I love to read, and lately I have been trying to make more of an effort to carve out the time to curl up with a good book. My love of reading began in high school when we read George Orwell’s 1984, and since then, I have been hooked.  Once I had my children, my moments for reading became few and far between (something I think other moms can relate to). However, now that my children are getting a little bit older and are not babies anymore, I really want to make reading a regular practice again.

Reading just feels good for the soul … I have never regretted reading a book. With every book I read, I always learn something new, and expand my knowledge. It doesn’t matter if I am reading a literary classic, a biography or a beach read — Books always stimulate my mind and expand my view of the world in one way or another!

Since I am getting really excited about all the new books I can’t wait to read this fall (and I am deep into Amazon book ordering right now), I wanted to share with you guys some recommendations. I have some titles to recommend to you that I have read and love, and then I have other titles on the list that I am really excited to read next.

Let me know if you guys have read any of the books on my list, or if you have other recommendations for me! I would love to know!

Xx
Tamera

— BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ AND LOVE —

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living By Shauna Niequist — I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, writer, and I know all too well that settling feeling. But over the course of the last few years, I’ve learned a way to live, marked by grace, love, rest, and play. And it’s changing everything. Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth. (via Amazon)

The Chronicles of Narnia Complete 7-Book Collection By C.S. Lewis — This set is a classic and I always feel like re-reading things that you read as a child is an amazing experience … You almost get to re-live a little piece of your childhood.

This collection contains all seven books in the classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia without art, to appeal to older readers. This special ebook edition includes an introduction by C. S. Lewis’s stepson, Douglas Gresham, and full text and art for Lewis’s very first work—Boxen! (via Amazon)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou — Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. (via Amazon)

Water for Elephants: A Novel Kindle Edition By Sara Gruen — Jacob Janowski’s luck had run out–orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. (via Amazon)

— WHAT’S NEXT ON MY READING LIST —

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment By Eckhart Tolle — A word of mouth phenomenon since its first publication, The Power of Now is one of those rare books with the power to create an experience in readers, one that can radically change their lives for the better. (via Amazon)

The Book Thief By Markus Zusak — The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak’s unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. (via Amazon)

The Glass Castle: A Memoir By Jeannette Walls — The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family. (via Amazon)

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are By Brene Brown — New York Times best-selling author and professor Brené Brown offers a powerful and inspiring book that explores how to cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to embrace your imperfections and to recognize that you are enough. (via Amazon)