Quarantine Reads!

Quarantine has really given me a lot more “free time” than I’m use to.
And with the overwhelming amount of negativity, political and biased information filling social media… I’ve found myself spending less time scrolling through facebook and instagram, and more time reading!
Typically I enjoy reading scientific or non-fiction books; However, after reading those for about a month straight I decided I also needed to include some “lighter” fiction reads too!

Here is a little collection of books that I’ve made it through during the past couple months of Quarantine.

• The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
  This is my current read. I’m enjoying this fictional love story that takes place in Alaska! A city-girl from Toronto is given some pretty devastating news about her father, whom hasn’t been apart of her life for the past 20 or so years, and decides that it’s time to rekindle their relationship by flying out to a very remote town in Alaska. If you’re looking for a fun, romantic, and heartwarming read this this is a good one for you!
  PS. The library in our hometown is currently not open, however they are doing “E-Book” rentals, which has been super nice; That’s is how I’m reading this book!
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
  Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite fictional writers. I really enjoy her writing style of going back-and-forth between the present and the past; It helps to really develop the plot and characters. This book is defiantly going to throw you off and is filled with so many twists and turns! It’s a drama, mystery, love story that takes place at the crime of a High School school shooting. Like all the other Jodi Picoult books I’ve read, I found this one hard to put down!
• Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
  This was a “re-read” book for me. Rachel Hollis is an inspirational speaker/writer who really knows how to light a fire under your butt! If you are in a little funk, give her two books a try..or just follow her on Social Media where she gives great advise and motivational lessons. During this time of quarantine, Rachel and her husband-Dave- also released a FREE 90 program, that helps to keep you in a positive mindset and challenge you to be the best version of yourself. I’ve really been enjoying the weekly lessons they release! Check it out here if you’re interested.
• Expecting Better by Emily Oster
  The pregnancy world is pretty crazy and overwhelming with the amount of information available to new mommas! This book did a phenomenal job of touching on all the major topics of pregnancy, birthing and early parenthood and really simplifying it all. I would highly recommend this book to any new mommys!
• Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke
  A recommendation from a friend and well as my doula; this book has been super helpful as well! I don’t know about most people, but I’m actually looking forward to the “birthing” process and going through labor. I’m hopeful that I can have a natural/unmedicated labor, and this book it filled with great tools to help me achieve this! Topics include meditation, yoga pre-labor and during labor, communication techniques for mom and partner, and more!
• Mama Natural. The Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Genevieve Howland
  This book is a “Week-by-week” book that I read every Sunday (my change date!) I’ve been enjoying learning about what baby girl is up to, as well as the changes to my body as well. Genevieve is a wealth of knowledge!
• Nurture by Erica Chidi Cohen
  Like the book above, this is more of a book to read “Trimester-by-Trimester” and I’ve found it super helpful as well. It’s filled with scientific information, but broken down so that anyone can understand the information being presented. This book is definitely more of the ‘Holistic’ mindset oriented, but y’all know that I’m all about that!

Hope you and enjoy, and if you’ve got any book recommendations LET ME KNOW(:

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What Has Filled My Bookshelf This Year!

One of my 2018 goals was to read more! I was shooting for reading 12 books, or at least 1 a month. Coming from someone who use to HATE reading I felt this was defining going to be a challenge. To my surprise, I BEAT THIS NUMBER…. 

THIRTEEN BOOKS!

That’s right, thirteen! Ahh, I am so happy and proud of myself. Growing up I always felt like my spare time should be spent playing, or doing something active-which left no time for reading. Then high school and college came around, and textbook readings+ assigned books made for absolutely not time to read for pleasure.

January 2018, Challenge accepted…

So what exactly do I like to read? Well, I like REAL books, and ones that I can relate too. Books like Harry Potter, and Twilight are tough for me- I have a hard time staying engaged. I prefer: non-fiction, science-y books that challenge me, self help books that I can apply to real life, and occasionally fictional books…but they still have to seem real! 

Non-Fiction Books

Body Love by: Kelly Leveque 

This book is exactly what the title says! It’s a personal account from Kelly Leveque, a Holistic Nutritionist and Holistic Life Coach, based out of Los Angelos, CA. She talks about the social norms associated with being “perfect,” the different ‘Fad diets’ that society is convinced will changes their lives, and most importantly how to LOVE yourself! This book was a great, and an inspirational read! A little bonus is she includes a bunch of recipes that would fit in her “Fab Five” lifestyle diet. 

The Wellness Project by: Pheobe Lapine 

Pheobe Lapine, this book was great! Similar to the one above, this was a personal account for her “Journey to Wellness.” It was very relatable on so many levels: diet challenges, social media, post graduation life changes, and so much more. In this book, Pheobe recreates what her “Year to Wellness” journey was like; all the hardships and learning experiences she experienced. 

