May & June Book Recap

I usually try to do a book recap monthly, but this past month got away from me and I am cramming two months worth of book reviews into this one post! So buckle your seatbelts…I have many books to review! Some fantastic, some not so great, and one will be in my top 10 favorite books of all time. Please, if you only read one review in this whole post, let it be the review for The Only Plane in the Sky! In fact, if you decide to skip reading this entire post, please just read this one line: BUY/ORDER/READ THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY RIGHT NOW.

Now that we have that important information taken care of, please read on for my book reviews from the past few months. As always, the books are linked to Amazon and are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, Amazon will pay me a small percentage. Please feel free to order through the link, or call up your local bookstore and shop from them! Or, you can do what I do and put them right on hold at your library!

Thunderhead

Goodreads Synopsis: Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames. Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline

My Review: Although this is the second book in the Sycthe series, I found that it took on a completely new direction! In my review for the first book, I felt that it was quite dark, but so incredibly thought-provoking. This second book was far less dark, but I also found it to be less thought provoking and more sci-fi. Still, I COULD NOT PUT this one down. I highly recommending picking up and reading the entire series! It will take you on an adventure that you will want to talk to everyone around you about!

The Toll

Goodreads Synopsis: It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver. In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

My Review: New characters, new adventures, same thrilling sci-fi series! I seriously highly recommend this series for anyone who loves alternative universe and adventure. I don’t normally love sci-fi, but in this series I was on the edge of my seat just trying to figure out how this story was going to end! It did not disappoint in the completely unpredictable ending.

Zoo

Goodreads Synopsis: All over the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the violence to come becomes terrifyingly clear.

My Review: I wasn’t sure if I was going to stick with this one, given our current life circumstances (thanks, global pandemic) and my tendency to be anxious. It was a bit gruesome and descriptive in parts, but overall it was just the right level of thrilling while not being completely realistic, and therefore not a trigger for my anxiety. Overall, this was not my preferred genre of literature and I probably won’t be picking up any more James Patterson novels, but this one wasn’t terrible! It was nice to have a distraction from our current global crisis but thinking of this made up global crisis.

The Art of Making Memories

Goodreads Synopsis: Memories are the cornerstones of our identity, shaping who we are, how we act, and how we feel. In his work as a happiness researcher, Meik Wiking has learned that people are happier if they hold a positive, nostalgic view of the past. But how do we make and keep the memories that bring us lasting joy? The Art of Making Memories examines how mental images are made, stored, and recalled in our brains, as well as the “art of letting go”—why we tend to forget certain moments to make room for deeper, more meaningful ones. Meik uses data, interviews, global surveys, and real-life experiments to explain the nuances of nostalgia and the different ways we form memories around our experiences and recall them—revealing the power that a “first time” has on our recollections, and why a piece of music, a smell, or a taste can unexpectedly conjure a moment from the past. Ultimately, Meik shows how we each can create warm memories that will stay with us for years.

My Review: This book should have been titled The Science of Making Memories. It was a cute little book with many pictures and a blog post style layout. The writing was rather choppy and I found myself going from one incomplete thought/premise onto another. Overall, this book was just not what I was expecting. I was expecting some fun ways/ideas to make and preserve memories and instead was given many scientific evidences of why it’s important to make memories. It would make a cute little coffee table book and may be able to gather some good conversations, but overall this one fell flat for me.

The Only Plane in the Sky

Goodreads Synopsis: Now, in The Only Plane in the Sky, award-winning journalist and bestselling historian Garrett Graff tells the story of the day as it was lived—in the words of those who lived it. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, Graff paints the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet.

My Review: Stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go put this book on hold/order it online/get it RIGHT NOW. This book will forever be in my top ten books ever read. Get yourself a tissue box and sit down with it. This book was INCREDIBLE. I laughed and wept and had chills going up and down my spine. I couldn’t believe that what I was reading was real life, and that I was alive that very day. I learned so much that I did not already know, and it was written and presented in such a respectful and intimate way. We all remember where we were on 9/11/2001 (I was 9 years old in Niger, West Africa. I will never forget catching glimpses of the towers falling and the hushed chills that came across everyone as they took in these terrorist attacks), and this book will bring those times to life in a way that you have never experienced before. Again, I am serious when I say that everyone needs to read this book. (Sidenote: I read this book in paper copy, but I have heard that it is even more powerful as an audio book because it is told in the voices of those who are sharing their stories.)

