Vermont Mom

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but after you read this, you will see a million words in the photo on the cover of this book. Those words won’t be what you read inside this book. They will be all the emotions you feel while reading it. Normal Family: On Truth, Love, […]

Read this:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Argylle⁠ by Elly Conway Watch this: Argylle – a major motion picture in theaters now! Background Knowledge Claire: Just the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory. Julie: All I knew before we picked it was that there were conspiracy theories around it involving Taylor Swift Overall Opinion of the Book Claire: Pretty good. Just a three-star read for me. Some […]

Moms love Bridgerton. It’s true. We all know it. We’ve all seen season 1, episode 6 of the Shondaland Netflix series and it was HOT! But, I’m not just talking about the show here. The books are fire, too. So, let’s talk about the hottest Bridgerton books! If you need a little background on the […]

Read this:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure⁠ by William Goldman Watch this: The Princess Bride, a major motion picture from 1987 Background Knowledge Claire: I saw the movie a few times growing up, but haven’t watched it in at least 20 years. Never knew it was based on a book […]

Read this: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls⁠ Watch this: The Glass Castle, a major motion picture Background Knowledge Claire: Nothing. I heard of it, probably the movie, but couldn’t tell you what it was about. Didn’t even know it was a memoir until I started it. Julie: I read Educated in 2022 and whenever I tell someone I […]

Read this: ⁠Breakfast At Tiffany’s⁠ by Truman Capote Watch this: Breakfast At Tiffany’s movie Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: Obviously known about the movie for years, but didn’t know it was a book until I came across it in a thrift store a few years ago. Julie: Same. I knew of the movie and the […]

Read this: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lessons in Chemistry⁠ by Bonnie Garmus Watch this: Lessons in Chemistry limited series on AppleTV+ Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: The book was recommended to us by a family member for a long car ride. I believe when I first listened I already knew the show was in production. Claire: Very little. Saw […]

Disclosure: This post contains Target affiliate links that allow Vermont Moms, at no additional cost to you, to earn a small commission if you purchase from our Target links. Thanks so much for supporting local moms! I read the Britney Spears memoir, The Woman in Me, less than 24 hours after its release. And of […]

Read this: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn Watch this: The Woman in the Window movie on Netflix Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Not much at all other than I knew it had been spoofed in that Kristen Bell show “THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN […]

Read this: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Watch this: The Time Traveler’s Wife – 2009 movie and 2022 series Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I remembered seeing the movie way back when and having a pretty blah reaction. I also knew there was a newer series and had seen some people watch […]

Read this:  The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave Watch this:  The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+ Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Not much aside from Jennifer Garner being in it. Claire: Same Overall Opinion of the Show Claire: The show was good. Better than I was expecting based on […]

Read this:  One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid Watch this:  One True Loves major motion picture available for rental or purchase Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: none other than knowing it was popular in the #bookstagram community. Julie: Almost nothing, just that it was a TJR book. Overall Opinion of the Book Claire: I […]

Read this:  Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn & Shonda Rhimes Watch this:  Queen Charlotte, a Bridgerton Story limited series on Netflix Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: Been following this project since it was announced. Kept somewhat up on the production news and BTS pics and stories. Somewhat disappointed that the show was […]

Read this:  Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah Watch this:  Firefly Lane – 2 season series on Netflix Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: Nothing. I had only heard of the author through #Bookstagram, but never knew anything about her books or what she wrote. Julie: Almost nothing. Overall Opinion of the Book Claire: […]

Read This: Watch This: Women Talking – 2022 Major Motion Picture available for rental Why We Made This Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I knew there was Oscar buzz around the movie and that that cast had some big names. I also vaguely knew that it was based on a book and that the book was […]

Read This: Watch This: Conversations with Friends on Hulu (limited series) Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I did not know much about this book or show at all aside from knowing that Taylor Swift’s BF was in the show. Claire: I had no background knowledge other than knowing it’s a popular book. […]

Read This: Watch This: Daisy Jones & The Six on Prime (limited series) Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: A friend had been telling me to read it and after like a year I finally did and loved it and went down a Fleetwood Mac rabbit hole and was eagerly awaiting the […]

Read This: Watch This: Death on the Nile (2022) on Amazon Prime Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Not too much. I recognized the title of the book as an Agatha Christie book, but that was about all. Even going into watching the movie, I had no idea who to expect to […]

Read This: Watch This: Fleishman is in Trouble on Hulu Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I saw some previews for it when the show came out and I was interested in watching. While watching, I googled to see if it was based on a book and for some reason I thought […]

Read This: Watch This: Harry & Meghan on Netflix Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Big royal follower, but mainly for the tea. I definitely got my interest from my mom. I wrote my 8th-grade research paper about Princess Diana’s death… so the interest goes back. Closely followed the royal weddings and […]

Read This: Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering Watch This: Tell Me Lies on Hulu Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie:  I was seeing a lot of friends and accounts I follow posting about it. They released 3 episodes and then only one episode a week after that and my friends were raging […]

