2016 4th Quarter Reads

I didn't read too much this quarter - just 3 books per month. And to make it even worse, I read all 3 in the same week of each month. Hopefully, I will settle in with more books in the new year. 

I experienced so many emotions while reading this book. I loved experiencing Lily's growth as a woman and ultimately as a mom. I highly recommend this one! 

I typically LOVE Carl Weber's books. This one I could have left unread. I guess it was pretty hard to follow It Ends With Us.  

Another read that evoked all the feels while reading - and an Ernest Hemingway quote summed it all up perfectly: the world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. 

What can I say about this book without giving away too much?! I really liked it and the final lines...you can't control your life, no matter how hard you try. That inevitably people leave and disappoint and die. But there is one constant,  one thing you can always count on: that not only does love come first, but in the end, it is the only thing that remains. 

Ahhhhh...my pick for Between the Covers this year. I could not consume this book fast enough, yet I did not want it to end. I do not think you can go wrong with a book that starts with this line: I am finishing up dinner with my family and my fiance when my husband calls.  I am still so conflicted and cannot wait to delve deeper with our group discussion. 

The latest addition to Brenda Jackson's The Westmoreland Legacy. As always, a quick yet pleasing read.

Of course all of my December reads were holiday related starting with...

I love revisiting Monroe's The Summer Girls. It renews my desire to visit Charleston. And also leaves words of wisdom. Here are a few things I took away from her latest release: 

I was too old to hold on to a grudge. Too wise to let indignation spoil my day. Especially not on Christmas Eve. 

Motherhood is your greatest joy and also your greatest challenge. From this day forward your life is no longer just your own. Mothers give, give, give, and when they think they have nothing left, they dig deep and give some more. Because a mother is the heart of a family. A family is only as happy as the mother. 

We all had the chance to redeem ourselves, no matter how much of a Scrooge we may be.