Books of January 2020
As you may have read, in 2020 I want to be a bit more intentional about the books I consume. Instead of just reading whatever I have on hand or is next on the stack, I want to curate my reading list a bit more.
I don’t necessarily hope to make more progress this way, but I hope that it will expand my mind and keep my brain and reading list from wandering too far.
So I decided on several categories to read from each month. And at the end of December, I selected one book for each category to read in January. The six categories and the books I read were…
Memoir: What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics - 4 Stars. This book tells the amazing and heartbreaking story of Rachael Denhollander and her journey from being abused by Larry Nassar, former team doctor for the US Olympic gymnastics team, to speaking out on a national stage, to make sure that abuse was ended forever. It is a horrifying look into how institutionalized violence and abuse is as well as the steps people will take to cover it up or willfully ignore its existence. But this book also shares a message of hope, for every horrible person out in the world doing horrible things, there is another working tirelessly to right the wrongs. It is time to stand up and join the fight against all those who abuse their authority and position (real or imagined) to hurt, undermine, and ruin the lives of others.
Business: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't - 3 Stars. Maybe it is because I read a lot of books by John C. Maxwell growing up, but I have a pretty solid understanding of how leaders ought to behave. This book didn’t seem to present anything new or very counterintuitive. If you have suddenly be thrust into a position of power, or feel like you could use a quick refresher course however, this book is a good option.
Mystery: Three Act Tragedy - 3 Stars. A good Agatha Christie novel with all the usual features - although you would think that the characters in her book would have figured out by now not to have 13 people at your dinner party! That never ends well. This one didn’t have as big of a twist or surprise at the end. And I have to admit, having just finished it, I barely remember how it wrapped up.
Personal development: Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know - 3 Stars. I am simultaneously intrigued and terrified by strangers. These people walking past me with inner worlds and backstories just as complex as my own. I enjoyed reading Talking to Strangers and learning more about the complex inner workings of our relationships with those people we have no relationship with. In the end, though, I found it somewhat depressing. Much of the material centered around torturing terrorists, Cuban spies, and prison suicide. I guess it is often through the worst of humanity that we learn our biggest lessons - although the lesson from this book seemed to be there really is no way to know who the worst people are.
Novel/fiction: China Rich Girlfriend - 3 Stars. I think that my complaint with this book is the same as the last one - there are so, so many characters. It takes extreme focus to remember who everyone is with all the jumping back and forth between storylines. I gave up at some points and just let the names wash over me. The story itself though is interesting, if not quite as intriguing as the first book. There is certainly enough action and relational angst to keep you reading, even if you don’t end up really caring about many of the characters.
Sustainability: The Imperfect Environmentalist: A Practical Guide to Clearing Your Body, Detoxing Your Home, and Saving the Earth (Without Losing Your Mind) - 3 Stars. I picked this book to read in January because I figured it would be a great jump start into the world of sustainable living. And I was right. This book covers everything from choosing the right paint, to what to eat to minimize your environmental impact, to exactly how you should do laundry. Many of the recommendations are very helpful, but others like “become a vegan”, are a little outside of my current goals. However, this book has a lot of great information and ideas. Even though the book could easily be weighed down by too much detail and science, that rarely happens, and it is nicely balanced out with moments of humor. Each topic gets its own page, so nothing is covered in extreme depth. And each page is even broken down into sections - you can read about any topic in as much depth as you want. I read all of it, and never thought it was too much. And, of course, I got this book from the library - sustainable choice #1.
In addition to those more planned books, I also managed to get through a few others. These also have quite a bit of range, although that wasn’t as intentional. The other books I read were:
The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right by My Body, Without Giving Up My Life - 5 Stars. I don’t give out 5 stars very often, but this book deserved it. Based on Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (part of the reason I love this book should be immediately evident), it tells the story of one woman trying to figure out the health and body issues standing between her and true wellness. I feel like I am in a very similar place in my life, so I really related to the idea and found a lot of the suggestions to be really practical. There were some things I probably wouldn’t do or incorporate into my journey towards wellness, but that is what is so great about books like this. There is no right way. Every person’s journey is and will be different. But this is a great place to start, to learn, be inspired, and to get a jump start on down your path.
