Top Five No. 03

My goal is to read forty books this year. So far, I've read twenty-two. Not all have been worth recommending, but some have left me thinking for days and weeks after I turned the final page. Those are the ones I love sharing with you.

A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy

by Sue Klebold

The author's son was one of the Colombine shooters. This book is raw and relevant. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the world assumed the boys had been raised by dysfunctional, abusive, negligent parents. Nothing could be farther from the truth regarding Dylan Klebold's parents. They cared, they disciplined, they asked questions, they loved with their whole hearts and yet were still blindsided by their son's crime. This book shines a light on mental illness, particularly depression. ANYONE can suffer from a mental illness and most suffer in silence. How can we, as a society, stop missing the warning signs and help those suffering find the help they desperately need?

Before We Were Yours ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

by Lisa Wingate

A heartbreaking, historical fiction novel about a family of river gypsies torn apart by Georgia Tann, a child kidnapper who operated multiple "orphanages" between 1920 and 1950. The story is told from two perspectives, Rill Foss, the oldest of the kidnapped siblings, and Avery Stafford, the daughter of a current day senator who is desperate to uncover her Grandmother's secret. When tragedy strikes, we long to simply return to how things used to be. Yet, tragedies change us and even if we could go back in time it wouldn't be like we remembered because we are not the same people.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

by David Grann

I couldn't stop talking about this book while reading it! After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage Indians of Oklahoma were the among the richest people in the world in the 1920s. Then suddenly, they began to die unnaturally. Some were shot, some were poisoned and the "Reign of Terror" began. This book follows Mollie Burkhart as she experienced the murders of her whole entire family. Very well researched and written in such a way that you forget you're reading a history book. 

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity

by Meg Meeker, M.D.

Meg Meeker is a mother, a pediatrician, and a Christian. Often, books on mothering just leave me feeling overwhelmed and a bit like a failure because I'm not doing X, Y, of Z. This one was different. It was so encouraging and practical! If you are a mom, you should read this book. That's all I have to say. :)

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art

by Madeleine L'Engle

Is it okay to recommend a book simply because I want someone else to read it so I can discuss it with you? That's what I'm doing here. :) I'm not sure I agree with everything in this book but it gave me so much to think about. What is Christian art? She says its anything that is okay for children to see and I love that description. If you have read this, please let me know what you thought. Talking about books with others is half the fun of reading, in my opinion.

What have you read lately that has been making you think?