Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Best of the Bunch: February 2019


Today I'm sharing the best book I read in February.

Of the 12 books I read this month, I had three 5-star books:

Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches by Hillary Frank

Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

I loved all of these books for different reasons and they each speak to different audiences, so it's difficult to make a choice! I think I'll go with the one that spoke to me personally in the deepest way.


I have loved all of Nadia Bolz-Weber's books to date, and Shameless is no exception. What I love most about this "sexual reformation" is that, while she illustrates how many destructive ideas about sex originate in the church, she advocates for a sexual ethic that is not separate from the Christian faith but rather deeply informed by it. Drawing on Scripture, tradition, and liturgy, she advocates for an inclusive sexual ethic that mirrors our best spiritual experiences. As with her previous books, I couldn't put this down once I started and yet I regretted it ending so soon. I can't recommend her work highly enough.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Better Than Before
Five years ago I was reading: The Omnivore's Dilemma and War and Peace
Ten years ago I was reading: The Color of Water

Inlinkz Link Party

Monday, February 18, 2019

Ten 5-Star Reads with Under 2,000 Ratings


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is books we've loved that have under 2,000 ratings on Goodreads. I've done some past posts on this topic: great books with under 1,000 ratings, under 2,000 ratings, under 5,000 ratings, and underrated books read in 2016. However, it's been long enough that I think I can include some I've mentioned before. Interestingly enough, these are all nonfiction books.


1. American Hookup by Lisa Wade
One of my favorite books of 2017, this book hasn't gotten the press it probably should have. It's an honest and insightful read about hookup culture on college campuses, incorporating historical and sociological context while keep students' voices front and center.


2. Ask a Manager by Alison Green
This book is a must-read for anyone in the workforce. It's a compilation of useful scripts for the most common and most difficult conversations you're likely to have at work.


3. Ask For It by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Women tend to be socialized not to ask for things, while men are much more likely to ask — about a higher salary, an open position, or better service at a hotel. This not only explains a large part of the wage gap but also leads to women missing out on all kinds of things they could get if they just learned to ask. Through real-life stories and exercises, the authors illustrate how to make "asking" a part of your life.


4. Fed Up by Gemma Hartley
It's not an exaggeration to say that this book has transformed my marriage. Hartley articulated my personal experience (and that of many, many women in different-gender relationships) so perfectly that I told my husband, "I'd do almost anything to get you to read this book." He listened to the first 15 minutes, said everything suddenly clicked for him, and before I knew it I had an equal partner in the running of our daily lives. Women will appreciate it, but men need to read it.


5. Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon
Gordon's writing is clear, straightforward, and presents a logical framework for identifying which communication methods are most appropriate for different situations with children. At the core of P.E.T.'s ideas is the notion that a child is a person, which does not sound that revolutionary until Gordon illustrates how we treat children different from every other person in our lives. Highly recommended.


6. Radical by Michelle Rhee
I'm not surprised this has few (and mixed) ratings given Rhee's controversial career, but I still think it's worth the read. It's both a memoir of Rhee's career in education reform and a battle cry for parents, teachers, students, and politicians to use their voices to fight for every student to have a quality education.


7. Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber
I have loved all of Nadia Bolz-Weber's books to date, and this one is no exception. What I love most about this "sexual reformation" is that, while she illustrates how many destructive ideas about sex originate in the church, she advocates for a sexual ethic that is not separate from the Christian faith but rather deeply informed by it.


8. Small Animals by Kim Brooks
Brooks captures perfectly what it is like to be a parent in modern-day America, how the majority of your decisions are spurred by fear — fear of what will happen to your child if you don't do everything correctly and/or fear of what others parents will say or do if they believe you aren't parenting correctly.


9. Urban Injustice by David Hilfiker
This book, assigned reading in college, was my wake-up call about all of the beliefs I never realized I had about poverty, welfare, and the "inner city." The author cuts through any politics to provide facts and figures about the history of public assistance programs and what has worked in other parts of the world to lift people out of poverty. At 158 pages, there's no excuse not to read it.


10. With Burning Hearts by Henri Nouwen
This is a beautiful reflection on the different parts of the Mass and how we are invited to participate at each stage, using as a scaffolding the story of the travelers on the road to Emmaus.

Have you heard of any of these? What underrated books do you recommend?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and The Stand
Five years ago I was reading: And the Mountains Echoed and War and Peace
Ten years ago I was reading: Copyediting

Friday, February 15, 2019

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)


Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons: I didn't get the humor, maybe because I don't find poverty, mental illness, family tensions, etc. to be as funny as they're made out to be here. I liked the elements of suspense and the descriptions of the setting, but I wouldn't recommend it.

A Passage of India by E.M. Forster: I see and appreciate all that Forster was doing with this book, and it was also a bit exhausting to read. I'm glad it made a splash in 1924 Britain and possibly contributed to India's push for independence, but from 2019 standards it still feels a bit other-ing of the Indians.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: I had hoped this would blow me away, but it never did. I enjoyed the story overall, but I never connected to the first-person narrator and he does something horrific in the latter half of the book that made me very angry!

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor: This was my favorite read of January. This book is great at both a plot level and a metaphorical level. I was left satisfied but still with enough questions to want to continue the trilogy!

Home by Nnedi Okorafor: I enjoyed this as much as the first book, although it ends with a cliffhanger. I love the way Okorafor took a real-life people (the Himba) and layered in futuristic elements like mathematical meditation and space travel.