This is a really cool time to be a mom and an avid reader. Millennials, my generation, born between 1980-1995, are starting to have kids of their own. And we are not accepting the tired tropes of Mommy Culture. Instead, we’re pulling apart those archetypes with candor and humor. Jessi Klein’s new book, I’ll Show […]

Read This: Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp Watch This: Die Hard on Prime Video Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: My husband does not ever stop talking about Die Hard the movie. It’s in his top 3 movies of all time. I did not know it was based on a book though until […]

Read This: Time for me to Come Home by Dorothy Shackleford and Travis Thrasher Watch This: Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas on Hallmark Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Nothing at all before we started researching Christmas-themed books/movies to cover for this podcast. It was a pretty quick pick though […]

Read This: Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates Watch This: Blonde on Netflix Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Heard about the standing ovation at the Venice film festival and it intrigued me. Claire: All the headlines of the 14-minute standing ovation. Before you say which you liked better, did you read the book or […]

Read This: Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain Watch This: Mr. Malcom’s List on Prime Video Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: Seemed like both the book and the movie might have a Bridgerton vibe, so I was curious. Claire: No knowledge other than seeing it popping up on social media a lot. Before […]

Read This: Normal People by Sally Rooney  Watch This: Normal People on Hulu Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I actually watched the show about two years ago and have always been curious about the book. Claire: I just went along with Julie’s suggestion because I’ve heard good things about Sally Rooney’s books and […]

Read This: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Watch This: Gone Girl movie on Prime Video Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I actually read the book just before the movie came out and watched the movie when it was available for rental. That was about 8 years ago at this point so I didn’t […]

Read This:  Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan Watch This: Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I literally cannot remember how we picked this?!? But I do love British crime dramas. Claire: Like most of our previous episodes, I had no background knowledge. I’ve been rather enjoying […]

Read This: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Watch This: The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: I’ve heard of the book and knew it had been popular in the YA crowd for a while, but YA isn’t really my thing so I hadn’t […]

Read This: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Watch This: Where the Crawdads Sing (currently only in theatres) Listen to This: Tell Me More: The Dark Side of Delia Owens (author of Where the Crawdads Sing) featuring Kayse Gale Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I read the book initially in March […]

Read This: The Godfather by Mario Puzo Watch This: The Godfather on Paramount+ The Offer on Paramount+ Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie and her family has watched and quoted this movie for years. She first read the book in high school and probably first watched the movie as a small child […]

Read This: Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith Watch This: Deep Water on Hulu Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I knew about this book because I follow all celebrity gossip and I knew it was the movie Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck met on the set and began dating. I wanted […]

Read This: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter Watch This: Pieces of Her limited series on Netflix Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Claire: No actual background info. I just saw it at Costco, saw the Netflix sticker, read the back, and thought it would be something we both would like! Before you say […]

Read This Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakaur (2003) Watch This Under The Banner of Heaven on FX or Hulu Why We Made this Selection and Background Knowledge Julie: I love both previous Jon Krakauer books I read. And I loved both movie adaptations. When I saw the trailer for this show, I ran […]

Let me start by saying – I love Dave Grohl. I love every band he’s ever been associated with – Scream, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, and more. I love hearing him on podcasts (like Smartless) and I loved reading his stories in The Storyteller. I read his 300+ page book in about five […]

{Disclaimer: We are working with Helen Hipp/Rosie the Hippo to review her new book: Rosie and Friends One-Of-A-Kindness. All opinions are ours alone.} Back to school is in full force and it’s hard to believe that my baby is now a big girl in 1st grade. But this isn’t a post about school, it’s a […]

Vermont author and parent educator, Vicki Hoefle, recently published an exciting book called Duct Tape Parenting.   I heard about the book through our school who was offering a six week parenting class based on the book and Vicki’s DVD program, Parenting On Track. I was intrigued and excited to give it a try. Who […]

As we start 2025, many of us have made New Year’s resolutions. If your resolutions include a reading resolution, meaning you want to read more and do other things less, then keep reading (pun intended). Why should you listen to me on this subject? In 2024, I set a New Year’s reading resolution to finish […]

5 inspiring YA books to read with your teen. All feature main characters with marginalized identities. Multiple genres included.

