Friday Favorites [all about books & some light spring cleaning]

Happy Friday, my friends!  I'm glad it's the weekend, where everything feels more lighthearted and casual.  I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friends, for this blog post. 

Back in December, when we kept having the problem of the data in our house running out each month, I decided that in 2019, I would read way more and watch less Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime/Roku.  I have always loved to read, ever since the young age of about seven, but I have phases where I'll read everything I can get my hands on, and then for a month or two, I won't pick up a book.  I wanted to change that this year, and I wanted to keep track more accurately, of what I read and who it's by.  My bestie Andrea gave me a really cute journal that I use for this two birthdays ago. 

I made this goal, not thinking I'd keep up with it, but lo and behold, I have.  I've far exceeded the amount I thought I'd read each month, and I'm still going strong.  I think I read eight books in January, six in February, another eight in March, and I'm currently reading book number five or six in April.  I think that's accurate, I'm not checking, but if it's off, it's only by one or two books. 

People always ask me how I do this, and how I read so many books.  The main way I do this is simply by making time to read.  Every single day, I read.  If I skip a day, it's only a day.  I want to do this, and so I just schedule that time into everyday when I make my to do list.  Secondly, I've loved to read since age seven, and my mom always also would set this example for me as a young girl.  We could sit in the same room and read for hours, not saying a word, and did that many nights.  Thirdly, I've read so much my whole life that I am now what some people call a speed reader.  To make sure of this, last weekend, I timed myself in the book I was reading on Saturday.  (I know, I am rolling my eyes at my own self, but I have always been happy to be a bookworm.)  I read one hundred to one hundred and fifteen pages in one hour.  The amount of pages varies on how much I love the book.  The more I love it, it's more like one hundred and fifteen.  That being said, I can read a book in two or three hours, depending on the length.

The last thing I do is that I always have a book (sometimes two!) going, and I always have more waiting for me when I'm done.  Ask my dad.  Most Fridays, we go to the library, because I hate the thought of being stuck without a book.  I have favorite authors I always gravitate towards, but I like to try new ones, as well.  I may not always love them, though, and I have no problem at all with putting a book down.  Who has time to read a book they don't love?!  Life is short, friends.  Read only books you love.

Here are some of my favorite ones that I've read so far in 2019.  Or April.  (Laughing.)

This is my current read.  I started it last night, and I'll finish it tonight.  I love Robin Lee Hatcher!  She is a Christian fiction writer, and I've read almost everything she's written. 

Karen Kingsbury also writes Christian fiction.  This is my favorite book that she's written in a very long time.  I love all her books, but over the years, they've all started sounding the same.  I know, I may get some disagreement on this, and that's okay.  I've read every book she's written.  This one is the best book!  It just came out on April 9, so you should read it for yourself. 

This one was amazing.  Jodi Picoult is known for writing books that are sometimes to read, apparently.  This is only the  second or third book I've read by her, but I'll definitely be reading more.  This book was all about some issues that could have been plucked from any news channel, and she addresses the topic of racism.  I loved this book, and it definitely will keep me thinking about how I see things or how I respond to things around me for a long time to come. 

I recently discovered Katherine Center, and love her books.  Same for Jane Green, I came across a book of hers in the library recently, and it was one of the best books I've ever read. 

I think I posted this same picture last week, but a quote I read about reading a few years ago really stuck out to me, and that is, we should visit many good books, but we should LIVE in the bible.  I am always making sure I don't ever put reading above spending time with the Lord each and everyday.  I'm not perfect, and some days I skip this time, but I really try to not miss out on this each day.  The bible is my plumb line for how I live my life.  

And now about that spring cleaning....

My hubby bought me a new recliner this week, and it prompted me to rearrange and clean things up a bit.  I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took after I finished this yesterday.  (This was all I did yesterday, all day long.)

There used to be a desk on the wall where the bookshelf is, but I sold it yesterday and made the shelf catty corner.  I also got rid of a TON and made the shelves mine.  (They used to be all for homeschooling, but now they keep their stuff upstairs, so I claimed them.)  I have a book problem.

I love how it looks now!  

I bought this lamp from HomeGoods after Christmas, with some money I received as a gift, and I've had seasonal things inside of it.  But yesterday I got to thinking about all the rocks the boys collected for me over the last twenty years, and I put them inside.  This is now my favorite thing in the entire living room, because it's so sentimental.  

I also thoroughly cleaned everything in this room, and simplified some of the decor from the shelves, the top of the piano, the computer desk and the little chest with drawers this lamp sits on.  I'm probably going to tackle the dining room next and the hutch that's in there.  

And because he is so cute, I'll leave you with a picture of Chip.

The new chair is his favorite, so he can do this in my lap.  :)

Have a great weekend!  Thanks for reading the blog.  Love to all!