books on tap: not too shabby

Looking for something to add to your reading list this "school year" (even if you're not in school!)? Try one of these books! Happy reading!

Of Mess and Moxie*, by  Jen Hatmaker. She's back, y'all, and better than ever. Jen tackles everything from love and faith to Netflix and grocery shopping for a family of five, with her signature wit and wisdom. If you are a woman who has ever felt like you're not enough, this book is for you. You are enough, and more.  The "How-To" chapters are a hilarious bonus; Hatmaker snarkily tells you how to accomplish such tasks as go bathing-suit shopping three months postpartum and how to get your husband to fix something broken in the house. But humor aside, this book reaches deep into how to love, and how to extract love from this crazy, messy life, all while pointing her readers straight back to Jesus. Chalk up another win for Jen. 5/5 stars.
 
*I received a copy of this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

My Life With Bob, by Pamela Paul. Bob, or "Book of Books," is a journal Paul has kept of all the books she's read in her life, along with where she was when she read them. As a lover (and documenter) of the books I've read, I had high hopes for this, but it was dull. It's more of her life story with books being an addendum - or rather, the books were important to her, but there wasn't as much said about them as about her. Also, she seems a little on the pretentious side; is it too much to ask that she'd read, you know, a normal book? The books she mentions are all uber-literary and mostly meant to impress. In the end, I actually didn't finish it - only got about three-quarters of the way through. Glad I borrowed this from the library and didn't buy it. 3/5 stars.

Words in Deep Blue, by Cath Crowley. Teenager Rachel returns to her old town after the death of her younger brother, and reluctantly takes a job at her former best friend's family's bookstore. The thing is, she's still in love with her best friend Henry, and mad at him because he chose another girl, Amy, over her. She wrestles with grief and her tumultuous feelings for Henry, all set against the backdrop of Henry's family poised to lose the bookstore. This was good, but it could be better. It felt like it skated over a lot of things. While a lot of the emotions were great, there wasn't much time devoted to them. This teeters on the edge of four stars, but I have to give it 3/5 stars.

Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon. I wasn't as crazy about Yoon's other book, The Sun Is Also a Star, so I had low expectations for this one, but it actually exceeded them quite a bit. Maddy is a teenager with SCID, a disease that means she's basically allergic to everything. She can't leave her house, she's tutored via Skype, and she hasn't been outside in 17 years. Then a cute boy moves in next door. What starts as an online flirtation turns a lot more dangerous as Maddy starts to risk more and more to see him. This was a great book, and the ending was surprising and outstanding. 4/5 stars.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. This is a little out of my wheelhouse, but a friend recommended it and I was intrigued. Claire and her husband are visiting Scotland for a second honeymoon post-WWII when she steps through some standing stones and finds herself transported back 200 years. She tries to return to the stones to undo whatever magic was done, but the more she tries to escape, the more she finds herself entangled with the Mackenzie clan in the Highlands of Scotland. A little slow in places, but a very intriguing read. Plus, it's a series, so more books to read - yay! 4/5 stars.

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this month's re-reads

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