2017 Reading Challenge: Books 11 through 20

The past couple of years, I have taken part in a reading challenge where I tried to diversify my reading selections. Both years, I really enjoyed it until about May, and then started to feel very limited by needing to select specific types of books. So this year, my goal is much simpler - to read 40 books by the end of the year. Here are books 11 through 20 that I read in 2017 (click here for the first 10 books)! 

11. White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, by Carol Anderson (a book on the black community) - This is a short book on the history of institutional racism against blacks in the U.S., starting from after the Civil War and continuing to the present day. The details on some of the laws and practices from a while back were horrifying, but I found it even harder to read as it approached the present day. I'm glad I read it but now I'm depressed . . .

12. The Secrets of Happy Families, by Bruce Feiler (a parenting book) - A friend of mine recommended this book and I am so glad I read it - it focuses on offering all kinds of suggestions for how to create strong families. Some of the main takeaways are to be flexible/agile, create a family narrative, talk about your family history, create routines, etc. Nothing earth-shattering but I loved the focus on the family as a unit and what you could do to improve that bond! 

13. What She Knew, by Gilly Macmillan (a book I read on an airplane) - A novel about missing-person case of a child, alternating between the viewpoints of the mom and the detective on the case. It started off slowly and is more character-driven than plot-driven, but picked up as the book went on, and there are several interesting twists.

14. I Want My Epidural Back, by Karen Alpert (a book with a lot of profanity) - I read this on the flight from Chicago to Manhattan, which was about 1.5 hours? So pretty short. It reminded me of short blog posts on partnering, with lots of profanity mixed in. I think it would be better as a blog than a book?

15. Wonder, by R. J. Palacio (a book that Annika wanted me to read) - I've been really busy with work and life recently, and haven't had much time to read recently. We are taking a road trip to Colorado today and I read this in the car. It is a children's/young adult book that my daughter read and loved. I just wished I hadn't waited so long! Incredible story about a boy with a facial deformity who goes to middle school for the first time. So many great themes of diversity, kindness, inclusion, friendship, loyalty, etc. It would be a great book to read with your kids!!

16. Present Over Perfect, by Shauna Niequist (a book on simplicity) - This is a book by a Christian author about simplifying and re-centering her life - from going to feeling super busy/productive to slowing down and finding joy in the present moments. The author is definitely writing from a privileged position, but I could relate to many of her feelings and points. As someone who currently feels so overwhelmed at times that it is hard to breathe, I needed this reminder!

17. Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, by Lisa Damour (an adolescent development book) - You guys! This book is so helpful - it is is all about the emotional stages of development of teenage girls. Each chapter is organized around a developmental stage (beginning with early middle school and ending with late high school), and each chapter concludes with a "when to worry" section. 

18. My Not-So-Perfect Life, by Sophie Kinsella (a palate-cleansing book) - This is a "palate-cleanser" book - nice to read something light and fun after some heavier material. Very light book about a girl trying to make it at a design firm in London.

19. Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult (a novel about racism) - I was so busy in April and didn't finish my library book when I had it. I broke down and bought the Kindle version so I could finish. Really powerful novel about active and passive racism in the U.S.

20. The American Spirit, by David McCullough (a book of speeches) - This is a short, excellent book that is a collection of speeches that the historian David McCullough has given. Most are commencement addresses and involve fascinating narratives about the history of a particular time or place. I love history but have had a hard time finishing his 800+ page books, so this packaging was perfect!

Pushing Through the Dirt

In my own life, no time has been more formative or painful or rewarding or joyful than the five years that our family lived in Orlando, Florida. In 2005, Will and I had a one-year-old baby, family nearby, a beautiful brick Colonial house, and good jobs as a laser engineer and a tax accountant, when we decided to chuck it all and move to Florida to each get our PhDs. The first night we spent in Florida by ourselves, in our moldy apartment, I cried to Will that we had made a terrible mistake and we needed to figure out a way to move back. 

And I was so very wrong. Because five years later, when we moved back to Kansas, two PhDs in hand and with a beautiful now 6-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son, I had learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. 

10. What it is Like to Know No One - There is nothing that makes you feel Alone in the World more than the dreaded Emergency Contact Form. Okay, maybe you are only Alone in the Area, but it feels like the world when you realize that you don't know a single local person for emergencies. It is humbling and makes you want to reach out to help anyone you can who is new to town in the future. 

