Book Recommendations - 2019

Hello there! Long time no see! I can’t even remember the last time I was here so I am jumping back in by posting the books I recommend from this year! So many have asked me in the past few weeks what book they should add to their reading list so I thought I’d post some of my favorites. 


Each year, I make some goal to keep me motivated to read. I track all my books on the Goodreads app and that seems to be the easiest. Feel free to add me as a friend if you have not already. I really like to read books that challenge my perspective or help me understand people better. Some of the reading is to switch off my brain and other books are to make me a better part of humankind (for lack of better wording). I think we owe that to each other, no?


My goal this year was 2 books a month and I’ve read 32 so far! I do most all of my reading in bed at night, on my kindle, lying down next to Eden as she falls asleep. This has been the best way to have some “me time” and read. I use the Libby app and borrow/download from the library. Eden also loves the library to read. Maybe she needs her own post for favorite children's books. 


I’m going to post screenshots below because that’s just easier and you can see the book covers and authors. 

Currently Reading: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 

Favorite books I read: 


Where the Crawdads Sing- a crowd favorite! Trust me, just read it!


Becoming – I never started out as an Obama family fan but I was converted after watching how they conduct themselves (I’m not even getting into any politically here – just social observations). This book gave insight into the family and their beginnings but also to how hard it is to live in the White House. 


Small Great Things- this is one of my all-time favorite books at this point. It is a great book club discussion book. 


Lilac Girls- wow, the things we never learn in history! I look reading these books that seem so fictional only to find it’s based on truth. I then spend some time looking up the people or events on the internet to learn a bit more. 


From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home- some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. This was our book club book and we met after and one member made 2 of the recipes the author shares in the book. I cried throughout the book because of the content, and the writing made it so visceral. 


The Alice Network: AGAIN, how did history class never teach us this?!


The Giver of Stars- AGAIN, AGAIN! History failed me. This is about the pack horse librarians that delivered books in rural Kentucky in the Appalachian mountains in the 1930s-1940s. I’m seeing a theme with never learning about the wonderful work that women did! The characters are lively and keep you turning the pages.


Heavier but a favorite: 


Beneath a Scarlet Sky- based on a true story of a teen who helps Jews escape to freedom through the Alps. He becomes a personal driver for one of the higher German officials (General Hans Leyers) and works undercover. This is one that you can google all the people after reading.


The Tattooist of Auschwitz- another book detailing Holocaust survival and whose main character can be easily researched. He tattoos the prisoners of Auschwitz and falls in love with one of the women. 

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things- a book club recommendation. This has some heavy topics. Some of us just weren't sure what we thought or felt after reading this book. 


Easy reading: 


Daisy Jones & the Six- fun read. It reminded me of Hollywood days, visiting the Strip but sans the drugs and rock and roll. I like how the book is laid out with perspectives. 


Rent Collector- sad context but an “easier” read


Watching You- suspense and a quick page turner


The Silent Patient- SO GOOD! I never saw the end coming! 


The Orphan Keeper- same author as Rent Collector so heavy contact but easy reading. 


The books that challenged me the most or gave new perspective:


The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State- Nadia Murad just received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Reading about the Yazidi people was heartbreaking. Click here for her website.  


Everything Happens for a Reason: and Other Lies I’ve Loved- Kate Bowler is diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She’s a young mother and challenges what we believe and teaches us how to interact with those whose future is uncertain better.  She shows the inaccuracies of the prosperity gospel. 


This is How It Always Is- This book challenged me a lot. I’m new to knowing personally individuals who are transgender. There is so much I just don’t understand. This book’s author has a child who identifies as transgender, but the book is not based on the child. Both parents in the book differed in outlooks which made it interesting to see how much struggle parents have in navigating new territory to do the right thing when they are both accepting and working to be supportive. 


Books I did not finish:


“It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” by Lysa TerKeurst – I tried. I just could not continue. It just read as too superficial and was not beefy enough for me. If I read Christian writers, I often find it’s too fluffy for me. 

On my "to read" list:

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
How to Raise Kind Kids by Thomas Lickona
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Success in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba

Hope you enjoy some of these recommendations. Please let me know if you read some! I'd love to know what you think!

Happy Reading!

Love, 

Danielle 

Fave books of 2018!

I made a goal in 2018 to read 20 books. I had gotten off track in reading because I got wrapped up in Eden’s night routine and then fell asleep with her. We found our rhythm with me reading all books on the kindle when we got in bed. We snuggled and I read (she does best when somewhat ignored). I wound up reading 30 books and thought I would share my favorites since I always get asked for recommendations.

