Everything I Read in August

My goal was to read 10 books this month. I didn't think I was going to make it. And then I finished two audio books on the same day, and a reading book the next day. Phew! You know what, though? I'm noticing something. When life is really stressful, I struggle to read at night. My attention just flits from here to there to...everywhere! On that type of day, I don't even know that I enjoy reading, and maybe that is okay.

I also realized that I always want to go bigger and better. Ten books might be less than I read some months, but ten books is still a lot! I am blessed that I can read, and that I can read quickly. I am blessed that I have time and space to read. I am blessed that I can see to read. I am blessed that I have a library from which to get free books to read. I am blessed! I am blessed! I am blessed! And my featured book from this month really reminded me of that.

So, without further adieu, here's this month's book list:

112) Piece of Cake by Asher Paula Fogle and Mary Holly Huddleston—Dallas debutante Claire Sommers falls from grace and strikes out on her own. She ends up working for Piece of Cake wedding magazine in Nashville. The problem is, that in spite of all of her hard efforts, the magazine is about to go under. Enter New Yorker Dom Gravino, whose social media expertise is supposed to produce a following, along with a documentary-style show bound to save the magazine. Thrown together against the odds, Claire and Dom become friends, and then possibly more than friends, until Claire's past comes back to haunt her. Both Claire and Dom learn a lot about forgiveness, love, and finding their true identity in this book, which was sweet. Sadly, some crass humor and innuendo left a sour taste in my mouth. While I can't recommend this particular piece of fiction, like the authors, I believe in redemption and would be willing to give another book a second shot.

113) Unbreakable: Go Strong. Live Long. A Woman’s Guide to Aging with Power by Vonda Wright, MD—After my stress fracture, I was looking for anything and everything to figure out how to strengthen my bones, and that is how I came to Unbreakable. What I liked about the book: Wright’s personal, no-shame approach, and how she shares about the difference mindset makes on a person’s health. What I didn’t like: her giving diet advice (she is a physician, not a dietitian), and some of the focus on longevity. I am encouraged that I can still make positive changes to my health as I age, but I am also not about to spend my one life consumed with fighting aging. What is living longer if I’ve spent the majority of my time and resources on supplements and protocols? I would rather do what I can, reasonably, and enjoy my days on earth, even if they are a bit shorter. That said, read what you wish. Skip what you wish. Some of this book might be helpful. Some might not be. It’s not an unequivocal recommendation from me.

114) Love Forms by Claire Adam—Dawn Bishop is secreted away from Trinidad to Venezuela in the dark of the night. It seems like a kidnapping, until reader realize it isn't. It is her parents sending her away, at 16, to give birth to her baby and leave it there for adoption. The rest of the book goes back and forth between Dawn's present life, her recollections of that time of her life, and her struggles to put the pieces back together. She finds four possible matches for the woman who is her daughter. She reconciles some with her family, and she doesn't. The story is quite post-modern, without exact beginning or end. It is philosophical, in that Dawn has to find and make meaning of her own story. I appreciate the depiction of love in its various forms, but his was another book I found it hard to get into. (The beginning made me afraid to read at night). While interesting, if looking for entertainment, I would recommend seeking it out in other forms. If looking for stories about adoption, I I would recommend autobiography or memoir. Props to Adam for writing a clean story about such a sensitive topic, but this depiction just was not for me.

115) The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer— This book was a keeper—seriously, so cute! Zoe Dufour’s search for true love at an older age was pretty relatable, which helped me get past the cheesy Regency romance podcast subplot. Zoe’s friendship with her podcast producer and best friend Eden’s brother Harrison Lundquist was real, raw, and sweet. Themes of perfectionism and control hit home. I liked the twist at the end that tested true love and extended the story. (A romance between secondary characters budded as well.) This book was just what I needed—lightness in an otherwise full and heavy week. (It also proved to me that I can get through a book fast if it’s the right one.) This book busted through the ceiling of what I would expect from a rom-com, and I am so sad that my library does not have more from this author!

116) Start with Your People: The Daily Decision That Changes Everything by Brian Dixon [Audiobook]—This was not a bad book, but more a book about business than people (and people are my “business.”) While I appreciate Dixon's focus on serving people, some of his recommendations to serve others feel disingenuous. In sum, this (audio)book wasn't for me, but that's okay. It might be for some people.

117) When We Were Friends by Holly Bourne—This is a terrible book I started after having a terrible day, and I guess from that perspective, it did remind me that my life could be worse. The book is riddled with triggering content, however: self-harm, suicidality, drug use, and more. The explicit content (language, sex, and substance use) is abysmally high. Men use women, and women use men. The end gave me whiplash and felt almost like gaslighting. I guess this book does bring awareness to trauma and mental health, and different experiences of it, but goodness! I wish the author could have gotten to the point of the book about trust and friendship for Fern and Jessica and trying to redeem and maintain that friendship without going into so much terrible detail. The author writes in the acknowledgements that this book was a type of “purging” for her. I can see that, and I believe there is already enough awful true stuff in the world that we don’t need more detailed fiction about it. The author is talented—her past/present writing style definitely pulled me in, and she got my emotions running high. Unfortunately, strong writing skills and an emotional story does not a worthwhile book make. As I reel from finishing this novel, and continue to process, I can only say I absolutely cannot recommend it.

118) Rhythms of Prayer Edited by Sarah Bessey [Audiobook]—This is definitely a more progressive book, from the Evolving Faith community. It contains some language I would rather not hear in prayer, and definitely exposes some political biases. This collection of prayers from women across the spectrum of life (race, creed, color, denomination, etc.), however, is real. It reveals God as accessible through prayer (which He is, because of Jesus). While I would not base my theology of prayer on this book, I did find it a helpful, orientating listen during a very stressful season of life. Prayer is for all seasons. I just have to fit my life into the rhythm of it.

119) Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic by Paul Conti, MD [Audiobook]—Psychiatrist Paul Conti knows trauma, personally, and professionally. He clearly has a passion to help people, and society overcome trauma and its adverse effects. That being said, this book felt more like a memoir than a treatise on therapy and how to treat it. Conti shares more stories than directive explanations. I personally found books like The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van Der Kolk and What Happened to You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey more helpful.

120) Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton [Audiobook]—I watched the Soul Surfer movie in theaters with my cousin way back in 2011. This is the book that inspired it (with additions made about the movie process). It was not too graphic, and more about Hamilton's upbringing, family, faith, and return to surfing that the actual shark attack. It was a fun and easy listen, but also an inspiring one!

121) This Book Won’t Make You Happy: Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment by Niro Feliciano, LCSW—This was really a great book. Licensed social worker Niro Feliciano weaves in her Christian faith beautifully, without being preachy. She provides real, solid tips for finding contentment—not flashy or sensational, just practical and real life. Her storytelling style makes the book relatable and easy to read. I came away with a renewed motivation to practice gratitude. It’s not that I don’t do it, but that I don’t do it enough!

122) Bare Bones by Bobby Bones [Audiobook]—I am a sucker for stories of resilience, and this book is one! In it, Country Radio Host Bobby Bones shares openly and vulnerably about his difficult upbringing, struggles with relationships, and big, big mistakes he made in his career. Honestly, in today's day and age, Bones (not his real last name) might have gotten cancelled, but somehow, he survived. Spoiler alert, he is now married with a child. Although this book did contain some crude humor and a little bit of language, I appreciate Bones' baring his soul, so to speak, so that others might feel less alone in their struggles, and more empowered to overcome them.

123) Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham —I learned a new word, “Epistolary,” a word used to describe stories written in correspondence form, which this one is (e-mails and texts) until the middle of the book, when narration enters the scene. Small town librarian Isabelle thinks her meddling cousin Josie is impersonating someone on the Heart-to-Heart dating website, but then realizes she has been baring her soul to Brodie, a stranger on a (made-up) Scottish island. I was impressed by the author’s many references to classic literature. The story contained important truths about identity and worth. It was easy to predict parts of the plot, however, and reading all the correspondence got old. Authentically, I am just not sure what to think. I do have a few more books by this author on my reading list, so maybe I will reserve final judgement until after reading them.

124) Complement:The Surprising Beauty of Choosing Together Over Separate in Marriage by Aaron Ivey and Jamie Ivey—Aaron and Jamie Ivey fell from grace in a public scandal out of Austin Stone Church, but I didn’t know that when I started reading this book, and they wrote it before that event. When I found out, I decided to finish reading anyway. God can use people who sin to impart his truth, and He did through this book. Reading really caused me to assess me heart towards my husband. Yes, I try to serve him, but is it out of love, because Jesus loved me; or out of obligation? Unfortunately, I think it’s often the latter. I don’t really know what’s become of Aaron and Jamie Ivey and their marriage. All I can hope and pray is that they applied what they wrote in this book about seeking Jesus in marriage. Somehow, I hope they find hope and healing again, and at some point, will be able to testify, just as they did in this book, to the greatness of Jesus.

125) Fail Until You Don’t: Fight. Grind. Repeat. By Bobby Bones [Audiobook]—This was not the book for me. While I enjoyed Bones' first memoir, this one felt more like a masochist treatise based on the “No days off” motto. Sure, perseverance, resilience, and motivation are good, but not without rest, and that is basically what Bones writes about: a life of constant striving with very little to no deviances allowed. Bones does include some stories of other famous people whose failures taught them something, but all in all, I found the book more distressing than motivating. I recommend Bones' actual memoir, Bare Bones, not this motivational one.

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Readers, do you have any great books to share from your reading this month?

Everything I Read in July

Did I want to read more this month? Yes. Did I do it? No. So did I really want to read more this month? I don't know. What I do know is that I chose (or just did) other things with my time. I played more word games on my phone. I did a lot of Spanish lessons in DuoLingo. I caught up on podcasts, rather than listening to audiobooks. The books I did read, I read more slowly as I took more notes and spent time learning. I lived my life and fit reading in where it fit, rather than trying to wedge reading into every nook and cranny. It worked, and I need to give thanks for being able to read this much.

This month, I read (or finished reading, as in the first book) a lot of books that really hit home for my age and stage of life:

102. Surrendering Hunger by Jan Johnson—I started this devotional in March, as I sought to pass less judgement on what seemed to me to be extreme hunger. The devotional is based on the author’s struggle with both over and under eating. While I do not necessarily agree with her 12 step-type approach to managing eating issues, there was a lot here about eating in moderation, surrendering control, asking for help, finding identity in Christ, etc. In a culture obsessed with looks (especially for females), this was a helpful read, and came at a time in which I really benefited from it.

103. The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel—Once again, this is a wonderfully crafted story by new-to-me author Jennifer Deibel. Donal Bonratty is unsuccessfully trying to hold everything together as a farm owner and single father who recently lost his wife. His daughter, little Sara, is beyond wise for her years and constantly encourages him to have faith. Catriona Daly, meanwhile, is a local matchmaker trying to control not only the fate of those who seek out her services, but also her own destiny. This is a beautiful story of friendship, faith, sacrificial love, and community support. With both highs and lows, as well as laughable quips from little Sara, this is certainly a book worth reading!

104. The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again by Mary Claire Haver, MD—At face value, this book is a strong argument for menopause hormone treatment, even for women in perimenopause, or the time before menopause. In reading the book from to back, though, I actually learned a lot about this season of life and aging. While it might be a “zone of chaos,” hormonally, it is also a window of opportunity to improve health and reinstate healthy practices. As I seek to rebuild after injury, this is a good mentality for me to have. While I might not go on hormone therapy, or follow Haver’s Galveston Diet, I can do things like focus on eating good, whole foods; lifting heavy to build bone density; and advocating for personalized care (something sorely lacking in this season of life, and for women particularly). While I am not sure I would recommend this book to everyone, it was helpful for me where I am at, so I am glad I read it.

105. Home to You by Cheryl Woolverton—Pastor Dakota “Cody” Ryder finds a strange woman on his doorstep, stirring up the town gossip mill (as well as bringing his mother back to town). He is not about to turn the woman away, though. And then he learns that this is not just any woman; this is his childhood friend Meghan O’Halleran. She has returned because she literally has nowhere else to go. This story has a few too many subplots, which made it a little hard to follow, but it was still a good read. I wouldn’t list it at the top of my book list, but for a lay-around-at home-and-read-a-story-with some meaning-novel, it is decent.

106. Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend—I put this book on hold from the library after reading about it in the April 5 episode of The Skimm. Though I had never listened to the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, something about the book appealed to me. Part human interest story, with bite-sized bits of research woven in, this is story of how Aminatou, a black woman, and Ann, a white woman, became fast friends, and maintained their friendship over a span of years. This book covers The Shine Theory they use to support each other (and other friends), the need to work through conflict as friends, and how they maintain commitment to their friendship through years and distance. Written in third person, I found this a compelling read that shone light on and normalized some of my current friend struggles in midlife. Though not for everyone, this book was good for me right here, right now.


107. The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel—This is the last Jennifer Deibel book at our library, and a powerful one at that! Part Irish history, part modern-day Cinderella story, this is the Maid Brianna Kelly, headmistress Maureen Magee, and Michael Wray, a local gentryman who starts to uncover the unseemly things happening within Ballymacool House and Boarding School. This novel pretty much has it all: mystery, heartbreak, intrigue, love, and great messages about significance and identity. Jennifer Deibel is a truly gifted author, and I will be looking for her next book!

108. Dancing with Max: A Mother and Son Who Broke Free by Emily Colson [Audiobook]—This was a sweet book! With a forward and afterward by Chuck Colson of Breakpoint, this is not just the story of a single mom and her autistic son. It is the story of the community that surrounded them and upheld them. It is a story of the gifts Max's autism give to his family and friends. I recommend this book not only for families of children with special needs, but for everyone. Everyone can all benefit more from increasing understanding, not of disabilities per se, but through through freeing themselves from the view that diagnoses are detriments, and instead, that they provide openings into understanding God and people better. The audio recording of Max singing, "I Can Do All Things" at the end is especially sweet, so I recommend listening versus reading if you can!

109. This Must Be The Place: Following the Breadcrumbs of Your Past to Discover Your Purpose Today by Jamie Nato—I can’t tell you how I got to this book, but I can tell you that this was a good time for me to read it. Using her own story, the author writes both a memoir and a self-help guide to finding (or rather re-finding) one’s passions and purposes. She writes each chapter as a treasure hunt for talents and abilities God has given and how they are lived out. She shows how God has used each stage of her life to point her to the treasure that she has in Him, and is in Him. This is a worthwhile read, and an easy, enjoyable, and witty one at that!

110. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson—I put this book on hold after reading two of Ferguson’s other books, How to Plot a Payback, and The Most Perfect Rom-Com. I have to say, my verdict was out until the last six chapters or so. The book was just so ridiculous at points. (It is a rom-com, so what did I expect?) The book didn’t seem to have much substance. (As reviewer Iola Goulton writes, Ferguson’s books are Christian romance, but not with an “emphasis on the Christian.”) But then, suddenly, the story has so much worthiness and sweet meaning (though without overt mention of faith)! Flustered assistant acquisitions editor Savannah Cade realizes that she loves writing, whether or not she publishes the romance on which she’s been working for years. She realizes who she truly loves. She reconciles with her sister. The uptight new VP at the publishing house, William Pennington, becomes human. He takes risks that pay off. The slow-burn romance turns into something worth a story. (The final details of the story and its resolution maker wonder if Ferguson wrote some parts of her own life into the story.) After all my margin notes on what I didn’t like, I’m sold on this book and want to read more from this author!

111) Chase the Fun: 100 Days to Discover Fun Right Where You Are by Annie F. Downs —I didn’t read this book over 100 days. I read it in a few days. In it, Downs writes in her signature, down-to-earth, and very practical style about considering fun as a spiritual discipline. (She maybe doesn’t say that directly, but I think that is what the book argues.) She shares about how being amateur at things provides ways to practice giving and receiving grace. She writes about how hobbies can connect people to God and others, and how the feeling of joy leads to the action of fun, with both joy and fun pointing to eternity. This was a fun read, pun intended!

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Who's read any of these? What books have been just what you needed in this season of your life?Please share in the comments!

Everything I Read (And Listened To) in June

My goal this month was to get to 100 books. That would require reading 10 books this month. Did I do it? Just barely (And then I squeezed in the completion of one more audiobook). Although my book list this month is a lot shorter than last month's, I enjoyed the reading and even found a new favorite author in the process!

