Top Five (Plus Four) No. 04
Note to self: Always write a short review on the books you want to recommend IMMEDIATELY after finished the book.
I have fallen way behind in my book recommendations. So today, I am catching up. As I scrolled through my recent reads on Goodreads, I came across multiple books that I remembered enjoying very much at the time, but could no longer remember all the reasons WHY I enjoyed them. Hence, the note to self.
I hope you find something on this list that makes you want to stay up past your bedtime to read "just one more chapter."
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxann Gay
This book changed how I view extremely obese people. The author was raped as a young girl and food became her only comfort and security. She writes poignantly about her struggle with weight and it left me with a keen realization that our weight issues are rarely only about food.
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
by Sebastian Junger
We, as humans, thrive in community and the American culture has drifted far from that model of living. A short, fascinating read about the effects our lack of community has on soldiers in particular. He also touches briefly on how differently other cultures approach raising children compared to our culture. I found that part extremely interesting!
The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life
by Melanie Shankle
An honest, humorous look at marriage.... the good, the bad, and everything in between. Had me laughing out loud in bed when I should have been sleeping.
Educated
by Tara Westover
Reminded me a lot of the Glass Castle. The thing that stuck with me and I'm still thinking about is the ability we have to convince ourselves of anything. We can twist reality in our minds until how we perceive the world around us is completely construed.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande
I worked in a retirement community prior to being a mom and this book resonated with me on so many levels. What does it mean to live well... and die well? How has medicine failed the elderly and terminally ill? What would I want my final days to consist of? This is a book I want to hand to everyone.
A Place for Us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
This debut novel about a muslim family will wow you and leaves you pondering family and culture. I wasn't sure how I felt about this book until the ending. The final pages made me love the whole book. Family is complicated and there are always two perspectives to every story.
The Help ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Kathryn Stockett
This story about black servants in the 1960s has become one of my all time favorites. At the end of the book, I felt like I had met these characters in real life. They had stories and thoughts but were silenced by fear. Skeeter, an aspiring, white author, broke the rules and gave them a voice. I read a lot of books about race last year. I have thoughts. Maybe someday, I'll have the courage to open that can of worms. Today is not that day.
The Book Thief ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Markus Zusak
I could write a whole blog post about this book. I chose it because Emily Smucker had it on a list of books that changed her life. She wasn't kidding. I am not a person who cries over books. This one made me SOB! Its set in Nazi Germany and written from the perspective of Death. And now you're thinking that sounds like a very morbid, depressing book. It's not. Its about Leisel, a Jew, the boy who loves her, and the power of words. Zusak's writing style is unlike anything I have ever read. It broke my heart in the very best way. My real life friends and family have heard me talk about this book so much that they are probably rolling their eyes and snorting a bit while reading this. So please go read this book and then come talk to me so that I don't ruin every friendship I have by boring them to tears with my endless dialogue about this book.
The Magic of Motherhood
by Ashlee Gadd
I listened to this collection of essays on audio while folding laundry, washing dishes, and even when sleep eluded me after a midnight feeding. It was the perfect combination of light hearted, serious, and encouraging. Wonderful, easy read for any mom in the trenches of the little years.
That's it for now. If there is a book you can't stop talking about, let me know in the comments. Happy reading!
I have fallen way behind in my book recommendations. So today, I am catching up. As I scrolled through my recent reads on Goodreads, I came across multiple books that I remembered enjoying very much at the time, but could no longer remember all the reasons WHY I enjoyed them. Hence, the note to self.
I hope you find something on this list that makes you want to stay up past your bedtime to read "just one more chapter."
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxann Gay
This book changed how I view extremely obese people. The author was raped as a young girl and food became her only comfort and security. She writes poignantly about her struggle with weight and it left me with a keen realization that our weight issues are rarely only about food.
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
by Sebastian Junger
We, as humans, thrive in community and the American culture has drifted far from that model of living. A short, fascinating read about the effects our lack of community has on soldiers in particular. He also touches briefly on how differently other cultures approach raising children compared to our culture. I found that part extremely interesting!
The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life
by Melanie Shankle
An honest, humorous look at marriage.... the good, the bad, and everything in between. Had me laughing out loud in bed when I should have been sleeping.
Educated
by Tara Westover
Reminded me a lot of the Glass Castle. The thing that stuck with me and I'm still thinking about is the ability we have to convince ourselves of anything. We can twist reality in our minds until how we perceive the world around us is completely construed.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande
I worked in a retirement community prior to being a mom and this book resonated with me on so many levels. What does it mean to live well... and die well? How has medicine failed the elderly and terminally ill? What would I want my final days to consist of? This is a book I want to hand to everyone.
A Place for Us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
This debut novel about a muslim family will wow you and leaves you pondering family and culture. I wasn't sure how I felt about this book until the ending. The final pages made me love the whole book. Family is complicated and there are always two perspectives to every story.
The Help ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Kathryn Stockett
This story about black servants in the 1960s has become one of my all time favorites. At the end of the book, I felt like I had met these characters in real life. They had stories and thoughts but were silenced by fear. Skeeter, an aspiring, white author, broke the rules and gave them a voice. I read a lot of books about race last year. I have thoughts. Maybe someday, I'll have the courage to open that can of worms. Today is not that day.
The Book Thief ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Markus Zusak
I could write a whole blog post about this book. I chose it because Emily Smucker had it on a list of books that changed her life. She wasn't kidding. I am not a person who cries over books. This one made me SOB! Its set in Nazi Germany and written from the perspective of Death. And now you're thinking that sounds like a very morbid, depressing book. It's not. Its about Leisel, a Jew, the boy who loves her, and the power of words. Zusak's writing style is unlike anything I have ever read. It broke my heart in the very best way. My real life friends and family have heard me talk about this book so much that they are probably rolling their eyes and snorting a bit while reading this. So please go read this book and then come talk to me so that I don't ruin every friendship I have by boring them to tears with my endless dialogue about this book.
The Magic of Motherhood
by Ashlee Gadd
I listened to this collection of essays on audio while folding laundry, washing dishes, and even when sleep eluded me after a midnight feeding. It was the perfect combination of light hearted, serious, and encouraging. Wonderful, easy read for any mom in the trenches of the little years.
That's it for now. If there is a book you can't stop talking about, let me know in the comments. Happy reading!
I just got finished with "Educated" by Tara Westover. Did you ever read #DoNotDisturb by Jedediah Bola?
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