Last month I absolutely LOVED every book I read. This month wasn’t as thrilling. I started the month with an amazing one:

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Hiding in the Open: A Holocaust Memoir

Rating: 10/10

Review:

There was an article about this author in the Sunday paper that piqued my interest, so I found her book at our local library.

This author’s life story is phenomenal! She was a Jewish girl living in Poland during WW2. Just before Hitler liquidated her Ghetto, she snuck out with her sister. Using fake papers, they “hid” by working in Germany through the war. 

The author went on to become a doctor, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. She got married, raised a family, and worked in the medical field. The book is way better than my short synopsis. I recommend it to anyone interested in stories from WW2. 

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Exploring the White House by Kate Brower

Rating: 7/10

Review:

I started reading this with one of my sons and he wasn’t really into it. I finished on my own. There were some fun little facts about life in the White House, but most of the stuff written in this book is already well known. I would recommend it to someone in in middle or high school who may be interested in the life of a president or what happens in the White House.

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LadyParts: A Memoir by Deborah Kopaken

Rating: 6/10

Review:

I usually love memoirs, but not this one. The author is a great writer, but the book is filled with SO. MUCH. (partially self-induced) DRAMA and struggle. I’ve read plenty of books with struggle, and those are usually the best ones (see the first book I mentioned above). However, many books share lessons learned, a redemptive twist, or some sort of triumph in the end. Not in this book. I kind of just felt sad and icky when I finished this story. I wished the author would have waited a few years to publish this book, to allow herself time to heal first. I don’t recommend this book.

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Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey

Rating: 7/10

Review: The only way to ‘read’ this book is to ‘listen’ to the audiobook. It’s read by Matthew McConaughey and he is an entertaining storyteller, but there’s nothing profound in this book. If you want a book with nothing more than some amusing stories, check out the audiobook.

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10 Habits of Happy Mothers by Dr. Meg Meeker

Rating: 7/10

Review: I respect this author, follow her on Instagram, and enjoy listening to her podcasts on parenting. Dr. Meg Meeker really understands the struggles mothers face, and writes to help us enjoy the journey. This book has some good nuggets, but I recommend her Strong Mothers, Strong Sons over this one.

Click here to read the review of another favorite parenting books: Knights in Training.

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Have you been reading anything great? Leave me a comment!

Click here to read about 5 awesome books I read in October.

These books are affiliate links, if you choose to purchase one, I may earn a small commission.

Here are reviews of the books I finished recently:

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasa

Rating: 9/10

Review: A beautiful, yet heart breaking story that follows generations of African Americans from Africa to the United States. You follow generations of families as they endure (and sometimes conquer) the tragedies of war, slavery, drug abuse, and discrimination.

I listened to the audiobook and because the book shares the stories of so many characters over so many generations, it was a little hard to follow. If you are listening, I recommend you have a pen and paper nearby to help you keep it all straight.

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Before you Split by Toni Nieuwhof

Rating: 10/10

Review: This is one of the best marriage books I’ve ever read. I picked it up, not because I was ready to ‘split,’ but simply curious on the advice she’d give from the perspective of a divorce attorney, why NOT to split!!!

I had no idea how truly insightful and helpful this book would be to EVERY SINGLE MARRIED PERSON!

Do yourself and your marriage a favor and read this book!

I took SIX PAGES OF NOTES!!! Here are some highlights:

• Your marriage can go from that bad to this good. No matter how troubled or even chaotic your marriage may seem, you have more control over its future than you think.
• Ask yourself and people you trust: “What is it like to be on the other side of me?“
• Your spouse can’t make you happy. Happiness is something you bring to a relationship, not something you get from it.
• There’s danger in allowing the emotions you’re experiencing right now to lead you to make long-term decisions. Yes, your emotions are real. Examine them. Learn from them. But don’t give them the lead role.
• Marriage is two broken but loveable people.
• Find friends who will help you WIN in your marriage. Surround yourself with WISE, trustworthy, and objective friends who help you make better decisions. Your friends help you lean into or away from your marriage.

If you are married – READ THIS BOOK!

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Brother Andrew by Janet Benge

Rating: 9/10

Review: I’m so fascinated by the life of Andrew Van Der Bijl – just a regular man who wanted to make a difference in the world! He decided to smuggle Bibles into countries where people could not get them. Some churches were without any Bible, other churches were sharing just one single copy. The things Andrew saw and other things that happened are beyond explanation – a truly fascinating story!

Because “God Smuggler” by Brother Andrew is one of my favorite autobiographies, I decided to read this biography about him. I really enjoyed it because it shares stories I had not read in his book, as well as a different perspective on the stories I already knew.

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Help Club for Moms: The Wise Woman Stays

Rating: 10/10

Review: A great devotional book for moms of all ages. Inspiring and helpful!

I’ve just started the fall edition, The Wise Woman Knows. Click this link to buy the book and join in our Facebook group by clicking here.

