Alarice's Authentic Journeys

Apparently, the secret to getting kids to read 250,000 minutes is simple:

Offer them pajama day.

My daughter’s school is currently in the middle of a Read-A-Thon, and in just 12 days the students have logged 250,046 minutes of reading.

Their reward? PJ Day. Honestly, I can’t think of a better incentive system.

The excitement has spilled over into our house too. Between Women’s History Month and the school challenge, our rooms have quietly turned into a bit of a family reading club.

Every evening, we have been reading the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis together. The routine is simple: one person reads a chapter, then the book gets passed to the next person.

Some chapters are dramatic.
Some lead to many questions about history.
And occasionally the conversation takes a turn into unexpected territory.

But that’s part of the fun. Reading together is one of those simple moments. It happens at the end of the day and feels both relaxing and a little adventurous.

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Family Favorite Books (Ages 6–10)

If you have younger readers at home like me, these have been big hits in our house:

Charlotte’s Web—E. B. White
A classic that somehow manages to be funny, heartfelt, and meaningful all at once.

The I Survived Series—Lauren Tarshis
A perfect mix of history, adventure, and suspense that keeps kids asking for “one more chapter.”

Harry Potter—J.K. Rowling
A gateway series into imagination, longer books, and the joy of getting completely lost in a story. And I also love comparing them to the movies.

Books on My “To Read” List

My personal reading taste tends to bounce around a bit—mystery, adventure, growth, leadership, and the occasional book that makes me laugh out loud.

Here are a few currently sitting in my ever-growing to-read stack:

• Raising Critical Thinkers — Julie Bogart
  (This one feels especially relevant for parents navigating curious young minds.)
• The Correspondent — Virginia Evans has everyone going crazy over this smash hit!
• Heart the Lover — Lily King navigates love, friendships, and loss.
• Women, Money and Power — Josie Cox offers a fascinating look at how women have fought for financial independence and influence.
• The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes — Chanel Cleeton gives us a historical fiction novel that connects three women across different time periods through a mysterious, rare book
• Gravitas — Lisa Sun, because who’s tired of hearing the phrase “executive presence”?

I always sneak in a few novels from some of my favorite authors like Emily Henry, Lisa Jewell, and Ruth Ware. Every reading list deserves at least one book that makes you say:

“Okay… just one more chapter.”

Growing My Reading List

Between school Read-A-Thons, family chapter reading, and my expanding nightstand stack, I’m always looking for the next great story—especially from women authors, whom I’m highlighting this month for Women’s History Month.

Let’s crowdsource a great reading list.

What book are you reading right now that you can’t put down?

What was the ONE childhood book you read over and over again?