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A Look Back: Five Star Books

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2020 is coming to an end, and for my own curiosity, I thought I would share the books that moved me in the last 12 months. I count December 2019 in this collection since I’m obviously not done with December 2020 yet.

Vicious – The first book in a duology by VE Schwab. All of her books usually garner a four or five star for me. In this book, there are two scientists trying to figure out how to give themselves special powers. And when they finally figure out what it takes, things go horribly wrong.

The Starless Sea – Erin Morgenstern’s most recent book. I love her lyrical writing and fantastical settings. A man finds a scene of his life written in an incredibly old book. Upon further investigation, he finds an entire world of magic that is on the brink of trouble.

The Stationery Shop – I love this book by Marjan Kamali because it addresses pregnancy loss and mental health, though it is not really a part of the main plot. Two lovers get separated during a revolution. Decades later, they are reunited and discover exactly what happened and why it happened on that fateful day in history.

When God Made the World – Any book of Matthew Paul Turner usually gets a five star from me (as you will see on down this list). The illustrations are beautiful. Lovely children’s book that explores God’s creation and how we play a wonderful part in it.

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands – One of my absolute favorite nonfiction/self-help books this year. Lysa Terkheurst shares the beauty of boundaries and changes the perspective of saying no to waiting to say the best yes.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – The other favorite nonfiction/self-help book. Written by sisters Amelia and Emily Nagoski, it explores stress as a study and how to work through it to live a healthier, slightly more sane life.

Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life – Sweet memoir kind of book from Anne Bogel, who has a blog (Modern Mrs. Darcy) and a podcast (What Should I Read Next). Very appropriate book for this year.

Lovely War – Julie Berry Novel set mostly during World War One. The twist of this book is that the author incorporates Greek Gods who narrate the story. Aphrodite is trying the tell Hephaestus what love is when he finds her in the arms of Ares.

This Tender Land – William Kent Kruger novel that gives both Odyssey and Tom Sawyer vibes. Set during the Great Depression. Odysseus and Albert escape the abusive boarding school in the North and travel along the Mississippi river in hopes to reunite with their aunt.

The Color of Compromise: The Truth abut the American Church’s Complicity in Racism – Jemar Tisby’s excellent look at the history of the American church and slavery. I learned so much about how everything has evolved throughout time and how it has complicated everything today.

A Darker Shade of Magic – One of my hands-down favorite authors, V. E. Schwab. This was probably the series that put her in the spotlight, though I read some of her other novels first. It really does live up to the hype. The story takes place in London but there are four Londons, four worlds, once connected by magic. But when one world fell, it was shut out in hopes of containing the destruction. However, Kell and Lila have stumbled upon something that could change and destroy everything.

The Jane Austen Society – Natalie Jenner’s novel. Another historical fiction set in the town of Chawton, England after World War II. The town is known as one of the last places Jane Austen resided, writing some of her last novels there. A group of people connect over her books and seek to preserve her memory when the famous estate her brother owned might get sold off by its owner. TW: There is pregnancy loss in the book, but it is well-handled

All the Colors of Christmas – The second Matthew Paul Turner book on this list. No surprise here. Very beautiful book for Christmas that talks about the different colors that we find during this season, including ourselves as part of the beautiful picture.

How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi’s memoir-esque book about his journey to becoming more antiracist. It includes history and the people who inspired him along the way.

The House in the Cerulean Sea – This absolutely lovely book by TJ Klune is magical, fantastical, sweet, heartbreaking, and the closest thing to a perfect story. Linus Baker is a social worker who observes orphanages of magical creatures to see whether they are appropriately caring for their wards. When he is given a special assignment, his isolated, quiet life is turned upside-down in the most delightful way. Lucy was my favorite character.

Middlegame – A Seanan McGuire alchemical story about two people created as counterparts to each other and how they try to stop the end of the world. Beautiful, hopeful and heartbreaking.

What are some of your 5 star books this year?