90. Outlaw Sheriff by Kathleen Y’Barbo—Caleb Wilson hopes and prays he is going to get a new start when he settles in Dime Box, Arizona. Soon, enough though, Mayor Ed Thompson is hauling him over to the jail and he wonders what the charge is this time. Meanwhile, Lydia Bertrand comes west as an unwilling mail-order bride. Caleb is surprised when, instead of imprisoning him, the mayor makes him sheriff, and Lydia’s servant says that Lydia is his mail-order bride. Caleb quickly realizes he’s not the man everyone thinks he is, and he decides to come clean. What comes next is surprising and sweet. I flew through this book like a whirlwind, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

91. A Gamble on Love by Tamela Hancock Murray—The Wilson brother saga ends as youngest brother Benjamin decides to leave the saloon where his brothers left him,and he grew up to become a cheating card dealer. He wouldn’t have left except that Pearl, his co-card shark and the woman he loves, is going home to care for her ailing mother. Benjamin plans to continue his card-dealing ways, but because of Pearl, becomes instead an honest, working man instead. He also meets Jesus, which changes everything for him. This story contains some sweet references to biblical stories like the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and more. Hancock really did a great job of summing up the series here. I wish this Texas brides novella collection was just the Wilson brother stories, because they really were the best ones!

92. The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods by Hank Haney—I hoped this book would help me to have more understanding and empathy for Tiger Woods. It did, and it didn’t. Honestly, a lot of it made me like Woods less. According to the accounting of Hank Haney, Wood’s coach of six years, Woods was notoriously self-centered. Woods did not share much with anyone. He pulled “pranks” like putting on adult TV when he shared a room with devout Christian Zach Johnson. He tipped poorly. It was hard to coach him. Haney says Woods’ self-centeredness helped him win, but winning isn’t forever. Woods went through a string of injuries, and then scandals, and missed a lot in some major tournaments. Then Haney resigned as his coach. As Haney writes in the end, Woods’ psychological issues and character are Woods’ biggest misses. At publishing in 2012, Haney believed Woods might overcome his missed and bounce back to big successes, but 14 years later, I am not so sure. I finished the book sad for Tiger Woods, for the game that overcame him, and for the life that seems to have left him.

93. My Mess is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety by Georgia Pritchett [Audiobook]—This book appealed to me because of its title, the content, not so much. In this short collection of essays and stories, screenwriter Georgia Pritchett chronicles her struggles with anxiety, starting as a young child, moving through young adulthood, and then into motherhood. Pritchett writes with a cynical, dark, dry, sardonic tone, and rarely a speck of good news. She uses the F word often (as is more common in the United Kingdom), has values that conflict with mine, and there are depictions of sexual abuse that could be triggering for some. While I empathize with having a mess of a life, and I really do hope that writing this book helped Pritchett get on with her life, I unfortunately, cannot recommend reading (or listening).

94. Sick Girl by Amy Silverstein—I started reading this book, eager to understand more about heart transplant. Then the dark parts started, and just kept coming. Silverstein became the “sick girl” when she encountered cardiac myopathy that led to ventral fibrillation, and then flatlining at age 24. At age 25, she got her first heart transplant. (She states that she had two transplants, but only writes about one in this book.) It might seem like that was the start of health, but it really wasn't. It was the start of a new life of being sick due to immunosuppressant drugs, medicines that patients need, but that doctors really do not know how to dose. This book exposes so many hard parts of being sick, plus the inadequacies of the medical system. There might be a lot that can't be fixed, but what can be addressed is the need for empathy and presence. Sick or not, everybody needs somebody.

95. My Glory Was I Had Such Friends: A Memoir by Amy Silverstein [Audiobook]—I really liked this book. It was explicit, and sad, but also beautiful. A counter to Silverstein's first book, Sick Girl, this memoir chronicles how Silverstein’s friends came through in offering her the kinds of support she craved in her first book. Relocated to California due to the need for a second heart transplant, Silverstein quickly found herself hospitalized due to the rapid decline in her health. Literally, through the worst of times, her friends were there for her: hanging pictures, keeping nurses away so Silverstein could sleep, holding vomit bowls while she threw up, staging coups to escape the hospital, etc. Silverstein had a very rough time, especially when required to get a pacemaker to keep her failing first heart beating. Each day and night were a fight for life, and Silverstein was ready to give up, until a heart transplant came to her six days before her 1A transplant status expired. The end of the book finds Silverstein feeling as healthy as ever, revealing in nature, grateful for the friends that go her through to this new stage of living. While Silverstein did pass away in 2023, she lived a good eight or nine years with her new heart, and this book lives on as a testimony to the people who helped her get there. What glory that she had such friends!

96. A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel—Okay, this book is a keeper! Not one for historical fiction, I read this book because of a trip planned to Ireland. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but then the story of Moira Doherty’s journey to Donegal, Ireland to become the new schoolteacher danced away with me. This book is not short on real life, bringing with it many emotions including joy, grief, love, anger, and fear. Woven throughout the multi-layered, book are many spiritual truths. Through it all, the theme of God’s presence and ability to redeem all things shines forth. This is a beautiful book, and you’d better believe that I am going to read more from this author!

97. Now Go Out There (and Get Curious) by Mary Karr [Audiobook]—I don’t know if I should really count this short commencement address as a book, but it was in the Libby app as an audiobook, so I am adding it to my list! In this short address, Syracuse professor Mary Karr chronicles her journey from a tough childhood in rough and tumble Texas, to a stay in a mental hospital, to a poetry residency. She states that “Getting what you want often scares you more than not getting it,” and that “the opposite of love is fear.” She encourages people to get curious about what scares them, and replace revulsion with curiosity. Facing fear can be the start of something great, and provide opportunities for empathy. “Go out there and buy somebody broker than you lunch,” she ends her speech, and in that is not only an admonition, but an invitation to know self and others better. At only 21 minutes, this address is worth going out there and listening to.

98. Cooking Well: Osteoporosis by Marie-Annick Courtier—Thankfully I don’t have osteoporosis (yet). I am trying to increase bone healing nutrients in my diet after my running injury, though. This book was not helpful in that process. It is old, dated, photo less (I like photos in cookbooks) and very focused on restrictive dieting (low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb). (The author even says to refuse food if in doubt about how it was prepared. Sorry, I’d rather be fed!) I think the author might also be British, as some of the terms in the book seem British rather than American. (That’s not a problem, just something to note.) All in all, this book was a dud. Thankfully it didn’t take me long to skim through it.

99. Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges by Mona Delahooke, PhD, read by Coleen Marlo [Audiobook]—Mona Delahooke is a clinical and consulting pediatric psychologist, but she is not into diagnosing kids. She is into helping them become their best selves. With lots of understanding and compassion, Delahooke encourages caregivers and professionals to look underneath behaviors before trying to change them. She focuses on the power of attuned relationships, and how those can literally change children's trajectories. While her book is clinical, it is also accessible and practical, containing both composite stories of clients, as well as worksheets to use with one's own children or clients. I think this is a great resource for parents and professionals alike!

100. The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel—I have definitely found a new favorite author! And it turns out she lives in Arizona, too. In this book, Lady Annabeth DeLacy starts up an apprenticeship at Jenning’s jeweler’s shop after her father becomes landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Tensions between their British family and the local Irish people are high, but that does not dissuade Annabeth. Rather, she seeks to learn about, and comes to love the local people. Her situation is complex, though, as without a son, she as eldest daughter is expected to save the family. Then there is the matter of Stephen Jennings, hurt so badly by the exodus of his first love, and the murder of his brother that he dares not connect with others. This story has so many layers of complexity, and its portrayal of sacrificial love nearly brought me to tears. This book is definitely worth reading!

101. This is Me: Living the Person You Are Today by Chrissy Metz [Audiobook]—I have never watched This is Us, the show that made Chrissy Metz famous, but the title of her book caught my eye. As I listened to her story, I winced with pain over the abuse she endured. I chuckled over some of the experiences she shared in a such a wry, dry, way. I celebrated her work to be herself, to forgive, and to treat others with respect. Some people say that Chrissy is a Christian. This book points to spirituality, but does not really document faith. (She also does some non-traditional Christian things like swearing and consulting a shaman.) This book might trigger some, but others might find it inspiring. All in all, it was a worthwhile lesson for me as I continue to explore my own identity and owning all God made me to be.

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Has anybody else read 100 books already this year? Or am I just overly voracious?

