When You're Not Your Husband's #1

Marrying into a family of seven (spouses and children not included) has had it's fair share of challenges. Coming from a family comprised, essentially, of my mom and sister (both of whom are incredibly independent, free-spirited individuals) to my husband's clan has been straight-up culture shock. We've been together for four years now and sometimes it wears on me. Being in a tight-knit group of 7+ means that when one member has a problem, it becomes everyone's problem. And with that many people, you're a part of other people's problems a large majority of the time. Coincidentally, as the youngest, my husband has found himself in the "peacemaker" role. A role that he gladly, and willingly takes on...with me a long for the ride.

There are so many things that I love about this family. I love that every get-together is an automatic celebration with so many personalities in the room. I love that Charlie will grow up with cousins who he can also count as best friends. I love that while there will probably always be someone rubbing you the wrong way, there are also at least two or three others to vent to about it. Everyone will always have your back and there is always someone to help you out in a pinch.

But when your husband is the peacemaker, sometimes that comes at a price. The price of being his #1. It's not a good feeling not to feel like his top priority. If I'm not his #1, who will be? You know.

Marrying the youngest of seven is a constant practice in grace, forgiveness and sacrifice. 

This weekend, Chuck reminded me that I will always be his #1.

However, sometimes when #1 has it all figured out, and #'s 3, 6, and 7 do not, they require more attention. And I need to be okay with that. Marrying the peacemaker is a blessing and a curse. But I love that it is my husband's nature to never question whether it's his responsibility to be there for his family members whenever they need him. He will be there. Always. That is the man I married and I love him for it. And I am so thankful that my children will be raised with that kind of example.

The old cliche continues to be true- you don't marry an individual, you marry a family. Though it's not always easy, I love the family I married.

3 Months as Mommy

Today is Charlie's 3-Month birthday!
Catch up with 1 Month and 2 Months.

> > >

MATERNITY LEAVE

Is over! Sad face. My first day back was Monday, the 16th and I won't even pretend that I wasn't an emotional mess leading up to it. That being said, my first day back wasn't nearly as awful as I was anticipating. In fact, it actually felt good to get back into the swing of things. I kind of forgot how much I legitimately love my job and the truth is, I'm good at it. It's really rewarding to be able to say that. And though I'm truly going to miss those long days at home with my little man, it feels really good to have something of my own to devote my life to.

BREASTFEEDING

Still going well! I'm pumping now that I'm back to work which has been going well. I'm super paranoid that my supply is going to decrease, though.

POSTPARTUM RECOVERY (TMI Alert!)

Sex still hurts. Sorry, but it's true.

BABY FAT

As soon as we had our first warm day, I hauled out the stroller and have been walking Charlie as much as possible. We are so fortunate to live right down the road from a park, two playgrounds, a bike trail, and a lovely college campus. Not to mention, just about a mile from downtown so yeah, walking is pretty awesome around these parts. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my phone because I wanted to get an idea of how many calories I've been consuming (my appetite while breastfeeding has been out of control!) and I've been using Runkeeper to track my walking. I'm hoping to start running again soon, but we don't have a jogging stroller and I can never seem to find the time to go out solo.

As for Charlie...

MILESTONES

He is still as smiley as ever, though he's added smiling at himself in the mirror to his repertoire. It's quite possibly the cutest thing ever. This month also saw Charlie's longest stretch of sleep- a full 8.5 hours! Since then he has been sleeping from about 7pm-7am with one nursing session around 3am. Am I the luckiest Mom, or what?! Our darling boy has also started chatting more and more. Although it comes out more like squeals and grunts, it definitely seems like he's trying to converse with us. Maybe I'm a totally clueless first-time parent, but I swear he is! Because he's so long and lanky, dressing my sweet baby was a little annoying this month. We essentially re-used the same pair of stretchy, newborn jeans on him because all of his 0-3 month pants are still way too baggy on him. However, he's now in 3-month onesies and jammies! Thankfully, with the nicer weather, pants are becoming less and less necessary. We're still in Size 1 diapers and likely will be for a little while longer.