9. What it is Like to be Intellectually Alive - I have never felt as intellectually alive or challenged or pushed as during my PhD program, particularly during coursework where I was exposed to new ideas and models and ways of thinking about the world constantly. The only thing that remotely comes close was being part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in high school, but as it turns out, getting a PhD is even more intellectually stimulating than any high school program. 

8. What it is Like to Live with Uncertainty - Our time with Florida was marked with so much uncertainty. Would Will pass his qualifying exams (yes, with flying colors), or would he be kicked out of the program? Would I pass comps (yes, ditto)? How many years would it take for us to finish (4 for me, 5 for Will)? Would we finish at the same time (No, as it turns out)? What would happen if we did not finish together (amazing people in accounting would come up with funding for me for another year)? Where would we go when we were finished with school (our alma mater - who would have thought!)?. I felt so much uncertainty while we lived in Florida that I had to learn to just trust God that it would all work out. And that leads me to.... 

7. What is Like to Have a Church Family - In Kansas City, Will and I had attended the largest UMC church in the country, which had fabulous programming and a pastor with the best sermons we had ever heard. But it felt more that we "attended church" rather than that we were part of a "church family." This all changed in Florida We met some of the best lifelong friends we have ever had, were welcomed with open arms to the choir and bell choir family, met more incredible people while leading a parenting Bible study, and discovered that we had a whole community of people who loved us and had our backs. What an incredible feeling. 

6. What is Like to Live in a New "Culture" - Outside of several moves to Seattle as a child, Will and I had spent our lives in the Kansas/Missouri area. Living in the South was eye-opening and has given me so much more empathy for regional differences. It has also helped me articulate better what I do and do not like about certain regions. I came to truly love and appreciate Florida - its eternal optimism, the sunny disposition of both the weather and its people, the use of "Coke" for any soft drink, the rapid shifts in both the economy and the government, the melting pot of diverse cultures and races and regional backgrounds. I am thankful that our daughter had many of her formative years in this environment. 

5. What is Like to be Stripped Bare - Living in Florida taught me that so much of our lives are dictated by the people around us. It is when we have no family and no friends and no built-in support network around us that we learn who we truly are. Our incredible family visited frequently - from Nonnie, who made over 20 trips during our five years in Florida, to my mom, who came several times a year, to Julie and Charlie, who regularly visited every year - but we learned what it was like to truly be a family unit with just ourselves and how we could make things work on a daily basis. Being stripped bare is scary but also incredibly freeing.

4. What it is Like to be Poor - Oh my goodness, learning what it is like to be poor was one of the most humbling and embarrassing and memorable parts of our time here. As an example, when our daughter's private insurance did not cover her 4-5 year old vaccines, we decided to go the local health department to get her immunizations. While there, we were recruited to be part of a study targeting "lower-income families" who could learn the art of "better marriage communication" (with the assumption that those who were poor did not know such things). I still want to cry from embarrassment at the feelings that I absorbed that those who are poor are lazy, or dumb, or a failure. I am also thankful for this experience because it was incredibly eye-opening at the challenges and attitudes that so many people face every day.

3. What it is Like to Lack Prestige - Oh gosh, another humbling experience. I did not realize that Will and I had professional jobs that we were also afforded a level of respect that is not typically accorded to those who are "students." My experience was different since I was viewed and treated as a peer in the accounting department, but Will had professors who had been wining and dining him, hoping to win funding from his company, who would not even look at him in the halls a few months later when he was a student. But again, I am so thankful for this experience because it has helped shape the type of person I hope to be. 

2. What it is Like to for Friendships to Run Deep - Some of the best and closest and deepest friendships of our lives were formed in Florida. From my advisor and best friend, Donna, who paid to have my hair fixed after a disastrous home-dye job, to my foxhole-for-life buddy Anna who shared and supported me through so many of my parenting struggles, to our best friends Thomas and Dana whom we witnessed an amazing wedding ceremony on the beach, to our best family friends Cindy and Brian and their children Taylor and Savannah who matched up so perfectly with our own family, to so many others too extensive to name, we were blessed to have formed life-long friendships that prove that blood is not always thicker than water.  

1. What it is Like to Live with Purpose - I truly believed while we were in Florida that we were following God's plan by being there. I had wondered before when we were living and working in Kansas City if this is all there was to life. And God had an answer - a resounding No! - that for us, there was a whole new journey awaiting our family. And I still believe this, and know that feeling that you are living with purpose and meaning, whatever form that takes, is truly one of the best feelings in the world. 

