2020 in Books!

 This year was one for the books (ha!) and I laughed, cried, and enjoyed my way through 66 books this year. Choosing my top picks was really difficult since there were so many excellent ones! Ok, before we dive in....here's my list of all my reads, then scroll down for some commentary and my faves!!

hello 2020. 

1. The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

2. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

3. *Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

4. Over the Top by Jonathan VanNess

5. *Teach Like Finland by Timothy D. Walker

6. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

7. *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

9. *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

10. Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

11. The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

12. *Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

13. The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

14. *Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

15. *True Crime Addict by James Renner

16. The Ingredients of Us by Jennifer Gold

17. You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

18. Rushing Woman's Syndrome by Libby Weaver 

19. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

20. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

21. *On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle

22. *One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

23. The First Time by Colton Underwood

24. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 

25. *Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

26. *The Paris Hours by Alex George

27. The St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

28. *The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

29. Girl Logic by Iliza Schlsinger

30. *Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

31. *Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crossley

32. *Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin

33. The Honey Don't List by Christina Lauren

34. Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

35. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

36. *One to Watch by Kate Stoyman-London

37. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by JK Rowling

38. One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

39. *Stand All The Way Up by Sophie Hudson

40. *The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin

41. Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

42. *A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

43. The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton

44. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman 

45. *The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine

46. *An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

47. Open Book by Jessica Simpson

48. That's My Son by Rick Johnson

49. Hungry Heart by Jennidfer Weiner

50. *The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 

51. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

52. *27 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

53. *The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

54. Beach Read by Emily Henry 

55. The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

56. *Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

57. The United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster

58. *Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

59. *Always the Last to Know by Kristen Higgins

60. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

61. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump

62. The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

63. *Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam 

64. *This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

65. The Secret Place by Tana French

66. *Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Ok, let's chat! In list form! 

Here are the Non-Fiction books I read:

Over The Top, Teach Like Finland (loved it!), Finding Chica, True Crime Addict (so good!), Rushing Woman's Syndrome (so glad I bought it to reference in the future), On The Bright Side, The First Time (Bachelor Colton, this book was eyeroll inducing), Girl Logic, Stand All The Way Up, Here For It, Open Book, That's My Son (a Christian parenting book that was super cringey and sexist to me), Hungry Heart, The Lazy Genius Way (such a fun, practical read), The United States of Anxiety, Too Much and Never Enough. 

Easy Breezy Chick Lit: The Confession Club, The Ingredients of Us, The St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, Happy and You Know It, The Honey Don't List, One to Watch, The Hideaway, Evvie Drake Starts Over, Always the Last to Know, This Time Next Year 

Tear Jerkers: Finding Chika, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, The Paris Hours, A Good Neighborhood, An American Marriage, Anxious People

My Least Favorites: The 7 and Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, The Secret Place, Beach Read, That's My Son, One of Us is Next, All The Missing Girls, The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

Honorable Mentions: Rodham, Look Alive Out There, A Good Neighborhood, One to Watch, True Crime Addict, Such a Fun Age 

My TOP 5!!!!! These are in no particular order....I just couldn't choose! 

1. Leave The World Behind: This book is in a word: Raw. It's jarring, creepy, unsettling, but also suspenseful and it elicits reader empathy as you walk through this unknown scary journey with the main characters. This is the opposite of an easy breezy read. I read this book in a matter of days and it left me breathless when it was finished. You'll never look at flamingos the same way again (I mean, doesn't that fact alone make you want to read?!). This book is not for everyone (don't at me if you hate it, you've been warned!) but it was a rollercoaster experience, and for that, it has earned it's place in my top 5! 

2. An American Marriage: I stayed up so late devouring this book. This is not a happy read, but it's thoughtful, deep, and the commentary on racism, privilege and our unjust justice system made this book confront beliefs I had. I loved the letters back and forth from the main characters. This book fits its title perfectly: What does it mean to be married in America? What do vows mean when they're tested? What happens when you're hurt by the systems ser it in place to protect you? I really enjoyed this book. I thought as I was reading that it might be in my Top 5 (I read it this summer), and it has remained in that spot. It's excellent. 