FAMILY

Charlie got to celebrate his Grandma's 60th birthday and meet his Grandpa (my step-dad) for the very first time when they came for a weekend to visit and celebrate the occasion. I think it's safe to say he's got them wrapped around his finger. Because I went back to work, we've also had our family members helping us out to watch him during the afternoons when both Chuck and I are working. There are times when Chuck's ginormous family drives me nuts, and then there are times like these when I am so thankful that our little boy is going to grow up surrounded by family!

STATS

Because Charlie was underweight at his 2-month check-up, his pediatrician had us come in a couple days ago for a follow-up weigh-in just to make sure he's gaining the weight that he should be. He weighed 10 lbs 6 oz and though they didn't measure his length, I'm guessing he's about 23 inches. I was happy to see he's gained weight, but unhappy to see it wasn't near as much as he should have by now. Because he's still gaining so slowly, we have to go back in another 3 weeks to do another weight check. I'm not going to lie, it feels really frustrating- like I'm doing something wrong and stunting my baby's growth. Cross your fingers for a fat baby next month!

10 Reasons I Hated Gilmore Girls

While on maternity leave, I needed a new show to marathon-watch so of course, I dove headfirst into a the dark underworld of Netflix. I used to watch Gilmore Girls, or at least the first couple seasons back when it was on, but for some reason or another, I lost interest and stopped. It seems like it's got a cult following, so I thought I'd give it a go and try to finish the series. Let me just say, it took everything I had to finish because most of the time, I hated all the characters. These are 10 reasons why I couldn't stand Gilmore Girls:

via

10. Rory leaving Yale | This ranks higher on the list because, duh. No one liked this aspect of the show. Rory spent her whole life preparing for her college years and then let one crappy remark from her boyfriend's Dad totally derail her? I call bullshit. Get your shit together, Rory. Most people would kill to be in your academic shoes!

9. Rory sleeping with a married guy | I know Dean was her high school sweetheart or whatever, but she had her chance and she blew it. So what does she do? She waits until he's married to get back together with him, loses her virginity and essentially destroys his life. Dean was such a good boyfriend to her and I couldn't believe she would pull something so shitty and selfish.

8. Lorelai leaving a man at the altar | Granted, I don't think anyone saw Max and Lorelai together at the end, but seriously, she just took off on their wedding day without a word. Another classic example of a really great, nice guy being completely screwed over by a Gilmore woman. 

7. Emily and Richard were downright awful people | I know there were moments when the writers tried to make it seem as if there were a remotely redeemable quality about these two people. But no. They sucked. They were pretentious, snobby, treated their hired help like dirt, tried to break up their daughter's relationship solely based on pride...the list goes on. Ugh.

6. No one can eat like that and be skinny | If they were real people, I'm pretty sure they'd be constipated 100% of the time the way they ate. Just saying.

5. There are just so many annoying characters! | TJ and Liz? So annoying. Taylor? Super annoying. Michel? Annoying (though funny once in a blue moon). Paris? Don't even get me started.

4. Lane could do better | Zach was a lovable idiot, but I thought her and Dave made a way better couple. She needed someone who was at least her intellectual equivalent.

3. Lorelai and Chris getting married | There is not a single thing that could redeem their elopement! First, they both treated marriage like a fun thing to do in Paris and not an actual "til death do us part" commitment, which was seriously irritating. Second, I thought the premise that a 3-year old girl just seamlessly transitioned into their life was wildly improbable. Third, they didn't even bother to include their own daughter (and Lorelai's best friend!) in their wedding. So wrong!

2. Real love doesn't demand ultimatums | Granted, Luke was being kind of a butthead with the whole postponing the wedding thing, but rather than talking about how she felt, Lorelai gave Luke two options: 1. Marry me or 2. We're done. Why couldn't they just communicate and compromise like a normal, functioning couple?! Same thing when Logan proposed to Rory- marry me or we're done. She was 22 years old, if you really loved her, why couldn't you just hang on a couple more years? Good grief, people!

1. I watched every single episode | And cried when Lorelai and Luke finally kissed in the last episode. Despite all my grievances, I still kinda get why people loved this show. And had it been renewed for another season, I would have watched that, too.

> > >

Clearly, my maternity leave was very productive. Are you a GG fan?

