Blogger Book Club: A Snicker of Magic & 7 Ways to Make Reading Happen

Hi friends!

I’m a little late to the party (as usual) and it may be because I was sort of dreading writing the review for A Snicker of Magic .

After attempting NaNoWriMo last year and self-publishing my first book, I’m starting to get a feel for the heart and soul that a writer puts into every book they publish.  And the very LAST thing I want to do is write anything that might crush that heart and soul.

And so, I won’t.
Instead, I will say…
…that I can imagine some of my former students (4th or 5th grade girls, perhaps) LOVING this book.
…that I thought the 2nd half was much better than the first.
…that I cried at the end.
…that I applaud the author for creating a detailed setting and interesting characters.
And that’s all.

(Not ALL the Blogger Book Club members felt the same way – Read the reviews from Carmen, Kirby, Cassie and Brenda.)

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I also want to share a bit about how I have made reading a part of my life again.

I was an avid reader as a child, and I’ve read off and on as an adult, but it’s taken some work for me to get back into a routine that includes reading.

This season of my life is noisy and hectic.  Two little boys seem to have that effect on life. But I crave quiet.  I crave peace.  I crave solitude.  And reading gives me those things.

I think most moms of young children will agree – if we want to do anything for ourselves, we have to plan to make it happen.  We have to consciously make time for our hobbies.

And we have to make it easy.  Those hobbies have to be readily available, inexpensive, and flexible.

So here you go:



1. I read on my phone.  That way, my book is always with me and it doesn’t matter if I’m in the car (and hubby’s driving) or I’m a few minutes early for an appointment.  I’m trying to break the Candy Crush & Facebook habit and read instead.

2. I listen to audiobooks while I drive and fold laundry. I am usually in the middle of two books – one I’m reading in my Kindle app and one that is an audiobook.  Right now I’m listening to a mystery, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery Book 1)

3. I use the Overdrive App in conjunction with my library’s ebooks and audio books.  I can check them out online from my phone and download them immediately. 

4.  I read quality children’s novels with my oldest son at bedtime.  He’s only 6, but I’ve been reading chapter books/novels out loud to him for 3 years already.  Yes, we read some easy readers about super heroes, but we also read GREAT novels like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Farmer Boy (Little House) and Marion Jensen’s Almost Super. 

5. I use Goodreads to keep track of books I want to read, and I read other bloggers’ book reviews to get ideas, too.  (Check out Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly book reviews.  I love to visit the other bloggers and add books to my Goodreads shelf based on their recommendations.)

6. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.  With Kindle Unlimited, you get access to 700,000 books and audiobooks that you can download and read instantly for $9.99 a month.  Between my library and Kindle Unlimited, I can read almost any book I want for free!

7.  I joined a book club.  Truly – it helps!  I have read some great books the past few months, thanks to my Blogger Book Club.

Honestly, I still don’t read as much as I’d like, but books have once again become an important part of my life.  I love that I’m setting a good example for my boys while doing something that I love.

If you are a regular reader, feel free to leave your tips for reading more in the comments below!

(February’s book club pick is I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You: A Noveland I need to pick out a book for our book club to read in March – any suggestions?)