February Books

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My February TBR

So this was the stack of books I set out to read in the month of February. I actually read more than just these books, and I didn’t completely finish the stack. However, I knew I would be reading at least a few of these into March. Here’s how the reading month went.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.  This was a Life’s Library book club pick, and I knew nothing about it going into it.  I had never read anything by this author before, but I knew that she was very respected and lots of people enjoyed her writing.  I liked this book, but it gave me nightmares.  It’s a dystopian novel set in 2024 (the book was written in 1993).  It felt like our society would only have to take a couple of steps in the wrong direction to end up on the pages of this book.  It’s a heavy book, full of violence, sexual assault, promiscuity, and language.  But it will stretch you in much needed ways.

Followers by Megan Angelo.  I think I found out about this book either by Instagram or my local library’s website.  I believe this is a debut novel.  It is also a kind of dystopian future, but I didn’t feel as deep into this story as I did with the Parable of the Sower.  It follows two characters, Orla and Floss, in present day who are roommates chasing after fame and all the promises of being famous and then jumps every other chapter about forty years into the future after a big event called The Spill suddenly made people distrust the government and putting any of their information online (this reveal didn’t feel realistic, which it doesn’t have to, but it took me out of the story a bit).  In the future, we follow Marlow who lives in a town that is watched by millions of people (like a Truman Show type of town) and she begins to question the life that has been written for her by the powers that be.  All of the book centers around this idea of fame and the cost it takes to get it.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski.  I loved this book.  I heard about it on a podcast, and I’m so glad I picked it up.  It addresses stress, the science behind it, and how we can survive it.  It is directed to women and the stressors that most women face (including the patriarchy and the bikini industrial complex).  Everything was fascinating and challenging, and I felt like the authors really tried to take on this subject as clearly and with as much data as they could.  It’s definitely one that I will re-read at some point.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow.  The book for the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. This was such a sweet story of fantasy and imagination.  January Scaller lives with a rich bachelor while her father hunts for priceless treasures all over the world.  One day, she manages to open a door into another world, but when she tells her guardian about this experience, she is locked away and convinced that she needs to put away such childish fantasies.  But these doors keep coming back into her life, and with a door comes change, she just has to have the courage to step through them.  Reminded me a bit of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.

Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel.  This is the third book I have read by this author, and I was able to be a part of the launch team for this book (which let me read the book before it came out).  Anne is the kind of writer that makes you feel like you are chatting with a friend over coffee when you read her books.  The kind of friend who does excellent research on a topic that she can’t wait to share with you.  I made so many notes with this book, great points to remember and incorporate into my life.  Highly recommend!

Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons.  This was a book recommended on Instagram by some other authors I follow.  I had been wanting a book about stress coming from a Christian perspective.  But I think I was expecting something a little different than what I read in this book.  I thought I was going to get more of “when this happens, it’s good to remember this” kind of language, but the book seemed to be a list of self-care options that worked for the author throughout her life.  Things that may help others.  I think I preferred Burnout because there was more science of why things work which is what my brain really likes.  It was still a good book, and the last couple of chapters raised my overall rating, but it wouldn’t be the first book I would recommend about stress or even Christian self-help.

I am currently reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi and The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson, both continuations of their series. So far, I’m enjoying them as expected, one being a book based on African mythology and the other a murder mystery (this is the book it will all be revealed!). Both are YA, and I will be sharing my March TBR (with these books included) on my Instagram, so check out that sneak peek there!

Did you enjoy any books in February? What’s next in your reading life?

Favorite Books of 2018

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Reading has slowed down significantly as the holiday season arrived.  Plus, I’ve been spending a good portion of my time in November putting together furniture.  Still, I thought it would be fun to look back over the books that received five stars.  I definitely saw some trends that I thought I would share with you.  All of the links will send you to my reviews of each book.

Favorite New Author:  This year, I started following Victoria “V.E” Schwab on social media.  I had heard of her books, and that people really loved them.  So, I started with The Archived series, which I checked out of the library.  I absolutely loved both The Archived and The Unbound.  Which led me to pre-order her new middle-grade book, City of Ghosts, which I again, of course, loved.