3. The Harry Potter series: Listen. I'm typing this out sipping my coffee from a Harry Potter mug. I mean, is there a more ringing endorsement from me than that? These books debuted when I was young and I honestly never picked one up. It just didn't seem like my jam, and I'm still not into fantasy reads. But I can't deny the magic of this series. I have never read books that transported me so fully into a another realm. Reading this entire series and watching the movies was my 2020 resolution. Hogwarts is a delight (except when, you know, Dementors hang out there), the Professors' different styles kept me on my toes, and the friendship. THIS is the heart of the series in my opinion. Ron, Hermione, and Harry rely one one another as they navigate adolescene while defeating evil (as you do, right?!). I'm so glad I read this series. I think I missed the train (Hogwarts Express?) on becoming a full blown Potter-head, but I feel like I've been fully baptized into pop culture now. I listened to the first 3 books on audio and that was a great way to dive into this world. I also cheated a bit by combining the whole series into my top 5, but my fave 2 were Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of Phoenix. 

4. 28 Summers: This book is perfect. As soon as I finished, I remarked that this book would undoubtedly be in my top faves for the year. This book follows Mallory and Jake for decades as they live separate lives but get together every Labor Day weekend. I love a long time line and this one follows the characters for pretty much the entirety of their adult lives. The romance in this was chef's kiss, the cultural elements that are painted before each of their weekends together set the stage perfectly, and the setting of Nantucket had me googling vacations there as soon as I closed this book. This is classified in reviews as the "perfect beach read," and it is, but it's more heartfelt and sweeping than a typical beach read. 

5. The Lies That Bind: If part of what makes a book great is how quickly I devour it, then The Lies That Bind earns it spot on this list because I stayed up till 2 am to finish this book. I could not put it down. This book is a very complicated love story set up in New York leading up to, during, and immediately after 9/11. The mystery in this book kept me on my toes and I could NOT wait to read about how the story wrapped up. The characters in this book are deelpy flawed, but not so much that you're not invested in their fates (Emily Giffin is a pro at this). This Amazon review puts it perfectly:  The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth—in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.

So there you have it, my top 5 reads of the year! I've always loved reading but this year in particular with so much time at home, it proved an especially meaningful hobby for me.

Whew! That's a wrap. May our 2021 reads be delightful, page-turning, thoughtful, and life affirming. I can't wait to crack open those pages and dive in! 

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie 

Year in Review

 Hi Friends!

     I just love love love year in review posts, specials, and articles. When I found out I was an ENFJ/enneagram 9 personality type, welp, it just all clicked into place WHY I love that stuff so dang much. I love to reflect. Freaking love it. I love looking back, gleaning lessons, and thinking about what went well, what could go better, and memory lane is a place I love to hang out (Maybe that's why I love Buzzfeed "You Might Be a 90's Kid if..." lists). 

2020 was the strangest year of my life. Fortunately, not the toughest. And for that I am so thankful. Here's a monthly run down of our 2020. 

January: Hank and AJ both had horrible cases of the flu right at the start of the year but they got better just in time for us to move into our new house. 

February: Hank started swim lessons. AJ's parents came to visit. We hosted a Super Bowl party. We had a snow day. 

March: The world closed down. There was a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. We adjusted to being virtual teachers. Hank started staying home from school. 

April: Staying home. Celebrated Easter at home. More online teaching. AJ's brother Matt got engaged. 

May: Watched Tiger King (lol). Visited The Spiral Jetty. I spent a lot of time reading outside. 

June: The school year ended (so bittersweet). We visited St. George. We celebrated Hadley's 4th birthday. 

July: AJ's parents came to visit. We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Lots of hikes, visits to the farm, Payson Lakes, Ashton Gardens, and walks. We got a Traeger. 

August: I finished my math endorsement. Our backyard was finished and we spent a lot of time out there. We all went back to school. We bought a new car. 