The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor: I was disappointed in the ending to this series! Although I'm still glad to have finished out the trilogy, there were tons of pieces that didn't make sense or were generally unsatisfying. I would still highly recommend the first book in the series, and then you can decide if you want to read the rest.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen: There were a lot of excellent individual phrases, passages, and observations within this book, but overall this was not my cup of tea. It turns out that I don't like dark, dramatic, literary fiction about an alcoholic Asian man with a secret any more than I've liked the same types of books about white men.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London: I'm glad to have read this again, since I really didn't remember anything from my initial read when I was younger. It was a quick listen and worth it if you like classic books, dogs, or the history of the gold rush. Just be prepared for some, shall we say, outdated language.

Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches by Hillary Frank: This was such an enjoyable read! The whole first half of the book had me laugh-crying over some of the ridiculous things people (myself included) do out of desperation to get babies to sleep, toddlers to eat, and preschoolers to get out the door fully clothed. The second half of the book I did a lot of highlighting of the excellent tips for life with siblings and older kids. I definitely recommend it for all parents of young kids — if only for the laughs!

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: I was disappointed that the identity of the eponymous "secret adversary" was obvious from halfway through the book, but there were enough twists and turns to keep me listening, and the ending was satisfying in multiple ways. I'm looking forward to reading through the rest of the Tommy and Tuppence books!

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers: I enjoyed this much more than I expected and am glad to have read it. Despite being written in 1940, McCuller's characters who were black or deaf were portrayed with (IMO) more accuracy and nuance than a lot of what you find even in today's books. The ending is not a happy one, but it is not hopeless either, and I was glad to have read this.

Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage by David & Constantino Khalaf: This may be the best Christian marriage book I've read, period, even though I'm not the target audience. I found it helpful as a way to understand what my LGBTQ siblings-in-Christ may be experiencing, but also found their general advice about marriage to be a valuable reminder about what makes a relationship last. The authors are vulnerable about their own experiences and also incredibly practical, and the result is a book that is helpful, challenging, and beautiful.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann: I enjoyed this more than I expected; it seems like a book of short stories, but actually the characters are all tied together in some way, so you get the story of one day — the day of Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in August 1974 — from a bunch of different perspectives. The writing is beautiful, and the book draws on the power of small moments rendered in sharp detail.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I liked this much more this second time on audio than I did the first time I read it. The characters still exasperate me, but this time I understand that the story of Biafra's brief existence was the true center of the book, and I appreciated how it was brought to life.

Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber: I have loved all of Nadia Bolz-Weber's books to date, and this one is no exception. What I love most about this "sexual reformation" is that, while she illustrates how many destructive ideas about sex originate in the church, she advocates for a sexual ethic that is not separate from the Christian faith but rather deeply informed by it.

What have you been reading this month? Share over at Modern Mrs. Darcy!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Unlikely Disciple, and The Stand
Five years ago I was reading: Adoption, And the Mountains Echoed, and War and Peace
Ten years ago I was reading: Copyediting

Monday, February 4, 2019

Ten 2019 Releases I Might Want to Read


I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

A few weeks ago, the topic was 2019 books we were anticipating in the first half of the year, but I didn't have more than a couple on my might-want-to-read list at that point. Thanks to recommendations in the first month of the year, I now have just enough 2019 releases to make a top ten list!


1. Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
I mentioned this one last week as a recent addition to my list. I liked the original Moloka'i enough to be interested in the sequel.


2. I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
In recent years I've been trying to figure out where the balance is between being open to those with more conservative viewpoints and not having to subject myself to opinions that are inherently prejudiced and offensive. Since the 2016 presidential election I've been listening to the Left, Right & Center podcast, which has been valuable for helping me understand multiple sides of current events in a way that's calm, coherent, and respectful. While I still don't want to seek out political arguments with people, this book seems like it could be helpful for understanding how to have conversations with others who have different beliefs but also genuinely want to learn.


3. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Through Gottlieb's professional experience as a therapist and personal experience going to her own therapist, this book promises to explore the process of therapy and what makes it worthwhile. It sounds fascinating!


4. Modern Kinship by David and Constantino Khalaf
I had the pleasure of getting to know these guys through Q Christian Fellowship (formerly the Gay Christian Network), where Constantino formerly worked, and I'm excited to read their first book, which grew out of the blog they run of the same name. There are plenty of Christian relationship books out there, but they're (unsurprisingly) written for straight couples. And LGBTQ dating guides don't tend to focus on faith! These guys decided to bridge the gap to provide guidance to same-gender couples wanting to build a God-centered relationship. Although I'm not the target audience, I know many people who are, and I would love to read this.


5. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
This comes out tomorrow — yay! I've been on the pre-order holds list at my library for forever, since before the original publication date was delayed. Thomas is of course the author of the blockbuster The Hate U Give, and while I'm not going in with expectation that she'll hit it out of the park twice, I am still excited to read this.


6. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
I saw this pop up as a recommendation from two different people in short succession, and while I don't usually read romance, this one promises to be a sweet, fun novella. I read too much heavy stuff and need something sweet and uplifting every once in a while.


7. Survival Math by Mitchell S. Jackson
I'm aware that Oregon has a pretty racist history and we haven't collectively done a great job overcoming that yet. This book has been highly recommended from the advance reviews, and I'm very interested to read the memoir of a black man who grew up in Portland.


8. There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
I read both of Menon's first two books in 2018, and I'm on board for more! She writes great books that combine romantic happy endings with powerful explorations of family, friendship, and identity. I am excited to read this one!


9. Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom
I always have to remind myself that although I don't like short story collections, I do actually like essay collections, at least when they're done well. I've seen this book, which came out at the start of the year, recommended several times already.


10. Trailblazer by Dorothy Butler Gilliam
As a former journalism major and an avid nonfiction reader, I'm very interested to read this memoir from the first black female reporter at the Washington Post. Plus journalists tend to be great writers, which can make for great memoirs!

Have you read any of these? Which do you recommend?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and The Stand
Five years ago I was reading: The Steerswoman and War and Peace
Ten years ago I was reading: Copyediting