What We're Reading: Books for the Whole Family

Thank goodness for books right now! We may not be able to leave our houses, but reading a good book is a great escape.

If you're looking for something to help pass the time right now, here are the books keeping everyone in my family entertained.

The first couple weeks of our stay-at-home order, I had a difficult time focusing on a book. Luckily that passed, and I have a few different books I'm immersing myself in right now.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD. | This one is fascinating. But, fair warning, reading all about sleep is ironically making it harder for me to fall asleep right now. I am definitely over-thinking this one.

Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur | I just finished this memoir and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a quick read because I couldn't put it down! I knew a little of what the book was about before I began (as a 14 year old, Brodeur began helping her mother to have an affair and became very entangled for years), so I worried it might be a little too much for me. However, I was enthralled and impressed with how the author shared, processed, and ultimately healed from the whole experience. I do so love a good memoir.

City Spies by James Ponti | This is a super fun middle grade novel that I plan to review on the blog soon. Esme read it first and insisted I would love it - as usual, she was right. It's a gripping spy novel, slightly reminiscent to me of the Mysterious Benedict Society books.

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow | I'm about halfway through this audiobook and it's both gripping and completely horrifying. Trigger warning: It's about the Harvey Weinstein case, so there are graphic descriptions of sexual abuse.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Maas | I've seen so many instagrammers enamored with this fantasy retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. Admittedly, it was fun and distracting (which is what I was looking for) but it was a very mediocre read for me. I will, however, read the next one in the series . . .

Esme's Current Reads (13 years old)

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly | This book hasn't actually been released yet, but we received a review copy in the mail last week from Harper Collins and Esme jumped on it. She read the whole thing in a day. It's next on my list.

The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West | Now, Esme is working her way through this whole series. She's on the third book right now.

Emma by Jane Austen | Esme has a list of classics that she's been checking off for a few months now. She's almost done with this one and LOVES it.

Eila's Current Reads (12 years old)

I'm so glad I've spent the last ten years thrifting Nancy Drew books because the collection I've amassed is coming in handy right now. Eila is alternating between Nancy Drew mysteries and Magnus Chase right now. She's also reading a lot of Calvin and Hobbes, but I think someone in this house is always reading some C & H.

Adelaide's Current Reads (10 years old)

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park | A new book from an amazing author! I gave it to Ada for her birthday a few weeks ago so now I have to wait until she finishes it for my turn. But, from the updates she keeps giving me, I can tell it's going to be really good.

The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin | Eila and Adelaide share a bedroom and they listen to these on audible when they go to bed at night. They're on book 13 now and love them just as much as I did when I was a kid.

Rory's Current Reads (5 years old)

He's reading aloud BOB Books to me every day. He's also enjoying the Zita the Spacegirl trilogy - mostly just "reading" the pictures in the graphic novel series, but occasionally listening while someone reads aloud. And when he's in the mood, we've been reading the Wayside School Books aloud together. There are also a lot of picture books being read everyday too.

Current Family Reads

We've been doing even more family read alouds than normal lately! We're still reading every night like we normally do, but I've also been pulling out our read aloud book whenever the kids start getting grumpy or bored, and I've been reading aloud while they craft or draw sometimes too.

We raced through Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick in just three days because it was such a gripping read aloud - we loved it! Now, we're working our way through the Fablehaven series for the second time.