Book Review

Sometimes people ask how or why I read so much. So here’s the answer to that:

1. I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love.
2. I have books everywhere. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car.
3. I take 10-30 minutes to read in the morning. I usually take about 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d rather read than watch TV. If my kids or husband are watching something, I’ll sit with them on the couch and read next to them, OR, I’ll read for a little while after the kids go to bed. 
4. If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
5. I read WITH my kids. This is a little challenging with FOUR boys, so I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with more than one child. 
6. The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
7. My increase in reading may also be related to the fact that I’m new-ish to Minnesota, so I don’t have as many social commitments, also #MinnesotaWinter and #QuarantineLife! 🤔

The Glass Castle

By Jeanette Walls

Rating: 10/10

They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked into her life story from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!

Intelligent Conversationalist

By Imogen Lloyd Webber

Rating: 6/10

The author shares a wealth of information on everything from presidents, to war, to religion and theater. She wants her readers to be able to have intelligent conversations on many topics. Overall – the book was just okay and I skimmed through parts of it. 

She includes a few ‘charts’ which contain a wealth of information – I enjoyed the chart on the presidents. She listed when each president served and highlights from their presidency. I thought that was incredibly informative! Now I want to read more about many of our presidents. You can skim or just skip this book.

Holy Envy

By Barbara Brown Taylor

Rating: 6/10

Review: This is the story of the author telling us about teaching a college level world religion class and what she’s learning from her students and studies of various religions. There were some gold nuggets in the book, but overall, I found it a little boring – as if I was back in my own World Religions class – some head knowledge but not much depth.

BoyMom

By Monica Swanson

Rating: 10/10

Review: I was so excited to read this book because it’s written by another mom with FOUR boys! Her youngest son is the age of my OLDEST son, so she’s just a little bit ahead of me and I wanted to hear what she’s learned and how she’s parented her boys. This book is incredibly practical and inspirational. I have enjoyed reading her blog for a couple of year now, and am so happy she’s written this book. I recommend it to every #boymom!

Click here to read one of her posts: What a Boy Needs Most From His Mom!

I’m currently reading Happiness Hypothesis and enjoying it so far. Ted recommended it.

What are you reading? Leave a comment!

Click here to read my top ten favorite books from 2019.

This month I read one a book by a former President, another by a former First Lady, one celebrity memoir, one celebrity biography, and the final was a book on writing by a well known author.

Theodore Roosevelt by Janet Benge

Rating: 9/10

Review:

I listened to this on my free Hoopla app. The book started a little slow, but as Theodore Roosevelt (aka Teddy) went to college, his life became very interesting. He grew to become a remarkable man who fought against cronyism and crime in government.

I loved the story of how he became president. It started when he was asked by William McKinley to be his VICE president. He said NO. He didn’t want to be Vice President for three reasons:

1. He enjoyed his current job as of governor of New York.
2. The pay wasn’t enough. He was making $10,000 a year as governor, and his home in New York was paid for. If he became Vice President, the pay was only $8,000 a year – and he’d have to rent a home for his large family in Washington DC. He honestly didn’t think his family could survive on that smaller amount of money.
3. He just wasn’t interested in being Vice President.

Well, the public LOVED how ‘humble’ he was about not wanting to be Vice President. There was enough pressure for him to change his mind and accept the position. McKinley-Roosevelt won the election in a landslide. As Teddy expected, he didn’t love the job of VP. He had to remain mostly quiet and listen (he preferred talking and sharing his point of view), and he didn’t feel like he could make much of a difference as Vice President. However, six months into his new role, McKinley was killed, and Teddy Roosevelt became President. He served for the next 7.5 years, and loved his role. He was only 42 years old – the youngest man ever to be president.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Rating: 8/10

Review: I slowly listened to the audiobook (that Michelle reads herself) in my car over the last few months.

The beginning is slow. Michelle is a lawyer and the beginning chapters feel like she’s reading a deposition. The first 7 chapters could have probably been summed up in two. I skimmed over a few parts, waiting for this book to get better, and it finally did. When Michelle introduces us to Barack, the story gets interesting.

I enjoyed learning what it was like for a young family to be in politics. I admire how she stuck through the challenges of political life – sharing her husband with the world and carrying the load of raising their daughters, while trying to keep some semblance of family life. She talks about buying lots of “take out” and fast food during their busy life, and how that began to negatively affect their health – especially the health of their children. That’s how her platform as First Lady was born – encouraging Americans, and especially children, to eat a little healthier and get some exercise. She was the first First Lady to have a garden at the White House!

