Scilla Lee's Picks

When did the love of reading start for me? I think I would have to thank my third grade teacher! That year we read "Little House in the Big Woods," by Laura Ingalls Wilder. From that point on I would be forever obsessed with reading and primarily historical fiction. I am pretty sure I read that series about 50 times through my middle school years. My poor parents had to discipline me from that point on by taking away reading time (say what?!?!) because it was the only thing that would upset me. Take my dolls, soccer ball, but don't take away my books!! I can remember every Friday going to the grocery store with my mom and asking if I could go check out the book section and pick up the next Babysitters Club Series book....and legit squealing if it was a super special! All you true fans know what I am talking about!! I can picture myself with a flashlight under the covers every night trying to sneak in a couple more pages.....

After high school I joined the Air Force and trained as a meteorologist. To pass time in my dorm between shifts or on slow days I would either binge watching new series on TV (okay, I confess I still do this), or read old favorites and new genres I hadn't yet tried. However, I always come back to historical fiction, classics, and fantasy! I am an escapist reader!

One Valentine's Day my husband Adam surprised me with an e-reader, I surprised him with a positive pregnancy test! I did so much reading those 9 months waiting for Landon to arrive, the best part was when I would finish a book, I could just load another one without leaving the house! Then, who knew having a baby would take up all my time?? When Landon turned a year I found out I was pregnant with Penelope (OMG). So having two kids under the age of two was serious work! My reading went to the back burner unless it was about infant milestones or making baby food. But guess what? Now they are in Kindergarten and Pre-K and I have found my inner book geek again....but WHOA with Bookstagram! Wow how things change in six years! I had no idea so many other people took reading as serious or rather even more serious than me! I have made so many new friends, and have added so many recommendations to my TBR list I will literally never say  "I need something good to read," ever again. 

This list is what I am going to call my ongoing favorite list. These are obviously not the only books I have ever read in these genres they are just my absolute 5 star 🌟 favorites! I would totally return to reread any and all of these if my TBR list wasn't so never ending! I usually stay true to historical fiction (WW2 era being a fav) with a little magical realism/fantasy mixed in. However, I have been starting to try and branch out into other genres after listening to Modern Mrs Darcy's "What Should I Read Next,"  The Bookshelf's podcast, "From the Front Porch, and Book Riots "All the Books." I highly encourage anyone to listen to these podcasts if you have no idea what you might want to try reading next or if you just like bookworm book talk! If you have any recommendations for me, please feel free to drop me a line or email me at 2psinabookstagram@gmail.com. Just remember which P you want to email!

Historical Fiction

• Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon (I have only read books 1-3 thus far I totally had to stop myself because I don't want them to end!!)
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn 
• Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Graynor and Heather Webb

Fantasy/Magical Realism

• Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (I have read the first one twice..I will finish before the last season premieres in November 2018)

Literary Fiction

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (read this when I was 15 wondering what 36 year old me would think now)
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
•  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Contemporary Fiction

• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• The Rosie Project by Don Tillman
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 
• Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
• Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand
• The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Mystery

• Still Life by Louise Penny (yes I will continue being a Penny Pusher)

New Adult

• Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

 Young Adult

• Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (#lovedit #teamEdward)
• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins