A Book I Gave Up On, A Book I’m Reading, Presents for a Book Lover, and my Daughter Turns 8!

2020 is not off to a great start for this book lover.  I have already given up on a book that I had started and didn’t feel the need to finish and I am now currently reading a book that I’m not 100 percent into.  UGH.  The bright spot is that I have recently received some AWESOME bookish gifts!

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I have officially given up on this book.

I didn’t hate it!  I just didn’t love it.  I was never excited to pick it up to read and for me, that’s always a sure sign that I need to move on.  Book bloggers everywhere are loving this book…unfortunately I’m not one them.  I truly think that given some time it could have redeemed itself but I just didn’t feel like sticking around to find out.

Moving on…

I’m currently reading this one and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. I can definitely tell that unfortunately I think many parts have gotten lost in translation (it is originally published in French) but (as of today) I’m still sticking with it!

Special shoutout to my dear friend, Kristy!  Look at this amazing shirt and tote bag that she bought for me:

Obsessed!

I was finally able to see her beautiful Little Free Library for the first time a few nights ago.  There is a man in her community who makes them for anyone who would like one!  Not “official” Little Free Libraries but every bit as special.  I found this little gem for my daughter waiting in there:

Speaking of my daughter, she was SO excited when she came home from school a few days ago to give me this bookmark that she chose just for me from her school library:

Love her.

Tomorrow she will turn EIGHT. How is that even possible?! Wasn’t I just blogging about her turning 7?

Happiest of birthdays to my gorgeous, smart, kind, caring, sweet and special little girl. I love you and I love being your mom so much!  **Maybe one day I will show her beautiful face and say her beautiful name on here…**

This weekend shall include a unicorn themed birthday party, balloons, cake, delicious food, presents, and lots and lots of smiles.  Perfection!

Be sure to check the blog on Monday!  I’m hosting a giveaway for one of the best books that I read in 2019 and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Xo,

Jenny

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I SO Wish Authors Stop Doing This {Part 1} and our Family Getaway to Great Wolf Lodge

I find that as I read different books, there are common thoughts that run through my mind.  Things that I wish authors would stop doing and things that I wish authors would do more often are always among those thoughts.  I present to you a new series I’m calling “I Wish Authors Would Stop Doing This” which will highlight some of these common thoughts.  Aaaaand just for fun, a little glimpse into our fun family getaway to Great Wolf Lodge at the end of this post 🙂

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw in my stories that I recently started reading this book.

I don’t have much of an opinion on it yet as I’m not very far into it but I do have one opinion on something that I instantly loved…

SHORT CHAPTERS.

Oh how I love when books have short chapters! I just love flying through short chapters!  It holds my interest so much better than long chapters do.

I HATE when I decide to “read just one more chapter”…and find that means I will now be reading 30 more pages.  More often that not this means I won’t even begin reading the next chapter and the entire book will therefore take me longer to finish.

I SO wish more books could be written with shorter chapters.  I understand that sometimes stories simply won’t allow for it at certain times in the plot…but how wonderful if they could!  Break up that scene!  Leave the chapter with a cliffhanger that won’t allow the reader NOT to continue reading!

The best example of a book with perfect short chapters (some even just 1 page) is THIS BOOK.  There are over 100 chapters in that book…but each is only between 1-3 pages!  I literally FLEW through that book because those short chapters held my interest in a way that 30 page chapters simply never could have.

I SO wish authors would STOP writing lengthy chapters!

I personally believe that the perfect length of a chapter ranges somewhere between just a few pages and maybe 10-15ish?

How about you?  Do you like it better when books are written in shorter chapters?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

And now I’ll leave you with some pictures of our family getaway last weekend to the Great Wolf Lodge (Gurnee, IL).  There were 15 of us total, we all wore matching wolf t-shirts, and we had the best time.