Disposable Diaper Debate | My Review of 5 Top Brands

Before I even got pregnant, I totally pictured myself as a Mother Earth-type, cloth diapering Mama. Then the reality that I would be a full-time working mother kicked in, and I realized it just wouldn't be feasible for us to do the cloth diaper thing. The saddest part about that was that I really liked the eco-friendly aspect of cloth diapering. I'm no environmentalist, but the sad truth remains that our landfills are stuffed to the brim with petroleum-based diapers that will take over 500 years to biodegrade. I want to do my part to ensure that God's creation stays beautiful for my babies, grandbabies and generations to come. I also didn't like the idea of putting a chemical-filled diaper on my baby's bum.

I moved onto researching disposable diapers and decided I really liked the Honest Company. I filled my baby registry with Honest diapers in all patterns and sizes...and then Charlie was born. I've been using any and all diapers that were gifted to us, and a few that I ordered on-sale through Diapers.com. And here's how they've stacked up for me:

PAMPERS SWADDLERS
This was the brand of newborn diaper the hospital sent us home with and we continued to use the first few days of Charlie's existence. I have to admit, if it weren't for the fact that Pampers are no friend to the environment, I would have actually really liked this diaper. They were soft, and I imagine comfy for little Charlie, they fit him really well and the wetness indicator on the front was so helpful in determining when he needed a change, especially as brand new parents.
4/5 | Lowest price: $.23/(216 ct)

THE HONEST COMPANY
Once the Pampers ran out, we switched over to our stash of Honest diapers. Since Charlie was such  small baby, I was glad I had more than enough NB-sized diapers to go around. When it comes to Honest diapers, I love that they are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, plant-based...and mostly biodegradable. But if I'm being truly honest, the main reason I love them is because they have the cutest designs! I figure, if I have to change a poopy, stinky diaper, I at least want something cute to look at. The biggest downfall of Honest diapers? The pricetag. For about a month supply of diapers through their subscription program, you're paying $80. It's definitely on the higher end, and I just don't know if it's worth it to spend that much for something my baby is going to wear for 3 hours, pee in and then throw away.
4.5/5 | Lowest price: $.30/(264 ct *when purchased in Diapers & Wipes bundle- includes 4 pks wipes)

EARTH'S BEST
I hadn't heard of the Earth's Best brand until I started reading reviews of the best "green" diapers. Earth's Best kept coming up as the cheapest option for a more eco-friendly diaper so I was immediately intrigued. I got $50 worth of EB diapers for $30 on Diapers.com which was awesome. The fit has been excellent, we've had no leaks and obviously the fact they cost the same as most regular diaper brands is a huge selling point. They also have a rewards program, so when you buy any EB products, you can use your points to enter to win great prize packages and coupons. I've found that they are also frequently discounted on Diapers.com and Target's Cartwheel app. The only downfall for me is that they're really plain-looking. I know that shouldn't matter, but as I mentioned above, I'm a sucker for cute diapers!
4.5/5 | Lowest price: $.28/(176 ct)

LUVS
Once, we made the transition to Size 1 diapers, I had a hand-me-down package of Luvs that I thought I would give a try. I was excited by the fact they looked all fluffy and comfortable and the tabs are so good at holding the diaper in place! However, we couldn't even make it through the entire package because we couldn't stand the way they smelled! As soon as Charlie would pee, they reeked of this headache-inducing, ammonia-like smell. With all the other diapers, we could smell if he peed when we took a big whiff, but with Luvs we could tell from 10 feet away. That fact alone took off major points for me.
1.5/5 | Lowest price: $.20/(252 ct)

SEVENTH GENERATION
In my pursuit of running an environmentally-friendly household, I've purchased SG products in the past and was ambivalent about their performance. Their diapers garnered pretty much the same response. They are unbleached, so the aesthetic is equivalent to taping a brown paper bag to your wee one's hiney. As far as quality, I wasn't overly impressed. Charlie had a medium-sized poop one day that was barely contained. They're also not biodegradable. Boo. On the plus side, I thought the tabs held well.
2/5 | Lowest price: $.26/(160 ct)

We're still working our way through our pre-Charlie stash, but as we look to start buying diapers, our choice is pretty obvious- The Honest Company and Earth's Best are our clear winners. Overall, I liked the Honest diapers better, but if I can find EB for a significant discount, I don't mind going that route either.

> > >

If you're a parent, what have your experiences been in the diapering department? 

