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Ashley Crane

@thereadingtradition

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Diverse reading, Jesus-loving, home-educating mama in TX | Connect & cultivate a good life through a tradition of reading | Let’s be friends!

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My suspended holds are absolutely out of control 😅

I ended up breaking this up into parts because there were just SO MANY. Here's the ones that are suspended/available soon. Part 2 coming soon with everything else on hold!

💬 Are any of these also on your TBR? What books do you have on hold that you can’t wait for? 📖 Any of these I should cancel?? 🤪 by @thereadingtradition

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11 days ago

My reading life drastically changed 4 years ago when I discovered the world of audiobook productions that bring books to life! You can pretty much always find me listening while I’m doing any mundane household task. These narrators are my absolute faves and the books on these pages are all books I read and really enjoyed!

Do you have all-time favorite audiobook narrator? If not, did any of these titles catch your attention?? by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

Thank you @tyndalehouse and #NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I ended up grabbing myself a copy as resource for my shelves after reading the e-ARC.

I picked this up on the tail end of our first year of high school. I think many homeschool moms enter high school with a bit of fear and (hopefully) excitement. I spent a fair amount of time researching curriculum, transcripts, dual-credit, testing, college admissions information, etc... there wasn't a guide, but now there is! ✨Their Future is Shining Bright✨ by @rachelstitchedtogether had all the info I was looking for before we started -- it is practical and encouraging.

⁣⁣Definitely recommend this for any homeschool parent walking into the high school years! This book was well written, comprehensive, and encouraging.

#TheirFutureIsShiningBright by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

Swipe to peek at the books my (homeschooled) 7th & 10th Graders are currently reading. 👉 They also have Kindles that they read on but for the sake of this post, I didn't ask what they were reading right now. Maybe another post??

Our read aloud, Boyhood & Beyond, is giving me mixed feelings. We're about half way through. I've seen many raves for this one but I find the writing rudimentary and disjointed. However, I do like the underlying lessons so we keep going.

Several of these books have been on our shelves for awhile as TBRs so we're knocking them out finally! by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: April 2018
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book was on my TBR for years, then @beverlyboymama and @apuzzledbooklover reviewed it in the first part of the year which prompted me to bump it up and I'm glad I did! 💬 What's the last book you picked up based on a recommendation and loved?

This is a story that I think everyone can relate to -- a story of seeking acceptance, longing for true friendship, faith, resilience, love & life. I was throughly invested in Sam’s story as well as his struggle with his faith.
Highly recommend! 😊 “We realize it is in those quiet moments that each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary.”

🎧 The author narrated the audiobook. It read like a memoir & had a worthwhile author's note. The audio was fine for me but not a necessary experience -- go with print or audio whatever your preference might be.

•Highlights•
Ocular albinism, Catholicism, coming of age, multiple timelines, short chapters, reflective

PS -- This one is available on #kindleunlimited with audio! by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

• book review •

Thank you #NetGalley, @shewritespress and Emma Tourtelot for the ARC in return for my honest review.    Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: January 2026 My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫  This debut novel told from a mother-daughter dual perspective follows Indie, a teenager who tragically loses her best friend, and her mother, Kate, who is a realtor & momfluencer. I appreciated reading this storyline from the mother-daughter POV as they deal with grief and life unraveling in their own ways. The grief in this story felt honest & very human. The parenting struggles felt real and relatable — the helplessness of watching your child grieve got me and the bittersweetness of having a teen who needs you (but also doesn’t)!   It took me a minute to get into this book, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Although the pacing was off for me at times and there’s an aspect of Indie’s storyline that didn’t work for me… I did enjoy this read overall and would pick up another title from this author in the future. I also struggled to like any of the characters in this book, which isn’t really something I feel like I have to have (or least I don’t think I do) but I don’t think it helped in this case. 💬 Do you typically need likable characters to love a book??   I think readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction with reflections of grief as a theme will enjoy it. I also think this would make for an interesting book club read; there’s some good discussion that could be had!   •Highlights•
Family Dramas, Marriage, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Reflections on Grief, Influencer lifestyle, Dual POVs, Parenting teens by @thereadingtradition

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23 days ago

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: May 2026
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and @harpermusebooks for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Told through alternating POVs, this novel follows sisters, Frankie & Mere, and explores themes of past trauma, addiction & sobriety, motherhood, and healing. Much like her debut novel, this felt deeply raw and vulnerable... and did a good job capturing the nuance of addiction and motherhood. As a mother, elements of this hit close to home — how easy it is to lose parts of yourself. However, this novel had too many heavy themes/topics crammed into it. It felt like a bit of a drudge to get through and the resolution felt rushed once we got there.

