Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is What I Read in January 2017, my brief book recommendations and reviews. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

After reading a couple of her books previously, I know that I love her writing. This book was fantastic! I couldn’t stop reading it and finished it in about 2 days. The structure of the book is interesting. The reader gets a glimpse of the present lives of the characters, as well as them reflecting back to the ‘day of the barbecue’ when something terrible happened. You don’t find out until close to the end what that terrible thing is and how the characters come to terms with it.

Authority by Nathan Barry

For my law practice (my day job), I’ve thought about putting together e-books on particular topics that are of interest to our clients and prospective clients. This book was really helpful in trying to learn about self-publishing, as well as how to market and distribute the e-books. I received it as a complementary book for attending a webinar on ConvertKit.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I listened to this one on Audible, usually while driving for work, and have been working on it for a couple of months. It was wonderful! I was surprised repeatedly by turns in the story, which was refreshing after feeling like so many stories are predictable. I would recommend this one, especially on audio book. But be aware that it’s quite a long audio book.

She’s Got Issues: Seriously Good News for Stressed-Out, Secretly Scared Control Freaks Like Us by Nicole Unice

My bible study read this book and finished it in December, but I forgot to add it to What I Read (December 2016), so I’m writing about it here. We all really liked this book. It touches on issues that each of us had, and had ideas for dealing with those issues. The book was easy for us all to talk about as we could relate in different ways to it. And Nicole’s blend of therapist training with the ministry portion made her perspective more authoritative and respectable than what is sometimes found in devotional type of books where the authors have no specific training or education in what they’re writing about.

A Weekend Getaway by Karen Lenfestey

This is a fun, easy read, which I felt like I desperately needed after some of the tough reading I’ve done in the past few months. It’s about a gal who is in her 30s and gave her baby up for adoption in college, and is now coming to terms with it. Her life hasn’t turned out the way she’d hoped, and she’s trying to figure out where she belongs. I enjoyed it, but can’t say it’s a book that has really profound ideas that will stick with me.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book recommended by someone with great taste

I heard about this book in one of Anne Bogel’s (Modern Mrs. Darcy’s) What Should I Read Next podcasts, as well in one of her book recommendation lists. After hearing it described by one of her guests as ‘the book that describes and explains Trump voters’ I almost didn’t listen to it as that seemed very patronizing. But I’ve had good luck before with books I’ve found out about in the podcast so I gave it a shot. Vance’s story is engaging; and the narration is fantastic. The people in his life are complex, and I found my self loving them despite (or because of) their flaws. His descriptions and explanations make perfect sense, and help to understand a culture of poverty that is prevalent in Appalachia, and elsewhere. I really loved this book!

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

My book club read The Paris Wife this month. We all agreed that the story is an interesting one, but the characters are quite disagreeable. The book was a pretty fast read, and really made me interested in learning more about Ernest Hemingway, as well as reading more of Hemingway’s works themselves. After reading the book, I watched a movie on Netflix called Papa about Hemingway’s later life in Cuba.

Submerged: Adventures of America’s Most Elite Underwater Archeology Team by Daniel Lenihan

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book about a topic or subject you already love

On the What Should I Read Next podcast, there was a recent episode where readers suggested books for Anne Bogel to read. One reader suggested this book, which was interesting to me because Mike was reading it at the time and telling me how much he thought that I’d enjoy it. It is a memoir of sorts of Daniel Lenihan who started the underwater archeology unit of the National Parks Service. The descriptions of the dive sites were evocative; and the stories were so fascinating. I mean, this guy dove with scuba rock stars like Sheck Exley, and really knows his stuff. A great read if you’re a scuba diver, but still recommended even if you’re not.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This book is likely going to be one of my favorite books of 2017…I just know it. I really loved it. It follows a white girl in the 60s in the South who is seeking information about her deceased mother. She finds that information in the home of black sisters, who are beekeepers. The description actually sounds quite weird or dull, but I promise that the story is fantastic.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

The best word I can use to describe this book and this topic is…weird. The general idea behind the book (which I had heard good things about) is that we should only keep things in our home that bring us joy. This makes sense, but beyond that, things got a bit strange. The author talks about the objects that she owns having feelings and emotions that we need to consider. Sorry, but they’re not alive. But as a side note, while watching the Gilmore Girls revival, this book was referenced, and I was happy I knew what they were talking about!

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book about books or reading

I picked this one out with a Target gift card that I got for Christmas to read on a weekend where we were expecting an ice storm. It was a perfect read for a cold, icy weekend. The structure of the book is such that it jumps between the 1700s and modern-day, and then links the stories closer together as it goes along. It was a delightful and exciting story. I really enjoyed it.

Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody

As someone who sometimes struggles with making my relationship with God feel like a relationship, rather than whispering into the wind, I can appreciate this book. And it was an easy read that didn’t feel judgmental. If you need a bit of a kick in the pants regarding your prayer life, I’d recommend this one.

The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford

This book follows Agatha Christie and two other women on their train journey to Baghdad, and their journey toward the life that they want. It was engaging and beautiful and realistic, and I really, really liked it. It reminded me quite a lot of Jennifer Robson’s books, so if you’re a fan of hers I’d guess that you will also like this one.

The Syrian Tragedy by Carsten Stormer

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: a book of any genre that addresses current events

Through IHG I received two free Kindle Singles, and chose this as one of them. I wanted to better understand what is going on with the current conflict in Syria. It was at times hard to read, and at times somewhat politically preachy. But it was informative and interesting

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

I’ve been a fan of Freakonomics for years. I’ve read the previous books, listen to the podcast, and even saw Levitt and Dubner speak in Rapid City, South Dakota at one point. Maybe rising to the level of a super fan? I don’t know. Anyway, the latest installment in Freakonomics literature really focuses on how to think about problems in a way that actually allows for novel solutions, rather than in old and tired ways that haven’t yielded results. I thought it was fantastic.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.