For the first time ever, I joined a bookclub! Which is funny because I LOVE to read, as I talk about below, I read so much it might almost be a problem.

The thing is, I come from a long line of readers. My grandfather will read books upon books and has so many books in his study that it is borderline ridiculous, my mom will devour a book in a single sitting and I will stay up all night just because I have to find out what happens in the end. And fortunately/unfortunately this trait was passed down to Ellie. She has to have at least 10 books in her bed with her at all times and she will ‘read’ (she can’t read yet, so she just flips through them and looks at the pictures) in her bed before she falls asleep. The book lovin’ curse is living strong with us.

But the fun thing about the bookclub I am in, besides getting together with other moms and drinking wine, is that I get to read books that I would never have read if left up to me. It has opened me up to other genres (umm hello there sci-fi and post-apocalyptic books) and has made me crave reading books that aren’t in my usual line-up.

So I thought it would be fun for us to start a monthly bookclub of sorts. No lengthy discussions or fun get-togethers for us virtual friends, but of course you can drink some wine and read the book anytime you like:)

Here’s how this is going to work – I am going to write up a few books that are my favorites (topics will change every month) and then you have to let me know what book is your favorite in the comments below. Then we will read each others books.

Deal?

Deal!

This month, I am giving you two different categories. My all time favorite cookbooks (because we like to cook) and my must read books (because we also like a good read) that I have read over the last couple of months.

They might seem all over the place – cookbooks on popsicles and physiological thrillers in the same post, but let’s just roll with it.

My Most Used Cookbooks

The pages are torn, dog-earned and are so used that they now stick together – this is what a good cookbook should look like!

These are the cookbooks that I use ALL-THE-TIME!

The ones that usually don’t even make it back to where my cookbooks are stored, because they are always being used, You can find these on the counter or shoved in that big pile of ‘stuff that I will take care of tomorrow’. You know the one, the pile that never gets put away. Mine lives on my counter besides my coffee pot, and smirks at me every morning, making me hate it (and myself) every morning. It’s a vicious cycle.

People’s Pop – Anytime you combine healthy treats with booze, count me in! And call me crazy/genius for owning 2 sets of popsicle molds for such occasions. This simple cookbook has a ton of fresh popsicle recipes for the kiddos, and even some mixed with booze for the grown-ups. With flavors like Strawberry & Balsamic Vinegar, Blueberry & Cardamom and Peach & Bourbon Pops, it’s hard to decide which delicious flavor to make first. Fav popsicle mold for baby + toddler, fav popsicle mold for grown ups. Healthy summer treat books will definitely have to be a bookclub topic for the summer!

Simple Green Smoothies – A fun book with over 100 smoothie recipes that are great for you and your kiddo. I love that they are all so easy to make and use only ingredients that you actually have in your house. It also has a ton of information on switching out ingredients if you or your kid has allergies. I got this book a couple of months ago and already use it all of the time (even though it is like 31 degrees outside right now) so I know this book will gets tons of play this summer.

Seriously Simple – This is an oldie but a goodie! I have had this book for years and give it credit for making me fall in love with cooking with fresh and simple ingredients. It is definitely geared toward grown-ups but can be tailored towards kids very easily. You can’t go wrong with recipes like Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil Pasta, Broccoli and Goat Cheese Frittata and Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chimichurrri sauce. I also really love her book called The Taste of Summer, where in my copy the pages for Tequila Shrimp are literally stuck together, but sadly it is out of print so if you see a used copy make sure to pick it up.

Comfort and Joy: Cooking for Two – This book was written by my blogger friend Christina from Dessert for Two. This book is full of family comfort classics with a kick – such as Pumpkin Spice French Toast Waffles, Apricot-Pecan Chicken Salad, Chicken ‘n Dumplins or One-Skillet Beef and Cheddar Pasta. I am seriously drooling right now. While all of the recipes are geared toward feeding just 2 people (will work great if you just have a baby) you can easily double the recipes if you are feeding the entire family. I have found that the called for recipe is usually a great portion for our family because usually either (or both) Ellie or Parker is going to be crying or not eating during dinner. Oh the joy!