Everything I Read (And Listened To) in May

With running records off the table, I went for a reading record instead, and I made this decision late in the game. I read (and listened to) 20 books in March. On May 22, I was only at 10 or 11 books for the month, however. That meant I would need to read 10 or 11 more books in the final 9 days of the month to meet my goal. Challenge on. I listened to audiobooks instead of podcasts. I might have tuned out my husband a little bit while I tried to cram in pages (not recommended). I read books (e.g. novellas) I probably would not have apart from this goal. Is that sort of cheating? Maybe. But whether it is cheating or not, it required effort and intention, and I am giving myself credit for that. Books for the month included:

65. Strong is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power by Lindsey Vonn with Sarah Toland—Lindsey Vonn came back into prominence with her 2026 Olympics appearance (and near deadly crash). This book is dated—from 2016–but I still thought it might give me a window into who she is and how she lives. It did. While I don’t agree with everything in this book (and some pictures are inappropriate), I do appreciate her encouragement to work out to be strong (instead of just to lose weight), and learn to love (or at least appreciate) one’s own body. The book does contain some basic nutrition and workout advice, but it’s basic and at, this point, dated. I look forward to getting into more of Vonn’s actual life story through her autobiography, Rise.

66. For the Love of the Grind by Sara Hall—Man am I glad I read this book! I have been a fan of Sara Hall (and her husband Ryan) for quite some time! The Halls live in Flagstaff, and they are professed Christians who unashamedly share their faith and how it has changed over the years. This book shares more of Sara’s story in particular (since Ryan already wrote two books), from how Sara and Ryan met, to their journey of adoption, and the recent injury cycles Sara has overcome in order to keep competing in the marathon. This book is gritty, raw, and real. In it, Sara Hall shares some of the struggles of parenting children with a history of trauma (which she does so eloquently, naming the pains, but not the particulars, so as to protect her daughters’ privacies). She shares moments of despair, as well as true moments of joy. This is really a book not just for runners, but for anyone wrestling with their calling and trying to figure out not just how to show up in the world, but how to show up with love, care, and compassion for self and others. I don’t know how long Hall will get to run, but I do know that she is making a difference in the sport of marathoning, and many (including me) admire her for it.

67. Strong Like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety & Compassion to Move Through Hard Things & Experience True Flourishing by Aundi Kolber MA, LPC [Audiobook]—Aundi Kolber is a trauma survivor and a therapist. In this book, she uses her own experience, as well as the composite experiences of her clients (written as individual characters) to share techniques for trauma recovery. Although she does not suggest doing self-EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), she does suggest using some tools from EMDR in the trauma recovery process. While this book is very good, empirically based and written with so much empathy, I still think it might be a bit clinical for most people. I would recommend using this book in work with a trusted therapist for most safety and best prognosis for healing.

68. Eat. Lift. Thrive. by Sohee Lee—Lindsey Vonn’s book Strong in the New Beautiful got me interested in strength and conditioning and personal training concepts, and so I read this book. While I don’t intend to be a power lifter or body builder, I found it interesting to read about the “big rocks” of nutrition and sleep. The exercise descriptions and photos could be helpful to someone trying to fine tune a strength program. I would argue that hiring a personal trainer would be easier than trying to study and figure out moves on one’s own, but if that is what a person wants, this book even includes some starter body building plans. I do appreciate Lee’s focus on having a fulfilling life outside of exercise, and I hope reading this book can continue to help me, and others, continue to seek that full life.

69. An Apology in Bloom by Suzanne Woods Fisher—I didn’t realize this was a novella, so I was a little shocked to see how few pages loaded when I checked out the book on Libby. Still, it was fun, and it turns out there are three other novellas in the lot. A post-COVID book, this follows Jaime Harper as she attempts to make it as a wedding florist in New York City. This isn’t her home, but rather the place she escaped after she left her home in North Carolina. Jaime lacks self-confidence and even gets her job at Epic Events because of viral apology bouquets she makes for her neighbor. There are definitely some ends left untied with this story, but I am eager to read the next installment of the story and see if any of them get knotted, or tied into a bow.

70. Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn [Audiobook]—Lindsey Vonn recaptivated the sports world when, at 41, she skied in the 2026 Olympics, only to suffer a horrific crash that caused her to be airlifted off the mountain. This is her story of life before that moment, though, of her nine year-old dreams of becoming an Olympian; of the many injuries she suffered, and came back from; of the records she broke, and the sport that nearly broke her. She writes about mental health, relationships, identity, and more. This book could not have been more timely for me as I face a running injury and must take time off my sport. Sure, few are at Vonn’s level, but she is still an “every girl” in some ways because of how raw and real she is. With that, I do have to warn that she uses the “F” word (as well as some other colorful language) a lot in this book. If that is bothersome, read (or listen, as I did) with care. Otherwise, I think this is an insightful book.

71. Bouquet of Dreams by Suzanne Woods Fisher—Claire Murphy left Sunrise at the same time as her friends Jaime and Tessa. She ran off to work at Same Day Delivery florist in Georgia. After an altercation at a customer service rehabilitation conference, however, her job comes to an end. Her old boyfriend Chris Reid encourages her to go home, delivering to her a letter from her old boss, Rose Reid, inviting her to do so. Claire isn’t sure, but she decides to take the risk and go forward not on dreams, but on faith.

72. A Field of Beauty by Suzanne Woods Fisher —Tessa Anderson fled Sunrise, North Carolina after a series of bad high school decisions. Now she’s graduated college and turned an acre of land into a wildflower farm with the help of Dawson Greene, a sustainability instructor who becomes her farm manager. When things with her boyfriend go south and it looks like the city will eminent domain her farm, Tessa goes home to Sunrise and finds there an opportunity to once again compost the past and work to rehabilitate land and turn it into a place of beauty. This book, perhaps because of its more complex plot, is my favorite novella on the series so far. I am excited to see how all the stories align in the last installment of this series.

73. A Future in Blossom by Suzanne Woods Fisher—The Year of Flowers anthology concludes as Jaime, Claire, and Tessa all return to Sunrise, North Carolina. Jaime and Claire run Rose’s flower shop while Tessa works to start a new flower farm. They come together to throw a wedding for the client from An Apology in Bloom, and then to rehash what happened the night of the fire that drove them all apart. They learn about why Rose called them back, and get opportunities to love and be loved. Short and sweet, I liked each of theses stories and would recommend them to anyone—short attention span like me, or voracious reader who wants a lot of sweetness in not too much story.

74. And Then Came Joy by Jodi Cowles—Such an engaging heartwarming (and heart wrenching) story, and it’s true! Jodi is not only my cousin, but also a gifted author, and such a brave woman of faith. This is Jodi’s story of early loss and grief, the Beast of fear that dogged her for years, and the many victories God gave her over him, both small and great in degree. It is the story of Jodi and her husband Tim adopting their daughter Joy and getting Joy physically out of Joy’s birth country of Turkey, but also a story emotional, mental, and spiritual wrestling. Profound and deep, but also comical at times, this is a gritty memoir about joy in all its facets, as well as a continued celebration of the beautiful girl Joy herself.

Order the book here: https://bluehatpublishing.com/products/then-came-joy-by-jodi-cowles 

75. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal—This book came to me by way of citation in The Fun Habit, and it seemed apt for a season of life where I have been anything but indistractable. With nice short chapters containing clear headings and bulleted conclusion points, I found this book easy to read. (I tried not to let myself get distracted as I read each chapter, but alas, I still did sometimes.) In these chapters, Eyal details his own struggles with distraction, as well as giving readers a road map for exploring what they are trying to escape, addressing it, and then hacking back external triggers for distraction. He encourages values based-living, and time-blocking to live out those values (rather than just ignoring tech and other distractions all-together.) It would be great if I could just have the fruit of the Spirit of self-control and be indistractable, but the reality is that fruit takes some nurturing to grow. This book provides some ideas about how to get there.

76. Stranded in Paradise: A Story of Letting Go by Lori Copeland—A little bit romantic comedy, a little bit self-help, and an engaging enough story make this a fairly quick read. Tess Nelson just got laid off, but she still has her business plane tickets to Hawaii. Carter Nelson is trying to release the stress of his job as flight controller. They run into each other at the airport and together experience a series for very unfortunate events, including a hurricane. Carter’s faith grows, and Tess learns about trust, in God and in people. While I wouldn’t rank this book at the top of my preference list, it’s far from one I’d be forced to read if stranded. The takeaway message about trust is one I needed, too.

77. Hungry for God: Honoring God’s Voice in the Ordinary and the Everyday by Margaret Feinberg [Audiobook]— Honestly, I listened to this book because it was short, and I had a book goal to meet for the month. It was a beneficial book in which the author lays out various ways to hear from God. She includes her own experiences as well as quotes and stories from others to show how God speaks through scripture, prayer, Lectio Divina, liturgy, dreams, journaling, conscience, wise counsel, art, nature, circumstances, and more. This is a good book, and one that encouraged me to consider more ways that I can attune to God’s voice.

