February Reads
Don't Miss It- This book is super short... like you can read it in the car pick-up line. But it is by far and away the BEST book I have ever read on parenting. And I've read a lot of them. But the problem is, the authors of parenting books often like the bloviate how much they think they know about raising kids, and they take forever to get to the point. This book, written by the creators of Orange, gets straight to the point. Buy it today, read it all day after tomorrow. Change your parenting for the better ASAP.
Sound of Gravel- The true story (a memoir, if you will) about a young girl who was raised in a crazy religious cult in Mexico and the story of how she escaped the insanity of it all. Not an easy read but it was incredibly insightful and heart-gripping from the very beginning. It is a true testimony to the strength of human will.
Rosemary- The Hidden Kennedy-- I picked up this book after once again being enthralled with the Kennedys after I saw Jackie. I had no idea the Kennedys had a sister with severe mental handicaps. Her story is heartbreaking, but is an interesting glimpse into the lives of some of America's most powerful family.
Control Girl- This was a great read for anyone who struggles with letting go of their fear, anxiety and control. I wrote a full review on it here.
March Reads
The Devil Crept In- After reading a lot of real-life (non fiction), heavy memoirs as of late, I was looking for a mindless mystery. There was a twist in this story that would normally disinterest me, but I found myself sticking it out till the end. It was pretty good!
Help Thanks Wow- I take Anne Lamott with a grain of salt, but for all her kooky thoughts on God (whom she refers to as "she"), this book on what she calls 3 essential prayers, is pretty good. I wouldn't recommend it for a newer Christian who is seeking theological truth (warning: look elsewhere, like the Bible) as some of her doctrine is definitely off, but for a discerning heart it can be encouraging and through provoking.
It Ends With Us- I didn't remember what I was expecting when I started this one, but it was different than I thought it would be. I can't really even tell you what its about because it will ruin the first part of the book! Part love story, part love triangle, part tragedy turn to triumph. This book had me up reading WAY past my bedtime and feeling all the feels.
The Guineveres- This book was on last year's summer reading list (I'm still working on it! Maybe I'll be done by this summer!) and I'm just not getting to read it. It is a novel about a group of friends-- all conveniently name Guinevere, who live in a boarding school/convent. Its their story of teen life, friendship and coming to grips with their own family situations. There is a strong catholic element, which I thought was interesting. Every other chapter had a brief converse about a particular Saint. Its hard to describe the novel, but it was good & interesting, if not a little lofty.
This Life I Live- I fell in love with Joey + Rory after Joey got cancer. I followed her fight and was in awe of Rory's selfless love for his wife. This is the story of the man behind the woman. This book is full of redemption in every sense of the word. Its a story of God's sovereignty and goodness and how He prepared Rory his whole life to love Joey. A true modern love story that is simply amazing. This is one book on a short list that actually made me cry real tears as I read. Stunningly beautiful and well written.
Hillbilly Elegy- How does a redneck hillbilly with kin from Kentucky & no family who has ever graduated high school become a successful Yale-educated lawyer? J.D. Vance expires the nuances of those who live life in the margins... the unrecognized and unacknowledged poor among us. His social commentary is something everyone should read. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency- This is the first in a series of detective novels about a woman detective in Africa. It is absolutely charming and gives a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of Africans. Its stories are witty in a grown-up Amelia Bedelia meets Nancy Drew kind of way.
So You've Been Publicly Shamed- I LOVED this book. Its a non-fiction book, written by the king of quirky books, Jon Ronson. (His previous works have included "The Psychopath Test" and "Men Who Stare At Goats") It takes a long hard close look at the reviving use of public shaming via social media. He uses real-life stories of those who've been publicly shamed-- most to their lives' extreme detriment-- and explores the when's, where's, why's and how's of how it all happened, and how (sometimes if) they were able to get their lives back together. His conclusion alone was worth reading the whole book. It will stay with me for a long time.
If you were only going to pick two books out of all of these to read, I would suggest Don't Miss It and Sound of Gravel. But since Don't Miss It is like 50 pages long, I'll throw in "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" as another must read. :)
What have you been reading?