So sometimes, when you are in the thick of it, pushing through the dirt, it can feel as though God has forgotten you or has called you to do the impossible. Growth can be hard and scary and dark and make you feel as though you are all alone. But if I learned nothing more from my experiences in Florida, it is that sometimes all you can do is keep pushing through the dirt. Because what awaits you on the other side may be more beautiful than you ever imagined. 

2017 Reading Challenge: The First 10 Books

The past couple of years, I have taken part in a reading challenge where I tried to diversity my reading selections. Both years, I really enjoyed it until about May, and then started to feel very limited by needing to select specific types of books. So this year, my goal is much simpler - to read 40 books by the end of the year. Here are the first 10 books I have read so far in 2017! 

1. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (an audio book) - My first book of 2017! My friend and I listened to it on audio book for our drive back from Colorado today, and then I finished on Kindle when I got home. It reminded me of a cross between the movie "Up" and the book "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," and is about a curmudgeonly man in Sweden struggling after the death of his wife. I enjoyed this book the more that it progressed - there are many depressing elements but it is ultimately warm, heartearming, and uplifting. Definitely recommended!

2. Love Warrior, by Glennon Doyle Melton (author whose blog I follow) - This is the second book by blogger Glennon Doyle Melton that I have read. I follow and absolutely love her blog, Momastery. This book focuses on her marriage and is very well written. I've read some reviews that think that it shares too many personal details, but that didn't bother me - probably because I am also an over-sharer! Recommended if you enjoyed her other book or blog.

3. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matt Desmond (a book that can change your life) - Oh my gosh. This book! If you are at all interested in understanding urban poverty, you must read this book. It's by a Harvard sociologist and focuses on the lives of tenants who are evicted and landlords in Milwaukee, WI over the course of the year. It's a page-turner and so eye-opening.

4. Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, by Sara Goldrick-Rab (a book I read in one day) - I read this book during our "ice day." It focuses on the lives of first-generation college students who are Pell-grant eligible, intersected with all kinds of data from a representative survey study. I felt like I previously had a good pulse on the struggles and limitations of college costs/affordability, but the book was very well done and eye-opening in many accounts. Recommended if you are interested in understanding higher education.

5. Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi (a book about slavery and Africa) - A simply amazing book!! This is a novel that follows a family from the 1700s to the present day. The story begins with two half-sisters in Ghana, one of whom is sold into slavery and who is sent to America, and the other whom remains in Ghana. Each chapter is a different generation from either the Ghana/U.S. side of the family. So many themes on race, family, colonialism, slavery, segregation, and so much more. Absolutely, positively recommended!!

6. Uninvited, by Lysa TerKeurst (a Christian women's book) - I really wanted to like this book more, but thought it was a little - watered-down? Unfocused? It made some good points (ultimate one - you can't count on other people to fill you up), but I almost feel like the whole book could have been a one-page bulleted list? I feel bad being critical because the author does come off as super sweet.

7. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris (a humorous book) - This is a series of humorous essays with the common theme of - who knows? I don't think I would get along with the author at all in real life. But parts of it were really, really funny (some in a twisted or black sort of humor way!) and I enjoyed reading it.

8. Hillbilly Elegy, by J. D. Vance (a book on cultural issues) - I saw this book recommended in the wake of the election last year and I expected to be a sociological explanation of Rust Belt America. Instead, it's a very personal memoir about growing up (and ultimately escaping) Appalachia. There aren't as many cited research studies as very personal and powerful stories. I really enjoyed it!

9. We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (an extremely short book) - I previously read "Americanah" by the author and loved it. This was a "Kindle short" and I was excited to give it a try. It is an essay on the meaning and importance of feminism. It is a great essay - but is incredibly short!! It took me less than 20 minutes, and maybe even less to read it. But I'm still tracking it in my books for the year since I paid $2.99. :) 

10. Year of Yes, by Shonda Rhimes (a book by a celebrity) - This is a book that a friend recommended. I had never heard of Shonda Rhimes before - or watched any of her TV shows. And I really enjoyed the book! I could totally identify with being an introvert who found it easier to hide from everything -- and how transformative it was to have a year of saying "yes" to everything that had preciously been scary.

