Ten Hidden Gem Books in (gasp) Non Fiction

Ah - non fiction. Non fiction books are often given the bad rap of being old, boring, grandpa books- and certainly those non fiction books are out there ( snore)! But, I feel like, as readers, we have a much more developed appreciation for non fiction and all of the amazing benefits there are to reading this genre. I weeded through all of the non fiction books I have read in the last few year ( A LOT) and found ten books that I felt like were excellent examples of why I *love* non fiction books as much as I do. Keep reading to see the list as well as some video reviews for the books I chose.

My Experience with Havenly : free, online design help from a professional

Raise your hand if you feel like you have zero decorating knowledge- yep, me too. I love my house and its current style, but if I'm being the least bit honest with myself- I'm not responsible for it. I am incredibly blessed to have ridiculously helpful family, who are incredibly skilled at decorating. Outside help is a must for me. I know what I like but I am terrible at implementing it, and finding products to match --- enter Havenly. Keep reading to see the awesome design ideas they suggested and how I plan on implementing to totally update my style!

The Thicket by Joe R Lansdale - Book Review

" To some extent I find sin like coffee. When I was young and had my first taste of it I found it bitter and nasty, but later on I learned to like it by putting a little milk in it, and then I learned to like it black. Sin is like that. You sweeten it a little with lies, and then you get so you can take it straight." - The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale

You know those books that pop up on your TBR list and leave you racking your brain trying to figure out how the world it landed on your list? That is totally this book for me! I have no earthly idea where I got the recommendation to read this book, but it made it not just onto my TBR list, but all the way onto my library holds list ( a competitive place to be!)- and so, here we are! "The Thicket" was definitely unlike any book I have read lately, and reminded me of "True Grit" meets "The Wizard of Oz" - kind of? Keep reading to learn more about my experience reading "The Thicket" by Joe R. Lansdale.

Five Things I Learned From "We Are All The Same" by Jim Wooten

Non fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres to read. As amazing as fiction authors can be at setting a scene, imagining vivid characters and situations that explore ideas and emotions - real life "true" stories have a lasting impact that is incredibly difficult for me to find in literary fiction. That impact was definitely felt after I finished reading "We Are All the Same" by Jim Wooten. This book shares the story of Nkosi Johnson, a young South African boy who was born with HIV, and how his courage and determination, as well as his bond with the white South African woman who adopted him, brought attention to such an important issue at an incredibly crucial time.

Keep reading to explore the five things I learned from reading " We Are All The Same" by Jim Wooten and to find out if you would like to read this book, too!

Book Blogger Newbie Tag 2.0

I feel like I will forever be a newbie- at everything, but especially at book blogging. lol. No matter how many years I might blog, vlog, instagram - what have you - the internet is such a vast and constantly developing place, it can be hard, to impossible to feel like you can stay on top of it! So in that spirit, I decided to adapt a tag which has been floating around Youtube, the Booktube Newbie Tag 2.0, and answer the questions for book blogging. Keep reading to see my answers to some pretty interesting questions!

Library Book Haul - August 2017

I've been quite a few states away from home, visiting family for the last month - one of the first things I did before heading home from vacation - put book on hold so that they would be ready for me to pick up at the library the day I came home. I think I may have a problem. jk, the library is life. Keep reading to find out which books I'm excited to read in the month of August and comment below to tell me which of these books you've read and I need to read first/ immediately return to the library!

Ginny Moon- by Benjamin Ludwig - Book Review

This book is one that grabbed me right away because of the description and the reviews. "Meet Ginny. She’s fourteen, autistic, and has a heart-breaking secret… Ginny Moon is trying to make sense of a world that just doesn’t seem to add up…." I had to know what Ginny's secret was, and I was really intrigued by the idea of an autistic narrator-  while there have been a couple of well known books from that perspective, I haven't read a book like this before and wanted to see how that might work as a narrative choice. Read more to see my thoughts on "Ginny Moon" by Benjamin Ludwig.