This is, again, not food related, but I really wanted to share some of the joy I get when I find a really good book, and how as a mom, this app has helped me to continue to enjoy books in a different way.
The app I use is the Libby App. You can connect your local city or county library card to it and you will have access to hundreds of books you can choose from. It is super convenient, I can just tune it whenever I am doing other activities like washing dishes, prepping a meal, or even driving –when the kids allow.
My goal for the year was just five books that I could pick for myself. On top of this goal, we read tons of kid’s books everyday with the kids, I love to read and tune in with my scriptures, and I find myself reading news to know a little bit of what is going on in the world. So, as you can see, reading is a big part of what I do everyday, so selecting just five books for myself was kind of ambitious.
With the Libby app, this goal has been so much easier, and I even have double the amount of books I projected to read/listen. Obviously, this is a different way to enjoy a book. My husband says it’s more enjoyable to read it than listening because your mind can be easily distracted as you are listening them. I know I have found myself with a wandering mind sometimes and then I have to rewind the book to know when I stopped paying attention.
Here is the link for the libby app if you want to explore:
https://libbyapp.com/interview/welcome#doYouHaveACard: My 2024 audiobook list with Libby APPMy audiobook list 2024
- The little price by Antonie de Saint-Exupery: This is the third time I am reading this one. My first time was maybe –if I recall well, when I was in college in San Salvador about two decades ago! In San Salvador, there is a park dedicated to this book. The story of this little price that goes to different planets teaches more life lessons that we could think of. It’s sweet, short, and with a great message. The feeling I get every time I read it, it’s a need to slow down and live in the present, see life in a big picture, and enjoy every bit of it.
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin: I read this one as part of an assignment right when I moved to the US. It was part of a listening English class. At the time, I felt is was challenging to understand all the moving pieces. It is a murder mystery book that is not dark, but rather a little funny, sarcastic, quirky. Think of Knives out –the movie, so you can have an idea how this book is enjoyable yet hard to predict.
- Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury: This book is one of those I think every person should read, really. I first read it as part of an assignment but I wanted to read it again this year because it gives so much insights about how to deal with negotiations. In reality we are making decisions and interacting with a lot of people almost every day, this book provides more tangible tools to know how to navigate some of those interactions.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear: This one is one I want to read again, it is just so amazing. It reminds me a lot to the habits I develop while serving a mission for my church. This one has such great and smart ways to shape our habits, and our character in the end. Such a brilliant book!
- The Power of Moments by Chip Heath, Dan Heath: This is something I need to better at. Great and easy to read. Moments really carry power and create momentum –the force to push us foward to whatever path we want to go. It might be in my future lists to read again as well.
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective families by Stephen R. Covey: I discovered this one just last year. I have read the 7 habits of Highly Effective People which is great and I recommend. But this one I saw it in my mother in law’s shelf and I could not resist to pick it up. It has such great insights to create strong families, family relationships, a great book to live by as well.
- Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne, Deanna: I fist saw the play and I was captivated by it. It is a fiction adventure book that shows you the world depicting a cute ending story of love. I guess it resonated with my because I am an immigrant. Short and lovely. Highly recommended.
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo: This is tender, sweet, and really it made me cry multiple times. It’s short with a great message.
- The moment of Lift by Melinda F. Gates: Empowering book, some of the language I found too definitive, which it made me feel the passion with which has been written. Really, mothers, women in general have so much power to change and impact people’s lives. We need to be brave and get the resources to do just that.
- Think Again by Adam Grant: This one is really good to ponder, especially in a world that is full of information and where we really need to think twice before it gets into our brains as fact, the truth or things as they really are. Very insightful!
- Nany Pigging and the Wicked Plan: Funny, and short. If you have teenager, or kids that read by themselves, this will keep them chuckle through out the book.
- The adventures of Nanny Piggins: Same as above, it’s a series!
- The Power of Vulnerability: A friend recommended this one and I loved it. It makes me realized and recognize when I am being shameful with others, the shameful society we sometimes find in, and how can I avoid being shameful behavior in my life.
- A Christmas Carol: Light, sweet message, you have probably watched movies of this story already. I wanted to read this one after I watched the movie “The man how invented Christmas”. This is a great Christmas book to have in the list.
As you can see most of the books I read, are either self-help books, or journey-adventure books (novels, mystery, but no horror types).
I hope you find this helpful and that you can start –if you haven’t tried, this way of enjoying books.
I’ll be updating the list with a little sentence of what I liked the most of each of those books.
Happy reading!