The Brave Learner

Goodreads Synopsis: In this book, Julie Bogart distills decades of experience–homeschooling her five now grown children, developing curricula, and training homeschooling families around the world–to show parents how to make education an exciting, even enchanting, experience for their kids, whether they’re in elementary or high school. Enchantment is about ease, not striving. Bogart shows parents how to make room for surprise, mystery, risk, and adventure in their family’s routine, so they can create an environment that naturally moves learning forward. If a child wants to pick up a new hobby or explore a subject area that the parent knows little about, it’s easy to simply say “no” to end the discussion and the parental discomfort, while dousing their child’s curious spark. Bogart gently invites parents to model brave learning for their kids so they, too, can approach life with curiosity, joy, and the courage to take learning risks.

My Review: I enjoy following and listening to Julie Bogart as she often has unique and fresh perspectives on homeschooling. I find that there is a great deal that I disagree with her about, but I find her to be a very helpful voice. I was looking forward to reading this book and gleaning some wisdom and insight on homeschooling and eventually teaching in a classroom. This book did give me some good ideas and some practical steps to take towards making homeschooling more fun and fit more into a LIFESTYLE and not just school at home. A lot of the book felt repetitive and floofy to me, with many equally impractical tips. Overall, I will continue to listen to her podcast and glean some good tips from Bogart, but I found this book very take it or leave it.

China Rich Girlfriend

Goodreads Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiance willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won’t be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore’s It Girl, Astrid Leong, is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly minted tech billionaire husband. A romp through Asia’s most exclusive clubs, auction houses, and estates, China Rich Girlfriend brings us into the elite circles of Mainland China, introducing a captivating cast of characters, and offering an inside glimpse at what it’s like to be gloriously, crazily, China-rich.

My Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians, the first book in this series. I also really enjoyed the Crazy Rich Asians movie and was happy to finally pick up a book that had a little more fluff. I love reading about other cultures and especially written from “own voices”, so I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the book. I also appreciate that this book is 99% clean, which is my favorite kind of romantic chick flick. As in the first book, there was a lot of characters in this story and although their stories intertwined, I felt like I was actually reading several different stories mushed into one book. I did not feel like this book was about Rachel Young anymore, instead it was about a lot of different characters doing different things. I would be interested to see how this would be made into a movie and I’d be happy to sit down and watch it if it is anything like the first book/movie. Overall, I didn’t love this second one as much as the first, but I will be reading the third one to see how it compares!

Anxious for Nothing

Goodreads Synopsis: Philippians 4:6 encourages the believer to “be anxious for nothing.” As Lucado states, the apostle Paul seems to leave little leeway here. “Be anxious for nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.” What’s he suggesting? That we should literally be anxious for absolutely nothing? Lucado says, “The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. It’s the life of perpetual anxiety that Paul wants to address. Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually in angst.”

My Review: Well, this book came at the perfect time in my life! A friend gifted it to me and I soaked up the words in this book like a sponge. Do not be anxious about anything. But HOW can I go through life and not be consumed with anxiety? This book was full of many Scripture truths, encouragements and practical tips to not allow anxiety to control our lives. I found it MUCH needed in this time and will for sure go back to read this one again. And again. And probably again after that!

Daring to Drive

Goodreads Synopsis: Manal al-Sharif grew up in Mecca the second daughter of a taxi driver, born the year fundamentalism took hold. In her adolescence, she was a religious radical, melting her brother’s boy band cassettes in the oven because music was haram: forbidden by Islamic law. But what a difference an education can make. By her twenties she was a computer security engineer, one of few women working in a desert compound that resembled suburban America. That’s when the Saudi kingdom’s contradictions became too much to bear: she was labeled a slut for chatting with male colleagues, her teenage brother chaperoned her on a business trip, and while she kept a car in her garage, she was forbidden from driving down city streets behind the wheel. Daring to Drive is the fiercely intimate memoir of an accidental activist, a powerfully vivid story of a young Muslim woman who stood up to a kingdom of men—and won. Writing on the cusp of history, Manal offers a rare glimpse into the lives of women in Saudi Arabia today. Her memoir is a remarkable celebration of resilience in the face of tyranny, the extraordinary power of education and female solidarity, and the difficulties, absurdities, and joys of making your voice heard