I loved the part of the book where she shares what life was like in the White House. They have a cleaning staff, a cooking staff, etc. There are fresh flowers daily and someone constantly cleaning up behind them. There’s a bowling alley and movie theatre. She compares it to living in a fancy hotel. However, I didn’t know that the Presidents pay for their own groceries. They got a ‘food bill’ at the end of each month!

I didn’t agree with or support everything written in this book, but I think we could all benefit from getting to know and try to understand people who are different from us – different skin color, different beliefs and different politics. Politics can be so mean and ugly. I would love to see Democrats and Republicans work respectfully together to make this a better nation. Michelle and I do agree about this :).

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

Rating: 7/10

Review:

I wasn’t really planning to read this celebrity memoir, but I kept hearing other’s say that they really liked it, so I gave in and checked it out from the library.

The title “Open Book” is exactly what it is. Jessica shares way more details of her life than I was expecting to read. She holds nothing back and everyone is fair game – her ex-husband Nick, her parents, her ex-boyfriends, her current husband, and of course, herself. Jessica shares how she got into music, about her marriage and divorce, about her struggle with addiction and more. She tries to pull out the good and shares the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Who is Jackie Chan?

Rating: 10/10

Review:

We received this book free from our library as part of the summer reading program, so Clark and I read it together. Jackie Chan has had a very interesting life. He began his life with his family in ONE room of a larger house where his dad worked. Jackie began training in Kung Fu and theatre at the young age of 7 – working up to 16 hours a day, sleeping only 5 hours each night. His career began as a stunt person in the film industry, then he began acting, writing, singing, and directing. I had no idea how much he had accomplished in his life – it was a simple and fun book to read together. I love the “Who Was/Is” series for kids!!

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Rating: 7/10

Review:

This is a book on WRITING…written by a well-known author. I wanted some insight and inspiration as I consider my next book, and work on this blog.

Here are a few of the gold nuggets I pulled from the book:

One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to go places and explore. It motivates you to look closely at life. 

There are stories and ideas and vision and memories and plots inside me, and only I can give birth to them. 

“Present and in awe” is how we should be in the world. There is ecstasy in paying attention. You can find holiness in everything, a sign that God is implicent in all creation.  We can see everything as an outward and visaible sign of inward invisible grace. Anyone who wants to can be surprised by the beauty or pain of the world.

How often have you opened a book and said “YES!” … I want to give people that too!! 

I automatically think that closing down is safe, but really – staying OPEN and LOVING is safer, because then we’re connected to all that life and love. 

Maybe what I’ve written will help others, maybe it will be a small part of the solution. You don’t even have to know how or in what way, but if you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse. Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save, they just stand there shining.

All quotes by Anne Lamott in her writing memoir, Bird by Bird

Have you read anything interesting lately? Leave a comment!

Click here for the TOP TEN books I read in 2019

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!

My last post included 47 books I read last year (Click here to read it). I enjoyed most of them, but here are my FAVORITES of 2019. If you haven’t read these yet, add them to your:

“Must Read” list!

Each is an affiliate link, that means if you click and decide to purchase, I may earn a small commission for recommending that product! Thanks for reading!

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1. The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines

Rating: 10/10

Review: This was the first audiobook I listened to in 2019 and I absolutely LOVED it! Chip and Joanna have a FASCINATING story that they tell in their own words. The book includes the story of how they met, as well as the hilarious story about how their show Fixer Upper almost didn’t happen. This is probably a fun book to read, but the Audiobook is amazing because the story is told by the authors! You can listen for free if you have a library card and use the Hoopla app!

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2. The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown

Rating: 10/10

Review: I listened to this one on my Hoopla App and recommend that you do the same. Brene shares stories on Joy, Vulnerability, Courage and Connection throughout the entire book. It was EXCELLENT!

Key Takeaways:

1. The whole-hearted person cultivates rest and play.
2. Brene says she has never interviewed a single person who lives with Joy without ACTIVELY practicing Gratitude. The one difference to becoming a JOYFUL person? Practice gratitude. When you look into the faces of your children and experience the shudder of vulnerability – actively express gratitude. (RATHER than catastrophizing). When a fear comes, verbally express gratitude. 

