book chat again

More books! I started a book club in January, and it's been so fun to have a good book/life discussion every month. The first two months ended up being books I suggested, but it was good to try something new for March.
Andre has already read like 20 books this year, so I've got to do my job to keep up with him!

What Alice Forgot

I started this book years ago, had to return it, and ended up accidentally checking out "Still Alice" when I went to find it again. [I actually loved Still Alice, too. Two good books about Alices losing their memory]. In this book, Alice has a crash during spin class and can't remember the last decade. I love this book. The characters are so real, and I totally saw myself in Alice--good and bad. We had a great discussion about this book at book club, and it's such a good reminder to prioritize the relationships that really matter.

Shoe Dog

I've never owned a pair of Nikes and knew very little about the company before, but now I want to talk Nike with everyone! This book was fascinating, and I kept stopping to share tidbits with Andre. I'm basically a running shoe expert now. The book covers the beginning of Nike until it went public. I like Phil's attitude and the honesty from his story--there are some gray areas in making the right business decision, but he was open about the ups and downs. Fascinating and a great conversation book.

the hate u give

This book kept popping up on best of 2017 lists, so I had to try it. It's unlike anything I've ever read before--a black teenage girl is the only witness when her friend gets killed by a police officer--but it was an interesting look at a new perspective on current events and racial issues. The language is horrible, but also maybe necessary and accurate to the setting of the book. A good read, but I'm careful about who I recommend it to because of the content and language, but it was definitely eye-opening.

counting by 7s

This book was March's book club read, and I breezed through it in just a few days. A quirky genius tween's parents are killed in a car crash, and this book covers the aftermath and her custody issues. That makes it sound really depressing, but it actually has a lot of hope and real-ness. I loved the perspective of Willow and her relationships with the other characters. I actually finished it while Rhett was playing at the museum today, and being in public was probably the only reason I didn't cry at the end.

Big Little Lies

Oh, Liane Moriarty, you Australian goddess. Another book with lots of hype, and another good read. The characters were fascinating, and I totally didn't see the twist coming at the end. It was a little draggy at some points, but I kept plugging along because I had to know who died! I was excited to watch the miniseries that has won allll the awards, but then I watched a trailer and the language was so bad that I'll have to pass. I liked What Alice Forgot better, but this book definitely makes me glad my life is drama-free.

book chat 6.0

It's back! The book reviews that no one asked for--I just have a lot of thoughts. (And I've done this 6 times??) A nursing baby means I have plenty of time to read on my trusty Overdrive app. I've been branching out and finally tackling books that have been on my "To Read" list for literally years. Some recent reads:

The Orphan Keeper
The Rent Collector is my go-to book recommendation because literally everyone loves it, there's nothing bad in it, and most people haven't read it. I was all over it when I realized Camron Wright wrote another book. The story (a young boy in India gets kidnapped and ends up in an orphanage and tries to find him past and family as an adult) is pretty amazing, but I was definitely left with some questions at the end. It gave me the feels, though, and was a quick read, so I would definitely recommend it. And now I just want to watch Lion because I feel like the plots are similar?

Austenland
I've been hearing about people's love for this book forever, so I gave it a shot. A few chapters in I remembered I don't like period dramas, and this is definitely a period drama. It has some modern, sarcastic humor and a ridiculous plot, so I soldiered on. I'm not a Jane Austen fan, so a lot of the references went over my head. But the movie trailer looks just like I pictured, so that's my next order of business.

Still Alice
This book seriously affected me. I thought the characters were great and the story was a fascinating look into Alzhemiers. I made the mistake of watching the movie trailer half-way through the book and saw Alec Baldwin as Alice's husband, which changed him for me in the book. Also I thought I was getting Alzhemier's as I was reading when I couldn't find my keys, until I realized it was just mom brain. Not the thing.

A Man Called Ove
Full disclosure: I didn't actually finish this book. I really wanted to get into it, but I couldn't, so I got 2/3 of the way done before I had to return it. But I liked Ove as a character (like old Ron Swanson meets my grandpa but super cynical) and enjoyed the dark humor. I'll put it back on my list and finish it someday.

The Five Love Languages for Children
This came as a recommendation in Relief Society, and I mostly just skimmed it. It led to some major mom guilt because he says why every love language is important and if you're not doing everything to foster each one in small children, they could be super messed up when they get older. Woof. But there were some good ideas--apparently kids don't have a leading love language until they're 5 years old, so I'll revisit it in a few years.