What good (or bad) books have you read recently?? 

Comparison, The Thief of Joy

When my sister, Julie, and I were growing up, on one occasion we composed a list that included everything that each of us was "better at" than the other one. My list included things like writing (more a function of the fact that I enjoyed it more than any actual skill) and playing the piano. Julie's list included running (we went to different high schools and each ran for our school's cross country and track teams, and I can attest that Julie beat me easily in every.single.race) and math. I remember being quite happy with the list that we had made, but when our mom found it, she was quite upset. I can't recall her exact words, but they were along the lines of, "You two should love each other, not compare yourselves to each other!"

Why do we compare? I think it is so easy to blame social media for this phenomenon, but my sister and I made our comparison list long before the days of the Internet. I think it is natural to compare. It is one of the basis of analysis - comparing and contrasting two similar (or opposing) items. We are taught in literature classes to compare across books and characters, and in expository writing to compare elements that we have observed. We teach our children to look at picture books and found the tallest, the shortest, the softest, the loudest item on a page. We compare products to find the best one. Comparison is part of life.

And yet, comparison of our own life to another's life is fraught with problems. I have been thinking about this sentiment this past week, as one of the blogs I follow has been doing a series on comparison and how comparison robs us of so much joy. We may be feeling quite satisfied and content, but when we suddenly see evidence of someone who is happier, thinner, prettier, wittier, more successful, or whatever the basis of comparison might be, we suddenly feel ashamed and miserable.

I am so guilty of this. I compare myself all of the time, on every dimension. Parenting? Someone else is doing a better job. Work? Someone else has published more. Personality? Someone else can connect with people easier. Housekeeping? Well, I have decided to just abdicate on that one. ;)

But I also think that we can draw false conclusions from our comparisons because we do not see the whole story.  Others may be just as worried about their children, or work, or personality, or housekeeping as you are. People may be facing hidden demons or battles that they keep tucked away from the light of day.

In the end, I think my mom's words still have so much power - we should all strive to love each other, not compare. So instead of comparing ourselves on every dimension to another person - we instead could celebrate, lift up, respect, and, above all, love each person connected with us. And what a beautiful world that would be.

The Too-Busy Trap

Every few months or so, I realize that I am suffering from a disease. Specifically: The Busy Disease. Which is not surprising at all - after all, being too busy and too tired and too exhausted and too overwhelmed is The Disease of the Modern Era. 

At the moment, I feel like I am like a kid in the toy store who Wants It All! I want to do everything (and I am not doing anything particularly well). I want to be a good mom and wife and daughter and sister and friend. I want to excel in my job. I want to have and to develop meaningful relationships with people. I want to contribute to our church and at the kids' schools. I want to exercise and read books and write blog posts and browse Facebook and relax. And almost every day has moments where I feel so busy or overwhelmed that I can hardly breathe, or want to cry, or both. 

I do not work the night shift, nor do I work three minimum wage jobs. I am not a single parent and do not have a deployed spouse. I do not live in the developing world. I have so much less on my plate than so many others. Feeling like I am so busy that I can hardly breathe at times is entirely self-imposed. 

I do not know what the solution is. I have made lists to try to think of responsibilities to cull and all I can think of are things that I would love to add, not cut. Well, I could totally give up all housekeeping  -and have tried that before - but would rather keep CPS away. ;) I have tried adding yoga and meditation and journaling but they end up feeling like yet another box to check in a crammed day.

But really, deep down inside, I know that for me, being so busy is a way of keeping the threat of depression at bay. I worry that if I were to slow down, that instead of feeling a sense of peace and relief, I would only feel emptiness and despair. And I wonder if this is true with anyone else, and if we fill our days with activities and goals and projects so that we can keep our heads above water.

But even still, in the midst of all of my busy-ness, I have a simply wonderful, beautiful, irreplaceable life. And I wouldn't change that for a thing. 

We Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage

[Photo Credit Amy Meng Photography]

I have a confession to make. Do you know all of those articles about spouses who can walk into a room with a sink full of dirty dishes, completely oblivious to the mess all around them, then walk out? Or can walk into a room where one spouse is madly folding laundry and not process that the helpful thing to do would to offer to help? Most of the time these articles are written from the perspective of the wife who is crazy about her husband's lack of help around the house. Only in our house, this is often . . . reversed.

