Month: April 2023

Books I Read in April 2023

Hello book lovers! As of today my Goodreads reading challenge page says I’m four books behind schedule. Oy! I have been cheating with a few podcasts, but life has also been consuming, and it has pushed reading to the back burner. No matter, though. Summer is around the corner, and I should have plenty of time to catch up. Do you do a reading challenge every year? Mine is always to read one more book than the year before, and I have to read 70 to reach my goal this year. (YIKES) But I managed to knock out seven this month, so that ain’t too shabby. Without further ado…

All My Knotted Up Life- Beth Moore

I’ve already spoken about this book in my last post, but I can say that it was my favorite read of April. Beth Moore has been teaching me about Jesus through books, bible studies, sermons, and interviews for as long as I can remember. This particular book, her memoir, was such an interesting view into her life. And you better believe that Jesus was all through it.

It Happened One Summer- Tessa Bailey

I waited for “several months”, as the Libby app told me, for It Happened One Summer. I had heard Tessa Bailey was a lot of fun and a little bit spicy. I would say that’s a fair description of her writing. This book follows an LA socialite to a small seaside town where she and her sister are forced to live for a short time. Naturally, the big city girl comes to the small town and falls in love with it all. Think Hallmark movie plot with HBO liberties. It was a fun read, and I’m already on the wait list for the book about this main character’s sister.

The Bodyguard- Katherine Center

For book club we read The Bodyguard. I enjoyed this book, but it was just okay. I say that because when I had to put it down, I wasn’t compelled to pick it up again or stay up late to finish it. It was a cute story of a female bodyguard that has been given the assignment of a handsome movie star. The close proximity and her recent breakup give you a will they/won’t they vibe. Again, it was cute but just okay for me.

I’m Glad My Mom Died- Jennette McCurdy

Boy, was this a tough one. However, it was incredibly done. This woman is truly a writer. I think that’s why this work so well. Jennette McCurdy did not have an easy childhood. One might even say it was a tad tumultuous. She explains in great detail her mom’s influence on her life, her disordered eating, and her inability to live life for herself. I truly did enjoy this book. I listened on the Libby app. Jennette reads it herself, which must have been tough, but it was nice to hear it in the author’s voice. I hate this term, but know there are tons of trigger warnings.

Matilda- Roald Dahl

After watching Matilda: The Musical on Netflix and loving the 90s movie with Danny DiVito, I knew that Matilda was going to be the perfect story to read to my students. Each class is different, but I knew that my students could handle the harshness of The Trunchbull and the magic of Matilda’s telekinesis. I’d never read this book, and I was blown away at the fun we had while reading it. I found the 90s movie on Youtube, as our school doesn’t allow Netflix, and we were able to do a comparison of the book and the movie during a few lunch breaks. What fun we’ve had! Reading to children is truly one of the greatest joys. Force it upon your kids! 🙂 You’ll all learn to love it.

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

My other book club likes to conquer a classic once a year, and this time we chose The Great Gatsby. I think I had read it twice before, but I was more than happy to read it again. I have always been fascinated with the story. This was exacerbated by the release of the movie featuring Leonardo Di Caprio. It’s his best look ever in a film. I digress…. I had different feelings about this tragic story. I felt that perhaps Gatsby was a bit obsessive. I used to find him to be completely enamored with Daisy, but this reading made me feel there was something unstable about him. Do I blame modern times on this thinking? Perhaps. I still enjoyed the story and wanted even more. A member of my book club expressed a need for more of the story about Myrtle’s demise, and I agree! Wouldn’t that have been a fun few chapters in the book! Anyway, I always recommend this book followed up with a watch of the movie.

Gather and Give: Sharing God’s Heart Through Everyday Hospitality- Amy Hannon

Mama kept telling me about this account on Instagram called Euna Mae’s. I finally started following the account and quickly learned to love Amy Hannon. We talked about her and expressed interest in going to one of her events, but mom settled on first giving me her book for Christmas this past year. I decided to take it slow and read it here and there during my quiet time in the morning. It took a long time to finish it, but I did. Along the way I made all but three of the recipes in the book. Each chapter ends with a recipe that is meant for sharing with others. I enjoyed making them so much. The chicken pot pie has been made multiple times in this Norman house. If you love Jesus and desire entertaining, I highly recommend this book to you.

How about that? Seven books in an incredibly busy month. I mean, I feel like it has zoomed by, and I can’t believe it’s over! I’d love to hear if you’ve read any of these books or hear what you’ve read in general. I’m still currently working on the last book in the ACOTAR series called A Court of Silver Flames. I’m also reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer during my quiet time now. So far it’s depressing but I’m hoping it will give me hope by the end. I’m also listening to The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn and am loving it! Leave me a comment to tell me your favorite book of April. Why not add more books to our TBR? 🙂

April Favorites

Wow! Where did the month go? I feel like I blinked, looked at the calendar and it was April 15th. And now- Bam! It’s over! Don’t we always feel that way, though? I mean, except for January. I’m always glad to see that one go. But what a quick month it’s been. Maybe because it’s been so full of such wonderful things. We had Easter, I helped throw a baby shower for a friend, I went to the beach, we had state testing, which wasn’t a favorite of the month, but it was totally a huge part of the month and a stress inducer. There were hair appointments (always good days), a book release I was excited about, the premier of the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and so much more. Let’s dive in to all the good things I’ve deemed my favorites of the month.

