In between contact naps and breastfeeding, you can practically always find me with my new prized possession in my hand — my Kindle. Sitting on our back porch, surrounded by the intoxicating aroma of rosemary, lavender, and thyme from my herb garden, baby drifting off to sleep on my chest, sipping a warm beverage (probably also eating a cookie), and getting lost in a dreamy read has become my favorite ritual.

In just the short amount of time that I’ve been a proud owner of my Kindle, I’ve devoured books left and right. I get almost giddy thinking about diving into a story while my children doze around me. It feels only right that I share this love, so I introduce you to the Postpartum Book Club.

Before I jump into this new venture, I thought I would also share some of what I’ve been reading lately, as well as what I’ve been reading with my kids. As I’ve shared before, my toddler is an avid reader. His idea of a perfect day would be me reading stories to him nonstop, and of course, an endless supply of snacks and rolling with things with wheels. Our library adventures have become the highlight of my week.

While he uses the books we read together to open up his world to endless imagination, reading has become my escape, along with a healthy hit of whatever emotion I am craving. heartache, joy, inspiration, punch in the gut, magical, you name it. Once finished, I sit with it for a moment before searching for the next hit. It’s a healthy obsession, really.

As I dive deeper into the midst of Motherhood, my tastes have slightly altered into wanting something a little more gentle and light, with a lovely touch of historical romance and whimsy. Bonus points for dual timelines and some sort of timeslip element. Not fluff, but not grim. Just something to quietly slip away into while holding a baby.

What I’ve been reading

• The Unmaking of June Farrow: This book really hit the spot for me. Historical fiction, time slip, a delicious slow burn romance, and a hint of magic? My kind of book. The time travel explanation was a little overcomplicated, and I had predicted every single twist, but it was a good story to get lost in.

• The Rose Garden: Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors. Mariana, The Winter Sea, and Shadowy Horses have been a few of my all-time favorite books, and The Rose Garden is probably up there now as well. Another historical fiction time slip, but this time I was actually surprised by the twist. I can’t wait to reread it, knowing what I know now, to catch all of the details that I missed. Susanna has a way with capturing chemistry and giving everything a dreamlike quality. Just like in her other books, she painted the scenes so well in my mind, I felt entranced. It was one of those stories that makes you yearn for more once it’s over.

• The Women: I have been on a big Kristen Hannah kick lately. While this wasn’t my favorite book of hers, it did its job well of emotionally wrecking me. Many nights I went to bed processing what I had just read. I was unfamiliar with the Vietnam War, and it definitely opened up my eyes to not only how the war was portrayed vs what actually happened, but also what the men and women went through when returning home. Kristen Hannah does a beautiful job of writing strong female characters who tend to go through the ringer when it comes to hardships. I wasn’t really into the romance aspect of this book, but I loved the raw and vivid descriptions setting up each scene.

• Maria: This review is a little premature as I’m still in the middle of reading it, but when I was a little girl, I was taken with the Sound of Music, so of course I was drawn to the real story of Maria and The Singing Von Trapp Family. This isn’t the type of book I’d usually reach for, but I’m glad I did. I have been surprised to find out how much of the real story has been stretched to become the idyllic sweet romance we know in order to fit the Broadway mold. So far, I’m finding this historical fiction version of Maria vulnerable, human, and realistic.

Next read: The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern and Winter Garden

What I’ve been reading to my toddler

• Jan Brett: Who isn’t captivated by Jan Brett’s magical illustrations and whimsical characters? I love reading her books to my toddler, and they seem to be the ones he has been gravitating towards more recently. The vibrant descriptions have helped expand his vocabulary, and he could flip through the illustrations all day. Our favorites are Mossy, Rodeo Armadillo, The Mitten, and The Turnip.

• Farm Lullaby, Where the Wee Ones Go, and Woodland Dreams: I will never get tired of reading aloud these bedtime poems by Karen Jameson. They are so dreamy and romantic — the words just dance off the tip of my tongue. My toddler now says words like “hush-a-bye” and I melt.

• Construction Site Series: For anyone with a toddler who loves all things wheels, this series is for you. Never did I think I could pick an excavator or skid steer out of a lineup. They all have a good rhythm and flow, making the storyline enjoyable for both parties. Just be warned, once you start reading these books, you’ll point out every dump truck and cement mixer you see.

Postpartum Book Club

Okay, onto the fun part.

As I’ve been blowing through books left and right, I’ve been finding myself just itching to discuss all these books with someone. Like most of my readers, I am in the thick of postpartum and Motherhood, so pretty much all traditional book clubs are off the table. I wanted to create a free book club in post form so mothers in different time zones or who are scrounging to find time can participate.

I plan on sending out a book club post on the first Tuesday of every month with a synopsis and takeaways, discussion questions, a fun activity to go along with the book, and polls for upcoming books. I have included a link to sign up and to add a book suggestion before my first post goes out on June 3rd, which will outline how book club will look and have a poll to pick our first book. As of now, the signup list will always be open to those who are interested and can join at any time!

I’m excited to connect with other mother readers and can’t wait to start talking books!

Join Now

Whispers of Delight

I have been enjoying reading Substack poetry lately and was inspired by

you drift off to sleep
with milk dribbling down your cheek
no care in the world

the day is over
sweet dreams my little one, hush
rest your tired head now

bleary eyed smiles
on our faces say so much
of sweet endless nights

I’d love to hear about what you all have been reading lately!

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