My sister-in-law gave this to me a few months before I got married.  It has come with me on every single vacation, overnight stay, getaway, etc. that I have taken over the past 10 years!

My little wolves:

Check out this video…I did the ropes course! It was terrifying.

Have you been to Great Wolf Lodge?  We are big fans!  This was our 5th visit 🙂

Hope you are having a great Wednesday!

Xo,

Jenny

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Review of a Not Yet Released Book {Guest Blogging on Chick Lit Central}

I was so excited when Melissa from Chick Lit Central reached out and asked me to be a guest blogger on her amazing book blog! I’ve been reading Chick Lit Central for years and Melissa has been such a wonderful inspiration, supporter, and friend to me.

The topic for today’s post is a review (and giveaway!) of Mary Kubica’s newest psychological thriller, THE OTHER MRS. which officially releases 2/18/20.

Melissa and I have both read it and each give a side by side full review of our thoughts! There’s also a giveaway of this book on our post 🙂

Click HERE for a direct link to the post to read our reviews and to enter the giveaway!

And while you’re on her site, you should definitely follow Chick Lit Central! Chick Lit Central has introduced me to so many new titles and authors over the years.  Melissa not only reviews books but provides a “cast list” with Hollywood names she feels would be a good fit each character.  I love seeing who she chooses as it’s so interesting to me to view how other readers “see” the characters in books compared to how I “see” them.  Her book reviews are fantastic!  Even when her and I don’t agree on a book, I can appreciate the excellent points that she makes in her reviews.

Chick Lit Central is such a fantastic resource for anyone who loves to read…including me 🙂  I’m so excited to be a guest blogger over there today!

Xo,

Jenny

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The 12 Best Books I Read in 2019

I read A LOT of books in 2019.  I haven’t counted them but I can assure you…I read A LOT.  I read many wonderful books, many not so wonderful books and even started reading a few that I never bothered to finish because they didn’t hook me. Here (in no particular order) are my 12 absolute favorite adult fiction (and 1 young adult fiction) books that I read (and LOVED) in 2019. Click on the book cover to purchase the book through my affiliate link (when you purchase through this link, I receive a small commission…xo). Click on my review to read each book’s synopsis as well as my personal thoughts.

What If It’s Us {Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera}

Read my review HERE

The Other Woman {Sandie Jones}

Read my review HERE

Somebody’s Daughter {Rochelle B. Weinstein}

Read my review HERE

A Spark of Light {Jodi Picoult}

Read my review HERE

The Unbreakables {Lisa Barr}

Read my review HERE

Convenience Store Woman {Sayaka Murata}

Read my review HERE

The Most Fun We Ever Had {Claire Lombardo}

Read my review HERE

The Bride Test {Helen Hoang}

Read my review HERE

A Simple Favor {Darcey Bell}

Read my review HERE

The Turn of the Key {Ruth Ware}

Read my review HERE

The Mother in Law {Sally Hepworth}

Read my review HERE

This is Not How It Ends {Rochelle B. Weinstein}

This book isn’t being released until 1/1/20.  I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Readers Copy and I finished reading just a few days ago.  I. LOVED. IT.  Full blog review coming soon…

Have you read any of the above books?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

My Superhero Mind Giveaway Winners:

Congratulations to the following lucky readers 🙂  Please email me your mailing address (bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com) within 48 hours to receive your autographed copy!  If I don’t hear from you in 48 hours, I will pick a new winner.  A big thanks to everyone who entered!  I have some fantastic giveaways already lined up for 2020, I can’t wait to share them with you…

Tracy (I would love this book to read to my own children AND all to read to in ALL the classrooms I work in! As an instructional coach, I am in so many classes and I think this book would be great for all students!
I love your blog Jenny! Thanks for sharing your love of reading with so many! Happy Holidays to you and your family!)

Becca (My 4 year old niece and my 2 year old nephew would absolutely love this book. One of the best and most meaningful things I do with them is read to them and share my love of books. This would be a great addition to the collection of books they have.)