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3. Fully Alive: Learning to Flourish Mind, Body and Spirit by Susie Larson

Rating: 10/10

Review: I listened to this on my Hoopla App, but would like to read this in printed form so I can highlight and underline. This book is filled with truth and encouragement.

“Jesus wants us to flourish. He wants us whole. He wants to take what the enemy meant for evil against us and turn it for good. He wants us to live life bold and free, courageous and steadfast.”

Susie Larson

Fully Alive is a journey of healing from the inside out through the redemption of Jesus’s eternal love for us. Susie suggests healthy ways to replace destructive thoughts and habits and answers to the anxiety, fear, and worry that weigh us down.

“Picture Jesus Himself holding your face in both of His nail-scarred hands and looking directly into your eyes. Hear Him say to you, “I love you. I see you. I hear your cries. I remember you. I will take on your pain. I will heal you.” Let those words soak into your soul!”

Susie Larson

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4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Rating: 10/10

Review: I don’t read a lot of fiction. I’d rather be reading about someone’s life or learning something new. However, my friend gave me her copy of this book and said she loved it. Once I started reading, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Delia is a phenomenal writer and I see why this book is a New York Times Best Seller. At the time of this post, this book has received nearly 30,000 5-star reviews on amazon! (I have 1% of that with my book!)

It’s the story of a girl who raises herself. It’s a captivating story about how she survives, who she chooses to trust, and how she provides for herself.

This a great book to take on vacation.

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5. Educated by Tara Westover

Rating: 10/10

Review: I neglected nearly all household chores for 24 hours to devour this memoir. Tara Westover shares her fascinating story of growing up in a Mormon family, not being allowed to attend school or do anything that her family considered “worldly.” She ends up teaching herself so that she can take, and pass ,the SAT. She then gets into college – and goes on to get her PhD. That is my short and boring version of a fascinating story.

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6. Maybe you should talk to someone by Lori Gottlieb

Rating: 10/10

Review: I saw a friend recommend this book and decided to purchase it. When it arrived in the mail, I read the first two pages to get a feel for what the book was about…but then I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way too late too finish this one. When I read the last page, I wanted to read it again.

This is a book written by a therapist and writer – Lori Gottlieb. She shares stories about some of her clients, as well as what she learns from her own therapy. I appreciated the insights she gives about her patients and her own behavior.

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7. God Smuggler by Brother Andrew

Rating: 10/10

Review: This is an old book that I finally read for the first time this year. It’s a fascinating true story about a missionary who smuggled Bibles into communist countries. The story describes one miracle after the other and leaves you full of hope and joy. It strengthened my faith in the goodness of God. This would be a good family read-aloud!

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8. Janet Benge books

Rating: 10/10

Review: Janet Benge writes biographies of people who made a positive difference in this world. Each book is about an ordinary person who does something extraordinary with their life. Her books are great for ages 8 and up. I recommend you read to or listen with your children or grandchildren. They are easy-to-read and so engaging! The three I read this year were:

• Amy Carmichael
• Corrie Ten Boom
• Gladys Aylward

I loved each one and plan to read more aloud with my boys this year!

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9. 40 day Joy Challenge for Moms

Rating: 10/10

Review: This was written by women, for women. They are Bible studies for each day to help you live a life of joy. Included in this study is access to a short teaching video on Joy by Tommy Newberry.

This would make at the perfect book for a small group Bible Study!

There’s new study about to be published. Read it with me in the spring of 2020. Click here to check it out.

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10. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Rating: 10/10

Review: I’ve always loved to read, but sometime between babies 3 and 4, I took a break from reading. I was just too tired and too busy.

However, after watching “The Blind Side” movie... I wanted to read the story behind the movie. I checked this book out from the library. The book was so interesting that I couldn’t figure out why I ever stopped reading. Michael Lewis is a phenomenal writer. This book was the catalyst to me reading voraciously again.

This year, I decided to reread The Blind Side. It’s the perfect book for football season because there is so much insight into the sport. I love this book and recommend it to anyone who loves a good, true story! You’ll especially enjoy it if you like football.

What was your favorite book of 2019! Leave me a comment!

Also – is there a book you are looking forward to reading next year? Let me know! Ted’s already set out a stack of books for me to read this year.

Click here to read the other books I read in 2019 – some really GOOD, some really BAD!

Click here to read my 9 of 2018!

May your 2020 be full of GOOD STORIES!

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