78. Conquering Anorexia: The Route to Recovery by Clare Lindsay—Clare Lindsay had good enough parents, but she did not learn to express herself or be assertive with them. This, coupled with poor early peer relationships, resulted in low self-esteem, and a descent into anorexia that she realized she used to gain attention and care. Her story isn’t everyone’s story, and due to the potentially triggering details included, I cannot really recommend reading it. Lindsay writes that putting together this book gave her motivation to conquer anorexia, however, and that is admirable. At the time of writing, she was a counselor for individuals with eating, disorders, too. That also is laudable. The existence of this book, even if not a recommended read, does provide hope for recovery, and that is definitely worth writing about.

79. There’s Always Tomorrow by Darlene Mindrup—Dathan Adams lives in isolation, running the lighthouse. Adrella Murphy sees Dathan only occasionally when she and her father, a shopkeeper, take deliveries to Datah. Adrella is intrigued by Dathan, but knows little of his world. Then a hurricane thrusts them together for an extended, and frightening time on the island where their trust and friendship grow. When they are able to go back to shore, there is no place for Adrella to stay, so out of duty and propriety, Dathan marries her and takes her back to the lighthouse. For a shorter story, this tale really packs in a lot about learning to trust God and others. This book failed to be about Ireland, which is why I selected it, but there's always tomorrow for reading Irish books. This one was a good one, and I am glad I found it!

80. Serena’s Strength by DiAnn Mills—This is a true Texas novella, about Texas Ranger’s daughter Serena Talbot and the Ranger’s lieutenant, Chet Wilkinson. Just turning 18, Serena has been in love with Chet since he first came around. She may be slight, but she is strong, and when Chet sees her strength, he falls in love with her, too. Serena’s protective Pa, however, strictly forbids the relationship. It takes Chet (with Serena’s help), saving the family from banditos, to make Pa reconsider. Serena then gets both a new horse and a marriage proposal for her birthday. Historical fiction isn’t usually my thing, but since this novella was short, didn’t mind reading it in order to get to my reading goals for the month.

81. I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy: Simple Mindset Shifts to Love the Life You Already Have by Kate Strickler [Audiobook]—I think this book was more for moms than for me, but it was still a good one for me to listen to. In what she calls a "working memoir," Naptime Kitchen founder Kate Strickler works through ten lies she has believed. She encourages mindset shifts to reframe each lies, as well as ways to make the shifts "practical." She encourages thinking about priorities and focusing on those, letting other things go. "If I can get serious about what matters to me, I can own my choices and stop worrying abut how I stack up on score cards that aren’t even mine," she writes. That quote stuck with me. Loving my life really is more about increasing contentment and decreasing comparison-to my ideal self or to anyone else.

82. Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World by Mike Casper—I read this book in my sprint to the finish of May so read this review in that light. I think this was a good book, but for me, it was a subject better covered by an article, than a book. In the book, Mike Casper argues for a more “enchanted” life in the world, being aware not only of the world, but of God and others in it. He has some good points. I agree that Christians need not just spiritual disciplines, but more connection with God. Casper suggestions some pathways towards that end. Those are interesting and could be helpful if practiced. Maybe I should have dug in deeper, and gotten more enchanted with this concept, but for me, this book was not particularly transformational.

83. The Reluctant Fugitive by Darlene Mindrup—April Hansen feels ecstatic when her prodigal brother Ted returns home. Her elation is short lived, however, as Ted rapidly gets her involved in a bank heist that leads to her being taken hostage. Soon enough, April is no longer with the robbing band, but under the watch of Texas Ranger Yellow Wolf Jackson. While she initially rejects the ranger's attention, and he struggles to believe her innocence, they eventually fall for one another. Ted returns in an unexpected ending. Though I was a little reluctant to read another Texas novella, this one was a nice surprise!

84. Saving Grace by Kathleen Y’Barbo—Jedidiah Harte, aka Heartless Harte gives up his rangering ways when he comes to saving faith in Jesus. Unfortunately, his past follows him and he arrives at the home of his friends Grace and Bennett Delaney near death. What he doesn’t know is that his friend died two months ago, and that Widow Grace fears she may follow when she gives birth to her last child. Jedidiah survives, long enough to promise Grace he’ll take care of her children if she passes. She doesn’t, but he keeps his word to make sure she and her children have what they need. After orchestrating reconciliation between Grace and her father, he rides off to go back to rangering, or so he thinks. What he finds is a God who won’t let him go, and a scripture God impresses on his mind to show him what to do instead. For a novella, this had a pretty good plot line. Read carefully if squeamish, though, as injury recovery and medical drama and trauma make up much of it.

85. This is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream, Ignite Your Passion, Live Tour Purpose by Tim Tebow with A.J. Gregory, read by Fred Berman [Audiobook]—Self-help/feel-good/devotional/memoir? I am not really sure how to categorize this book. It’s somewhat about how Tim Tebow chased his dream to play professional baseball, but also includes stories from individuals served by the Tim Tebow foundation. It’s about taking chances, but also about prioritizing people. I would not call the book life-changing, but it was heart-warming and encouraging, without taking on airs of toxic positivity. In this season of my life, I will take it!

86. An Inconvenient Gamble by Michelle Ule—Charles Moss was once a gambler, but he quit betting four years ago after coming to faith. Jenny Duncan’s husband Tom was a gambler, and when she finds out that the man God sent to help her after her husband died of yellow fever struggled with the same temptation, she is livid. The problem is, that she needs Charles’ help, with the horse farm, her brothers, and the birth of her upcoming child. I honestly struggled to follow this story. Maybe there was just a little too much story and not enough exposition?

87. Angel in Disguise by Darlene Franklin—Rosie Carson is a redeemed thief. Owen Cooper is an injured (but recovering) Texas Ranger. (See a theme in these novellas?). The two meet at a church event and are somewhat taken with each other. The problem is that Rosie has not quite redeemed her ways, and Owen is tasked with finding the “Easter Angel.” I liked the element of mystery in this story, but struggled with the flight into righteousness/salvation from all of sin’s earthly consequences aspects of the story. In summary, I am torn on my review of this book.

88. Reuben’s Atonement by Lynette Sowell—Reuben Wilson left home early, and spent time thieving and otherwise breaking the law. Returning to Raider’s Crossing after a stint in jail and a come to Jesus moment, he is determined to make things right, and to make good on a promise he made to his dying mother. Charlotte Wilson, Reuben’s childhood friend, is determined not to let Reuben get into her heart…again. This is a sweet, slow-burn story, accentuated by Reuben’s understanding of Jesus’ atonement, and what that means for his life goals. I really enjoyed this one, both for the story, and for its theological truth!

89. The Peacemaker by DiAnn Mills—Finally, some continuity in these novellas! This one follows Colt Wilson (brother to Reuben) as he gets out of prison and takes care of the matter that plagued him. Finding Will Langley proves to be elusive, though, as the man has died. Somehow, Colt ends up as a ranch hand on the cattle and horse farm of Will’s widow, Anne, and there Colt falls not only for Anne and her daughters, but for Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Along the way, he has to wrestle with some cattle wrestlers and truly learn to trust God. This is truly a good book, one belied by its title, but good nonetheless.

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At 24 books, I exceeded my reading goal for the month. I am tired. I am not loving the novellas I am reading (though I do like the fact that I can read them in a day), so when I am done with this anthology, I think I will go back to a book of more substance. And as for audio books? They're great, but not all the time. I also have a lot of podcasts pinned for later listening. All that being said, expect a shorter reading list next month (but also hopefully less screen time, too).

Everything I Read (And Listened To) in April

I did not set a numerical goal for reading this year, but so far, I must say that I have been pretty proud of the way my book totals have stacked up each month. In January, I read and listened to 16 books. In the short month of February, I fit in 15 books. In March, I topped out at 20 books, and this month, I hit a total of 12. Six of those were audiobooks. Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!

Looking at those numbers, I wonder where my reading time went. In doing some screen time research, I noticed that my weekly reading time decreased by two plus hours around Lent (the time at which I reintroduced social media, which, surprise, surprise, totaled two or more hours per week). I only read one fiction book, and one I did not really enjoy at that. (I tend to read fiction faster than I read non-fiction.) I spent time working on some other things in my spare time: writing on this blog, and on another project. I started cooking new recipes. I started running, again, but less long. Maybe I listened to some more podcasts? I am not sure if I should chastise myself for reading so much less this month, or just let it be. Whichever the case, here is my list:

53. Slow: Simple Living in a Frantic World by Brooke McAlary [Audiobook]—Australian Brooke McAlary reimagined her life after an extremely stressful season of life, followed by postpartum depression. She decided to slow down to live an intentional, values-centered life. Yes, this did include decluttering and minimizing, but it was about so much more: connection, contentment, and finding balance. I appreciated McAlary’s encouragement to find a personal “why” for slow living, rather than “keeping up with the Jones’” (even the minimalist Jones). The end of the book felt a bit repetitive, and slow, but maybe that was the point?