Jess E (I’d love to have this book for my 2 year old boy/girl twins! It sounds like a great book that will be able to grow with them, teach positive lessons, and to show any and all of their dreams are supported!)

Melissa (At 2 1/2 years old, Addie would LOVE this book. She loves to read and right now she is obsessed with Spiderman so a super hero book would be great. She is a very independent, sassy and strong little girl!)

Kelley (I wish to share this book with my best friends grand daughter Carleigh! I think she would love it. Thank you)

What was your favorite book that you read in 2019? Please share in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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***BOOK GIVEAWAY (5 winners!!!)***

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest blog review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As soon as Jaina Thatch reached out to tell me about her gorgeous book, I knew it was a book I wanted to read with my daughter.  I’m so excited to share this one with you today and I have FIVE (!) autographed copies to give away!

Synopsis:

Author Jaina Thatch was inspired by her daughter’s tenacious spirit and love of Super Hero clothing that made her daughter feel strong and beautiful. If you’re raising a strong willed and determined daughter, this book is for you! Empowering and validating little girls that your authentic true beauty comes from within and from using your Super Powerful mind. By doing that, you can achieve and do/be anything that you put your mind to!

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

Oh this book is beautiful.  I love a good rhyming book and the rhyming in this book flows so nicely.

The illustrations are gorgeous!  Bright colors and special details combine to create such beautiful additions to this lovely story.

Aside from the fantastic rhyming and beautiful illustrations, the most wonderful part of this book is the important message that it sends.  Children can be anything they choose and using their imaginations can lead to amazing results.  The back of the book tells that “authentic, true beauty comes from within”… I just love this book and the beautiful messages that it sends.

A quote from within the pages that really spoke to me was, “My super power is my mind.”  If all children (and even adults) truly believed this, how wonderful would our world be???

My absolute favorite part of the book is the last page where there is a space for the reader to draw themselves as a superhero and to describe the super powers that they possess.  My daughter absolutely loved doing this:

This book would make such a fantastic gift for the holidays for any child.  Teachers, this would be such a wonderful addition to your classroom library!  The discussions this book could spark both at home and at school would be so amazing.  I speak from experience…after reading this book, my kids and I had such a wonderful conversation! If you have a special child in any aspect of your life, this book would make such a beautiful present.

Behind the back selfie while reading to my daughter:

This book isn’t just for girls! My husband and my son also loved reading it:

Beautiful book, beautiful author…

You can read more about Jaina and her beautiful book’s mission on her website: www.jainathatch.com

A Conversation with Jaina Thatch, In Her Own Words:

How did you create the idea for your book?

Even though I am a Mom of boys, my perception of the world changed when I was expecting my daughter. I really thought hard about who I was as a woman, the expectations on myself as a woman and mom, who I would want her to be and the positive female role models that I would want for her to emulate.

What audience would be most interested in your book?

My audience is geared toward the ages of 3-6, but the message of the book and the conversation elicited from the message of the book is ageless, genderless and universal.   Our authenticity is our superpower.  And if you believe in yourself, your kind to yourself and kind to your friends, then your dreams will come true.

Where can your book be purchased?

An autographed copy of my book can be purchased on my website at www.jainathatch.com. My Superhero Mind is also available on Barnes and Noble.com, and Amazon.com

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:

Girl Power, Inspirational, Motivation

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

I believe that every child is a superhero.  All of their wonderful traits and characteristics, are their superpowers.  You just have to believe, that the best part of being you is you!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

Would you like to win a copy of My Superhero Mind?
I have 5 autographed copies of My Superhero Mind to give away!  Each copy will be autographed and mailed directly to your home.

To be entered, please complete these 2 simple steps:

1. Make sure that you are following and/or subscribed to my blog

2. Tell me about the child you wish to win this book for (you don’t need to mention his/her name)

**You must complete BOTH of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway and you must complete them here on my blog (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will close Thursday (12/26/19) at 6:00 pm CDT and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday’s blog post (12/28/19).

