Bookstagram

Confession: I am and always have been a book nerd. Like stayed up past my bedtime to sneak in reading more books. During the summer, I would read two whole Baby-Sitters Club books in ONE DAY! Long car ride ahead: read a book. Sitting at the beach: read a book (although not in this lifetime of small children.) Favorite place to go each week: the library. Absolute favorite activity to do with my kids: read to them! 

When we first came down to TN and I was friendless and stuck inside because of cold and snow, I decided to join the fun world of bookstagram. AKA Instgram with accounts completely dedicated to books and reading! Many of them are beautifully posed flatlays of books with themes and items that go along with books. Mine is just pictures of the books I'm reading on my white(ish) bedspread, or with my floor in the background. Nothing fancy, but tracking books I'm reading, which I've never done before! (I attempted Goodreads last year, but was not successful.)

My bookstagram account name is @naptimebooks, because really that, and before bed is when I get a chance to read.

As of now, I've read 20 books this year! Pretty sure that's more than I've read by this point in any other year, aside from when I was a kid. 

January Reads:

1. Sunset Lullaby- Robin Jones Gunn (with characters from books I read growing up!)

2. Confessions of a Shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella (a re-read for me, but Becky Bloomwood just makes me laugh!)

3. Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (my first time reading the full version, and I LOVED it!)

4. A Lasting Impression- Tamera Alexander (love her historic fiction books, especially since many of them are about TN.)

February Reads:

1. Still Life- Louise Penny (never heard of these books until bookstagram. They're mysteries, which is not my usual genre, but I'm enjoying them so far! And bonus- my grandma has read them!)

2. A Brush With Love- Rachel Hauck (a novella love story! I've read some of her other books and love them!)

3. Winter Garden- Kristin Hannah (my first book by her, but really good. Made me want to hug my kids a little tighter, and thankful that we're able to provide for them!)

4. My Lady Jane- Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows (another book that I kept seeing pop up on bookstagram, and decided to try it without reading the description. Oh my word- a hilarious retelling of history.)

5. Brothers of Baseball- Kristofor Hellmeister (the author reached out to me to read and review his book. The story takes place at Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville and flashes between the Civil War and the 1970s. A fun read, though probably more fun if you like baseball. :))

6. A Baxter Family Christmas- Karen Kingsbury (Another book based on characters from series I've read over the last 10 years or so. And it's about Christmas, so win-win!)

March Reads:

1. A Note Yet Unsung- Tamera Alexander (yes another historic fiction book based in Nashville!)

2. Love Story- Karen Kingsbury (same characters, another story!)

3. A Fatal Grace- Louise Penny (second one in the Inspector Gamache series!)

4. Anne of Green Gables- L. M. Montgomery (I decided to join in on the #annewithanereadalong2018 Bookstagram challenge. We'll read one Anne book each month, ending with the last one in October! This was at least the third time I've read this book!)

April Reads:

1. A Light on the Hill- Connilyn Cossette (This is a Biblical fiction book that I won in a giveaway on bookstagram. Also, I've read very few Biblical fiction books but I want to read more. Especially as we're reading through the Bible for Bible study so it's fun recognizing some of the cities and such that are mentioned in the story!)

2. The Cruelest Month- Louise Penny (the third Inspector Gamache, and I definitely suspected every character at some point!)

3. Daring to Hope- Katie Davis Majors (This is the first non-fiction book I've read in awhile, and read about one chapter a night, along with other fiction books. I read her previous book, Kisses from Katie, and knew I wanted to read this one. Such an encouragement in hoping in the Lord, even through some of the darkest things in life.)

4. Before Green Gables- Budge Wilson (A possible story-line of Anne's life before she came to Green Gables. I really enjoyed it!)

5. Anne of Avonlea- L. M. Montgomery (I think my second time reading this, but love the new secondary characters that are introduced- Davy and Mr. Harrison!)

I'll do the books I've read in May later, but I'm loving my time reading. I'm on social media less and I'm enjoying the "new" books I'm finding through bookstagram!