The Immune System Recovery Plan by: Susan Blum, MD., M.P.H

AHH, I really loved this book! Being a Nurse, I tend to lean toward really science-y books. I love learning about ways to not only improve my life, but also the life of those around me. This day-in-age, a lot of people are suffering from auto-immune diseases like: Celiacs, Lymes Disease, Fibromyalgia, etc. This book discussed lifestyle modifications, diet changes and holistic remedies to help cure or manage the diseases! 

Own The Day Own Your Life by: Aubrey Marcus 

Kwin read this book first, and couldn’t stop raving about how motivating and inspirational it was, so I figured I would give it a try too. I’M SO GLAD THAT I DID! This may have been one of my favorites this year! In this book, Aubrey Marcus discussed work, sleep, sex, diet and just about everything that we do in our daily lives, and how it can impact your life. He discussed the importance of balancing everything, and that everyone is different. It will make you laugh, mad and cry at times. I really recommend reading this one! 

The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*** by: Sarah Knight 

This was a spur of the moment purchase at the Airport in Australia during one of our layovers last year. It’s RAW, and has absolutely no filter! Sarah Knight tells you how it is, and the importance of “cleaning out your closet”and getting rid of the things that aren’t important in life. She stresses that our population is full of people-pleasing, materialistic people, who don’t know how to say NO. I enjoyed this book, as it kicked off my year in a great way! It helped me to realize that I DONT have to say yes to everything, and that I DONT need to put other peoples happiness before my own. 

The 5 Love Languages by: Gary Chapman 

Someone gave Kwin and I this book as a wedding gift. Before this, I’d never heard a thing about the “different” love languages. Well, I really liked this book! It has challenged my way of thinking about not only Kwin and I’s relationship, but the relationship that I have with all the other people in my life. Gary Chapman does a great job of explaining the 5 different types of “Love,” and how to interact with each of them. If you’re interested in knowing what your love language is, you can take a quick online test here! 

The Spark In The Machine by: Dr.Daniel Keown M.B., Ch.B., Lic. Ac

Throughout this year, I’ve been looking at the Holistic side of medicine and all the different platforms. One of high interest is the art of Acupuncture. This book is very science oriented, but does a great job of describing WHAT acupuncture is, and HOW practitioners go about their practice.  I learned a lot about the human body, especially how everything is connected in some way or another. 

Girl Wash Your Face by: Rachael Hollis 

Written by one of the POWERHOUSE women is todays society, Mrs. Rachael Hollis. This book is comical, and so relatable to everyday life on so many levels! Each chapter is titled with a “False Belief” that, us women, tend to tell ourselves, and how to change this feeling around. She really encourages the idea that WE’RE NOT PERFECT, and THATS OKAY! I honestly felt like every chapter I could relate to at some point in my life.  

Womancode by: Alisa Vitti 

Period Repair Manual by: Lara Briden, ND 

I read both Womancode and Period Repaid Manual as a way to learn more about the Women’s body- specifically periods, hormonal health, and repairing my body post birth control. After Kwin and I got married I decided to take myself off birth control, not to get pregnant immediately, but to get all the harsh “FAKE” chemicals out of my body. I’ve had some struggles with my hormones after stopping it, and have been really trying to heal my body as naturally as I can. These books were very eye-opening! They both stress the beauty of being a women, which is often surpassed with the negative connotations of being a women- cramps, mood swings, bloating, periods. If you are a women looking to get yourself off the pill, or looking to decrease your PMS, menopause or postpartum symptoms then I would highly suggest these two books! 

Fiction Books

A Spark Of Light by: Jodi Picoult 

Woah, Jodi really tackled such a controversial topic with this book! Abortion and the US government system. I really enjoyed this book, as it opened my eyes to a topic that I’m not very familiar with. It has encouraged me to do more research on my own, and to NOT judge anyone for their choices in life. The ending of this book…you just need to read it to really understand how twisted it leaves the reader.

Small Great Things by: Jodi Picoult 

A book about Nursing! Of course I loved it. Like the book above, Jodi Picoult brought about awareness to a controversial topic that we are faced with STILL! Racism and the US government system. Even though I am caucasian, I could defiantly relate to and understand the main character, in regards to the conflicting protocols in the medical field. Jodi Picoult has a way of drawing in her reader and making you feel like you were apart of the situation. 

Eat, Pray, Love by: Elizabeth Gilbert 

A spur of the moment grab at the local library (hence why it isn’t in the picture!) Honestly the only reason I chose this book, was because I knew there was a movie about it, and I wanted to read it before watching the movie (: It was a funny fictional book, that was a nice break from all my science-y based books I had already finished. I enjoyed it and the lightness of the read! 

If you have any suggestions, of books for me to tackle in the 2019 year I would love to hear them! Thank you for reading! 

ps. I linked all of the books on Amazon, if you’re invested in reading any of them!