My reading habits have certainly changed since James arrived. At first, reading was out of the question – why would I read when I could sleep? – and then it was just difficult – how do I flip the page with one hand? Now, I have somewhat mastered the art of reading while nursing and though I am not reading as voraciously as life B.J. (Before James), my life isn’t devoid of books.

This month I’m including a couple cookbooks I’ve been enjoying and some board books James and I loved. Plus, I did something I rarely do… I abandoned a book! I started and stopped You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman last week, not because it wasn’t good, but because my sleep deprived brain wasn’t able to do the content justice. I look forward to picking it up again in a few months.

Linking up with Anne!

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Books

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

A departure from the Austin I know (Chronicles of The Kings series), but this easy #ChriFic read was a pleasure. Librarian heroine, unpredictable plot twists, and a little romance made for an engaging story.

Notes From A Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider

Had a hard time getting into this one in ebook form. Better when I switched to hardback. I thought it either wasn’t enough memoir or wasn’t enough practical tips. If you had to read one, I would suggest Tsh’s first book. #theartofsimple

Worth The Fight by Kayse Pratt

A short ebook about maintaining your high maintenance marriage. Kayse covers topics like communication, service, and sex with truth and humor. A nice naptime read with good reminders.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

Dear Mr. Knightley is a rich and readable story with subtle spiritual themes. It is sure to get you busting out your college English syllabus and dropping your favorite Austen quips in everyday conversation. Read the full review for more of why I LOVED this book. #2014fave

Mommy Time: 90 Devotionals for the New Mom by Sarah Arthur

A devotional memoir that all new moms should read. Don’t be dissuaded by the title. I find myself on every page. Sarah articulates the joys, anxieties, and struggles of motherhood with humor and honesty. The devotional aspect isn’t cheesy. I find myself reading multiple devotions per day.

Cookbooks

Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals

A thrift store find that turned out to be a major gem. Lower fat (without seeming diety) versions of all manner of foods. No photos, but once you make the Banana Bundt Cake or Black Bean Chilaquiles you won’t need the visual proof that these recipes are delicious!

The Naptime Chef: Fitting Great Food into Family Life by Kelsey Banfield

Recipes that are easy to prep during naptime and quick to finish so you can eat well with small children at home. Crispy Bacon Mac and Cheese is like crispy cheese crack. Her Cranberry Granola has apple cider and maple syrup (on my 2nd batch) and I’ve had the Baked Cheese Dip at the restaurant where she got the recipe. #winner

Board Books

Hush Little Polar Bear by Jeff Mack

Follow a sweet polar bear on his night time adventures. The beautiful illustrations and lyrical text has made it an instant favorite on my end. James seemed captivated, too.

Country Babies Wear Plaid by Michelle Sinclair Colman

More pictures than story, this simple book is just super cute. Not only do country babies wear plaid, but they wake at dawn and tend their animals. Each thing that a country baby does is illustrated with a baby in plaid, of course. #charmer

Good Night Lake by Adam Gamble

Though this book celebrates the Finger Lakes region in New York, it’s a must for anyone who lives or vacations by a lake. There’s morning and evening greetings for things, people, and activities around the lake. James particularly liked the deer…

I received a free copy of Notes From A Blue Bike and Worth The Fight in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

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I get so excited when the middle of the month rolls around and I get write my Twitterature reviews! Two things to note in January’s edition: 1. I read Embracing Beauty at the very end of December, thus it eluded my December 2013 Twitterature but is not technically a book I read in January. I’m choosing to bend the rules :) 2. My husband, Tim, wrote the review for Know When To Hold ‘Em. On Emily Freeman’s recommendation, I gave it to him for Christmas. He read many chapters aloud, so I can attest that it is a wonderful book!

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

(Also, Quiet by Susan Cain is STILL $2.99!! Such a steal on one of my favorite books from last year…)

Embracing Beauty: Practical Style for Every Shape and Season of Motherhood by Trina Holden

Fun fashion advice combined with an encouraging and realistic look at the way a woman’s body changes during pregnancy and motherhood. I needed this fresh perspective on beauty!

Know When To Hold ‘Em: The High Stakes Game of Fatherhood by John Blase

(from the hubs) This whimsical, authentic look at #fatherhood made me laugh, cry & desire to be a dad who honors God, family & the time we spend together.

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Another installment of Christian fiction set in Scotland. Slow to develop plot and characters. Not the best showing of her writing, which I normally really enjoy. #Iwillreadthesequelanyways

When We Were on Fire by Addie Zierman

A beautifully crafted and poignant memoir about faith lost and faith found. Went from 4 stars to 5 when I read the “conversation with the author” in the back of the book. #mustread

I decided to break another Twitterature rule because I just have more to say about When We Were on Fire but I’m not sure it’s enough for a whole post. I’ve only had a day to fully process the book, but these were my initial thoughts:

The book was truly fantastic and I would recommend it to virtually anyone. Addie is four years older than I am, but we still grew up in a similar church culture. I resonated with many of the experiences she relayed in the first part of her story – the books, the clothes, the music, and the attitudes. That being said, the remainder of her story stirred up so many complicated emotions. Addie is a talented wordsmith and I felt her anger, her bitterness, her depression as she recounted the turmoil her soul was experiencing.

However, our similar experiences had not produced those kinds of feelings in my life and I began to feel a bit guilty that, for the most part, I’m thankful for having grown-up in the type of environment that I did. (I certainly didn’t come out unscathed, but my faith has been stretched and molded in less evidently scarring ways, it seems.) This is why I initially gave the book only 4 stars. It was a wonderful read that gives lots of valuable insight to my generation’s faith, gives one pause to consider how they represent their faith and the God they serve, but I was left wondering if she would dismiss the beauty found in each of our unique stories. THEN, I read the conversation with Addie in the back of the book and was impressed by her heart and humility. She expressed a sensitivity and tenderness towards the faith journey’s of others that wasn’t fully apparent to me in the book. Five stars it is!!

Linking up with Anne!