Do you have a favorite diaper?
For a more comprehensive comparison, check out this chart on BabyGearLab.com.

*Prices were based on Size 1 diapers via Diapers.com and Honest.com and do not include coupons/promo code savings

Blogger Love v.4

As I mentioned last week, this was my last week of maternity leave and on Monday, I have to bid adieu to long days of playing, napping and feeding my baby boy. I am really thankful for my job, really. I have a supervisor who is totally supportive of working moms and wants to make my transition back as easy as possible and an employer who is doing seriously great things for the community. I could not be more blessed. This is what I keep reminding myself every single day when I inevitably break down and cry about leaving my sweet Charlie. If you're the praying type, they'd definitely be appreciated :)

Therefore, you may understand why I've been so noticeably absent this week. It's honestly a miracle that I managed to scrap together this week's favorite posts. But at least I can rest confident knowing that I provided some great reading material (even if it wasn't my own!)

I'm Craving a Bump by Love, The Campbell's | Within a matter of days of popping out Charlie, Chuck and I began thinking about when we should plan for Baby Pep 2.0 (actually, Chuck may have even mentioned something about #2 while I was in labor. That went over real well). Erin's post pretty much sums up where my head has been lately.

How to Have Sex when You Have Babies by Scary Mommy | I'll let this one speak for itself.

Two Bachelorettes: "It's Not Ideal" by The Life of Bon | I've really gotten into The Bachelor this season, mostly for it's straight-up, ridiculousness, but I have to admit I was kind of sickened when they made the announcement about two girls "competing" to determine who would be the best wife. Seriously, what year is it?! Thankfully, Bon feels the same way.

Winter 2014 Book Challenge: Final Scoreboard by Semi-Charmed Kind of Life | This was my second time participating in Megan's reading challenges...and the second time I didn't finish. Womp, womp, womp. I'm going to go for Round 3 in May, though. Third time's the charm, right?

> > >

Any good posts to share this week?

Blogger Love v.3

Another week come and gone and I am elated because my Mom and step-dad will be arriving tonight to stay with us for the weekend. My Mom stayed with us for the first week of Charlie's life, but hasn't seen him since with the exception of some lame Skype sessions where Charlie started crying 5 minutes in. My step-dad, on the other hand, has yet to meet my little man and I'm so looking forward to seeing his sweet, crocodile tears when he gets to hold him for the first time.

In other real world news, this upcoming week will be my last week at home with Charlie before I return to work and I won't pretend for a second that I'm not going to be an emotional wreck. If I were in any position to stay home with him longer, I absolutely would. Unfortunately, that's just not in the cards for us, so I'm strapping on my big-girl, career-woman pants and heading back to the office. All that being said, I am so incredibly blessed to work for an employer who supports working mothers. Not only will I be able to work 4 10-hour days and have an additional day at home with my baby, but they have an on-site lactation room so I can continue to pump and breastfeed Charlie. I don't for a second take for granted how rare that is. 

Moving on to news in the blogging world, here are my favorite blogger posts of the week:

My Top 10 Books from the Last 3 Years by Love Woke Me Up This Morning | Have I mentioned lately that I like books?

Favorite Homemade Baby Food Purees by Carolina Charm | We're not to the solids-eating stage, just yet, but I pinned this post for future reference. There are some really yummy recipes that I want to try!

Is College Worth It? by Dreams, Etc. | I got straddled with some major debt coming out of my private school experience, but I wouldn't trade my college years for the world. I love this post that affirms whatever choice you've made in regard to college.

Grace is Good Enough for Us by Momastery | I don't think Glennon has ever written anything that I haven't loved, but as a new parent I love what she says about teaching kids about grace.

> > >

What posts have you been loving?

2 Months as Mommy

Catch up with my 1st Month as Mommy.

> > >

MATERNITY LEAVE

Monday was supposed to be my first day back to work, but because we had a little hiccup with our child care plans and because I'm in no hurry to leave my little one, I've got two more weeks until my return. I am so thankful to be returning to a job I love, but I can't say I'm excited to leave my days of cuddling my sweet little one at home. Maternity leave has been so wonderful. My goals of maintaining a home that was Martha Stewart-esque did not exactly come to fruition. My house has been no cleaner than usual and dirty dishes have been par for the course. That being said, my little man is such a blessing and I have loved spending the last two months with him. Taking care of a newborn is definitely tough, but I think it's the sleeplessness that makes it especially hard. I have to admit, I'm supremely nervous about how I'm going to balance a full-time job, plus Mommying, all while running on a totally inadequate amount of sleep.