I've (kind of) broken out of my usual YA and self help reads! (I say that and my next two books in line are Spark Joy and a re-read of The Selection--ha). But send your recommendations my way!

book chat v.5

More books! I'm in two book clubs now? (Thanks, Relief Society), which has totally upped my reading game and pushed me to new things. Here are some recent-ish reads.

Funny in Farsi is vignettes and humorous stories from the life of a girl who moved to the U.S. from Iran. A super quick read, and I found myself laughing at her crazy stories (it also helps that I totally see a lot of my Grandpa Balzaretti in her dad). I learned about Iran, I cringed when her adolescent descriptions hit a little too close to home, and I loved it. I'm in the middle of the sequel now, Laughing Without an Accent, and am having a little more trouble getting through it, but it's still good.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gets an automatic review boost because it's set in Seattle (the Where'd You Go, Bernadette? treatment, if you will). Knowing the area definitely helped me love the book more, but I still would have enjoyed it if it had been set somewhere else. The author's imagery is fantastic. The book bounces back and forth between WWII and the 1980s and does a great job at showing what the war was like for people at home. Plus, there's young love. It drags in the middle but overall was great. 

I took Attachments on our cruise way back in May, and it was the perfect ship read. Light, fluffy, not much real content. The entire thing is told through emails, which is usually totally my jam, but I didn't love it that much this time around. It's a good beach read, but not one that I would go back to again. I honestly can't remember much about it a few months later (not even the characters' names), which isn't a good sign in my book. 

Demon in the Freezer, the smallpox book. This will keep you up at night wondering if Russia is getting ready to infect us all with its not-so-secret stash of the disease. It also provoked some great conversation and made me feel really smart. In fact, this week I was interviewing a pharmaceutical start-up man for a freelance gig and I wowed him with my knowledge of smallpox. So thanks, somewhat creepy book. 

I've previously declared my love of The Selection series, but The Heir almost made me take it all back. It's the next generation princess, and she is terrible. As in, completely the worst. Add in a bunch of boys with weird names but no personalities and it makes for a pretty dry book. At least it was easy to read and I could imagine her wearing beautiful dresses? (But yes, I totally did read The One, the sequel to this one, as soon as it came out. Gotta finish the series, you know?)

I'm getting soo close to being first for the library holds of Miss Pergoine and HP and the Cursed Child--both perfect for Halloween! 

What should I put on my list next?

x

book chat 4.0

Another round of books in the books. As much as I cruise GoodReads for book reviews, I just prefer to write my own reviews here. I'm trying to branch out from my usual YA or self help books, and look! I'm making a little progress:

I read Cleaning House on an airplane and had an interesting conversation about with a nosy seat neighbor. It's a great book and one that I definitely want to read every few years to refresh my techniques as Rhett gets older. The basic idea is a Happiness Project-style initiative of a mom to teach her kids a new skill/chore every month to get rid of youth entitlement. Super interesting, even if you don't have kids, and I liked that she brought in a few Christian principles.

I am morbidly fascinated by presidential assassinations, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to read Killing Kennedy, but I finally got around to it. I knew the basic story, but I loved all of the other details Bill O'Reilly brought in and the picture he painted of the administration and other political happenings at the time. It was a little too dramatic for me at times, and the actual assassination and aftermath felt a little rushed, but I'll definitely be reading Killing Lincoln next.

It's embarrassing how fast I breezed through The Selection series (we're talking three books in three days), and I got a little embarrassed when people asked what I was reading, but these teen books (we're talking total fluff here) are a fun, light read. It's The Bachelor meets Princess Diaries, so naturally I loved it, even if the writing was clunky. But the romance! the ballgowns! the castle! There's a teenager inside all of us.

My childhood dreams of going to space camp turned into nightmares while reading The Martian. It was action packed and super interesting, and I loved the humor and creativity of Mark Watney. The dialogue-less parts from Mark's mission logs where a little long and science-heavy, but still good. Warning: the language is pretty bad. We watched the movie the day after I finished the book, and while it is definitely a great movie, the book is always better. 

I think everyone and their dog has read Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but it's definitely worth a read if you haven't. Some of her ideas are a little out there and impractical, but I like the general principles of filling your house with things that bring you joy. I haven't tried her purging techniques (we're not in a great place right now and Andre might kill me), but asking myself if something brings joy has stopped me from making a few ill-advised purchases.

book chat 3.0

Another round of books in the books. I've discovered the books I read basically fall into two categories: young adult or self help. So there you go.