Favorite YA Books: In addition to the above books, I also really loved a few newer authors, as well as a couple of authors I was already familiar with their writing.  Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi introduced me to a new African mythology, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was a poignant and beautiful contemporary novel about grief and racism.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Thunderhead (the second book in the Scythe series) by Neal Shusterman and Library of Souls (the third book in Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series) by Ransom Riggs.  I’ve read Unwind by Shusterman many years ago, which I liked.  I’ve also been reading Riggs’ series for a couple of years now and plan to read this next book (which I already own) Map of Days that continues the story of his Peculiar series.

Favorite Adult Books: All of the adult authors I enjoyed this year were new to me.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern was an impulse buy that I really enjoyed and probably prompted more impulse buying this year than I have in a long time.  How to Stop Time by Matt Haig made me tear up at the end.  It actually answers the question of how to stop time through this fictional, magical story.  And What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty was a surprise because it wasn’t the main story that made me love it so much, but the subplot of her sister and infertility that kept me turning the pages (and I think I cried at the end of this one, too).

Favorite Non-fiction/Memoir: Kathy Khang’s book Raise Your Voice is a perfect narrative of this moment in history.  It challenged the reader to face the excuses used to stay quiet when we need to speak up.  And on a completely different level, Anne Bogel’s book, I’d Rather Be Reading, was a perfect collection of essays for any reader to relate to.

All of these authors have inspired me in so many different ways and prompted me to see life from new perspectives.  I think they have all taken a part in shaping me this year, and I look forward to seeing what new favorites will come into my life next year!

What are some of your favorites? 

Reading People by Anne Bogel: A Review

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719ol8wcd8lReading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big personality assessment nerd, so when I found out that one of my favorite podcasters wrote about book about personality assessments, I had to read it. Anne Bogel takes us through her own journey of eight different personality classifications. It was really interesting because I hadn’t heard of some of these tests (which I will definitely remedy in the near future).
She doesn’t just talk about her own outcome with each of the assessments but also gives a brief overview of the other types in each assessment. She also gives suggestions, whether the free tests you find online will give you an accurate assessment or if you will need to go on a more professional route. She also suggests books that can be helpful for a more in-depth look into your particular type.
I really enjoyed the book, overall. It was like sitting down over coffee with a friend, discussing personalities. It’s not by any means an exhaustive look into personality, but it is a fun jumping off point for several different ways you can look into yourself. Also, I really liked what she said about why we should look into these different perspectives of personality. “When I understand myself, I can get out of my own way.”

October Favorites

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Each month seems to be going by so quickly!  On to my September favorites!

Book of the Month

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I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it was shorter than books I normally read!  It was a delightful collection of essays about reading.  They were so relatable!  I wrote a full review here.

Baby

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Sam seems to be entering the teething phase, so when we have reading time, most of the books end up in his mouth.  On a curious whim, I searched for chew-proof books, and this came up.  So, I bought one, and I love it!  They are five bucks and really are rip and chew proof.  You can check them out here.

Beauty and Fashion

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When I was pregnant, my skin would get super dry, but I wanted a moisturizer that would be safe for me and the baby (and with my anxiety, this was almost an obsessive search).  This is what was recommended, and I’ve continued using it all year.  It isn’t greasy and makes my skin feel great.  If I don’t put it on, especially on drier days, I can feel my skin dry out and tighten.  As we approach winter, this is definitely a good buy.  You can check it out here.

Entertainment

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There haven’t been a lot of shows that I’ve wanted to watch lately.  Even some of the shows that are coming back that I’ve enjoyed in the past.  Having a baby is one good measuring stick for priorities and interests (although it’s not the only one, it’s been a good one for me).  So, when I look forward to each episode of Manifest every week, it says something.

The premise is that a plane disappears for five years but the passengers didn’t age.  In fact, from their experience, it was just a simple flight.  So there is the grief of losing five years, people on the ground moving on, and all that.  And then on top of that, there is a supernatural element as the people on the plane start developing these insight powers, like knowing something is going to happen or where certain things are hidden.  Plus, a lot of the premise is based on Romans 8:28, which is a neat little fact.  Really enjoying it so far.

