Book Recommendations This Winter ~ White Arrows Home

Find my easy to use strategies to fit reading into a busy life along with what I’m reading this month to learn, grow and enjoy.

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The weather this time of year gives lots of opportunities to curl up and read. I’m also in the car a lot with kids’ activities and that gives me extra audiobook opportunities. Here are the books I’m reading this month and how I fit reading into my busy life.

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I hope following along with what I’m reading gives you some encouragement, inspiration and motivation to read just a little bit more, to start again or add even more books to your list of what you read this year.

How To Make Time To Read

I’m a busy working mom who can’t be without books. I feel lost if I don’t have a book going and I have a long list of books that I want to read. The strategy I came up with helps me get more checked off the list.

I typically get between four and ten books read a month with this strategy. It makes it so doable.

But there are also seasons of life that play into how much I can get read. I give myself grace for the harder times and I hope you can give yourself grace too. Finishing a book in these seasons may take longer than at other times. It may depend on the ages or your kids, the amount of work you have to bring home with you, the care you may be needing to give to a family member or friend in need.

But my strategies can help, even then, to make some time to learn, restore, encourage and find peace.

Quiet Time Book

I’ve begun starting my day earlier to be sure I have time to fit in my Quiet Time reading. It is an essential part of my day, laying the foundation for strength, positivity and inspiration.

My Quiet Time Books may be a bible study that I go through and answer questions and do readings. Some favorite authors are Priscilla Shirer, Lysa Terkeurst, Jennie Allen, Angie Smith and Kelly Minter. Sometimes the book is around a biblical topic or theme.

Last month I read You Were Made For This Moment by Max Lucado about the story of Esther. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it! His books are so inspiring and easy to read.

This month I’m reading The Women of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. Do not let your opinions of Fox News be what draws you to or away from this book. I learned so much I didn’t know about the women of the bible, those named and unnamed.

Read The Women of the Bible Speak with me!

There is even a story that spoke to my heart so deeply, the story of the Nain widow who’s son had died in Luke 7:12-16. I wept when I read verse 13, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.” And verse 16 “…and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

We adopted a son eight years ago and it was a very hard eight years. I spent many, many hours in tears, sometimes on the floor of my bathroom as I was overcome with grief over his broken heart and the struggles it was causing in his life and his inability to bond. My mother’s heart was broken too.

But God saw me, he was always there telling me not to cry. He IS A GOD OF MIRACLES and he brought my son back to life, just like the son of the Nain widow. He gave my son back to me. My son is a completely restored young man and our relationship and his with our family is beyond what I could have even hoped. My prayers were more than answered.

If you are an adoptive parent? I’d love to connect with you. Email me at [email protected].

Wait Time Book

It’s been such a great way to use my time to read a book while I wait. Sometimes I will spend time on my phone, but just as I tell my kids, I feel it’s important to limit screen time.

There are a lot of positives to the apps I spend time on. I learn a lot. I meet and connect with friends and followers. I research, I get new recipe and decorating ideas, but, I can end up still spending a lot of wasted time. One of my mentors once told me Create More Than Take. I feel like my screen time is taking and my reading time is helping me create. Creat more inspiration for my work and a more balanced me.

My Word of the Year is Thrive and part of that for me is to keep learning and growing and becoming the best person I can be. These books help with that goal.

My Wait Time book I often a best seller, a book that’s been on my To Read List or an author I’ve heard interviewed on a favorite podcast.

Last month I read The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma. I had been considering working on an earlier morning schedule and this book was good inspiration. It was told in a fictional silly story, but was so full of great quotes, lessons and well written ideas I highlighted like crazy.

This month I’m reading The Ride of a Lifetime , Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger, so keep a highlighter close and let’s read together.

Read The Ride of a Lifetime with me!

Join my Fireside Book Club over on Facebook. Request to join HERE.

For the Love of Reading

As a young girl I would spend hours and hours curled up reading Nancy Drews and other favorite books and series. I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t reading.

These days you might even find me stirring dinner over the stove with a book in my hand or on my spin bike finishing a chapter. Luckily I can read in the car, so long road trips are so fun for me! More time to read!

I decide on my For the Love books by browsing book shops, suggestions from followers and friends, what my local bookclub is reading or best seller lists.

Last month I read We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin.

This month I’m reading The President’s Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. It was chosen for my local bookclub monthly read. My book club gets together monthly to discuss a book selected by that month’s hostess.

I used to read lots of James Patterson books back around the time I got married over 20 years ago, but they got too scary for me. So this is my first one in a long time, but it was interesting that it was coauthored with former President Bill Clinton.

It added some interest to the story to know that President Clinton writing about a fictional character would know the true behind the scenes setting and situational details shared in the book.

In the book, a former president’s college age daughter is kidnapped by terrorists as revenge for something that happened during his presidency. This former president just happens to be a former Navy Seal as well and gathers a team to go save his daughter.

Two of my favorite TV series are Jack Ryan and Designated Survivor and this book had the feeling of those two shows colliding. It was a quick read that held my interest.

Read The President’s Daughter with me!

Chore Time Book

Many years ago, I loaded the audiobook app on my phone and downloaded a Harlan Cabin book before I started to clean the house. I got so lost in the book that I found more motivation to clean and couldn’t wait to have another bathroom to do so I could keep listening. It was a great mind flip!

Instead of dreading the tasks before me for the day, I couldn’t wait to start. I couldn’t wait to start weeding the garden to see what happened next in my book.

Last month I listened to Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. This month I’m listening to

This month I’m listening to It All Comes Back to You by Beth Dukes. In this heartwarming story of elderly, Violet, and her young caretaker, Ronni, at the nursing home. Violet is so full of life and stories and asks Ronni, an aspiring author, to write her life story after she dies. Secrets emerge and Ronni learns how to find her own way from Violets past.

TIP: As you get used to listening to audiobooks you can speed up the sound by touching the 1X in the bottom left corner of your device. I usually listen at 1 1/2 and am able to get through books much quicker and make time for more!

Listen to or read All Comes Back to You with Me!

Looking For More Ideas?

You can find links to other books I shared HERE. I keep a Pinterest Board called “What to Read Next”. You can start one too pinning the photos from this post.