September: Hank got a big boy bed. Lots of outside time. 

October: Hank was Buzz for Halloween. We road tripped to Oregon for a few days over Fall Break. 

November: We had our first Thanksgiving at our house. Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. 

December: Hank turned 3. We spent a lot of time looking at Christmas lights. We are officially done teaching in 2020! 

 Thanks so much for following along at This Sunday Kinda Love! 2020 was weird and hard and painful. But I promise if you look (sometimes you have to look hard!), there are moments of pure joy and happiness.  Happy 2021 to you! 

Savor Your Sparkle, Leslie 

December Reads

 

Photo from hymnsandverses.com 

It's here! my last monthly reads post of 2020! I wanted to get this posted before the holidays and then work on my top reads of 2020 post. How will I ever pick a favorite???

I read 3 books this month: 2 were great, 1 was not. Here we go! 

1. This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens: This book was adorable. It was my November Book of the Month pick. This is classic chick lit....there's a love story, quirky friends, a big city background, and a main character who owns a cute little pie shop. The protagonist, Minnie Cooper, keeps running into her "birthday twin," the other baby born first in 1990 London. They are polar opposites but somehow they really connect... And sparks fly. I really enjoyed the back and forth timeline, almost always on or near New Years Eve of each year. The love story in this is both charming but also not formulaic. This was one of the best chick lit books I've read in a long time. If you're looking for sweet, light, romantic, pick this one up. 

2. The Secret Place by Tana French: I am going to go ahead and say this book is the reason I didn't get more reading done this month. This book would. not. end. even when I wanted it to! This is about a murder investigation duo in Dublin. They get called to a boarding school where rival girl cliques try to lead them astray as they attempt to solve who killed a fellow student at a nearby school. It seems like something I could really get on board with. But then it got supernatural. And my eyes couldn't roll enough. And the portrayal of the young girls is the worst (evil temptresses with no ethics). I just did not like this book. From start to finish. This was one of those books that at various points I contemplated putting down but just held out hope it would get better. It didn't.

3. Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld:  I'm finally getting around to reading this! I was on the waitlist for months and then it arrived in November, but I didn't have time to read it then so I had to return it, put myself back on the waitlist, and it finally came into my local library last week! This book was brilliant. Now, here's a disclaimer---it doesn't matter how you feel about Hillary, this book is excellent completely on its own. I am a huge fan of Sittenfeld's novels and this one follows a similar format to "American Wife," in that it's a fictionalized account based loosely on real life (that book, which I loved, is apparently based very loosely on Laura Bush's life). Here's what Sittenfeld does: She reimagines Hillary's life (the book is told from her perspective) as if she had never married Bill. It follows her childhood to her in her 70's and even though it's not real life, characters we are all familiar with show up and are portrayed pretty darn accurately (in my opinion). We meet Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and a whole other slew of political heavy hitters. The idea of taking people we know and shaking up the storyline is so clever and made for such an entertaining read. I loved how this book wrapped up and how it gave voice (although fictional) to historical events and modern moments. I would LOVE to know Hillary and Bill's perspective. I'm guessing she'd love it and he'd hate it. If you like long sweeping novels following characters for decades (and bonus if you are familiar with the modern political climate), I think you'll enjoy this book. I hope Sittendeld continues her "novelization" of real people! 

Happy Holiday reading, friends! Tis the season for a fluffy blanket, a mug of something steamy and sweet, and a good book! 

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie 

PS) If you're interested in joining Book of the Month (I love it so much!), my referral link is HERE

Here are my 2020 reads (stars by my faves!) 

