Recent Reads

I realized it's been a while since I shared a book update with you all! I recently finished book 44 of the year and I have my final six books for the year picked out. It feels like I just barely made my 2017 reading goal and now we're in the final chunk of the year!

A Fireproof Home for the Bride: I enjoyed this book, it took me a while to get into it but once I did I really liked it. It covers a lot of ground (women's issues, racism, anti-semitism, sexual abuse, politics), so I wouldn't say it was necessarily a "light" read, but I really liked the protagonist, a young woman growing up in the 1950's small town Midwest and her struggles to find herself and her voice during radically changing times. 

More Than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting: I picked this book up purely out of curiosity and based on how much I enjoyed Bringing Up Bebe (all about French parenting). I took many lessons from this book, many of which I think can apply nicely to teaching. The key takeaways: Amish kids are needed, they have jobs to do and feel like valuable members of their communities and families. The Amish don't overthink their parenting decisions, they believe strongly in parenting "instinct" and do what comes naturally. The Amish are slow to speak and slow to anger. They value family time and working together to prepare and enjoy meals together. There is wide net of community and support for families. This book was really interesting, I highly recommend it. 

Next on my nightstand: When Breath Becomes Air, and The Identicals. Here is my 2017 Book List so far.

1. Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
2. Ruthless by Ron Miscavige
3. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
4. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
5. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
6. Giddy Up Eunice by Sophie Hudson
7. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
8. A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
9. Hey Harry, Hey Matilda by Rachel Hulin
10. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
11. The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
12. What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey
13. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
14. What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan
15. Room by Emma Donoghue
16. The Nest by Cynthina D'Aprix Sweeney
17. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
18. Happily Ever After by Trista Sutter
19. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
20. The Clasp by Sloane Crosley
21. Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend
22. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
23. One Less Problem Without You by Beth Harbison
24. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
25. An Unseen Angel by Alissa Parker
26. This is Not Over by Holly Brown
27. By The Numbers by Jen Lancaster
28. House Rules by Jodi Picoult 
29. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
30. Sweet Bitter by Stephanie Danler

31. Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

32. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

33. How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley

34. The Girls by Emma Cline

35. How To Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

36. Stories I'd Tell in Bars by Jen Lancaster

37. Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

38. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

39. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

40. The Hollywood Daughter by Kate Alcott

41. Class Mom by Laurie Gelman

42. The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright

43. More Than Happy by Serena Miller

44. A Fireproof Home For The Bride by Amy Scheibe 

 What good reads have you read lately? Happy reading, friends!