This is the kind of book that will really resonate with the right reader. If you plan to pick this up, know that it’s not a plot-driven missing-woman-thriller, but a character-driven story of hurt & healing, mistakes & accountability, and the hope of second chances. Jessica Guerrieri’s writing is beautiful and I really do applaud what she was trying to do here; ultimately it was just too much for me.

If you haven’t read this author before, try her debut -Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea — I loved it!

🎧 Narration cast: Helen Laser, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, and Rebecca Lowman. Be sure to listen to the author’s note!

•Highlights•
Motherhood, sisters, complex family relationships, addiction & recovery, grief, missing woman, autism

#BothCanBeTrue by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

It's been a bit (a whole year to be honest) since I read this one but as we head into Fall and the chaos and busyness of a new school year, it felt like the perfect time to revisit this one to actually review it!

In Unhurried: An Invitation to Slow Down, Create Margin, and Surrender Control to God by @samanthadeckerwrites offers a gentle reminder: Doing less and slowing down is about reordering our days around the Lord so that we can be present to what He’s doing in and around us.

What I enjoyed about this book:
• It was approachable and felt like having a conversation with a friend
• Lots of practical advice
• Reflection questions at the end of each chapter make this a great easy group read for small women's groups

A few of my highlights:
• "When we live hurried, over-planned lives, we fail to recognize finished work because there is always more to do."
• "At the peak of my hurry, I believed sitting was pointless and idle. This belief is a lie. God works while we wait."
• "When we are too busy, we have the potential to not only miss the needs of others, but also our need for relationship with them."
• "Margin, at its core, involves conceding control. As we create intentional time for the Lord to use us, we ultimately surrender the illusion of control we think we have over our days."

While I don't think there was anything in this book that was radical to me, I really enjoyed reading this with a group of friends and the reminders within to rest, create space, and join God in the work He’s doing. I needed the reminders within these pages and I think most busy moms regardless of life stage could benefit from reading this one!

@moodypublishers by @thereadingtradition

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2 months ago

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: May 2026
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Courtney Walsh is known for low spice, clean, light romances. I knew I could pick this one up and get exactly that as a bit of a palette cleanser between some heavier reads. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a lighter romance. ☀️

As a woman in my 40s, I do find myself loving romances with MCs in their 40s. The characters were charming and relatable, but Miles especially stole my heart !

🎧 Patti Murin narration was wonderful. I enjoyed it!

•Highlights•
clean romance, friends ➡ lovers, healing after heartbreak, found family, self discovery, bakery 🥐, Chicago

Thank you to @thomasnelson, @netgalley, and @courtneywalsh for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

💬 If you were starting over, is there a job or business concept you'd jump into?? by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

Recent thrift store books I’ve added to my shelves for myself! 💬 What's the last book you purchased for your home library? by @thereadingtradition

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a month ago

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: May 2026
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dolly All the Time was more than I expected. I just loved all the characters in this one!

You've been seeing this one all summer for good reason! If you're in need of a good romance with characters to love, don't miss @annabelmonaghan's latest! This was my fourth Annabel Monaghan book and my favorite so far (followed by Summer Romance).

🎧 @justjuliawhelan narrates and she's one of my favorites so it goes without saying that the audio experience was definitely top notch!

💬 What's your favorite summery read been this summer?

#dollyallthetime #fivestarread by @thereadingtradition

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2 months ago

I love when you're reading a book and already thinking, I'm definitely going to want to re-read this in the future. This book gave me that feeling repeatedly. I have no doubt that I will be coming back to this one.

This was my first book by @tylercstaton, but spoiler: I already started working through his other books. I love that this book felt conversation and accessible while weaving theology, history, and stories into the conversation.

"The ministry of the Holy Spirit is entirely about translating the teachings and promises of Jesus in a way that forms us at the deepest level -- rewriting our neural pathways and enabling us to embody our redemption. The Holy Spirit pushes the teachings of Jesus from the head, where, they can be understood, down into the heart, where they can heal our emotions and become a new foundation for us to live from."

Easy 5 star read that I'd recommend for any Christian! Absolutely enriching for life and faith.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Swipe for a peek at the table of contents 👉

Oh and don't do this one on audio, or at least not without possession of a physical copy because you will want a highlighter or pen to mark up your favorite quotes on this one!

#tylercstaton #christiannonfiction #thefamiliarstranger by @thereadingtradition

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3 months ago