The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George | I'll admit, this one wasn't my absolute favorite from my books last spring, but I did appreciate that it was quirky so I wanted to keep it on the list. It follows Monsieur Perdu, who owns a floating bookstore and is trying get over a lost love. Those two things may not seem connected but he uses literature and his bookstore to heal again. (***)
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam | I never feel like I have enough time, especially during busy season, but reading 168 Hours was an eye opener for me. Vanderkam very simply and gently lays out the truth: There's actually plenty of time in the day; we're just not not using our 24 hours in the wisest way possible. She includes a graph to track your hours for an entire week, which was the MOST helpful for me to see where I actually spend my time (hello, checking social media waaaay too often!). I could—and should!—read this once a year. (*****)
WomanCode by Alisa Vitti | I first heard Alisa Vitti interviewed on The Lively Show podcast where she talked about optimizing your hormones in the most natural way possible. It was intriguing so I bought her book. I've never been super convicted about eating 100% clean or curing any sickness that comes my way through homeopathic methods, but Vitti's book made me think twice about what I put in my body and how it affects my entire system as a whole. It was a little woo-woo at times and way GIRL POWER!, but I learned a lot and have started to implement some pieces into my everyday life. (***)
Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider | Simple living is kind of a cliche term these days, but Oxenreider does a beautiful job of proving that life doesn't have to be so hectic. I needed to read this book when I did—in the middle of wedding season and the early stages of pregnancy! It gave me a lot of hope that we could have a family and still keep up with our passions ... and even pass those on to our kids. (*****)
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr | The Enneagram isn't so much a personality test as it is a way of understanding yourself and working to become more mature and balanced within your God-given strengths and weaknesses. It's deep and it takes a lot of thought, but I'd highly recommend checking out this perspective on the Enneagram, especially if you're struggling to understand your true self or a loved one. (****)
An Irish Doctor in Love and at Sea by Patrick Taylor | Anything Irish related is of interest to me because I love that country! This is part of a fictional series by Taylor but you don't have to read every book or even the books in order to enjoy this story. It flips between two time periods—one when Dr. O'Reilly is first starting his career during WWII and one when he is a veteran doctor. And there's a love story that ties the two eras together. (***)