I have been reflecting recently on the different attitudes toward housework that my husband, Will, and I bring to the table. We have been married for over 18 years, and when we were first married, in our tiny 404-square-apartment, we divided up the jobs that needed to be done evenly. One of my assigned tasks was scrubbing the bathtub. I dutifully scrubbed it one day -- and then found out later that my sweet husband had actually re-scrubbed the whole tub without saying a word to me, because it was still so dirty that he did not realize it has actually been cleaned. And this was the first clue that perhaps we viewed household jobs through a different lens. I viewed them as a transaction, a contract, something that we each agreed to do our share and then did. Will viewed them as something larger, part of the new family unit that we had now created, in which responsibility transcended any one person and was shared throughout the whole unit. And that was eye-opening to me.

Will and I were married very young and I feel like in many ways we have grown up together, with our lives entangled together so much that it is often hard to see where one person's influence ends and the other begins. But I am positive that Will is the influence in my life that has single-handedly broadened my view of what it means to truly love another person. I realize that this sounds like a ridiculous statement, because Will is the only person that I ever even really dated, so how could this not be true?! Nevertheless, when we were first married, I think that I approached the idea of love almost as a barter system. You do something nice for me, then I do something nice for you, and then we will all love each other and live happily ever after!

The problem with the "barter system" approach to love is that it is fleeting. Does that mean that when you have had a stressful day, come home, and snap at your spouse, that they might think that you no longer truly love them? Or that you yourself are no longer truly worthy of being loved? I struggled with those fears. Will has the patience of a saint, but I can easily lash out, especially if I am, heaven forbid, hungry. ;) So I would lash out, and worry. Or not contribute enough, and worry. Worry, worry, worry.

I wish I had a cute story, or a witty anecdote, or something concrete that I could point to about when my attitude about love changed from a "barter system" mentality to one of "unconditional love." Alas, no such factoid exists. But over time, I gradually realized that love means that we both value the needs of our marriage and family above any of our individual needs. So sometimes, I do more. And sometimes (okay, most of the time? all the time?), Will does more. And sometimes, someone re-cleans the bathtub for you without expecting anything in return. And if that isn't true, unconditional love, then I don't know what is.

The Last 20 Books of 2016

I started the year with a reading challenge, where I was trying to read books that fit into certain categories, such as a "book set in your home state" and "a political memoir." (Click here for the original list). However, I ended up abandoning it because after making it about halfway through the challenge, reading was turning into a slog and was no longer a joy. So here are the books that I read in the second half of the year, just because I felt like them. #37 was the most powerful novel I read all year, and I am getting so much joy from #39. On the other hand, #21 was my biggest disappointment of the year.  

21. Paper Towns, by John Green (a book set in your home state) (Okay, Orlando/Winter Park, Florida) - This book took me a MONTH to read (it should have taken a few hours) because I just could not get into it. I loved TFIOS by the same author and was excited that this was set in Winter Park/Orlando, where we used to live. It's a young adult story about a high school senior obsessed with the girl next store, who goes missing. But I just did not care about the characters and it was a drag to read.

22. 10% Happier, by Dan Harris (a self-help book) - I picked up this book because of the title - who wouldn't want to be 10% happier?! It's a book on meditation. The author is an ABC news anchor who is funny and a decent writer, but seems to struggle with how to be a "nice" person. I envied reading the book, but I still really have no desire to start meditating.

23. When to Rob a Bank, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (a book from an airport bookstore) - I picked this up in the airport bookstore for something to read on my flight. It is by the authors of Freakonomics, and is a collection of blog posts they've written over the last 10 years on various economics topics. I like these types of musings, although it is a bit annoying just how high the authors' opinions of themselves is.

24. All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven (a book about mental illness) - amazing book. It's YA but anyone who has ever been a teenager or has struggled with mental illness (or knows someone who has) would love it. It's about two high schoolers with very different backgrounds who find themselves united by their underlying problems.

25. Girl at War, by Sara Novic (a book about war) - another amazing book!! It was recommended on "TheSkimm" and I am so glad I read it. The book takes place in the Croatian civil war in the 1990s, and in the U.S. a decade later. It's about coming of age, the loss of innocence, what family means, what its like to be an immigrant, and so much more. Highly recommended.

26. Middle School Makeover, by Michelle Icard (a parenting book) -  A parenting guide to the middle school years, with half the book devoted to understanding development and the other half to giving practical suggestions to common problems. It was recommended in an article on tween girls and was a fast read. Nothing earth shattering but lots of good points.

27. Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott (a book I re-read) - this is a book I had previously read about 5 years ago. We read about a chapter a week this year in my church group but didn't quite finish it, so I finished it up this weekend. It's a spiritual memoir with her thoughts on faith. I really enjoyed it, especially discussing with others.

28. Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald (a book about research) - This is a book summarizing a lot of the research the authors have conducted on "blindspots," or implicit/hidden biases. The authors are the originators of the "implicit bias tests," which generally show that people harbor in-group biases and implicitly favor people who have characteristics similar to themselves, even if they aren't consciously aware of it. It was a quick read and easy to understand.

29. Recipes for a Beautiful Life, by Rebecca Barry (a book to restart my reading habit) - This is a memoir that is structured as collection of essays over several years involving a woman who is raising her two young boys and trying to balance writing a novel, renovate an old house, and deal with "life" stuff. The essays are all related but are stand-alone, so it's a good one to read if your reading will be disrupted. I didn't always agree with all of the choices the author made but loved the writing style and the way she captured so much that is true about parenting.

30. First Comes Love, by Emily Giffin (a book read entirely on an airplane) - I read this from start to finish entirely on the plane ride over to London. I loved Emily Giffin's early work, and then thought it started to go downhill. This was better than some of her recent stuff and was a fast read. It's told from the alternating perspective of two sisters who are dealing with the aftermath of their brother's death 15 years later.

31. Finding Audrey, by Sophie Kinsella (a book by an author I love that I'd never read) - This is by the author of the very light and breezy "Shopaholic" books, but is for young adults. It is about a girl who had a nervous breakdown and now has severe social anxiety. It sounds depressing but it's actually sweet and really fun (and a fast read).

32. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce (a book about a journey) - I started this book a long time ago and had to return it to the library early on, but I picked it up again our trip, since it is set in England. It's about a retired man who makes a 600-mile walking trip to see an old friend who is dying. It's also about the relationship with his wife and how this journey slowly revitalizes it. It unfolds slowly but is so sweet.

33. Animal Farm, by George Orwell (a book about communism) - This was on my Kindle and I read it on the flight. I hadn't read it since we studied it in high school. It is a very fast read. The book is an allegory about communism and is even more heavy-handed than I remembered.

34. Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon (a book about illness) - I really liked this book!! It is a lot like "The Fault in Our Stars" and is about a girl with a compromised immune system who can't go outside at all. Then she falls in love with a boy who lives next door. Definitely recommended!

35. Defending Jacob, by William Landay (a book about murder) - This is another book I have been wanting to read for a long time but finally had the chance go on the flight home. It reminded me a lot of "Presumed Innocent" and is a novel about a DA whose son is accused of murder. A really fast and engaging read. Recommended!

36. A Thousand Naked Strangers, by Kevin Hazzard (a book about medicine) - I read this upon the year-end recommendation of friends. It's the memoir of a man who worked as an EMT and later a medic at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. Very fast read and both enjoyable and eye-opening. I told my husband that my main takeaway was how underpaid EMTs are! 

37. The Underground Railroad, by Colton Whitehead (a book about slavery) - This is the most powerful novel I read in 2016 and is highly recommended. It is a novel about slavery and oppression in America. It's historical fiction but more magical realism in parts than true historical accuracy (for example, the "Underground Railroad" is a real, functioning railroad in this account). The basic plot is about a young woman who is a slave on a Georgia plantation who runs away; her journey takes her to a variety of states where racism takes a different form in each one.

38. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, by Lindy West (a feminist memoir) - This is a memoir by a female writer organized as a collection of essays covering topics such as feminism, Internet trolls, comedy, and fat acceptance. The book is very sharp, funny, and witty. My one hesitation is that I was very uncomfortable with her essay describing her abortion.

39. Hamilton: The Revolution, by Lin-Manual Miranda and Jeremy McCarter (a book I have not actually finished yet) - Okay, I am definitely cheating by including this book on my list because I have not actually finished it yet - but I am really close!! And we are driving to Colorado tomorrow so I am 100% certain I will have it finished before the year is up. This has the complete lyrics of the entire soundtrack of Hamilton, along with copious footnotes, photographs, and facts about the creation of the show. I am now even more stocked to see the show next year!! 

What good or bad books did you read this year?