In this episode of But The Book Was Better, Claire and Julie each share five upcoming screen adaptations they can’t wait to see! What 2024 screen adaptations are you looking forward to? What book do you wish would be made into a movie or series? Reading List: If there’s a book you want us to […]

Moms love Bridgerton. It’s true. We all know it. We’ve all seen season 1, episode 6 of the Shondaland Netflix series and it was HOT! But, I’m not just talking about the show here. The books are fire, too. So, let’s talk about the hottest Bridgerton books! If you need a little background on the […]

Disclosure: This post contains Target affiliate links that allow Vermont Moms, at no additional cost to you, to earn a small commission if you purchase from our Target links. Thanks so much for supporting local moms! It’s no surprise that this book-loving mama owns an extensive collection of children’s Christmas books. Some are fantastic and […]

Every year, my family makes sure to sign up for our library’s summer reading program. It’s a great way to be held accountable for what we read over the summer and participate in activities we normally wouldn’t do. The prizes don’t hurt either. Plus, we love summer children’s books! However, I’ve found that if I just set […]

Remember life before kids, when you could read a great book without any interruptions? As a mom of two, every book I read has to be put down roughly eight hundred times per page so I can play never-ending “pretend” games or watch my kids do a million tricks on their scooters. I need some […]

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As we head deeper into winter and extended time at home, it seems like a great time to share what I think are the top 10 best books to read aloud with my kids this winter. You can get in touch with your local library, arrange to borrow some books, and then cozy up and […]

Racism is a huge problem in this country. I wish there was an easy way to solve this horrendous problem, but there is no easy answer. Each person must do what they can. One way we can combat racism in the future is to educate our children now. Here are some books about race to […]

My son’s homework is to read books for 30 minutes a day. While he enjoys reading books, 30 minutes is a long time for him, especially when he is tired after a long day at school. Luckily, my son’s teacher allows parents to read books aloud to their children as part of their homework. Even […]

Most moms wait patiently – or not so patiently- for that golden hour of the night when the house is quiet. Sure, we should probably be sleeping, but having a moment for ourselves is such a luxury. I have on occasion (or more than just occasionally) counted the hours until my daughter is asleep. And […]

Many books have been controversial over the years and some have even been banned from libraries. Such classics as The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and To Kill a Mockingbird were prohibited because of sexual themes, violence, racism, and the use of racial slurs. One could argue that these books had clear reasons to be […]

It’s been scientifically proven that reading to babies at early ages encourages cognitive and language development. It is never too soon to start reading to your babies. I’ll admit, when I was pregnant with my first child, there were times I wanted to talk to him, but I really had nothing to say. He would often […]

Has your family graduated from enjoying picture books to also reading chapter books aloud?   But are your kids’ age and interests wildly divergent? Sure, you could read two or three different books, one for each child, but if you’re like me, the sooner the kids are in bed, the better. You’re looking for one […]

I don’t know when I stopped being able to read. Don’t get me wrong, I can physically read- I’m in the last semester of Nursing School and I have to read! Every day I have to read textbooks, journal articles, policy and procedures, and reference books. My brain is swimming with disease processes, pharmacology, nursing […]

(Co-authored with my very own strong girls, my 10 year-old daughter, Nell, and my 7 year-old, Libby) In honor of Women’s History Month, (this is how we celebrate at my house!) my daughters and I have put together a list of required reading for strong girls. When my girls were little, it was pretty easy […]

There are so many books out there for younger children that help to teach about emotions. Happy, angry, sad, and mad… we can begin to teach emotions to children as young as a few months old with a book such as Baby Faces, which depicts a photograph on each page with one word underneath.   […]

For as many times as I have heard comments about gender stereotypes for girls, I have heard as many comments towards boys. “Your hair looks like a girl!” “Pink is a girl color!” “You’re at the girl table!” Often times the emphasis put on the word “girl” is that of disdain, or disgust.  It never ceases to […]

It happened again the other day. I was in my classroom and my kiddos had just returned from art or music, or someplace else outside of the room.  As I was getting ready to gather them on the rug and teach the next lesson, I heard it. “These are GIRL push ups.” I turned around, […]

I am a bookworm. As soon as I could read, I discovered a rich fantasy that I never wanted to abandon. Books contain my favorite places, my best friends, and have been my faithful companions for my entire life. Sharing this love with my daughter was one of the things I most looked forward to when I […]

Reading is a big part of our family life. We started reading books out loud every night when our firstborn was just an infant, and it became so ingrained into our routine that our children automatically know to go pick a book after their jammies are on and their teeth are brushed. We have had […]

Mama Confession: I hate parenting books. Sure, I’ll read them, occasionally benefit from advice the authors work so hard to share with me. I respect the craft. The trouble with parenting books is that they are HOMEWORK – assigned reading designed to get me through the next parenting quiz and improve my score on the […]

There are many, ever-changing books, blogs, and websites on the topics of pregnancy, labor and birth, breastfeeding, and newborn/child wellness. Whether you are having your first or fourth baby, you may find the scope of information overwhelming. So here, I offer you four of my favorite books on the topics mentioned above that withstand the […]

There is something about children’s literature that is so magical. I have great memories of the summer reading program at my local library and in elementary school when I was little. There was always a fun theme and of course getting prizes based on the number of books or pages I read. When I was […]

We are excited to be participating in the Booking Across the USA project as Vermont’s representative blog! In an effort to showcase regional books, blogs in each state are highlighting a book unique to their culture/state. To get some ideas of some great books to add to your little one’s reading list, check out the entries […]