So, in 2019, I BARELY managed to read 100 books. But I didi it!! Not bad for being pregnant with twins and then having twin babies +3 other kids.
With no further ado, here are my favorites, in no particular order:
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
I read this for book club. It was a fantastic read and it made for an amazing discussion.
It is about an Indian-American Muslim family. And about all the struggles of fitting in and navigating religion, culture, and family.
It spans several decades, wherein many mistakes are made. The last couple of chapters were especially beautiful, and it included my favorite line: “Of all my mistakes, the greatest, the MOST DANGEROUS, was not emphasizing the mercy of God.”
Atomic Habits by James Clear
When we think about making changes in our lives, we tend to think that it will be the result of grand gestures and sweeping changes. The reality is that we tend to fizzle out when we approach habits and goals this way.
Real changes are made if we start small. So small that it would be silly not to do it. An example from a podcast I heard recently. She wanted to start up a Yoga practice but couldn’t seem to make it stick. Until she decided that her goal would be to do a single Downward Facing Dog. And so suddenly it would have been silly to skip. So yeah, I loved this.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This was incredible. It was an especially awesome audiobook, as she reads it herself.
After finishing this book, I walked away respecting the heck out of the Obamas, their motives, intelligence, poise, and their desire to make a difference.
I loved all of the insights and stories that she included, especially those from her childhood. Her parents were her earliest and greatest champions. I want to be that kind of parent to my children.
Burnout, The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
I will come back to this one a lot. I definitely have times when I find myself feeling on the verge of burnout (5 kids, what can I say).
This book definitely helps me feel more equipped to handle my stress. Before my stress handles me. I think it also just helped me feel incredibly seen.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Ok. This book was trippy. And just so dang fun. I could NOT put it down.
And then, after I finished it, I basically forced it on Jonathan, and then I sat creepily and watched him read the whole thing.
He also really enjoyed it. And we had some really fun discussions as a result.
Writing this makes me want to read it again!
Girl, Stop Apologizing By Rachel Hollis
I am such a sucker for a self-helpy ‘GIRL YOU GOT THIS’ kind of book. And I think this one landed at an especially auspicious time in my life.
“I believe we can change the world. But first, we’ve got to stop living in fear of being judged for who we are.”
This message deeply resonated with me because I am such a people pleaser and it has been something that has really come to a head since we moved to Seattle. This was incredibly inspiring.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
What a fantastic book to end my 2019 reading. I want to be Melinda’s BFF.
There are a myriad of ways that women are silenced in this time: child marriages, lack of access to education, healthcare and capital.
And the whole world is less because of it.
Women’s empowerment is not just a nice idea. It will literally change the world. For the better. For everyone.
Women are amazing and so powerful and they have the potential to do so much good.
Nothing to Envy, Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
You know what kills me the most about reading this book? That these things are happening within my lifetime! It sounds like the kind of thing you’d read about in a WWII book: electricity and food shortages and totalitarianism. But no. It’s about what is going on right now. I loved following the individual stories.
It is hard to believe that people can endure this kind of thing.
This was actually a book that I selected for book club. It was well-received and it made for a fantastic discussion.
Saints, 1815-1846, The Standard of Truth
Ok. I’m not just being a cheeseball, saying that I loved this book. I really did. There were so many stories in this book that I had never heard before. In particular about women. My very favorite was about Mary Whitmer: during the translation of the gold plates, Mary Whitmer housed Oliver Cowdery, Joseph and Emma for a time in addition to caring for her own large family. And she was burning out. In recognition of her service and sacrifice, Mary was shown the plates by Moroni. Why have we never circulated this and others like it before!? Anyway, it was excellent.
The Best We Could Do By Thi Bui
Ok, can I just say, I did not exactly have high hopes for this one. It is basically a comic book and a memoir. But obviously, it was fantastic.
The author began with her own story of becoming a parent and then she goes back and discussed her parents’ stories, their shortcomings as parents and people. It was about her family leaving Vietnam to come to America but really, it’s about family and the idea that by and large people are doing the best they can. I’ve thought about this book a lot since I finished it. And the art was beautiful!
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson does it again!! He has such a gift for creating atmosphere and magic systems that completely take you away. I couldn’t help but be completely sucked in.
So there ya go. I’ve decided that for 2020, I’m going to ease back on my usual goal of reading 100 books per year, and I’m going to instead just read 50.