54. Low-Demand Parenting: Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm and Finding Connection with your Uniquely Wired Child by Amanda Diekman—Amanda Diekman is mom of autistic kids, and a late diagnosed autistic adult herself. In this book, she writes about the dysregulation she and her household experienced when demands were too high, and what happened when she decided to drop those demands and provide safe, calm, nurturing presence instead of expectation. Diekman explains how to look for adult expectations under demands placed on children, how to drop those demands, and how to care for self in doing so. She even provides helpful worksheets in the resources section of the book to assist in this process. While I am torn about whether or not parents should drop all demands of children (and I would argue that Diekman focuses on prioritizing—letting go of what doesn’t matter to leave capacity for what does), I think this book has some helpful information to offer, especially for parents of children struggling with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). If nothing else, the book offers a huge does of empathy for parents struggling to make peace with a household that is far from what they dreamed, hoped, or expected.

55. The Electricity of Every Living Thing: A Woman’s Walk in the Wild to Find Her Way Home by Katherine May—This book is billed as the author’s discovery and wrestling with her diagnosis of autism, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a beautiful story of her walks on the South West Coast Path, the processing she did while engaging in them, and how she gained strength and self-acceptance while doing so. There is some language in this book (as some words that are swear words in the US are not so in the UK). The book is not religious, but has some spiritual undertones. (The author calls herself an atheist.) These things not withstanding, I found reading the book the opposite of electrifying, but rather calming and insightful, and motivating of myself to want to write about how some of my life’s feats have transformed me.

56. Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hours by Gayle Haggard with Angela Hung [Audio book]—I knew that this would be a hard book for me to read [ahem, listen to]. Ted Haggard’s fall from grace rocked the evangelical world when it occurred. Once the pastor of New Life Church, he lost everything when his illicit relationships with a homosexual masseur and use of illegal drugs went public. This is his wife’s tale of why she stayed with him. It is also the story of how the church handled the situation poorly. Despite Haggard himself having set up a board of overseers and restorers to handle conflicts like this, the church instead amputated the family from it, refusing not only to allow them the ability to tell their story/testimony to anyone, church members or media, but also forbidding them to attend the church, associate with its members, or even meet with church staff beyond the overseers. The church sent the Haggards away to receive counseling, and upon completion, told them they would need to move out of the state of Colorado, the state in which New Life Church was located. My thoughts and feelings ran the gamut while listening to this: from disgust at the lies Ted Haggard told, to frustration at Gayle Haggard for seeming to forgive his indiscretions so easily, to appreciation of the ways Gayle chronicled the benefits of EMDR in their healing, to a new awareness about how poorly the church handles sin. After finishing this book and reading that the Haggards are back in ministry as shepherds of a new church, I am really not sure what to think, of any of it. My goal in reading was to understand more about the evangelical church and reasons why people oppose it. Well, I got more than I bargained for, in gaining a new perspective into the need for the church to help heal and redeem its own. I am glad I stayed with this book but honestly, had I been reading, I think I would have given up. The fact that the audio kept going helped me get through the dark spots to the other side.

57. Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson—I am not one for comedy, especially slapstick comedy, and if this isn’t one, I don’t know what is. Italian turned Texan Bella Rossini is trying to run her parents’ wedding venue and faces trouble at every turn. Her uncle starts watching a parrot. Campfire singes the eyebrows off someone. Bella falls in love in a month. While this book has some yummy references to Italian food and some quotes worth requoting (in English and Italian—about life, faith, love, etc.,) the whole book is just pretty ridiculous. I honestly had a hard time getting through it. While I’m curious if the other books in this series might be any better, I also wonder if I’d be a fool to jump into more books that ust aren’t my type.

58. Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years by Sister Jean with Seth Davis [Audiobook]—Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt saw a lot in her 106 years on earth. Born after the end of World War I, she lived through World War II, the war in Vietnam, COVID, and the racial tensions of the 2020s. She left California for Dubuque, Iowa to become a nun as a young lady, and went on to have a long career in teaching, ranging from elementary school, all the way to college work. After her retirement, at age 75, she became the chaplain for the Ramblers men's basketball team at Loyola University. She gained prominence due to media coverage and grew to become quite the beloved figure (even having bobbleheads made in her image). Sister Jean calls herself “old-fashioned," but she was also progressive, moving from wearing a habit to normal street clothes (and even Loyola University Nikes), and using technology. Sister Jean was a strong advocate for youth sports, and for integration of all genders and races into sports, stating that “sports is a great teacher.” (She helped start sports leagues at some of the institutions at which she taught.) Sister Jean has somewhat of a universalist theology, but I wasn't listening to this book for religious lessons. I listened for the stories Sister Jean tells, for the inspiration, and for enjoyment. I got all of that, and more. Sister Jean died in 2025, but man, what a legacy of purpose she leaves!

59. Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life by Mike Krzyzewski with Donald T. Phillips—I read Coach K's story in 2024 (Coach K by Ian O'Connor), but this book gave me new insight into the way Coach K lives, and I say lives because his coaching is as much a way of life as his way of life is the way he coaches. Coach K values what he calls “the fist” of “communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, and pride.” Life, for him, is about relationships, and so is leadership. This book is about basketball, but it is also instructional for anyone who leads. Heart matters. Health matters. Holding onto values while times are changing matters. As a Duke basketball fan, I enjoyed reading this book for its basketball content, but more than that, I appreciated the insights it gave me into the team culture Coach K initiated and sustained during his long tenure at Duke.

60. What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci [Audiobook]—This was not the book I thought I was reading. I wanted to read the book Taste, which is more of a memoir. (Oh well, I now have that book saved on my never-ended online Libby library to-be-read list.) This is more of a journal: of life, and of what author and foodie Stanley Tucci ate. There are parts that read like recipes, but since I listened to the audiobook, I did not record them. Tucci writes about cooking in his own hotel rooms while away from his family, and about trying not to stay away for too long, or to force his children to travel with him, since he chose his career, not them. What I found most interesting was Tucci's inclusion of his kids in so many of his activities, and how their needs and tastes impacted his own eating. I appreciated Tucci's writing about the values of involved parenting, and I smiled as he recounted the joys of finally figuring out a way to eat together with his children as a family. This was not a life changing book in any way, and it had language I would rather avoid, but overall, it was some interesting background noise for life, like having a cooking show playing on the TV while going about the daily duties of living.

61. The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine [Audiobook]—This was a good book, although at this point in my life, I have to say that it makes me very sad. What Tremaine proposes is having a “council” or “collection” of 10 different types of friends, to cover 10 different types of scenarios. I am lucky if I can name 10 friends, and if/when I do, they all live hours, and/or days away from me, falling into the old friend, battle buddy, and/or soul sister categories of friends. Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to Tremaine describe her life council of friends (a term she got from one of her friends) and the book got me thinking about a project I started some time ago chronicling the roles of various friends in my life. Maybe I should get back to that...or maybe I should get back to focusing on friendship, even if it requires me making that a “to-do” on my daily task list, as Tremaine says she has. All in all, this was was a worthwhile/listen/read, and I would recommend it.

62. The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Mike Rucker—Michael Rucker is an organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist who, for a time, forgot how to have fun. More about the value of fun, and less about himself, this book is an argument for integrating fun into relationships, work, and community. Rucker shares both the science behind the value of fun, as well as giving anecdotal evidence from his own life, and the lives of others. I genuinely enjoyed reading this book (maybe it was fun?), and it makes me want to consider more ways to bring fun into my life.

63. Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body Sensory Strategies That Really Work by Robyn Gobbel— It took me a while to get around to reading this book, and I am glad that I did! Quite a bit of the content felt familiar from the years I have spent listening to the Big Baffling Behaviors podcast. Reading the information through the story of fictional parent Nat, however, put "flesh" on the concepts, so to speak. I found the chapters about levels of watchdog (alert) and possum (shutdown) behaviors extremely helpful. I also appreciated the attitude of empathy and care that Gobbel portrays towards parents in her writing. This is a niche book, but for people in this niche, it is a treasure!