Jennifer, Gwenyth, and Me  is basically "The Happiness Project" meets People magazine, so of course I loved it. Rachel Berthsche has a smart, witting writing style (I feel like we would be friends), and I identify with her life more than other writers (I'm looking at you, Gretchen Rubin). It was a charming, quick read about getting your life in order and being your best. Good choice.

This led to MWF Seeking BFF, Rachel Bertsche's first book. It was fun, slightly less applicable, but definitely underscored the importance of girlfriends. Still good, but not as good.

I read Matched for sister book club and zoomed right through it. It's a YA novel set in a futuristic dystopian society (imagine that), just like sooo many other books, but the difference is that it's actually a good book. It reminded me a lot of The Giver. The characters are well developed and the heroine is actually smart and nice and not totally irrational (unlike almost every other teen girl in every other teen novel). I started the second one but haven't gotten very into it yet. Maybe someday.

I'm so behind the times, but Wonder. Wow. I loved everything about it. Great characters, great story, great writing. It's already on my list of books I want to read with Rhett some day because it is so poignant and important. Everyone should read it and then cry. It's that good.

I binged a bunch of self-help books from the library and randomly ended up with Living Well, Spending Less. At first it seemed pretty typical, but I ended up really resonating with a lot of the things she said. I appreciated her emphasis on family and religion and following your dreams. The second part kind of fell apart for me, but the first section is worth at least a skim.

I'm anxiously awaiting my copy of Mindy Kaling's new book from the library, plus some time to read Crossed and maybe even an Alexander Hamilton biography, because why not? Any other suggestions?

book chat 2.0

it's been too long months since the last book chat post, where I got fabulous reading recommendations. Unfortunately, moving and earnings seasons at work has taken away a lot of my chance to read in the evenings, but I'm hoping I'll have more time now that things are slowing down. Here are few of my recent favorites:

I've heard from a lot of people that they are nervous to read Elizabeth Smart: My Story. Read it! It is seriously so inspirational, even though her story is so disturbing and tragic. To answer the questions you all have: yes, she goes into detail so you know the horrible things she went through, but nothing is graphic. She works her testimony of the Savior and her love of her family into everything and is a fabulous read. Seriously, go read it.

Some people love Heaven is for Real. I'm on the fence. Yes, it's an easy read and there are some great points in there, but it definitely isn't gospel and it definitely isn't my favorite.

My mom's book club inspired me to read The Happiness Project and it was fantastic. I don't agree with everything she says, nor do I think her lifestyle (Manhattan, rich, has a nanny) relates to many people's, but it definitely is thought provoking (I would love to have a long conversation about your thoughts on this book and the companion, Happier at Home, because I seriously have pages of notes). But I'm using a lot of Gretchen's techniques in my own goal setting this year. Overall, definitely worth a read.

I'm in the middle of Nothing to Envy for sister book club, and it is great so far. Life in North Korea is so fascinating, and this book takes you into the everyday life of average North Koreans through a journalist's point of view. Unless something crazy horrific happens at the end of the book, this is definitely on my list of books to recommend.

I tried to read Wild and Gone Girl, I really did. But the language people, the language! How do you pick a current book that isn't full of horrible language? (This is a serious question, not just a soap box). Also, these are all non-fiction. Any good fictions reads?

book chat

Summertime is reading time. (hello, library reading program prizes!) I'm always on the lookout for new books to read and love it when I find something I can recommend to others. Here are a few of my recent reads, you know besides 10 Little Ladybugs and Peekaboo Baby. I'm always open for suggestions to add to my reading list! 

I read The Rent Collector for book club and just loved it. It's a fabulously uplifting story that takes you to another part of the world and is free of anything sketchy. win-win-win.

I finally caved and read a Nicholas Sparks book. Now I'm a real woman (jokes). But really. The Longest Ride was fine, but not a fave. And of course, it's becoming a movie, just like every other Nicholas Sparks book. And the poster looks just like every other Nicholas Sparks book/movie. go figure.

 I can't believe I made it through public school without reading The Giver, but André and I recently read it together to get ready for the movie. It was a quick read and I'm still convinced it's actually a huge gospel allegory. We've had the first companion novel checked out for weeks, but haven't gotten around to it yet (dang it, Netflix). Maybe someday.

I hoped on the bandwagon and read The Fault in Our Stars. It was pretty good. Did I cry? No. Will I drag André to see the movie? Obviously.

Next on the list:
Heaven is For Real
Unbroken
My Story: Elizabeth Smart
Gone Girl

Suggestions?