Favorite Book of the Month

I can’t remember a time when Beth Moore wasn’t teaching me about Jesus. Her memoir was on my radar, but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to read the physical copy or listen to her read it to me on Audible. I decided to go with the Audible version. And listen, I knew some of her back story. I mean, I’ve listened to countless interviews, done a Bible study of hers, and watched all the Youtube videos. (This one is my favorite.) But, y’all, I was not prepared for some of these stories. I was not prepared for her to share as much as she did. If you’ve been studying under Mrs. Beth and have been blessed by her, please consider getting on the waitlist at the library or using an Audible credit for this one. You’ll love it.

Favorite Purchases of the month

Paul’s counsin’s incredibly stylish wife started a new online boutique called Not the Norm that has the cutest clothes. She had her first pop up at the beginning of the month, and I scooped up two colorful tops, which are way out of my comfort zone, but I love them both! The next pop up is on Saturday, May 6th at the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. You should definitely come, you should definitely start following them on Instagram, and you should definitely go ahead and shop online.

It wouldn’t be a new month if I didn’t buy a book. This one was a highly anticipated release. So highly anticipated that I preordered it. If you’ve been around long enough, you know that I love Laura Tremaine. She wrote a book I loved called Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. She hosts a weekly podcast called 10 Things to Tell You that is a delight to listen to and learn from. And now she’s written a new book called The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs. It came out early this month, but I haven’t been able to start it yet. I can’t wait!

Favorite Thing I Watched

I am so behind on shows, but I was most excited about the return of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Though it’s the last season, I’m still excited to see how they will wrap it up for us. I sort of appreciate the weekly release of the episodes. It’ll help me savor it. I have been such a huge fan of the show since the beginning and have watched the previous seasons multiple times. It became on of those “comfort shows” for me. If you’ve never watched, you must start at the beginning. Know that seasons 3 and 4 aren’t always top notch, but stick it out anyway. The endings will leave you floored. And just one more reason to watch it- the costumes. Gosh, that fashion is divine!

Paul and I watched Daisy Jones and the Six like the rest of the world. It was just okay for me. No, that’s not true. It was actually very good and well done. But I had just reread the book and had so many ideas fresh in my head, and when the show didn’t match my expectations, I turned my nose up at it. I thought the book was perfectly done and didn’t see any need to change anything, so I had a hard time with the show. However, if you’ve never read the book, I’m guessing you loved/will love the show, and I do recommend it. And while we’re talking TV fashion, Camilla’s outfit at the album cover shoot…that head scarf and oversized sunglasses- PERFECTION!

Favorite Thing I ate

Having lived in Louisiana one can get used to a caliber of food that just isn’t matched anywhere else. And one also cannot replicate that food on her own either. During Lent, Paul and I were thrilled to give the boiled crawfish from Pip’s a try. It was delicious, and we made ourselves incredibly satisfied over who-knows-how-many pounds of crawfish one Friday night. We even called over my parents, who never got crawfish while we lived in Louisiana. While it wasn’t my dad’s idea of a good time, mom liked it pretty good. It was a nice taste of our other home.

My birthday falls at the end of April, and my mom offered to make me a cake. She made a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate icing last year, and I told her I’d like that again. She decided to do a different recipe this year from the one and only Ina Garten. It was delicious, and I recommend finding any excuse to make it.

Other Favorites

Red Aspen Press On Nails
in Nina On Cloud Nine

I cannot get over how wonderful these press on nails are! The learning curve is short, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll love the natural look, the longevity, and the price. Nina on Cloud Nine is the perfect white mani. If you’re one who paints her own nails, you know how many coats it takes to get an opaque white mani. This takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and zero dry time! Get yours here.

Naghedi St. Barths Tote

It’s been high time for a new handbag around here, and I was kind of digging the woven tote bags I’d seen some of the influencers carry. Most of the ones I saw were the larger size one from Amazon. I think those are so cute, but I was in the mood for a change- smaller purse, bold color. Enter Naghedi. I first laid eyes on the St. Barths Tote via @nashvilletash in the gorgeous orchid color (no longer available). But I wanted one that I could carry longer than spring and summer. That’s when I perused the website and found it in poppy. She’s a bright orange that I will carry all year round. It’s neoprene, machine washable, and thoughtfully made. There are tons of styles and sizes. It’s a bit of an investment but not a huge one in comparison with more couture bags. It’s a total win in my book!

Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion

I’ve droned on and on about my oily skin here, especially when talking about Beautycounter. Honestly, I’ve been dealing with it since I hit puberty. I was using and loving the Countertime Collection at Beautycounter, which is the anti-aging line that has a retinol alternative called Bakuchiol in it. It was super hydrating and I knew it was keeping those deep set wrinkles at bay. (Also, the eye cream is truly incredible and worth every penny!) Anyway, I just kept being EXTREMELY oily throughout the day, so I decided that I was going to experiment and see if a different moisturizing routine would help. I swapped the Supreme Cream (night) for the Soft Cream (day)- I put this on at night before bed. I was foregoing moisturizer in the mornings because the Soft Cream was too much moisture for my skin under my makeup, which happens to be a tinted moisturizer base.
I decided I needed some type of moisturizer in the morning, so I finally gave the Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion a try. The beauty of this moisturizer is that it’s sort of like a mood ring for your face. It just knows what you are/need. I have been less oily than every before! It is so light and absorbs quickly into your skin. I cannot get over the sorcery that is in this product. 🙂 If you don’t love your current moisturizer, you must give this stuff a try! It’s pure magic!

I Feel Like I’m Missing Tons

April may have been fast and furious, but it was great! Lots of fun and lots of blessings. I hope April brought joy to your life, and I hope that May brings even more. We have another birthday I the house in May and let’s not forget the end of the school year! Counting down the days. Hope to share more soon.