The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation - 2 Stars. Since I’m definitely planning to go without sugar for some time period in 2020, I was excited to see what this book had to share. I was surprised to find out that it was actually a devotional book to read as you go through a sugar fast. As such, it was highly repetitive. There were definitely some good ideas, but I probably won’t return to it when I do tackle my sugar cleanse.
When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good - 3 Stars. I have read several books by Emily Ley in the past. She has a sweet, vulnerable style and shares all of her story - even the parts that some of us would try to hide. It is for that reason that I would encourage people to read this book or any of her others. The tips and ideas for how to simplify your life and focus only on that which is important are not new, but her story is unique and worth reading. She also tackles each area of life in a different chapter which gives the ideas some space and keeps them from feeling too repetitive.
How Happiness Happens: Finding Lasting Joy in a World of Comparison, Disappointment, and Unmet Expectations - 3 Stars. Since I’m constantly talking about The Happiness Project, I received this book for my birthday. How Happiness Happens shares the most basic scientific research about happiness while integrating that with the Biblical idea of happiness. Again, I enjoyed the structure of the book. Each chapter was based on a verse that highlighted something we need to do in order to be happy. There wasn’t too much practical application until the end where the book ends with a challenge - set about making 100 people happy in the next 40 days. While I didn’t technically embark on that adventure, I have been more aware of the small things I can do to make those around me happier.
Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting - 4 Stars. I am years away from having children of my own, but I greatly enjoyed reading about the differences between French and American parenting styles. Pamela Druckerman has a very casual and engaging style - plus it’s fun to read a book with so much French thrown in. I plan to keep many of the ideas and principles in the back of my mind for that distant future when I have a bébé of my own, while others I will probably let wash away with the bathwater.
Women Who Think Too Much - 2 Stars. This was a really short read. Since I have been studying mind management and thought work so much lately, I was curious to see what this book might have to say on the topic - or the lack thereof. There were some interesting ideas, but most of the book consisted of long, drawn-out stories of people’s pain and how, if you were in that particular situation, you might get past it. We all will certainly face pain in our lives, and will definitely overthink at times, but I don’t think this book is the best one to help you get through it.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy - 3 Stars. Maybe I’m not smart enough to understand this book. It is a very philosophical look at our modern culture, loosely, very loosely, tied around the idea of taking time to do nothing. There were definitely some fascinating ideas in the book, but the ones that stood out to me didn’t correlate very strongly to the title. I’m someone who doesn’t do a whole lot of nothing, and I don’t see that changing as a result of this book. But maybe if it was a little less philosophical I would have. It is also ironic to me how “doing nothing” according to the terms of this book is basically making a statement - and thus, not really doing nothing at all.
24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week - 3 Stars. I will admit, I’m not always the biggest fan of books and people that proclaim the message that technology is stealing away our choices, opportunity, and time. I can understand where they are coming from, but regardless, our use of technology comes back to a choice that we make - consciously or unconsciously - and as adults, we have to take responsibility for our choices. With that out of the way, I can say that this book had a lot of good things to say about technology and media use. I wouldn’t agree that going without technology one day a week is what would work best for most people - but I think it’s an idea! Even though that is the central idea of the book, it spirals out to touch pretty much all surrounding topics. If you feel overwhelmed with the role of technology in our society or are intrigued by the idea of trying the 24/6 lifestyle, then this is the book for you.
Becoming Super Woman: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Go from Burnout to Balance - 3 Stars. I have loved Nicole Lapin’s books and I really enjoy her style - this book was no exception. This book shares the next step in her journey, towards trying to find more calm and balance in her life. She is another author who is so incredibly vulnerable, in a way that reveals her true strength. At this point in my life, I feel like I have struck a good balance, and I have already have applied many of the steps she mentions. But eventually, when life gets out of sync again and I get overwhelmed, I will be sure to revisit this book.
So far, reading from a list and trying to plan out what I am going to read is a bit more stressful than enjoyable. However, hopefully, in the long run, I will get into a rhythm and will reap the benefits.
Or I may decide at the end of 2020 that I just want to be able to read whatever I want and a structured reading plan just isn’t for me. Only time will tell.
Until next time,