BREASTFEEDING

Still going well! I had to start pumping to prepare for work. I'm fortunate that my employer has a lactation room so I'm going to continue exclusively breastfeeding for as long as we can get away with it. I have absolutely loved nursing Charlie. It hasn't been easy to make the transition to bottles, but I'm willing to do what it takes to nurse for as long as possible. It's cheaper than formula, that's for sure!

POSTPARTUM RECOVERY (TMI Alert!)

Things are pretty much back to normal around these parts. At my 6-week postpartum check-up, the midwife asked me if we had "attempted intercourse" and I actually thought she was joking. Needless to say, the prospect of sexy time was only mildly terrifying to me. However, we got it over with. Which is a horrible way to describe the first time post-baby, but let's face it- it was not exactly enjoyable. I'm looking forward to things improving in this department, needless to say.

BABY FAT

My body really hasn't changed since the few days after I delivered Charlie. When I weighed in at my 6-week appointment, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I think that's because over the course of 9 months, I lost all muscle that I may have had. My butt is completely flat from sitting on it for nearly a year straight and I'm hoping I can tone up my mid-section by bathing suit season. I joined Erin's #1800MinuteChallenge in hopes of having some additional motivation. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can get back into running again. Charlie and I have taken a few walks on the 40+ degree days, but it's just enough to placate me until I can do the real thing! All this being said, I'm not completely unrealistic in thinking my body will snap back to what it looked like pre-baby and I'm totally okay with that. I've got a darling baby boy and a husband who still thinks I'm drop-dead gorgeous, so my main goal is just to be a healthy, happy example for Charlie.

As for Charlie...

MILESTONES

Let it be known- we have a smiling baby on our hands! Oh my goodness, this month has had it's fair share of sleepless nights, but when that precious baby boys lights up when he sees Daddy or my face, it makes it all worth it. We noticed he seems to favor one side when he turns his head so we've been trying to work on getting him to turn his head the other way. He'll do it, but he definitely has a preference. I ceremoniously packed away his NB-sized diapers and onesies at the 7-week mark. This little guy is still such a pipsqueak, but we're officially in 0-3 Month-sized onesies and jammies. He's still in NB-sized pants because he's so long and skinny. I'm actually hoping he moves onto 3 Month-sized pretty quickly, because I didn't realize how few 0-3 Month clothes he has!

FAMILY

Charlie was so excited to welcome a little cousin into the world on February 10. We've started referring to the babies of the family as the "Peanuts gang" because Charlie has a nearly two-year old cousin named Linus, and now little Lucie has joined the family. I can't wait for them to all grow up together and be the best of friends! It's been interesting to compare Lucie and Charlie. Lucie definitely has Charlie beat in terms of being a deep sleeper and she also can hang onto a pacifier a heck of a lot better than my little man!

STATS

Charlie's 2-month check-up was yesterday and we were super disappointed to find out that our little man has not put on as much weight as he should have by now. He weighed 9 lbs 5 oz and measured 22 inches. Thankfully, his big ol' noggin measured 38.5 cm so we know his brain is certainly growing! Up until now I've just been following his cues and will feed him on one breast and then stop when he stops. The doctor recommended that I burp him and then put him on the other breast and continue feeding. I'm going to do whatever it takes to try and fatten this little guy up and we'll go back to the doctor in a couple weeks to see if he's made progress. If not, we'll definitely need to start supplementing with formula.

C'mon, Baby Pep- get chunky!

5 Unexpected Side Effects of Becoming a Mom

I'm no natural when it comes to kiddos, so I had zero idea what to expect when I had little Charlie. I did a lot of reading and research to try and prepare: I read up on breastfeeding, I read up on sleep scheduling, I read about postpartum depression. But all the reading in the world couldn't have prepared me for some really odd side effects of becoming a Mommy.

5. I suddenly care about other people's kids | Dude, I know how cold and shitty a person this makes me sound. But honestly, I have always been awkward and uncomfortable with other people's kids. And then my little niece was born 6 weeks after Charlie and I just want to snuggle the crap out of her all the time. When people announce their pregnancies or post baby pictures on social media, I actually care. I'm excited for them because I know how wonderful and joy-filled this Mommyhood truly is.

