In 2018, one of my goals was to read 40 books during the year. I think I may have to increase that goal because it is halfway through the year and I just hit 30 books read so far!
21. The Perfect Mother, by Aimee Molloy (a thriller about new mothers) - A psychological thriller about a group of first-time moms, one of whose baby goes missing after a moms’ night out. Fast read and really nails the anxieties of new motherhood.
22. Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus, by Laura Kipnis (a nonfiction book for book group) - We are heading this for book group and I am really glad I read it because it brought to light issues in higher education I had no idea about - even when I disagreed with the author in places or wished it had had more statistics/data instead of several long anecdotes. The book focuses on Title IX complaints in higher education and how such processes often resemble witch trials with little due process.
23. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward (a novel that won the National Book Award) - This book was a National Book Award winner and is one I have checked out several times but never got around to reading. I’m so glad I gave it another go. The story centers around a family in rural Mississippi, and is alternatively told from the point of views of a drug-addicted mom and her son. The story is heart-breaking and sad. But so very good.
24. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, by Austin Channing Brown (a book about race) - Reflective, first-person narrative about growing up and living as a Black female. Quick read and lots of powerful examples of the kinds of microaggressions that can be exhausting to live through.
25. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, by Daniel Pink (a book about research on time) - Non-fiction book on research about timing - beginnings, middles, ends. For example, did you know that people whose age is 29, 39, 49, etc. are 48% more likely to run a marathon for the first time? And one study showed that the number 1 predictor is whether you like your boss is how quickly your boss responds to your email? And that the best predictor of your rating of a vacation is the end of a vacation? I love learning facts like this so enjoyed the book. The practical tips at the end of each chapter were also interesting!
26. Far From the Tree, by Robin Benway (a YA novel about adoption) - This is a YA novel about adoption - the perspective of both being a child who is adopted, as well as a mother who gives up her child in an adoption. I have no personal experience with adoption, but as an outsider, thought the book was very sweet and well done. I loved the characters and was engrossed with the story!
27. Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover (a memoir) - Wow. Most engrossing book of 2018 I’ve read so far. It’s a memoir of a woman who grew up with extreme survivalist parents who later goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge. It’s also a story of the kinds of manipulations and abuse that can make families so toxic - and the price we pay if we choose a different path from our family. Highly recommended.
28. Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved, by Kate Bowler (a memoir about dying) - This is a memoir written this year by a 35-year-old theology professor who discovers she has Stage IV colon cancer. It’s similar to “When Breath Becomes Air” and “The Bright Hour” but with more discussion on God/theology. A lot of the focus is on how the “prosperity gospel” can be so harmful and hurtful to people.
29. The Wife Between Us, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (a psychological thriller) - This is a psychological thriller in the same vein as “Gone Girl” and “Girl on a Train.” The first half is great and kept me riveted. I did not think the second half is as strong. But I still read the whole book in a day and really wanted to see how it ended, so it definitely kept me entertained.
30. Surprise Me, by Sophie Kinsella (a palate cleansing book) - I am a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella when I am in the mood for a "palate cleansing" book. This one fit the bill - light and airy and funny. I had a hard time buying the whole premise (that a wife and her husband were freaked out discovering they were so healthy that they had 68 more years together) but the book kept me entertained and was a fun distraction.
What good (or bad) books have you read recently??
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