Make sure you check the blog on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winners to email me your mailing address.  If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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I Can’t Put This Book Down!

A book I literally can’t put down, holiday lights, a special reunion, a lovely new book in the mail, and a chance to theme out my daughter and I???  I’d call that a wonderful week!

My kids and I were driving around looking at holiday lights a few nights ago and we stumbled upon this house.  How beautiful is this?!

I had such a special thing happen earlier this week.  When I was in kindergarten, I was an advanced reader (no surprise there) and was pulled each day from my classroom to go into another classroom for advanced reading instruction. I loved my beautiful reading teacher so much and looked forward to spending time with her and her lessons each day!

Earlier this week, when I arrived to lead my storytime at a local children’s play cafe, my beautiful teacher was there with her granddaughter! We recognized each other immediately 🙂 I couldn’t believe that I was given the opportunity to read to my very own reading teacher and to be able to thank her for all she has done for me.  I was so excited to tell her how my love of reading had lead me to teaching elementary school for 14 years, currently writing a book blog and to now being paid to read to kids twice a week!

After storytime was over, her we had such a lovely talk.  We caught each other up on the past 35ish years (!) and compared our current “to read” lists.   We gave each other book recommendations and lots of hugs!  So special.

Speaking of book recommendations, I  CAN’T.  PUT.  THIS.  ONE.  DOWN.  I’m halfway through and am loving it so much.  I have no idea how this one is going to end!  Aaaaaand after I just wrote that sentence I realized the title of the book that I am discussing, lol.  I can’t remember the last book I read where I was this invested.  Maybe this adorable book?

I’m truly loving this one so far and I can’t wait to write a full review once I’m through.  (I’m so fortunate to be reading an advance readers copy…It officially releases January 1st).

I received this children’s book in the mail yesterday and it looks great! Full blog review and giveaway coming soon!

The library called last night…the book I’ve had on hold for weeks is waiting for me to pick up! Happy holidays indeed 🙂

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend…Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate! My daughter and I will be wearing these to her class party today 🙂

What are your plans for this weekend?  I hope whatever you are doing includes family, friends, love, and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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5 Books to Read for Your Book Club

Last week a friend of mine told me that she recently joined her first book club and said she would be coming to me for book recommendations when it’s her time to choose the selection.  When I first started blogging, I wrote about the reasons why book clubs don’t necessarily appeal to me but I DO know that many of you love them!  If I were to ever join a book club, the following are a handful of books I would choose to share as each of these books could lead to such interesting discussions!

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Young Jane Young {Gabrielle Zevin}

This book is such an easy and interesting read and could lead to fascinating discussions. I loved this book and I’m not sure why it isn’t more popular?

Synopsis:

Young Jane Young‘s heroine is Aviva Grossman, an ambitious Congressional intern in Florida who makes the life-changing mistake of having an affair with her boss‑‑who is beloved, admired, successful, and very married‑‑and blogging about it. When the affair comes to light, the Congressman doesn’t take the fall, but Aviva does, and her life is over before it hardly begins. She becomes a late‑night talk show punchline; she is slut‑shamed, labeled as fat and ugly, and considered a blight on politics in general.

How does one go on after this? In Aviva’s case, she sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine. She tries to start over as a wedding planner, to be smarter about her life, and to raise her daughter to be strong and confident. But when, at the urging of others, she decides to run for public office herself, that long‑ago mistake trails her via the Internet like a scarlet A. For in our age, Google guarantees that the past is never, ever, truly past, that everything you’ve done will live on for everyone to know about for all eternity. And it’s only a matter of time until Aviva/Jane’s daughter, Ruby, finds out who her mother was, and is, and must decide whether she can still respect her.

Read my review of Young Jane Young  HERE.