What are some favorites you have been enjoying this month?

All disclaimers have now moved to my About Me page.

I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel: A Review

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I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The very definition of an absolute delight, Bogel’s short collection of essays on reading will call you to the big, comfy reading chair with a cup of tea in hand.
I have been a listener of her podcast for quite a while now. She is kind, welcoming, and completely relatable to me as a reader. This book is just an extension of that. She writes about her love of books, trips to the library and the bookstore, and confessions that kept me chuckling with a knowing “Amen.”
It was quite meta to read a book about reading. Still, I loved following her through her journey into reading. I now want to live right next door to a library (very envious of this fact!). And somehow have the inclination to, again, reorganize my bookshelves.
If you love to read, or even if you used to love to read and have lost that feeling somewhere along the way, I would highly recommend diving into this book. It will motivate you to read more and read often.

View all my reviews

August Favorites

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I’m not sure what next week will be like, so I wanted to touch on some favorites now instead of the very end of the month.  One of the goals I had this summer was to get on a walking schedule.  One of the things I started doing on these walks was listening to podcasts, so I thought I would share some of my favorites.

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Hank and John Green are the Vlogbrothers on YouTube.  Separately, they have their own projects, but the Vlogbrothers channel is where it all started.  Basically, each brother would check in with the other once a week, and it grew into this huge community.  Hank has other channels that promote science and education.  John is a YA author who wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.  And they have done projects with the Gates Foundation, explained various issues that were in the news, and even do a huge fundraising project at the end of the year.  Oh, and they started VidCon, a YouTube Creator convention that gets bigger every year.

Their podcast is only a few years old, I believe.  I can’t remember when I started listening to them, but Michael and I usually have several episodes ready for long road trips.  They give advice (dubious advice, mind you) to people who write in with questions.  They also talk about the news from Mars and AFC Wimbledon (their interests, respectively).  And they also tout the podcast as a comedy show about death, which it’s not really, but sometimes they do get on the topic of extremely weird ways the world could be destroyed (or not so weird ways, I guess).  It’s hilarious, and it’s two brothers sharing life.  Thumbs up.

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I talked about this podcast a bit in my letter to Jen Hatmaker.  So I’m not going to go into great detail about it here.  I am still enjoying it, somewhat, though not every podcast I’ve been able to relate to.  She is in a different life stage than I am and has different priorities.  But for every mom I know, I recommend this one wholeheartedly.

This was a podcast I really just fell into.  After I went through my library of books, changed my office into a library (that I practically live in now), and started reading more this summer, this podcast is perfect.  She talks to some writers but most readers.  In each episode, after getting to know her reader and what that reader likes and doesn’t like, she recommends several books.  There was one podcast this summer where she answered listener questions and did recommendations there too.  Needless to say, I have added several books to my Book-et list from this podcast.

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This is not a current podcast.  I believe it ended in June, and I’m not sure if she will do it again next year.  But Shauna Niequist was the first interview for Jen Hatmaker’s podcast, and I absolutely loved it.  So, I went searching for Niequist’s podcast and found this.  I believe it’s a part of Relevant Magazine which is where Niequist writes?  But, the eight interviews that she does are phenomenal.  I also get a lot of book recommendations from this podcast as well.

And last, but definitely not least, The Happier Podcast with Gretchen Rubin (and her sister Elizabeth Craft).  I really enjoyed the book, The Happiness Project) from this author, and this podcast is basically an extension of that book, plus her other books.  It gives some practical ways to incorporate happiness (or basically organization, relationship maintenance, and self-care) into your life.  The conversation on each podcast is light and, well, happy, which is sometimes needed when I’m waking up in the mornings, getting ready for the day.  This is also the first podcast that I ever listened to, and I highly recommend it!

Do you have any favorites this month?  What podcasts should I add to this list?