4. I've become super morbid | This is really uncomfortable to confess, but all of a sudden I think about death more. I'm not someone who has ever really been afraid of death. But now that Charlie is here, I think about what would happen if something ever happened to him. Or if something happened to Chuck or myself and we were left without each other. And I hardcore sob. This happens about once a week. I know it's not healthy or rational, but I'm so happy, blessed and in love with this baby boy, that if the worst were to happen, I honestly don't know how I would survive it.

3. I function on no sleep | Don't ask me how. I haven't quite figured it out myself. I've always been someone who needed at least a solid 8-9 hours to not be a raging bitch. Lately, I'm lucky if I get 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. With a little help from my new best friend, my Keurig, I'm somehow making it work. Praise Jesus!

2. I have mixed feelings about my body | I mean, I am a woman. I care about how I look, so there are days when I feel like complete crap that I now have a permanent pooch that is totally unflattering. And then there are other days, when I am so beyond proud of what my body did to bring a human being into this world that I could burst. Sure, my hips may be wider and none of my bathing suits fit me anymore, but my body is an amazing, wondrous thing. 

1. I like having my boobs suckled on |  That sound so wrong. Please excuse. But seriously, I love breastfeeding so much! It also helps that I've had a really easy go of it, which I know is not the case for every woman. But I wish I could breastfeed this kid forever!

> > > 

What aspects of parenthood surprised you?

Winter Book Challenge: February Check-In

Well, another one of Megan's Semi-Charmed Book Challenges has come and gone. And for a second time, my challenge remains uncompleted. My inner perfectionist is irked that twice now, I just couldn't make it happen. And then my inner realist takes over and I realize, "Dude- you have a newborn son." I watched more TV the last 2 months than I ever do, but I honestly just didn't have the mental capacity for anything more than that. So, Chris the farmer from Iowa won over John Steinbeck. Sad, but true.

Here's what I did manage to finish:

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that fits the general rules. | The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (January 4, 2015)

10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. | Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (December 11, 2014)

10 points: Read a book of short stories. | My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins (December 23, 2014)

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. | Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (November 8, 2014)

15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (January 11, 2015)

15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. | UNFINISHED

15 points: Read a book written by a local author (either an author from your state if you live in the United States, or from your country if you live somewhere else). | UNFINISHED

20 points: Read a "bookish book" (in which books play an important role, e.g. the setting involves a bookstore or library, a major character is an author, or a book that celebrates reading and books. (Examples: The Book Thief, The Shadow of the Wind, The Thirteenth Tale, etc.) | Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (January 7, 2015)

20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title (e.g. north, south, east, west or any combination of those). | East of Eden by John Steinbeck (February 8, 2015)

25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. | The Woodcutter by Kate Danley [Fantasy] (November 19, 2014)

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title.  | Yes Please by Amy Poehler [Muse] (November 22, 2014)

30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, brunch). UNFINISHED

PREVIOUS POINTS: 120
TOTAL POINTS: 140

> > >

However, not only was I crazy enough to commit myself to this 4-month Book Challenge, but when I stumbled upon Erin's Book Challenge in December, I couldn't miss out on the fun, so I also signed myself up for this second challenge running from January-April. Here's how I'm doing on Challenge #2:

> > >

5 points: Read a book, any book that is at least 200 pages long. | East of Eden by John Steinbeck (February 8, 2015)

10 points: Read a book that begins with the “A”, “An”, or “The”. | The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (January 4, 2015)

10 points: Read a book with a two word title.

15 points: Read a book with an animal in the title.

20 points: Take the first letter of your first name…Read a book that the title begins with that letter.

20 points: Read a book set in any country in Europe.

25 points: Read a book from the NPR’s guide of great books from 2014. | Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (February 18, 2015)

30 points: Read a book by a favourite author that is not a re-read.

30 points: Read a book by a comedian or comedic actor. | I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (January 16, 2014)

35 points: Read a book about science, discovery, or a scientific process – non-fiction only.

PREVIOUS POINTS: 40
TOTAL POINTS: 70

> > >

Have you had any good reads lately?