Reading through Quarantine : book recommendations

Hello!

I get asked a lot for book recommendations, especially lately because I’ve been blowing through books during the quarantine period. My goal for the year is to read 30 books and I'm at 27. You can always see what I recommend by browsing the list on the book recommendations page by clicking HERE. I’ll make sure it stays updated. They are loosely categorized.

Here are the books I’ve read so far this year, starting with the most recent and moving backward. I'm adding a few thoughts below each and highlighting my favorites! As you will see, anything by Lisa Jewell is what I call "an easy beach read" because of the suspense. Some of hers are better than others but if I don't have anything to read and I'm recovering from a heavy read, then I just pick one of hers that I have not read yet. 

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women by Balli Kaur Jaswal

• I cackled and guffawed my way through this book - I think more so as I imagined these women reading and writing these stories
• warning: there are erotic stories in there but it wasn't trashy 
• There is a story line but the widows' naughty stories made it worth it 
• As someone from book club said, this would be a perfect book to listen to on audible!

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson

• This is a tough read. It's in your face. It challenges "whiteness" and white privilege.
• I found myself wanting to close it, put it down or chuck it - all of which reminded me that I need to sit in those spots and dig through what made me angry or "offended" and that would be a starting point for questions 
• It explains a lot and is a great resource if you'll finish it but also listen throughout it 

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

• This will probably be its own blog post. I had mixed feelings about reading this due to the controversy of someone not Latinx writing the stories of those feeling from Mexico and Latin America. 
• It was hard to read because I know these real stories are so much worse. It was hard to read because I know people who made this journey. 
• More later in a post but know that this view is limited and may not be the right voice to convey the intent of this book. 

The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood

• This is a sequel to Handmaid's Tale. It's short and easy. It is not as gruesome or disturbing as HT.
• You get "the rest of the story here" and find out more about the women of Gilead. 
• it provides some "closure" for those who read HT

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony

• I loved this book, but warning: I've recently become obsessed with elephants (since reading "Leaving Time" by Jodi Picoult)
• I love reading of the South African adventures and the stories of the elephants. 
• You can follow Thula Thula on instagram to keep up with the reserve and all the elephants! Or you can visit there!

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

• Same author as "Before We Were Yours," one of my all time favorite books

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

• a beach read - nothing remarkable or life changing but an easy read to fill in between heavier topics
• psychological fiction 

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

• memoir by the woman who was assaulted by Brock Turner (Stanford swimmer)
• one of the books I'd highly recommend for everyone to read, especially young high school and college men
• we all hear about victim blaming and shaming - she teaches you what that is through her eloquent writing style and honesty 

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

• poetic writing that felt like reading art
• The book is a letter from a son to his mother who cannot read
• his family came to the US as refugees after the fall of Saigon 
• it explores race, class and masculinity 
• In "real life," Ocean Vuong discovered fairly recently who his grandfather was (an American in the US Navy served in Vietnam who fell in love with a Vietnamese farmgirl) 

I Found You by Lisa Jewell

• beach or pool side read 
• suspenseful "enough" - not one of my favorite Lisa Jewell books 

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

• YES! Loved this memoir. I'm amazed at how she navigates her family through difficult issues and life changes
• this book screams freedom for so many people 
• this is my favorite book by her

Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene

• memoir of a father who lost his toddler to a freak accident 
• it was recommended online but it was not my favorite memoir (which made me feel bad considering the topic)

How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber

• I thought this book would give me some new tricks in my toolkit for work - it reinforced what I already utilize
• a good book for new parents or parents who are more authoritarian in their approach 

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks

• another suspense 
• another beach or poolside read 

Fly Away (Firefly Lane #2) by Kristin Hannah

• another eyeball cleanser - this is a follow up to Firefly Lane so read that one first 
• slow in some places but I really enjoyed it 

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro

• this was a book club pick and gave us a lot to talk about 
• memoir 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• this has been on my "to read" list for a long time
• I think it's considered young adult but it is a step into learning about race relations 

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal

• this had a lot of stars on prime reading and I could read it for free so I did!
• it's an easy read but is nothing earth shattering
• "meh"

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

• I looked for another Picoult book right after finishing "A Spark of Light" because I love how she develops the story in books and includes many different perspectives; however, this was not that sort of book
• I loved this book and it ignited an obsession with elephants in the book! I knew she had done her research so I read some of the things she recommended included "The Elephant Whisperer" previously in this list 
• It has a twist and that twist may make this book "not for everybody" - you'll like it or not like it. 

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

• LOVED this book! I highly recommend it! 
• It deals with the topic of abortion and the majority of the book is centered around an abortion clinic and the characters in/out of that clinic regarding one day when there's a shooting there 
• I appreciated hearing the backstories and how each person came to their perspective on abortion and then how some of the characters tied together 

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

• Another free one from amazon prime reading with great reviews
• funny light read and nice break between the heavier books 

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

• suspense ful
• beach/poolside read 

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

• book club pick 
• I loved this book! It was quirky and light and I especially enjoyed it having lived in LA and recognizing some of her stops

UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba.

• not a page turner but I'm glad I read it. 
• I was interested in reading some of the research and approaches in public schools to broach empathy

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

• not one of my favorite Lisa Jewell books but an easy read

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie C. Martin

• loved the resources in this book! We have gotten several books from the library based on various countries 
• If you are a parent or teacher of some sort, it is great to have a hard copy of this book to use as a resource 

Hope you find something that suits you!

Happy Reading!

Danielle