Somebody’s Daughter {Rochelle B. Weinstein}

Everybody should read this book, especially f you are parenting teenagers or soon to be teenagers.  So much to discuss with this one.

Synopsis:

Emma and Bobby Ross enjoy a charmed life on the shores of Miami Beach. They are a model family with a successful business, an uncomplicated marriage, and two blessedly typical twin daughters, Zoe and Lily. They are established members of a tight-knit community.

Then, on the night of the girls’ fifteenth birthday party, they learn of Zoe’s heartbreaking mistake—a private and humiliating indiscretion that goes viral and thrusts her and her family into the center of a shocking public scandal.

As the family’s core is shattered by disgrace, judgment, and retribution, the fallout takes its toll. But for Emma, the shame runs deeper. Her daughter’s reckless behavior has stirred memories of her own secrets that could break a marriage, a family, and friendships forever.

Read my review of Somebody’s Daughter HERE.

The Most Fun We Ever Had {Claire Lombardo}

The ONLY aspect of this book which might scare people off is it’s length.  It’s LONG!  If this is something that might not thrill the members of your book club, you might want to skip this one (although it PAINS me to say that because I truly think this is my favorite book of all time.  It’s amazing.  If your book club doesn’t want to read it…read it on your own time.  Trust me.)

Synopsis:

When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that’s to come. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest: Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt when the darkest part of her past resurfaces; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she’s not sure she wants by a man she’s not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects. Above it all, the daughters share the lingering fear that they will never find a love quite like their parents’.

As the novel moves through the tumultuous year following the arrival of Jonah Bendt–given up by one of the daughters in a closed adoption fifteen years before–we are shown the rich and varied tapestry of the Sorensons’ past: years marred by adolescence, infidelity, and resentment, but also the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.

Read my review of The Most Fun We Ever Had HERE.

Becoming {Michelle Obama}

Although I personally didn’t love this book, I do think Michelle Obama has led an interesting life full of interesting decisions.

Synopsis:

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

Watch my VLOG of me sharing my review of Becoming HERE.

The Unbreakables {Lisa Barr}

Oh this book has so many aspects that a book club could spend hours discussing!  Loved this book!

Synopsis:

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever…and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

Read my review of The Unbreakables HERE.

Have you read any of these books?  What other books would you recommend for a book club?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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New Family Heirloom, What I’m Reading, and My Porch Goose

I received the most lovely text from my wonderful cousin, Shari!  The very day that I posted this post mentioning that I was so happy to receive the 1st in the Little House series for my daughter, she texted me that she has the entire series and wanted to give them to me!  How amazing is that?!?  I just love my family so much.  She asked that I keep them in the family and pass them along to my other cousins when my daughter finishes reading them.  Jamie, these are coming to you next and you can then pass them along to Catherine!  Our new family heirloom 🙂

Would any of my local readers like to have this copy?  Just let me know, I’ll put it on my front porch for you. 🙂  If not, I’ll toss this little gem into a Little Free Library!

I find it creepy how the baby was partially edited out in the different covers.  Why not just edit the whole body out?  So weird, lol. 

My porch goose is all ready for winter.  Love.

I will finish reading this book today!  Full blog review coming soon!

So excited to start reading this one next!  It looks amazing.

I’m a huge fan of Rochelle Weinstein both as an author and as a person.  If you haven’t read Somebody’s Daughter yet, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it.

Happy Friday!  What are you up to this weekend?  Ours will be busy and fun.  My kids have 4 (!) birthday parties, my son has a basketball class, and my husband and I are going to a fancy downtown dinner with his colleagues.  I hope you have a nice weekend!

Xo,

Jenny

Did you read this book?  What did you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate links.  When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

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My Best 8 Tips on How to Get the Most Out of Your Local Library

Libraries are among my very favorite places on Earth to visit.  I may or may not have been known to visit more than 1 location in a day 🙂  I have 8 helpful tips on how to get the most out of your local library experience but first I’d like to highlight some of the many benefits that libraries have to offer.