64. The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Organism, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good by David J. Linden—Let's be honest: This book was way over my head. Michael Rucker referenced it in The Fun Habit, and I thought it would be interesting. It was, except that it was a lot of brain neurochemistry that is above my pay grade. What I did learn is that pleasure is more complex than we think, that addiction can be a form of learning, and that I should have more empathy for people who struggle with addictive behaviors. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book to the everyday person, but I would recommend learning more about the brain and having compassion for others, a compass of which I think our culture needs more of!

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And that's April, with a pretty niche list of books. Has anyone ready any of these?

Everything I Read (and Listened To) in March

I went back to my old reading style this month. I had been trying to alternate reading fiction and non-fiction books, to keep myself from getting over-engrossed in the fiction books. That backfired in that I would blaze through the nonfiction books, just to get them done so that I could return back to reading the books I wanted to read. So, I went back to my old way of checking out one fiction and one nonfiction book at the same time. When I found myself getting too engrossed in the fiction book, I took a break and read a chapter or so from the nonfiction book, and back and forth I went. That allowed me to prolong my enjoyment of the fiction, and get through the nonfiction books at a little more sustainable of a pace. My system unraveled a bit when I got out of my alternating pattern (due to waiting for a fiction book to get off hold), but I still think it is better than what I was doing.

Also, I realized this month why I like audiobooks. Growing up, my mom read aloud to us every summer: everything from The Chronicles of Narnia to Les Miserables. We also listened to Adventures in Odyssey radio drama for many years. Audiobooks take me back to those days, or at least something similar. There is something different about hearing stories, and it is hands free, so easier to incorporate into life.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this month, and though I took Lent 2025 off reading, I am glad I kept it this year. It was an enjoyable pastime as I slowed down and tried to savor a bit more of life. So without further ado, here's my March reading list:

32. Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson—Anna Gordon gets her "big break" when her hometown Value Lodge fires her. She never intended to stay in Springville. She just did so because of love for her grandmother. Now with the opportunity to work at the new Rothsberg hotel in New York, she thinks she has it made. There is only one problem: her former classmate Sean O'Neil. He becomes the general manager of the hotel. She is okay with that, until he starts to get too close to her heart. The plot of this novel is a bit underdeveloped, especially the end, but it is clean, sweet, and easy to read. I appreciated the value placed on friendship, and I think I will use a little more of (the weather feels like summer) time to read other books in this series.

33. The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker—This book was captivating and convicting. In it, pastor turned blogger and writer Joshua Becker shares about his family’s journey into minimalism. He writes about the excesses of American life and how minimalism can lead to more generosity. He’s not a one-size-fits-all minimalist, either. Rather, he encourages each family to downsize to the version of less that fits their calling in life. While I don’t think I will ever get to a state of true minimalism, this book contributes to my continued desire to sort, declutter, and downsize in order to have less and make room to live a more full life.

34. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore [Audio book]—Wow. What a book. It reminds me a little bit of Britney Spear’s autobiography in that it’s full of unhinged stories. It’s Barrymore’s book in its own right though, in that Barrymore has some clear values: like raising her children well and caring for the underprivileged in Africa. Barrymore is a great actress (as well as a voice actress), and man does she have a story—a story riddled with sadness and mental illness, but also grit, determination, and perseverance. Overall, this book is less cohesive memoir and more a series of short essays about different events in Barrymore’s life. It’s not linear, which can be confusing, and it’s filled with use the f word, which was disappointing because it had some good elements of audio drama. (It was more drama than audiobook). All in all, I can’t say I recommend this book at all. It’s too wild. It does give another sad window into the lives of childhood film stars, though (starting work at 11 months, not really going to school, being emancipated at age 14 and raising herself, lots of drinking and risk-taking, etc.). I think we as a society really need to do better with child actors. Children should be children raised by wise and kind adults, not just left to run wild a free, regardless of how appealing that may seem.

35. Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson—Once again, this story felt a little underdeveloped, but I read through the author's book list, and it's pretty long, so she must write a lot. It also looks like she started writing books for teen girls, both of which would track with less intricate story lines. Anyway, in this book, Tia D'Amico goes to San Francisco to work as chef on her Aunt Julie and Uncle Roland's boat. There she meets boat captain Leo Parker, someone she knows from her teen sailing camp days. Once upon a time, she would have fallen for him, but now he is engaged to Natalie, another girl from sailing camp who desperately wants to be Tia's friend. Tia desperately tries to keep everything above board, but there are some secrets and some fallings out, and then (spoiler alert, but not really), Tia and Leo fall for each other. This book was good enough and easy enough to read that I put the last book in the series on hold at the library. 

36. Letter from Japan by Marie Kondo with Marie Iida —I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up first in 2017. Last year, in 2025, Kondo wrote this book: an insight into her culture and how it informs her work. While I have never visited Japan (but my brother has), this book certainly made me more interested in it. As Kondo presents it, Japan is a place of more slower paced, seasonal, communal living. She writes about the many cultural rituals that focus on finding joy and how other cultures miss that in their hustle and bustle. She writes some of the Buddhist/Shinto religion, and though that is not for me as a Christian, there are other practices worth pondering. If nothing else, it helps me to read how extensively joy factors into Kondo’s tidying work and how that, not the resulting tidiness, should be the motivating factor.

37. The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo, illustrated by Yuko Uramoto, translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano—This was a fun way to review the rules of the KonMari method. Written manga style, it is the story of Chiaki, a young woman in Toyko who cannot enjoy her life because of the mess of her apartment. She hires Marie Kondo to help, and as a result, reclaims her joy. Obviously, there is more to joy than tidying, and having just read Letter from Japan, I see the Shinto elements of the KonMari method. Still, I think there is something to say about detaching from stuff and attaching to joy, Jesus being the ultimate joy for Christians. While I would not say this book was life-changing, the manga style made it short and fun, and I enjoyed reading it.

38. The Art of Discarding by Nagoya Tatsumi—Marie Kondo credits this book with starting her decluttering process. It’s not bad, but I think the introduction pretty much sums it up. Stop keeping stuff. Discard. Stop amassing new stuff. Set limits for consumption. There are some strategies in the book towards these ends, but the ending admonition is pretty much the same: Stop delaying; start discarding. I read this book quickly, so it was not a waste, per se, but I think other books might be more helpful motivation, inspiration, and education for decluttering.

39. Adventures in Opting Out: A Field Guide to Leading an Intentional Life by Cait Flanders [Audiobook]—Cait Flanders has opted out many times: leaving a government job, quitting drugs and drinking, stopping shopping (see her first book, The Year of Less), and then pulling up her roots for a year of planned (and unplanned) travel. In this book, she writes about opting out of others’ expectations and choosing her own path. She uses the analogy of hiking, sharing about the base, valley, slope, and summit of opting out. This is part “you do you,” but with a side of considering how personal choices affect others and the environment. I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook, as it helped me reflect on my own opting in (or out, as the case may be), and what is costs me, because all decisions have a cost.

40. Reinventing Rachel by Alison Strobel—Twenty-six year-old Rachel Westing is used to having reciprocal relationship with God. She does stuff for Him. He does stuff for her. When a storm of trials come her way, she loses her way, running from God, and refusing to talk to Him. She moves from California to Chicago, giving up church and Bible reading for alcohol and non-Christian relationships. Things get worse and worse and worse until she ends up hospitalized. There are some very redeeming parts of this book, but some flat development of non-primary characters. It was also hard for me to read a book where I was going, “No, no, no! Don't do that!” for much of it. I just do not know what to make of Strobel's books. I am also very curious why, for the second time, the book has included a character with bipolar disorder. Does Strobel know someone with it? Has she struggled? The mysteries are many. I would probably read a few more of Strobel's books out of curiosity, but it looks like those books are limited and she has now reinvented herself (with her husband) as a children's book author.

41. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith—I did not love this book. It is not like I got stuck reading it—I read it pretty quickly. The messages middle sister Joan Sanderson learns about God's unconditional, fatherly love are valuable. She also learns about letting go, service to others, and genuineness. Even though it really wasn't, this story just felt trite and simple overall. While there are two more books in this series, I think I am going to try another series before coming back to this one.

42. Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More by Courtney Carver—As part of her move to simplify her life, Courtney Carver created the 333 challenge (wearing only 33 pieces of clothing and accessories for three months), and it went viral. I read about the challenge in Carver's first book, Soulful Simplicity, and again in Joshua Becker's book, The More of Less. I thought I understood the challenge, and so I tried it, for about a week and then failed, miserably. This book helped me understand the challenge in its entirety, especially the prep work that should go into it. In the end, while I appreciated the book, I don't think I will do the challenge. Boxing up clothes to reduce decision fatigue especially bothers me, as it seems like a waste. But maybe this is where my misunderstanding comes in. The 333 challenge is not so much decluttering as it is about minimalism. I think I am more about decluttering and simplifying than about minimalism. Still, this book gave me things to think about, and for that, I am grateful. And who knows? Maybe now that the seed is planted, I might change my mind and decide to do the challenge someday.

43. Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Lessons I Learned from All Three by Dawn Staley [Audio book] —This was a good book! I noticed it on the library’s Best Books of 2025 List and thought it would be interesting. It was, and an inspiring on at that! I had never heard of Dawn Staley, but let me tell you, after listening to her story, I am a fan. Her story of growing up in the projects, working up to collegiate, world, and then NBA and Olympic basketball, and now a winning NCAA coach is incredible. Her commitment to coaching as a relational process by which to build up the next generation is commendable. While she does not talk about it too much in the book (probably due to outcry from some of her media appearances in which she thanked God), she seems to be a woman of faith, and is motivated by that faith to do what she does. Apart from some language (not preferred by me, but understandable given her background, as well as her current coaching role), I found this a very enjoyable listen. With 13 lessons for life, I would say this book has something to offer everyone—basketball fan or not. While Staley believes she has received uncommon favor, she is not hoarding it. Instead, she is sharing it for all who will read (or listen)!

44. Messy Minimalism: Realistic Strategies for the Rest of Us by Rachelle Crawford [Audiobook]—I am starting to realize that minimalist authors must run in the same circles, as the author of this book quotes some of the others I have read: Joshua Becker, Courtney Carver, etc. Crawford was a labor and delivery nurse, a busy, messy, and cluttered mom, and now a minimalist. This book is a little different in that she encourages a grace-based approach to minimalism—putting a greater emphasis on mindset than on material goods. She does weave her Christian faith into some of the book (like Becker). I would say that the unique additions she adds to the movement are a chapter on decluttering the schedule (calendar space versus capacity space), a reminder that minimalism may require facing personal pains (because decluttering ends at some point, leaving empty time and space), and an acknowledgement that minimalism is not all fulfilling (because life is about more). I listened to this book on audio, and while it was not earth-shattering, it was good motivation to think about living a life with purpose, rather than just accepting (and adding to) the mess that naturally comes with life.

45. Age Before Beauty by Virginia Smith—I said I was not going to read any more in the Sanderson Sister-to-Sister series, but then I really did not want to get into any other character plots, so I slid into this book. I am glad I did! This book had a lot more depth, with a focus on the eldest sister, Allie. Allie is wrestling with all that comes with being a new mom: questions about her identity, shame over her appearance, guilt over leaving her baby to go to work, ghosts of the past that threaten her marriage, and estrangement from the faith she left when she got married. Her husband Eric, meanwhile, is wrestling with all the women in his life: his mother (who showed up on the doorstep estranged from his dad), his wife, his daughter, and a woman at work who seems to want more than friendship. There are small subplots involving Joan and Tori, but overall, this is a story of love, loss, and finding a new perspective on what really matters. I read this book pretty quickly—and enjoyed it! Now onto the last book, because I am a sucker for series. (And what redemption story will beautiful little sister Tori have?)

46. Third Time’s a Charm by Virginia Smith—Tori Sanderson's job as a marketing research analyst is heating up, and it couldn't come at a worse time. She's trying to get ready for Joan's wedding, and deal with some newly uncovered information about her absent father. Enter farm boy Ryan Adams, who shows interest in her, adding another complication. This book mostly wraps up the Sanderson sisters' search for love, but I didn't like it as much as Age Before Beauty. Yes, the story had some depth, but the shopaholic, business woman meets farm boy trope seemed a bit forced. The whole story kind of did. It was not a bad book, but it was not a book that charmed me, either. With the end of this series, I am for sure looking for something different for my next read!

47. The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity by Nadine Burke-Harris, M.D.—This book, albeit dated, is a great resource! In it, Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris uses story to share about her work in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) movement. Spoiler alert (something not learned until the end of the book), she has them, too. They are, in part, her why for writing. This book is not so much about eliminating ACEs as it is about the need for comprehensive programs to address their effects. We aren’t to the 2040 vision Burke-Harris paints at the end of the book, but we are making progress. I hope more people read this book and get in the business of helping kids (and adults) recover from trauma. It isn’t just professionals that individuals who endure trauma need. Any secure, steady relationship can be a buffer that helps reduce the long term effects of the well of adversity.

48. The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters by Joanna Gaines [Audiobook]—This is second time Joanna Gaines says she has written her life story. She wrote in first in her twenties, and now at age 44 (at the 2022 writing of this book), she is reconsidering life again—as she enters her “second act” of life. She writes that one of her values is vulnerability, and here she is baring it all, in hopes that her story will inspire others. This book is more philosophical than specifically gritty, but it is honest and real, which is what Joanna Gaines is. This story has a lot to say about setting aside perfect, accepting God's love, growing through pain, and having fun. It's not exactly a memoir and not self-help either. It's Joanna Gaines' own brand of sharing and inspiring which is fitting for a woman who actually did (with her husband Chip) build her own brand!

49.Why We Work by Barry Schwartz [Audiobook]—Psychologist Barry Schwartz has studied human behavior for decades, and he proposes that theories about human nature actually change human nature. In this book, he explores how the theory that people work for external incentives (eg money)has undermined the very meaning of work. He writes about how the current economy's promotion of pay actually undermines the social good that can come from work. He argues that meaning, challenge, autonomy, and engagement are actually what create meaning in work. He suggests that designing workplaces that value work and add meaning to work will conversely help employees value work and find meaning in it. This is both a practical and philosophical book—a little different from my norm, but worth listening to for a few hours while I did, you guessed it, cooking and housework. I might have gotten more from it had I been actually reading and not multi-tasking.

50. Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson—This last book in Melody Carlson's Follow Your Heart Series takes high school art teacher Nicole Anderson from Seattle, Washington to Savannah, Georgia. Tasked with managing an art gallery over the summer, she also assumes the task of semi-parenting Bernice, the teenage daughter of a friend of the family. Bernice's father, Alex, would like Nicole to show some interest in him, but Nicole has none. She is interested instead in his brother Ryan, the man who had a crush on her as a kid, but now seems to be taken by another one of his childhood friends. While the plot of this book seems a bit trite, it is actually a deeper story, despite a lack of strong faith integration. (A few characters pray, and that is about it.) It is clean and sweet and good for a (pre-)Summer read. I enjoyed it!

51. If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die: An Influencer Memoir by Lee Tilghman [Audiobook]—This book was definitely NOT what I was expecting. I knew Lee Tilghman as an ex-wellness influencer who had quietly (or not so quietly) exited the influencer space, touting its harmful effects on her physical, mental, emotional, and relational health. What I found in this book was explicit retellings of her sexual exploits, hard drug use, and recountings of multiple abortions. Sure, there was stuff in there about how she started online as twelve year old, and went through multiple remakings to keep selling her brand, how she sold “authenticity,” but lacked integrity. (She writes of stealing from influencer brands through using gift card codes that were not hers.) Tilghman recognized how she’d lost herself after a mental breakdown, apartment flood, and stint at a treatment center for orthorexia. She writes in the epilogue that she isn’t against influencing now, but is against losing herself in it. That’s all good and well, but from what I can tell, Tilghman is back in the influencer space, having recreated herself as an influencer coach. While I always want to promote mental health and never want to disparage anyone outright, I do have to say that I didn’t like this book and cannot recommend it. Maybe read Tilghman’s Substack instead? But even that comes with a cost.

52. Homemade Cleaners by Mandy O’Brien and Dionna Ford—This was an interesting read, and honestly made me feel a little bit like a chemist! The authors obviously have an environmental agenda to push, but aside from that, they have some interesting (and science-backed) ideas about how to clean a house naturally, rather than with harsh commercial chemicals. (I acknowledge that cleaning commercial properties this way is probably untenable due to time and supplies. What I gathered, is that when I doubt, baking soda, vinegar, and water in some proportion will probably work!) While I already use vinegar for a lot of my cleaning, it would still require some effort to change to completely natural products in my home. With this being a year of less, that change isn’t making its way into my current priority list, but if it did, I might purchase this book as a home resource.

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And that, my friends, is my extensive reading (and listening) list for March. Have you read any of these books? What books have you read recently that you would recommend? Please share in the comments section!