The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet – Because we all need snack and easy lunch ideas for our little ones, even me! I use this book more as a reference on fun recipes I can make for the girls, and I tend to tweak the recipes based on our own taste preferences (using more spices, chia seeds, flax seeds and whole wheat flour). But with over 200 recipes, you can whip something new and exciting up for the littles in a just a few minutes!

Must Reads

I read a lot.

I read so much, it might actually be a problem.

I find myself reading late into the night even though I know I will have to get up early with the girls and will be ssssooooooo tired the next morning. But if I have a good book, I will read it long into the night regardless of the what the outcome will be the next morning.

My husband bought me the Kindle Paperwhite because my old kindle didn’t have the backlight and I think this device has saved our marriage.

He would get so mad that I would read for so long into the night and he just wanted to sleep, without the light on. I can’t really blame the guy, but I needed to find out what was going to happen next in my book.

This is how the fights would go –

Him – ‘Can you turn off your light, it’s 11?’
Me – ‘Yea, okay. Let me finish this chapter.’
An hour later…
Him – ‘How long is that freaking chapter??’
Me  – ‘Oh yeah, sorry. Okay, I’ll be done in one minute’.
Two hours later…

So he got me a kindle with a built in light and that problem was solved! He also got me kindle unlimited, which is kinda going against him since now I just have more FREE books to read all night long.

Here are my favorite books that I read in the last few months that I absolutely loved! They stuck to me and I thought about them for days after I put the book down. They are the type of books that you actually get a little sad when they are over. I am going to limit this to 5 books, since again, I have a problem. It’s noted.

((No spoilers below!!))

Orphan Train – A beautifully written book told from two different perspectives, that tells the story of a modern day girl and her struggles in the foster care system and a 70 year old women and her journey as an orphan in the late 1920s. Their stories are intertwined and parallel and you fall in love with both of these courageous women. A very heart-warming and touching book that also tells a little bit about the history of the orphan trains that ran in the US in that era.

Me Before You – A heartbreaking romantic book about two completely different people finding and loving each other, even in the hardest of times. If you aren’t up for a good cry, don’t read this book. Also, don’t read any reviews on amazon because they are spoilers, just buy this book and have at it.

The Short Drop – Once you start, you will not be able to put this down. I read it in 2 days. This is a dark plotted mystery about Gibson Vaughn who is trying to solve an unsolved disappearance of his very good friend from childhood twenty years later. But it has so many twists and turns (computer hacking, political corruption, kidnapping) that you will be breathless and on the edge of your seat during the entire book. I usually don’t read mystery thrillers but this book was amazing! It’s free with Kindle Unlimited.

The Rosie Project – This is a laugh-out-loud book about Don, who is a brilliant geneticist that is completely socially awkward and his mission on trying to find a wife. He makes up a crazy 16-page test, called the Wife Project, for all of his potential future partners to take. Rosie is an equally brilliant scientist that is trying to find her biological father, and makes a Father Project. Rosie and Don team up to help each other find a wife and a father. You completely fall in love with the characters and their quirks. I didn’t want this book to ever end, which it’s a good thing there is a sequel The Rosie Effect.

Sharp Objects – This is a dark and twisted first book by popular author Gillian Flynn who also wrote the best-selling book Gone Girl (also amazing). This book is the story of Camille Preaker, who is a reporter for her local paper and has been assigned to go back to her hometown in Missouri to uncover the story of a possible child killer. It’s dark, twisted and has so many plot turns that you will be caught off guard for most of the book.

Where to get these books  –

I have linked all of these books to amazon, because duh.. FREE 2-day shipping with Prime Membership! If you are a kindle reader, you can get that version with the links above. You can also get all of these books from your independent bookstore or the your local library. Enjoy!

Okay, now it’s your turn. What is your favorite go-to cookbook? And what are you reading right now that you absolutely love?

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