At KG Education, we believe that healthy teachers who look after their own wellness are the best teachers! An important component of wellness is taking time for the things that make us happy. For Leah and me, that includes curling up with a good book on a regular basis. We are part of a book club that chooses a monthly selection (a different genre every month), and we also love to read fiction and self-help/wellness books whenever we have a chance. That’s why we’ve decided to start including book reviews on our website and in our monthly newsletters. We’d like to share our favourite reads to inspire you to make time to read for pleasure. Keep reading for our first fiction recommendation!
The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes
5/5 stars
I have read a number of Moyes’ books (the Me Before You trilogy) and really enjoyed them. When I saw that this author had released a historical fiction novel, I added it to the “Want to Read” shelf in my Goodreads app. When it was released in October, I was excited to snap it up in hardcover for $25. I started reading it one night before bed, and three nights later, I was done. I loved it so much that I turned back to the first page and read it again.
The author did extensive research in the mountains of Kentucky as she wrote this book, actually travelling the routes described on horseback. Set in a small town in 1930s Kentucky and based on actual events, it tells the story of four women who worked as packhorse librarians to deliver books to the isolated mountain people. In a conservative and religious small town, these women challenged traditional gender roles and disrupted long-held beliefs by sharing knowledge and information. Two love stories were interwoven throughout the book, and the dialogue among the characters is rich, humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking. I laughed, I cried, and felt hugely satisfied as this powerful story drew to a close. I can’t recommend this book enough–get your own copy now and snuggle up with this book and a cup of tea over the Christmas break!