This past month was one of those where I was waiting for several library holds to come in so I didn't want to pick up anything too long in the interim and instead blew threw a bunch of shorter books. And a lot of them were very good! I also got through a bunch of the books on my Fall TBR (and abandoned one). Here's what I read this past month.
Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life by Amy Gahran: I appreciate how neatly Gahran has organized this book, which draws on 1500 contributions to showcase the variety of ways that people can break the script of traditional relationships, from polyamory to spouses living apart to relationship anarchy. I think this book is great reading for anybody, whether you adhere to a traditional relationship structure or not. It's a beautiful celebration of the diversity of the human experience.
It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram: Khorram has yet to disappoint. His characters are incredibly real, having difficult conversations and grappling with genuine challenges and insecurities, not manufactured plot points that can be resolved by a big romantic gesture. The audiobook narrators were both stellar — I would definitely recommend it in that format! (Also, it's very open door, so be prepared for that.)
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath & Dan Heath: This was a well-constructed guide to the impact that individual moments can have on a life, whether they're carefully planned or just intentionally seized. I liked the variety of stories and the practical takeaways, and I've already been inspired to implement one new thing at work as a result. Like many books in this genre, it's a bit too neatly packaged, but as a starting point for idea generation, it's well done.
The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor: This is very well done! I'm not sure I personally took away a lot of new ideas from it, but I think it's an excellent summary of both the origins of body shame and the steps a person can take to move away from that shame. I appreciate that Taylor talks about body shame not just in the realm of weight stigma but in an all-encompassing way, including race, gender identity, (dis)ability, accents, and so on. The audiobook is under 5 hours, so there's really no good reason not to pick it up.
Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander: This was quite disappointing! The writing was so terrible I literally started texting a friend all the parts that didn't make sense as I was writing. The passage of time was an absolute mess, there were blatant inconsistencies and plot holes, the dialogue was stilted, and the writing generally was just rough. I am baffled by how this not only got picked up by a major publisher but got turned into a series of many books. But I guess folks who are not me have enjoyed this!
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: I'm generally not a fan of short stories, but I must say I enjoyed this collection quite a bit. Outside of the titular short story and the one immediately after it ("The Giant Wisteria"), which are more on the eerie/creepy side, the stories generally end with justice being served and/or people finding love and joy. Almost all of them have some kind of feminist bent. Perhaps other readers would find it dissatisfying that most of these stories tie up in an ideal way, but personally I'd love to live in this world that Gilman has imagined, where wrongs are righted and people (especially women) can accomplish anything they set their mind to.
Worth It: Overcome Your Fears and Embrace the Life You Were Made For by Brit Barron: In a nutshell, Barron is telling the story of meeting her wife (while they were both working at a non-affirming church) and eventually coming out of the closet, and she uses that as a basis from which to encourage the reader to move through fear and into freedom in whatever situation they're in. Where one might typically say a book would be "better as an article" I think this would be "better as a sermon" (Barron is a pastor) than trying to stretch it to be book-length, but I did highlight a lot of great lines.
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler: This was a good middle grade read, with both a historical story line related to the Dutch Resistance and a present-day story line in which the main character learns about her grandmother's childhood during World War II and also learns to stand up to bullies in her own school (intended to be a parallel with the Nazis). It was sweet, and if you don't mind suspending disbelief, it's a good read.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor: I enjoyed the world-building in this middle grade fantasy novel set in Nigeria, as well as the characters and their interactions with each other. The plot itself felt a little uneven to me, and the book's climax was rushed and unsatisfying, but I would consider continuing with this series just to learn more about the world and see how the characters develop.
Dracula by Bram Stoker: Dracula Daily was a really spectacular way to revisit this book. The book can't escape its 1897 roots, and for that reason it's unlikely to ever be a 5-star read for me, but the book has creepiness, tension, action, and a satisfying amount of logical deduction. All of this was heightened by reading in this format, and I would definitely recommend it.
Do You Still Talk to Grandma?: When the Problematic People in Our Lives Are the Ones We Love by Brit Barron: This is undoubtedly one of the best books I've read this year. Barron has captured the challenging nuance of wanting to hold people accountable while still leaving room for growth and learning, and wanting to set boundaries while having clarity on when and where to draw the line. She vulnerably shares real stories of her own missteps throughout her life to illustrate the very human tendencies to either cover up or double down on mistakes. Especially for progressive Christians, but for anyone who cares about social justice or considers themself progressive, I'd highly recommend this 160-page read.
Enough: Heal Your Relationship with Food and Body Using Attachment Theory by Tiffany North, RN, BSN: I think this is a stellar and very needed book. North does a great job being both compassionate and practical in discussing how attachment and trauma play into behaviors related to eating, with tangible ways to address underlying issues that may be contributing to difficulty eating in an intuitive and supportive way. I believe this book could be beneficial to a wide range of people, and I'd love to see it gain a broader audience.
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Only Love Today, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, The Fourth Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures, and It Takes Two to Tumble
Five years ago I was reading: The House of the Spirits and Truth & Beauty
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, A Snicker of Magic, Lonesome Dove, Justice and Sula
