5 Books I read in Quarantine

This has been a unique season for all of us! I usually read about 5 books each month, however, I only finished 5 books in March and Aprils. My reading rate has been cut in half over the last two months. There are several reasons I haven’t been reading as much.

1. I have very little “downtime” with everyone home all day, every day.
2. I wasn’t in the ‘reading’ mood.
3. I’ve been listening to podcasts more than audiobooks. (I love Bob Goff’s Dream Big Podcast)
4. We subscribed to Netflix during this quarantine and there have been interesting shows I’ve wanted to watch. (No, not Tiger King)

Here are ratings and reviews of the 5 books I finished in March and April.

1. Give and Take by Adam Grant

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: It took me a LONG time to read this book. I started it in JANUARY! The book is packed with stories and research – almost too much for me to consume. Finally, on the first Saturday after this quarantine began, I left Ted in charge, “quarantined” myself to the bedroom, laid in bed, and finished this book. The book builds the case that success comes with being a GIVER, not a TAKER. 

Here are some key points I pulled from the book: 
1. Admitting your weakness makes you appear human and approachable. 
2. When selling, ask questions. People enjoy talking. By listening, you will learn about the person and how to sell to them based on their interests. Change your mindset from selling, to helping! Givers outsell takers. 
3. People who maintain an equilibrium between benefiting themselves and others achieve significant increase in happiness and life satisfaction.
4. This book has lots of good stuff on the value in volunteering! For instance, those who volunteer 2 hours a week find that their happiness, satisfaction and self-esteem go up within one year. Those who volunteer see a drop in depression. Elderly adults who volunteer live longer. (I personally loved his chapter on volunteering. I wrote an entire post about the value in volunteering here.)
5. Decide to be a giver. Focus on making a difference and success might follow! 

“By shifting ever so slightly in the giver direction, we might find our waking hours marked by greater success, richer meaning, and more lasting impact.”

Adam Grant

2. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Rating 9/10

Review:

I started reading this book with George in February. As I began reading, the lifestyle of the Ingalls family seemed SO foreign to me. I couldn’t imagine living back then, and was honestly glad that I didn’t. Let me describe a little bit of their lives to you:

• Ma spends most of her days cooking and doing laundry.
• The kids don’t go anywhere. They have no one to play with, except each other. They would create games to entertain themselves. They could play outside – but had to stay close by their home.
• Pa works from home and only goes to the store to get “essentials.”

By the time we finished the book at the end of March, I realized we were living the “Little House” life!!!

What seemed so foreign at the beginning, felt suddenly, VERY familiar. However, I realized this slow-placed life really isn’t so bad. I’ve been wanting time to SLOW DOWN and finally got my wish. I’m thankful for this time with my family and feel like it’s given us an opportunity to grow closer. And just like the Ingalls family, we are all finding joy in the SIMPLE things!!!

3. The Lager Queen of Minnesota

Rating: 7/10

Review:

Shauna Niequist recommended this book, and because I’m living in Minnesota, I checked it out from the library. (Our library is allowing us to do curbside pickup!!)

This book was an entertaining novel. I enjoyed that the book was set in Minnesota, and how the author refers to towns all around me. The novel follows the lives of a few women as they enter the ‘lager/beer craft industry.’ The ‘characters’ in this story are believable and endearing.

4. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee

Rating: 10/10

Review: This book was written by a parent and psychologist. It’s a practical and helpful parenting book. Topics include respect, chores, homework, helping your child deal with a ‘bad day,’ and building ‘faith practices’ in your home.

While some parenting books have left me feeling overwhelmed, that was NOT the case with this book. It was inspiring and useful. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.

5. Who was Alexander Hamilton?

Rating: 10/10

Review: The “Who Was/Is” series are GREAT biographies to read with kids. The books are short, easy-to-read, and filled with the most interesting facts. I love that the books give me a ‘refresh’ on important historical figures.

This is a fantastic book and perfect if you want to know a little more behind the “Hamilton” phenonenom!

Have you read anything interesting lately? Leave me a comment!