Thank you. xox
Thanks for sharing this list! A lot of these are already on my must-read for next year!
Oh good, you’ll have to tell me how you like them. Happy New Year!
I have made a reading list! Thank you. My favorite was The Light Between Oceans this year (bookwise). And blogwise, I read so many wonderful thoughts, so much good writing, and I forget to say, in comments or otherwise how much I love people’s writing and how much it helps me. So thank you for reminding me and I am OVER THE MOON that I made your list.
I don’t know how I’m on this list, but I’m honored and I only wish it was a “happier” post I’d written. But it’s real and it’s raw, and it’s the sort of thing I was afraid to publish, so that usually means it might help someone else?
THank you, Jessica. I hope I get to see you soon.
xoxo
Thank you for the great lists.
I shall check out THE MOURNING HOUR.
Happy 2014! xx
My sister dropped off her copy of Eleanor & Park tonight (with an enthusiastic “you’ve got to read this”) and I was *just* about to force myself upstairs to read in bed. But now I feel like I better read the blog posts you’ve shared – I’m sure to appreciate them. Andy always says sleep is over-rated, and my nephew assures me there’s an app for rest. If only. My to-read list extends in more directions that I can reach… I’d LOVE to have enough time to *read all the things* almost as much as I’d love not to feel tired every next day 🙂
If you want to read just one read Ferdinand (it’s great for boy mommas) or read Kissing the Frog, she lost her son and wrote a beautiful post about keeping his memory in the family. Happy New Year!
Jessica, I am so honored to have a post on your list! Thank you for continuing to be such a generous, supportive spirit in the writing world. I love reading your posts and status updates on Facebook and watching your family bloom in your awesome new home. I feel lucky to have women like you in my life.
Happy 2014!
Oh, and I am 71% through The Goldfinch, and… wow. Just wow.
Thanks for including me on your list! Rock Star had a resurgence this year because of my graphic of the post, so I think that’s still fair. 😉
And The Fault in Our Stars? Oh my. My heaarrrrt. Looooooovvvvvvve.
I had to narrow it down to just one post from you, it was tough :).
The Fault in Our Stars was the one book that I cried and cried and cried through. It was amazing, I still miss the characters I think.