Our Moms' Favorites
“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ~ Joyce Carol Oates
With Mother's day right around the corner, when else is there a better time to tell you about our moms' favorite book or author! We both found a passion for reading from a young age, and that is in large part to our moms' influence since they also love to read. Come journey with us as we asked our moms what their favorite book is! Maybe it is yours as well? Or maybe we found another book to add to your TBR list!
Kelli's Mom
Reading is something that I have always shared and enjoyed with my mom. As I got older and started reading similar books to my mom, we would pass books back and forth between each other (and also my sisters) that we both wanted to read and one of us got to first. When Chelsea and I first came up with this blog idea, I honestly wasn't sure what my mom's favorite book was and was very curious to find out.
I did know what genre my mom tends to lean towards....can you also guess since I mentioned we would pass books back and forth and you know what I like to read the most?? Romance! Many authors that my mom and I have both read include Nora Roberts, Susan Wiggs, Sherryl Woods, and Debbie Macomber. I tried to think about the similar books that we have read to see if I could remember her ever saying anything about one or another that stood out. So when I asked her what her favorite book was I was surprised to learn that she does not really have a favorite that stands out to her but she does have one author that she enjoys reading very much... Nicholas Sparks!
If you do not have a favorite book, then I think Nicholas Sparks as a favorite author is the best choice! With many of his novels, you can experience every emotion that exists! I know I haven't read every single one of his books, but I have read quite a few and will continue working through his works as I have loved and enjoyed every book that I have read by him so far.
Nicholas Sparks is a great author because you will always find a happy ending with his books that can put a smile on your face, but it is not always a cutesy story. Real life situations occur and turmoil and strife are a large part of the story but the characters always find the light at the end of the tunnel, even if in some of the stories it is not quite what you expected. (And with that comment, I am referring to The Best of Me - if you also read this book, did you know that was how it was going to end?!?) Who can't enjoy reading a story that is far more relatable to your own life experience, or others that you may know?
I find it so fascinating that my mom and I share a similar passion for romance novels. Is that because that is what I grew up exposed to with the books that she liked to read? My sisters also read a vast majority of romance novels, though I do believe they venture out much more than I do into other genres. Did we all influence each other to gravitate towards the same genre? Either way, at the end of the day, who doesn't love a happy ending?
Chelsea's Mom
I think it's pretty safe to say that our mother's influence us in one way or another and one way that there is no doubt my mom influenced me is her love of reading. In many ways, we are very similar when it comes to our reading habits. For example, we both read a lot of books (typically - sometimes I get into a slump and fall way behind on my Goodreads reading challenge). And while I think, and many other people think, that I read a lot of books, my mom's yearly total is even higher. That woman reads over 300 a year!!! I don't even try to compete with that, but it does mean that I get introduced to a lot of books that I probably wouldn't have heard of if she wouldn't have read them.
Both my mom and I read a wide variety of genres. In fact, because she reads so many, this is how I'm often introduced to books that grab my attention. She'll have them borrowed from the library and I'll be like, "Ooh, that looks interesting!" *Adds to TBR list* She is also way better at keeping up to date with new releases - so she always has them on hold already or has them pre-ordered. This is especially the case with the new Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich that comes out each year. We have a little tradition now where my mom reads it first, then my grandma, aunt, and me once I'm home for Christmas.
Because of this preference to read books across a variety of genres, I had no idea what my mom's favorite book would be. So when I recently asked my mom what it was, I was thrown because it was a book I have never heard of before! Her favorite book is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jann-Philipp Sendker. I tend to go into books with no idea what the book is about and this book was no different. I haven't finished it yet, but I've already highlighted so many passages from it. I see why my mom loves it. There's a lot of wisdom weaved into the story that can really have an effect on your life if taken to heart. I really look forward to finishing it and learning more about what makes this my mom's favorite book.
What is your maternal figures' favorite book or author? Have you read it before, and did you also like it? Have they influenced you to gravitate towards a specific genre, or even have you steer clear from a genre or book? If you’d like to see what we are reading now, check out our Goodreads profiles (Kelli and Chelsea) or follow 2 Girls Bookin' It on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with us!