Current Reads

 

       Welcome to my first current reads. I know that many people prefer reading only one book at a time. I also know that almost every bookworm has a never-ending shelf of books they want to read. I am one of the bookworms that fall into that category and I read more than one book at a time. Having three children makes it difficult to read anything that takes brain power so during the day I lean towards easy reads and in the evenings when everyone is in bed I read books that lean toward the critical thinking part of my brain. I'm also in a book club, and on top of what I choose to read I also read the book for the book club. How do I do all of this? There is no answer because I have no idea, it just happens. Anyway, on to the task at hand, what I'm currently reading.

"A Year of Living Kindly" by Donna Cameron

A Year of Living Kindly

In A Year of Living Kindly―using stories, observation, humor, and summaries of expert research―Donna Cameron shares her experience committing to 365 days of practicing kindness. She presents compelling research into the myriad benefits of kindness, including health, wealth, longevity, improved relationships, and personal and business success. She explores what a kind life entails, and what gets in the way of it. And she provides practical and experiential suggestions for how each of us can strengthen our kindness muscle so choosing a life of kindness becomes ever easier and more natural. An inspiring, practical guide that can help any reader make a commitment to kindness, A Year of Living Kindly shines a light on how we can create a better, safer, and more just world―and how you can be part of that transformation.

  I'm on chapter sixteen and I've only been reading it for about an hour so it is quite quick and easy as far as how it is written. I continue to remain interested in it, there's so much that I've stopped to write down in the few chapters I've read thus far. It's a good reminder of how kindness is something that often has to be learned because the negativity around us constantly affects whether or not we realize it. If you pick it up or have read it, I would love to hear your thoughts.

"The Color of Dragons" by R.A Salvatore and Erika Lewis

The Color of Dragons

Magic needs a spark.

And Maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, the life debt that she owes stretches eternally over her head, with no way to repay it.

Until she meets Griffin, the king’s champion, infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague their kingdom.

Neither has any idea of the destiny that they both carry, or that their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of the life they know—and all of history thereafter.

I haven't begun this one yet but it sounded interesting and since my book has a lot to do with dragons I thought I would pick it up and read how others write dragons.  

"Daughter of the Moon Goddess" by Sue Lynn Tan

Daughter of the Moon Goddess 

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

This one I've actually read this one before and is one of my favorite books, I cannot wait to get my hands on the second one "Heart of the Sun Warrior" The book club I'm in is currently reading this one so I'm rereading it for that. The writing style is enchanting and the story I fell in love with it. If you like c-dramas, fantasy stories about immortals, magic, betrayal, and dreams this is one you'll want to pick up. 

"Something in-between" byMelissa De La Cruz

Something In-between

She had her whole life planned.

She knew who she was and where she was going. 

Until the truth changed everything.

Jasmine de los Santos has always done what’s expected of her. She’s studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship to the school of her dreams.

And then everything shatters. Her parents are forced to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all and the very real threat of deportation.

As she’s trying to make sense of this new reality, her world is turned upside down again by Royce Blakely. He’s funny, caring and spontaneous—basically everything she’s been looking for at the worst possible time—and now he’s something else she may lose. 

Jasmine will stop at nothing to protect her relationships, family and future, all while fighting the hard truths of being undocumented.

I've had this one on my TBR shelf for a few years, I know I'm way behind on reading this. It was super talked about on book tube for awhile but I tend to read things that aren't super popular because my taste is a bit different and wide in range. I'm also not a huge fan of contemporaries. It sounds like an emotional read that shows the reality or, from what Ive heard, shows the reality of immigrants in the US. I'm hoping it also touches on the unfair financial expectations that colleges put on families as well. If you've read it what's your opinion on it?

I recently finished "Heavens Official's Blessing" by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I stayed up late reading until i finished it. The story is so impressive! It's a translated Chinese book that follows a god of "misfortune" as he travels the mortal realm in order to live a life free from his past. He meets a mysterious man who resembles someone that the god seems to know but he won't reveal his true identity. It has a bit of romance but I wouldn't call it a romance novel. There is so much action and you see a wide range of culture through it that you wouldn't see in the united states. When I first placed it on hold with the library I thought it was a graphic novel but it turned out to be an actual novel and I plan on buying it because it was so good and I'm excited to read the second one. 

What books have you been reading? Did any of them have a significant impact on you?

Happy reading,

M