I posted in my stories on instagram that I wanted to start reading more and asked for some of your recent favorite reads and man, did you deliver (THANK YOU!!) I got so many good suggestions I decided to share them here along with links and a little summary, in case you’re also looking to sharpen your mind a bit in 2020! One smart Mama recommended listening to books using Audible– saying that she listens while she cooks, cleans etc which is a GENIUS idea.
Disclaimer: The titles and photos of the books can be clicked and they will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page. It costs you nothing extra but I do receive a small percentage. Honesty is the best policy 😉
There were at least three mentions of this book so it HAS to be good.
According to an Amazon review: The story is set in the 1950s and revolves around a young woman named Kya Clark, who is from extremely rural North Carolina. Known by others as the Marsh Girl, she lives alone in nature—but the draw of other people, and specifically love, brings her into contact with the greater world. This novel has a mystery at its core, but it can be read on a variety of levels. There is great nature writing; there is coming of age; and there is literature. Crawdads is a story lovingly told—one that takes its time in developing its characters and setting, and in developing the story. You’ll want to relax and take your time as well, and when you’re done you will want to talk about it with another reader. – Chris Schluep , Amazon Book Review
This books sounds like it is right up my alley. I love a good self-help book.
According to Amazon: “After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.”
Here is another one I need to read. This book talks about actually finishing goals rather than started a bunch of things and then giving up on them (story of my life..).
Amazon Description: #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller! Jon Acuff, New York Times best-selling author of Do Over, Quitter, and Start, offers strategies for anyone who’s ever wondered, “Why can’t I finish what I started?”
I am so glad I asked you guys– I want to read SO many of these– definitely this one!
Amazon Description: In her latest book, The Universe Has Your Back, New York Times best-selling author Gabrielle Bernstein teaches listeners how to transform their fear into faith in order to live a divinely guided life. Each story and lesson in the book guides listeners to release the blocks to what they most long for: happiness, security, and clear direction. The lessons help listeners relinquish the need to control so they can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom.
I am sure this is hilarious and it is definitely going on my list.
According to Amazon: Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero) cover everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.
This one seems intense and I am here for it.
According to Amazon: “Jewell gets more riveting and twisty with every book she writes. Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending that will keep readers guessing, Then She Was Gone is a nearly pitch-perfect thriller.
I love the concept behind this book!
According to Amazon: It’s a crazy idea: trying to name the phrases that make love and connection possible. But that’s just what Kelly Corrigan has set out to do here. In her New York Times bestselling memoirs, Corrigan distilled our core relationships to their essences, showcasing a warm, easy storytelling style. Now, in Tell Me More, she’s back with a deeply personal, unfailingly honest, and often hilarious examination of the essential phrases that turn the wheel of life.
I have been meaning to read this book for forever so I am going to go ahead and take it as a sign that you guys suggested it and ACTUALLY READ IT THIS YEAR.
According to Amazon: As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore.
This one sounds awesome, too!
According to Amazon: As America’s Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons.
I saw this movie and it was super creepy (in a good way) so I bet the book is too!
According to Amazon: Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book — a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world.
I saved this one for last because a) I am pretty sure it was a joke because this Mama KNOWS it would take me ten years to get through even one of these books and b) my husband would probably be so psyched if I read these but I am pretty sure I won’t have the brain power for at least 4 more years.
Thank you guys for all your awesome suggestions! I am thinking about putting together a fun reading challenge– kinda like the ones they do for kids in school– SO STAY TUNED!