I’ve tried to challenge myself to read some books from authors I’m not sure I jive with so I get new perspectives. I also try to balance non-fiction and fiction, including memoirs of those that who lives are caught in the middle of political debates. Under all the back and forth of politics, no issue is “that simple” and there are LIVES affected. Hearing their stories is important to me.

Being in the book club also helps my repertoire because I’m challenged to read books I never would have known about or would never choose for myself.

Here are some of my favorites and some comments if I feel the urge:

• Becoming by Michelle Obama

I’ll admit it. I was not an Obama fan from the beginning. I have come to love this family. I miss the gentle nature and careful words by President Obama. I love Michelle Obama’s spunk. Whether or not you liked her husband or the Democrats, she is a great role model.

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Just a great book – the beginning is a little rough because of the circumstances of the main character but it gets easier. What a great ending!

• Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I liked it. I keep seeing the “Christian-y” articles bashing her because she “didn’t talk Jesus enough.” Come on. I can’t get on board with that. When I first saw the book, I assumed it was another Hollywood woman who got by with her connections and yada yada yada. I loved her transparency in the book. She has some street creds in life. She has been through some really hard things. I respect her cheerleading for women instead of the opposite. I love that her husband is on board and is supporting her dreams. It gave me enough “hoorah!” to change a few things for myself so if that saved me a mental health copay, then fantastic.

• A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss and Survival by Melissa Fleming

I still have reading flashbacks to this book. Some of the details will haunt me for the rest of my life. I have a soft spot for refugees after learning about them, diving into the process to see what it’s really like and spending time with refugees or the American citizens born of refugees in this country. If we were put in their situations going in the other direction, I just don’t know how many of us would make it. This book illustrates one woman’s story of coming on a boat, saving two children, and rebuilding her life elsewhere. She describes her desire to stay in her country but the need to leave. The details from the journey are graphic and sobering. I think everyone should read a book like this.

• Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

One of the best books I’ve ever read in my life. Enough said.

• Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Another wow! I love a memoir. I think we can all glean something from someone else’s story. What a resilient person. I highly recommend this book.

• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

I thought of the characters of this book for a long time after the book ended. It was easy to read. A good book for a long flight.

• The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

For those who support the death penalty or think there are no issues with our judicial system, this is a must read. This stirred up quite the discussions in book club as we were scattered across the board in opinions about the death penalty. This man was able to keep his goodness and come out on the other side positive. That wouldn’t be me.

• The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

This book tells the stories of the Rangers in Iraq and follows one team in particular. It’s not for the faint of heart.  The book details injuries and deaths from IEDs and mentions some of the aftercare for the soldiers sent home.

• The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantu

This book is written by a border patrol agent. I wanted to read the perspective after so much controversy with the current situations at the border. I wanted to hear from someone who “sees” it after hearing of abuse of children by border patrol agents. It's not the best written book, that's for sure.

• Red Notice by Bill Browder

Not my usual cup of tea but I stuck with it and am glad I did. It got such good ratings so I usually trust a certain number of stars across thousands of people.

 

Parts were hard to digest in regard to crimes against humanity.

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This has been on my “to read” list for so long. What a beautiful letter to his son about being Black in the United States.

• I Was Told to Come Alone by Souad Mekhennet

I saw this author interviewed on TV and became curious. Woah. She uncovers the identity of the ISIS executioner “Jihadi John” and meets with inner circles of Al Qaeda, Taliban, ISIS. She never knows where she is going and she has to come alone with no phone, recorder, ID, etc. She passes on first-hand information including why groups do not like the United States.

• The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Why do we never hear about these things at school? I feel like I missed so much history between this and some other books that have been published recently, especially about women and their contributions.

The other books I read that didn’t make it into the “fave” category are here. Many of them I liked or enjoyed but when it was over, it was over. 

• Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller
• Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker
• We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union
• Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (easy, entertaining, suspenseful read)
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris (suspenseful, a “pool read”)
• The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani
• If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
• The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
• Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott
• A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg
• The Queen of  Hearts by Kimmery Martin
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
• Goodbye Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
• The More of Less by Joshua Becker

I hope you find something here to read or something that inspires you. I also encourage you to choose a title that may make you uncomfortable or challenge your perspective.

I also have book recommendation on this page as well (needs to be updated with the above books).

Happy reading!

Danielle