1. The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

2. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

3. *Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

4. Over the Top by Jonathan VanNess

5. *Teach Like Finland by Timothy D. Walker

6. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

7. *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

9. *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

10. Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

11. The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James

12. *Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

13. The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

14. *Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

15. *True Crime Addict by James Renner

16. The Ingredients of Us by Jennifer Gold

17. You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

18. Rushing Woman's Syndrome by Libby Weaver 

19. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

20. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

21. *On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle

22. *One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

23. The First Time by Colton Underwood

24. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 

25. *Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

26. *The Paris Hours by Alex George

27. The St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

28. *The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

29. Girl Logic by Iliza Schlsinger

30. *Harry Potter and the Half Bloos Prince by JK Rowling

31. *Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crossley

32. *Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin

33. The Honey Don't List by Christina Lauren

34. Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

35. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

36. *One to Watch by Kate Stoyman-London

37. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by JK Rowling

38. One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

39. *Stand All The Way Up by Sophie Hudson

40. *The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin

41. Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

42. *A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

43. The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton

44. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman 

45. *The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine

46. *An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

47. Open Book by Jessica Simpson

48. That's My Son by Rick Johnson

49. Hungry Heart by Jennidfer Weiner

50. *The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 

51. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

52. *27 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

53. *The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

54. Beach Read by Emily Henry 

55. The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

56. *Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

57. The United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster

58. *Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

59. *Always the Last to Know by Kristen Higgins

60. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

61. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump

62. The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

63. *Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam 

64. *This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

65. The Secret Place by Tana French

66. *Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Young, Wild, and THREE!

 My little man, my sweet Hank Grayson, is THREE! I cannot believe it's been 3 years but in so many ways I cannot remember life before I became Hank's mom. The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew life would never be the same. My world instantly filled with color. Hank is, in a word, JOY. He loves big and finds happiness in even the most simple of things or experiences. 

 Hank loves to chat and is very observant. He remembers tiny details and makes connections. We were playing Don't Break The Ice recently and he said, "Mom, I know you like pink, but since there's not a pink hammer, do you think you'd like purple?" He's friendly, kind, and full of spunk and hilarity. He always says, unprompted, "I love my life." I mean, have you ever heard a toddler say that??? He gets very excited for things that matter to him and his energy is contagious.

 I pray everyday Hank never loses his zest for life and care for others. These are two traits that emerged very early on with him and to me, are 2 of life's most important features: appreciate what you have and love others well. I mean, that's all there is, right?!  Here's some things Hank loves:

-his blue bunny named Zoe from Arctic Circle
-Paw Patrol
-Daniel Tiger
-dance parties (Baby Yoda and Chicken Nugget Dreamland are his jams) 
-going SO fast on his wiggle bike in the basement
-Spiderman and pretending to shoot out a web

-stacking toys to make an obstacle course "playground" 
-"Buzz and Woody" 
-tight squeezes (hugs)

-baking with mom
-reading a bible story before bed every night with mommy 
-daddy rubbing his back before bed
-morning milk time watching a show (9 out of 10 times he's naked. He would be naked all day every day if we let him, lol)
-Grandma/Grandpa from the Wasatch (that's what he calls my parents)
-Grandma/Grandpa at the bunny house (AJ's parents, who have a bunny that hangs out in their yard)
-vanilla steamers and banana bread from Starbucks
-ABC Mouse

-basketball 
-School (he calls it "su-ell") 
-Writing/drawing with pens
-pacis (yes, we are still in a love affair with the pacis. He only has it for sleep and winding down with milk at night) 
-Trolls World Tour

-Aunt Libby and Uncle Matt 

-the moon (grandpa in Oregon is teaching him the official names of the phases. I got schooled the other day and was informed it was a waxing moon. Umm what? Lol). 
-lights/inflatables/holiday decorations
-doing "side eye" and "Zen Hank" and making us crack up
-Chicken nuggets and "dip" (sweet and sour sauce/ketchup)
-ice cream

-SOCCER!

-his teachers

To see Hank through the years, click HERE

To celebrate, I ordered a Toy Story cake for a little family treat and we will open gifts in the evening. I am hoping it'll be safe to gather this summer and he can have a little half birthday. He's begging for a bounce house/backyard pool party.....fingers crossed! And now, I can't help myself, here are some pictures of my Lovebug. Happy Birthday, Hankers. You are pure JOY!