My Review: Wow. I must confess that activism tends to make me uncomfortable. What can I say? Many of the things that Manal was writing about in her story hit a little close to home in our current cultural climate. I can imagine that those around Manal had very mixed feelings about her activism and choices during her time fighting for the freedom of women in Saudi Arabia. This book was very eye-opening to me, as I think through what is RIGHT and what is TRADITION. Sometimes those things are the same, and sometimes they are the opposite, and sometimes it’s really hard to think through how to differentiate the two. Manal did not have an easy life and I am so thoroughly impressed for how she stood up for what she believes to be right, no matter the cost.

The Eating Instinct

Goodreads Synopsis: Food is supposed to sustain and nourish us. Eating well, any doctor will tell you, is the best way to take care of yourself. Feeding well, any human will tell you, is the most important job a mother has. But for too many of us, food now feels dangerous. We parse every bite we eat as good or bad, and judge our own worth accordingly. When her newborn daughter stopped eating after a medical crisis, Virginia Sole-Smith spent two years teaching her how to feel safe around food again — and in the process, realized just how many of us are struggling to do the same thing.

My Review: Honestly, this book was not for me. Many of the stories were fascinating and I found that I was learning a lot about many people and their relationship to food. However, I never felt like there was a conclusion. I learned about people with eating disorders, children on feeding tubes, and people with extreme aversions to almost all foods. But I never learned how this relates to life? What is our eating instinct? How can we help our kids learn how to eat better? What is healthy eating? How do we avoid eating disorders? These were all questions that were raised for me while reading the book that unfortunately were not answered.

Fair Play

Goodreads Synopsis: A revolutionary, real-world solution to the problem of unpaid, invisible work that women have shouldered for too long. It started with the Sh*t I Do List. Tired of being the “shefault” parent responsible for all aspects of her busy household, Eve Rodsky counted up all the unpaid, invisible work she was doing for her family — and then sent that list to her husband, asking for things to change. His response was… underwhelming. Rodsky realized that simply identifying the issue of unequal labor on the home front wasn’t enough: She needed a solution to this universal problem. Her sanity, identity, career, and marriage depended on it. The result is Fair Play: a time- and anxiety-saving system that offers couples a completely new way to divvy up domestic responsibilities. Rodsky interviewed more than five hundred men and women from all walks of life to figure out what the invisible work in a family actually entails and how to get it all done efficiently. With four easy-to-follow rules, 100 household tasks, and a figurative card game you play with your partner, Fair Play helps you prioritize what’s important to your family and who should take the lead on every chore from laundry to homework to dinner. 

My Review: I went into reading this book ready to scoff. I have heard that it is primarily written for families that have two working parents with feminist ideals. And, indeed, that would be the primary audience for this book- a two-parent, dual income, upper class American family would benefit from this book. But I also found the book FASCINATING and somewhat helpful! I discovered that Theo and I already implement most of what she described in the book without even knowing, and it helped me feel a certain sense of pride in the amount of work and TEAMwork that we put into running our household. I will say that this book was written from an entitled perspective and I did have to roll my eyes frequently over some of the things that the auother complained about (#firstworldproblems). I did really enjoy her creative take on literally turning household work into a game, although I didn’t find the need to actually implement the game into our home. This book also reminded of how thankful I am for Theo, because many of the men that were described in this book do absolutely nothing to help around the house. Theo, on the other hand, can run the entire household just as well if not better than I can!

Garlic and Sapphires

Goodreads Synopsis: Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world–a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us–along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews–her remarkable reflections on how one’s outer appearance can influence one’s inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.

My Review: I loved this book! It was so fun to read through Ruth’s experience as a food critic. I really enjoyed hearing all about her experiences and how she was treated differently based on how she was dressed. The food descriptions are very descriptive, and I found myself skipping over some details, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir! It made me want to eat out and cook up some fun things in the kitchen!

That’s all I’ve got for now! What have you been reading lately? I have some pretty great reads on deck that I can’t wait to read and review!