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 

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

 

 

One of the best decisions I've made... a book club!

I absolutely love my book club. Call me sophisticated, nerdy, intense, whatever you want. It's one of the things that brings me the most joy and I eagerly await each of our events.

I've been in 2 good book clubs, and I've met some of my best friends in them. Both of them started via www.meetup.com. Who would have thought?!

When I lived in California, I wondered what being in a book club was like but didn't know anyone else in one. I had never been in one so I didn't know what to expect. A friend, who was in the same boat as me (Hey Amanda!), and I decided to start one on meetup. This concept of meetup was very new to me, and I started the group all while side-eying my computer screen. What kind of creeps or anti-socials would come out of the woods and infiltrate this book club?! The requests to join came flooding in and the women looked like us (well, most did. We had a few wildcards). We made precautions for safety like meeting up first to "get to know each other" over cocktails and then planned our first event at a restaurant. I met so many people that I would not have met otherwise! We loved it. After a year, we went offline and continued on our own.

When I came to St. Louis, I missed my old book club and decided to repeat this previous experience and hope for success. Again, I set the criteria and waited, and the requests started coming in. Again, I met so many great people. I've learned that people who travel around and move out of their home towns look to meetup as an easy way to meet people so it's a fun way to meet transplants and new international friends. There are groups for everything (knitting, networking, sci fi, autism, book club, hiking, moms activities, etc.), including those things you can't imagine a market for. There are also many locals who just want to meet new people or are feeling lonely in their groups of friends due to life changes in stages.

The structure of the book club was to read 1/month and discuss the book in a restaurant that fit the setting of the book (or close if not available). We read a book set in Nicaragua and discussed over dinner at Fritanga, a quaint little Nicaraguan gem in St. Louis that I would have otherwise not known about. it's fun to support local business to get a better feel for the book and characters when having that cuisine or ambiance.

I met so many great women and we continued for 6 months until managing the meetup became too big a chore on top of everything else I was juggling. I spent more time on this than some because I removed members who weren't participating to allow for new spots to open but this is not necessary. Some of us that were the most frequent participants decided to meet anyway because we couldn't imagine not meeting to chat about what we have read or done so we continued on and shared the responsibilities. We drew months and each person picks a book and location for their month. In this, we all have equal ownership and it further expands the diversity of books.

My current book club composition is so diverse. We have women who have lived oversees, women who just moved to STL from other cities and countries, locals, Muslim, Christian, Jewish-ish, moms, stepmoms, single, and married w/o kids. We are scattered along the political continuum and our professions range across medicine, healthcare, law, engineering, nutrition, and more. We can have discussions about thoughts and perspectives openly and very honestly without taking offense and worrying about offending another. I have learned so much and have broadened so many perspectives. I've been able to see my world get bigger and bigger, and my global perspectives expand larger while my individual perspectives grow smaller.

Because some of us enjoy reading so much, we throw in an extra book here and there for those that find it easy to go beyond 1/month. We also incorporate events that relate to books (author events, shows) or just for fun because we are there! We now hang out without discussing a book.

If you've ever wanted to be in a book club but didn't know how to get started or find one, just start your own! If you do meetup, the people will come. Meetup will do the bulk of the work for a low cost. You can then move offline once you find a handful of women that you feel comfortable with and enjoy spending time with. You can be as superficial or deep  or loose or strict as you want in terms of time/location schedules, conversations, book choice, etc. This can be women, mixed, Christian, moms, married couples, whatever you need!

Need any tips to get started?! We'll be happy to share ours so just ask (including a list of our books that have been favorites) or you can take a peek at my book recommendations page for book ideas.

Recently, we met up at the Missouri History Museum for the Little Black Dress exhibit based on the book, "From Mourning to Night." What a fun girls day! We wore black, perused the exhibit and then did lunch at Bixby's (within the museum).

I'll post some pictures below of the museum day and a few other book club events!

Read on sisters,
Danielle

What am I reading lately, you ask?

Some of you have asked: What are you reading lately?

I thought I’d write a quick post to answer that – what I’ve been reading over the past month and a half, what I am currently reading, and the next book up in book club! Links will also be embedded so look for those to find more information about authors or books.

Since January, I’ve finished 4 fiction books:

• Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Luba and I listened to the audio book)
• All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Of those 4, I would recommend the latter 2 for a speedier read. The other two were just okay to me. Bel Canto is a beautiful love story. I always enjoy Ann Patchett’s writing. I absolutely loved reading The GuestRoom. I just came late to the party, discovering Chris Bohjalian last year after reading his Sandcastle Girls in book club. I love that he writes about relevant topics and topics that we may know little about. I felt so overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge about the Armenian War after reading The Sandcastle Girls. I was surrounded by Armenian people and groups when I lived in California – had I known I could have asked more questions, learned more about their history and culture. Another missed opportunity from not learning world history better. I love The Guest Room because human trafficking is something I feel strongly about and have learned so much about through Christine Caine and her A21Campaign. The only chapter written from first person is the perspective of Alexandra/Anahit. I appreciated that Bohjalian gave this victim a voice. On a side note, I saw him speak at an author event at my library (Saint Louis County Library - best!) and he's so warm, friendly and witty. He is so engaging and accessible that you forget you are in the presence of such an acclaimed author. He doesn't seem to take one minute of fame or publicity lightly. 

Right at the end of the year, I finished Carry On, Warrior! by Glennon Doyle Melton. If you aren’t familiar with that name, does Momastery ring a bell? She has a blog. I dig this woman. She’s raw, vulnerable and the real deal. You want to be her BFF. You just breathe sighs of relief all through the book and say out loud, “Oh Thank God, you too?!?!?!?!?” She also has a book to be released in August, Love Warrior. You can preorder that one now. Come, August.

Right now, I’m reading “Happiness, Like Water” by Chinelo Okparanta. It’s a collection of stories. Okparanta is a Nigerian American. I recently saw her for an author at our library. She was shy but bold in her remarks and so witty. I love discovering new authors, especially African writers. I love expanding my perspectives by listening to others’ stories.

 My friend getting her book signed by Chinelo Okparanta

I’m also slowing working my way through “Shattered Dreams:God’s Unexpected Path to Joy” by Larry Crabb. More on that books is posted on this previous blog post.

I am so so so excited about our next book club pick for March: The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shara Knizhnik. I’ve always seen this woman in the audience when I watch POTUS’s state of the union address. I’ve wondered about her history and who is she? How did she make it to this position? This is what I love about book club – I would not have picked this book up or have even known about it, but when someone picked it for March, I became very excited. I guess there are some great memes out there. Our book club always ends up with timely books. Right after we chose it, the death occurred of Antonin Scalia and she came to light with beautiful words about their friendship.

As for as a devotion book: I’m reading “Savor” by Shauna Niequist. Each entry is short but powerful for thought. You have a bible verse to start with before her entry. Each entry leaves you with a question. I like this format – not overwhelming but thought provoking.

So that’s what I’m reading or recommend for your reading!

I frequently update my “Book Recommendations” page on the blog if you want to check back or see books that I’ve enjoyed. It’s separated by categories. You can also find me & add me as a friend on Goodreads – Danielle Jones Mntanga.

Enjoy,

Danielle