He's here!

Hello everyone!

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to our new addition..

Meet Baby Charles. He was born on April 19, 2017 and weighed 6lbs. 2 oz. My family and I are just over the moon in love with this little guy. He is doing great and keeping us very busy.

As I mentioned in a previous post my blogging and reading may be quite slow as I adjust to mommy-hood, but I will update as I can.

Happy reading to you all,
-Melissa

Cat Thursday: April 27, 2017

Cat Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by True Book Addict. 

You know your cat is spoiled when he refuses to drink out of a bowl and has to have his own glass. #catsofinstagram #spoiledrotten #lazykitty

A post shared by Melissa Lee (@melissaleesmanyreads) on Apr 14, 2017 at 6:24pm PDT

ML's Worth a Watch: A Man Called Ove

Last week I shared my review for the 2014 debut novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. -Source

Just last year the book was adapted to a movie in its native Sweden. Although I haven't watched it yet myself, the trailer has really caught my interest and I hope to be able to see it soon.

Check it out below:

I think that I would get the emotional reaction from watching this movie, that I was hoping for with the book. This short clip seems to portray much more heart than the author was able to convey in his writing.

What do you think? Does the novel or the movie interest you? Leave me a message in the comments below. 

Currently Reading: April 17, 2017

Quick Update: My due date isn't actually until Friday, but my doctor said the baby could come at any time. I am getting so anxious and just want my little boy to be here. Fingers crossed that he makes his appearance soon. I have a couple of scheduled posts coming up, but if I go MIA for a while, you will all know why. :) I will update when I can.

Currently Reading

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott: This book is one of the first things I pinned to my "Books I Want to Read" board when I joined pinterest. I was at my local library recently and came across it, so decided now was a good time to pick it up. The book follows three young sisters who are Vaudeville performers in the early 1900's and so far it is keeping my attention. 

No Safe Harbor (Edge of Freedom, Book 1) by Elizabeth Ludwig: I read the second book in this historical fiction series before I was able to get this one and I loved it. I recently downloaded the Kindle App on my phone and this is the the first book I've read on it. I wasn't sure if I'd like reading a book on my cell, but so far its been good and more convenient than bringing along a chunky novel or my Kobo. 

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. 

Hosted by: Book Date 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove
By: Fredrik Backman

Published: July. 2014

Published By: Atria Books 

Format Read: eBook, Kobo

Genre: Contemporary 

Rating: 3.5/5

💚💚💚

After the death of his beloved wife, a man called Ove, just wants to end his life and be reunited with his love. Fortunately and ironically his attempts are thwarted by a colourful cast of neighbours.

A Man Called Ove was the first monthly selection for a local book club that I recently joined. I had heard of it before, but went into it knowing very little about the plot.

The ironic humor the author infused into this book was right up my alley and reminded me of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Both of these books have been translated from their original language Swedish.

Ove was an interesting character: a curmudgeon who was very set in his ways, yet knew right from wrong. I especially admired his devotion to his wife Sonja. Amid the humor, A Man Called Ove really did have a lot of meaning behind it and although I enjoyed it, I found myself wishing I had a more emotional reaction to the story.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction. 

Cat Thursday: April 6, 2017

Cat Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by True Book Addict. 

Asked him what he was doing in the laundry tub and he gives me this look. "Duh, Mom!" #sillyboy #sillykitty #idowhatiwant #catsofinstagram

A post shared by Melissa Lee (@melissaleesmanyreads) on Mar 21, 2017 at 3:21am PDT

Monthly Wrap-up: March 2017

Hello everyone,

Well March was kind of a crappy month on my end. I've been trying to get over a bad cold for the past three weeks. Just when I think that it is starting to go away it comes back with a vengeance. Being pregnant I can't really take anything to help me get better, so I've just been trying to get a lot of rest and keep hydrated.

I turned 30 on the first of the month. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I enjoyed dinner with my family to celebrate. And then that weekend, my mom threw me a baby shower, which was nice.

Other than that I've just been counting down the weeks until my due date. Only about 3 more weeks to go! We are all so excited for our new arrival to make his grand appearance.

Let's move on to my very dismal reading progress..

I was really hoping that I would complete more books in the month of March, but this cold has kicked the crap out of me and I haven't felt much like reading, unfortunately. It looks like I'm not going to meet me goal for the first quarter TBR, but what can ya do?

🌟🌟🌟 A Vote for Murder (Murder, She Wrote #22) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Rating: 3/5
Beloved mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is invited to Washington D.C. to attend a literary event, when a senators chief of staff is found murdered. This audio book was narrated by Cynthia Darlow.
Favourite Part: The relationship between Jessica and her Scotland Yard friend.
Recommendations:  I would recommend A Vote for Murder to fans of the television show Murder, She Wrote.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Empress Holds the Key (Jack Rogan Mysteries, #2) by Gabriel Farago 
Rating: 4/5
An old war-time picture is discovered in a burned down cabin depicting a Nazi officer, uncovers a trail connecting a violin to a Vatican cover-up that could change the fate of Christianity.
Favourite Part: How the author connected all the different time periods together.
Recommendations: I would recommend The Empress Holds the Key to fans of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series.

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 2

Total Number of Fiction: 2

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 1

Total Books Read from My Shelves: 0

Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 0

eBooks: 1

Audio Book: 1

Genres Read:

Mysteries: 2

Thriller/ Suspense: 1

Total Books Read in 2017: 7

I don't have a set TBR for April at the moment. All of my books are still packed up and I'm not sure when I will get them all unpacked. So it looks like this month I will just pick up whatever catches my interest. 

Did you do a monthly wrap-up for March? If so I'd love to check it out, so be sure to leave me your links in the comments below. 

Wishing you all a wonderful April. 

Hosted by: Book Date