Obviously the draw to libraries is the vast amount of literature offered.  You can name any topic in the world and the library will have a book (or be able to get a book) about it.  However, libraries offer so much more than just books!

Storytimes

Before I had kids, I dreamed of the day when I would be able to take them to storytime at the library (#booknerd). I’ll never forget when the day finally arrived.  The storytime we attended was specifically for preschool aged kids…and my daughter was 6 weeks old, lol.  Who was the overly excited new mom?!?  I remember walking in with my daughter and couldn’t wait for her to participate in the activities.  Again…she was 6 WEEKS old!  The lady leading storytime was so kind and told me that my daughter and I were more than welcome to be there.  As a new mom who was just excited to be out of the house with my brand new daughter, I was more than excited to stay. So basically I sang songs, listened to stories, and learned new rhymes along with all of the other preschoolers, lol.  My daughter slept through the entire storytime until she made the most gigantic poop in all the land…and of course her newbie mother forgot to bring extra diapers.  Of course!  I was so embarrassed and quickly wrapped her up in a blanket and fled the library without even saying good-bye to all of my brand new preschool friends and their mothers, lol.  Fast forward 7.5 years, another child later…and my kids both love storytime at the library.  AND they are totally age appropriate now which also really helps, lol.

DVDs

Checking out DVDs from the library is always such a treat for my kids! Holiday movies, classic movies, even entire seasons of past television shows (I’m looking at you, Full House and The Cosby Show).  There is such a wide selection of DVDs that the library has to offer.  I love taking advantage of this, especially for my kids.

Quiet Reading Rooms

Both of our local libraries have “Quiet Reading Rooms” where there are fireplaces, comfortable chairs, and…SILENCE.  It’s as dreamy as it sounds and I have spent HOURS in those rooms.  They are glorious.  The first time I discovered this room at one of the libraries, I asked to speak to the director just so I could thank her for the vacation I felt like I was just on in that peaceful room. 🙂

Sick Child?  No Problem!

One of our local libraries has the most amazing service.  You call them, tell them about your sick child’s interests, and within 2 hours they will put together a selection of books and movies that you can pick up at the drive thru to keep your little one entertained!  How awesome is that?!?

Side Note ***for the love of GOD do NOT bring your sick child into the library***

Programs/Events

My children have attended some amazing programs/events at our libraries.  Traveling zoos, jugglers, movie viewing parties, musical performers, and so much more!  One of our local libraries currently has a traveling dinosaur exhibit and I can’t wait to take my son!  Libraries offer amazing opportunities for adults as well!  Book clubs, classes, etc.

Libraries are truly wonderful places full of amazing resources and opportunities.  Some of my very favorite memories of my children were made within the walls of the library 🙂

Play Areas

Don’t even get me started.  UGH.  You can read this post to hear all about my feelings on this one.  Spoiler: I hate them.

Book Coffee Happy Pro Tips:

  1. If there is a book that you want to check out but your library doesn’t have it and can’t get it from another library, they might be able to order it…and you will be the very first person to read that new copy!  I have done this a few times. I loved that I was able to add some wonderful books to our library for others to enjoy…and I loved being the very first person to check them out!
  2. Place a hold on multiple books that you want to read at one time.  They won’t all be ready for pickup at the same time so you will have plenty to keep you busy while you are waiting or the others.  When you’re done reading one, anther will be ready for you!
  3. If you get the call that your book is ready for pickup but you know that you won’t be able to start reading right away, wait a few days before you pick it up.  Your checkout date begins from the day the book is actually checked out, not the day it’s ready for pickup. At our library, holds expire after 7 days so I plan on when I pick up accordingly, especially if it’s a popular book that I know I won’t be able to renew if I don’t finish reading in the allotted time frame.  **Be mindful of others waiting for these books and don’t do this often**
  4. Older books have a much higher chance of being available than new releases.  Always keep a list of older books that you would like to read in case none of the new releases are currently available.
  5. If you know there is a book coming out that you want to read, you can place a hold on it months ahead of time!  Get your name higher on that list before the book is even released!
  6. Many libraries have remote locations where items can be returned.  In my community,  there is a location at our grocery store and also at the community building where my kids take classes.  Easy!  Be sure to check and see where your library has remote locations.  I rarely return books to the actual library…but I’m always at these remote locations.
  7. You can return your library books to other local libraries, it doesn’t have to be to the library from where you took out the book.  Just be sure to allow travel time for the book to make it back to your library so you won’t incur late fees.  When you return your item to a different location, there is no way for that location to track when it was returned.  Only when it is actually returned to it’s home library and checked back in can that date be tracked.  Sometimes it’s just easier to return items other places depending on where I am on that day.  **Again, be mindful when doing this!  I would imagine that libraries don’t love when people do this often**
  8. Busier libraries will have a less likely chance of newer books being on the shelves (although these libraries DO tend to own more copies of these titles).  When there is a particular book I’m looking for, I know exactly which of our local libraries will have a better chance of having it on the shelf and which libraries I shouldn’t even bother trying.

Do you visit your local library?  What are some things that it offers?  Any tips you have for helping others to get the most out of their library experience?

Xo,

Jenny

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Books, Books, Books!

As the delicious smell of Twisted Peppermint fills my living room, I have so many book related updates to blog about and share with you!

Last October, I was invited to attend a Midwest Writers Association meeting.  The discussion topic was “expressing your passion” and how a writer discovers and applies that passion into his/her writing.  It was such a wonderful experience (You can read about that night here). A few weeks ago, I was once again invited to attend one of their meetings as the topic of this particular meeting was blogging and using blogs to promote yourself.  I felt so honored to be included and I loved being able to share some of the knowledge that I’ve gained through writing my blog. 

The meeting was held at a local independent bookstore.  Oh how I just love local independent bookstores!

We met in their beautiful event room and I loved spending the morning in the company of such wonderful authors, bloggers, and writers.  Thank you so much for including me, Midwest Writers Association!  You can read more about this lovely group of people here.

Do you remember a few months ago when I happily took a few books from our local library book stand at one of our community buildings?  My kids and I were there dropping something off last week and of course we spent a long time looking through the current selection.

Unfortunately none of the adult books called to me so I didn’t take any for myself.  My kids, however, got some great books!

I told my kids that they were each allowed to choose 1 item.  My son chose a frog book and my daughter chose a brand new (factory sealed!) math bingo game.  I was DELIGHTED to find the first book in the Little House series for my daughter!  Oh how I LOVED this series, I can’t wait for her to read them.  I also grabbed The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby for her since it is written by the same author as her current book series obsession: Dogman!

If you follow me onInstagram, you saw that I found this classic at a Little Free Library a few days ago! I happily added this along with the Little House book to the box of classic books I’m collecting for when my daughter is a bit older.  Love.

Present for my Niece’s 10th Birthday:

She loved them. 🙂

As for me, I’m currently reading this book:

The release date isn’t until January and I feel extraordinarily lucky that I was able to receive an Advance Reader’s Copy.  I absolutely love Mary Kubica.  While you are waiting for The Other Mrs. to be released, I strongly recommend reading this one.   SO, SO GOOD. 

Check out these 2 gorgeous childrens books that have recently been sent to me. I can’t wait to read these with my kids! Full blog reviews (and giveaways!) coming to the blog soon!

And lastly, my daughter was in a play last week (she was awesome and I cried) and here are the flowers I bought for her.  They are full of glitter because she’s 7 and there’s not much cooler to a 7 year old than a bouquet of all glitter flowers.  #momwin

What are you (or your children) currently reading?  Please share in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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