Hello friends!

So the hubs and I are building a house! Hence we’ve been a little busy these days. Most of our free time in recent months has gone to moving massive amounts of dirt with a tiny tractor, putting on house wrap in the wind, learning to install windows, trying to not fall off the roof while putting on underlayment, pulling electrical wire…you get the picture. Slowly but surely our new home is coming together.

Fortunately, I have still taken a bit of time to read between work and house tasks, so wanted to offer you all an updated list of recommendations!

If you missed my first On the Stack ahwile back, feel free to check it out!

So starting off 2020, here’s a list of the books I’m diving into…

A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott
I’m really enjoying this new historical fiction romance novel set in the late 1800’s. The main character is a female photographer, a job unheard of for women in that time. Meg is hired to join a small army expedition to chart the land around the Grand Canyon. It’s awe-inspiring to live through her perspective of seeing the canyon for the first time, when no one had even seen pictures of it. Throw in a good love story, and I’m hooked!

Grit and Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life by Tim McGraw
I’ve just started this new book by country music superstar Tim McGraw. It’s fascinating getting a glimpse into his personal life. This is a great book to start the new year. I’m excited to put into practice Tim’s suggestions for getting in shape physically and training my mind, too. It is already a great boost of self-discipline!

The Do Gooder’s Guide to Investing by Adrian Reif
This one is so valuable! I am very naive to any kind of investing, and this is super helpful. I love that Adrian is sharing his wealth of deep knowledge of the two worlds of investing and sustainability. Prior to hearing of this book, I didn’t know I could both help better the world and lives of others while also growing my money. The meat of it starts on about page 42ish, so don’t get discouraged, and feel free to skip around if needed. I really like that Adrian makes investing doable for people investing anywhere from $100 to millions. And the best part? It’s a sweet thing to read a book by an author you know personally. 🙂

Gluten Free Girl Every Day by Shauna Ahern
I love ordering cookbooks through inter-library loan because then I can find new recipes and not have to pay to buy the entire cookbook. The photos are inspiring, too! I do not have celiac disease, but due to health issues I went gluten free about 5 years ago now. Although I would not call it the miracle cure, it has definitely helped my body in multiple ways. I feel much better when I eat a lower carb, low sugar, gluten free diet. Gluten Free Girl has some great recipes and resources, including this cookbook. Also, I plan to do a post soon of the things I’ve learned since going GF!

31 Days to Love and Encourage Him by Alyssa & Jefferson Bethke
The hubs and I are absolutely loving Alyssa and Jeff’s podcast lately! (Find on your podcast app or here.) We listen to them on road trips around Colorado when we go visit family. We also listened to their book Love that Lasts when we were engaged, and highly recommend it! I came across this book of theirs recently, along with their corresponding one to encourage “her“, and knew I needed to read it! I value how vulnerable, humble, and realistic they are, using their story to encourage other couples. These two books have some wonderful, practical suggestions for wives and husbands to creatively love each other.

Jeff’s latest book, To Hell With the Hustle, is also a fantastic read! It is the hubs and I’s current audiobook for road trips, and very thought provoking. One of my favorite things about listening to audiobooks together is the conversations we have after listening to each chapter. The Bethkes’ books are some of the best we’ve come across for talking about how we want to intentionally build our marriage and family life.

Black + Decker’s Codes for Homeowners by Bruce Barker
Why am I including this? Throughout our home building process, I’ve checked out at least 15 different books trying to figure out building codes, and this one is THE best. Hands down. The pictures are extremely helpful so you don’t have to try to sift through hundreds of pages of text of the International Building Code. This is the latest version for building codes up to date. Still, make sure to check with your county/city building department for variances and amendments to codes. This is useful not only for building new construction, but also for remodeling any part of your home.

BONUS! Movie recommendation: Overcomer (2019)
Since our town doesn’t have a movie theater, I was thrilled to be able to get this from the library. It was just released on dvd this month, and WOW!!! If you’re in need of a feel good, inspiring movie, this is it. So many illuminating takeaways from this incredible story.

What are you reading? Seen any good movies? Comment and let me know! Thanks for joining me, friends. Until next time!