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Books I read with my boys:

I survived the attacks on September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshish

Rating: 9/10

Review: This short chapter book gives kids a glimpse into what it must have been like to survive the terrorist attack on 9/11. It’s a fiction story that felt so real I thought it was non-fiction. The ‘I survived’ books are a little ‘harrowing’ with heavy topics, so I would only recommend them for kids ages 10 and up. Overall, it was an excellent story.

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Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Rating: 5/10

Review: My son and I couldn’t get enough of Book 1 (Front Desk), but we had to force ourselves to finish Book 2. This one felt like the author was trying to lecture the reader and push an agenda with a topic that is above the heads of kids reading it. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend it.

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Thanks for reading this post! Have you read a good book recently? Leave a comment and let us know!

Each of these books are affiliate links which means if you purchase on, I may get a small commission. TIA!

I read some really great books this month, and I can’t wait to tell you about them. The first one was…

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Rating: 10/10

Review: This book is so entertaining, you won’t want to put it down. All summer, my son would ask: “Can we read another chapter?”

It’s the story of a girl and her parents who moved to the US from China. They get jobs at a motel in California. Mia, only 10 years old, runs the front desk. The book tells interesting stories about the guests who come to the motel, and gives insight into what it’s like to be an immigrant. The stories are endearing and you will fall in love with the characters!

My son said: “I wish this book would never end.” I felt the same. We were thrilled to learn there are two more books that follow Front Desk. We are currently reading book 2, called “Three Keys.”

Because Clark is such an active kid, he doesn’t usually want to sit and read. This is one of the first books where he actually loved sitting with me and reading together. It’s been one of my sweetest memories of the summer.

Parent tip: Keep trying new books until you find one your kid loves!

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Thomas Edison by Janet and Geoff Benge

Rating: 9/10

Review: This book gave a good overview of Thomas Edison’s life. He was an interesting character and reminds me a little of Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. He was an amazing creator, inventor and scientist, but not so much a people person.

Reading this book made me so grateful for the things I take for granted – like making a phone call and talking to someone on the other side of the country and flipping on the lights in my house. I loved hearing how the ‘lightbulb’ was invented and how much ‘trial and error’ Edison put into creating it. His quote that: “Genius is 1% Inspiration and 99% Perspiration” comes to life in this book. Edison wouldn’t give up working on an idea or problem until he solved it!

What I love about Janet Benge’s “Heroes of History” books is that she writes biographies that are entertaining and don’t get overly detailed with too much information. 

Someone on amazon said: “I learned just enough about Edison’s life to be both enlightened and entertained—without having to endure the insufferable sludge of detail that weighs down most biographies.” I completely agree!

If you want another recommendation of Janet Benge’s books, read Harriet Tubman OR George Washington. I loved both of these!

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Row the Boat by PJ Fleck

Rating: 8/10

Review: The author of this book was born and raised in the same area of Illinois where Ted and I spent many years. When we were moving to Colorado, we used a bit of his “Row the Boat” philosophy (click here to read about it). PJ Fleck is now the head coach for the University of Minnesota football team.

I was excited to see he had published a book about his “Row the Boat” philosophy, which he uses in life and coaching. Coach Fleck is known for turning losing teams into winning teams with his approach.

The book was short and easy-to-read. The beginning is a quick synopsis of PJ Fleck’s life. In my opinion, the best part of the book starts in Chapter 6 when he outlines exactly what “Row the Boat” means!

Here are 10 of my favorite parts of the book:

1. You are the captain of your boat. You decide to row or not.
2. The ‘oars’ of the boat represent your energy. Your energy is contagious and the energy you invest and share with others determines the quality of your life.
3. There will be times when rowing is extremely hard and will require powerful work. Other times, efficiency will be utilized.
4. The boat represents sacrifice. The more you serve, give, and make your life about helping others, the better and more fulfilled your life will be. The more you do this, the bigger your boat gets.
5. The compass is about the vision we have for our lives, how we speak to ourselves and the people we surround ourselves with help create the dream. 
6. When rowing, your back is to the direction you are traveling – the future – which you cannot control, nor can you see. You don’t know what’s ahead of you.  You’re rowing in the present, which is the only thing that you can impact and have control of.
7. You can either choose to keep rowing or put your oars back in the boat and stop. And while rowing, you are looking in the past, which is the only thing that you can actually learn from – but can’t change.
8. The dream is the journey and the journey is the dream. You will make your biggest impact where it will be the hardest.
9. Cadets prayer “make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. “  
10. Coach PJ Fleck wants to set the standard academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually.

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Unscripted by Ernie Johnson

Rating: 9/10

Review:

Ted and I had a 6 hour drive to Chicago, and I suggested we listen to an audiobook together. He picked this one. I didn’t know who the author was before reading this, but truly enjoyed the book. The author is a sports commentator and a fabulous storyteller!

I loved what the author shares about:

• adopting four of their six kids,
• wins and fails in parenting, and
• how he came to faith and how that has impacted his life and sustained him through chemotherapy and other life challenges.

This book is easy-to-read (or listen to). It’s filled with great life lessons and it’s very entertaining.

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Thanks for reading! Click here to see the best books I read last year!