The Woman's Hour

I got The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss on audiobook from the library after seeing it somewhere. (It caught my eye because I recently saw the musical Suffs about the women's suffrage movement.) The book description says, "Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have approved the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote; one last state–Tennessee–is needed for women’s voting rights to be the law of the land. The suffragists face vicious opposition from politicians, clergy, corporations, and racists who don’t want black women voting. And then there are the 'Antis'–women who oppose their own enfranchisement, fearing suffrage will bring about the nation’s moral collapse. And in one hot summer, they all converge for a confrontation, replete with booze and blackmail, betrayal and courage. Following a handful of remarkable women who led their respective forces into battle, The Woman’s Hour is the gripping story of how America’s women won their own freedom, and the opening campaign in the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights."

This was a really inspiring read. I learned so much about the movement and the different sides and the effort it took to win the vote. The details were a little hard to keep track of at times since there were so many people to keep track of, but I didn't worry about following every person exactly and just focused on getting the overall gist/message. I'm glad I read this book and just saw there's a young reader's edition, so I'll recommend that to my daughter. At the very end (after ratification was won), there was a quote from Carrie Catt that I really loved: "The vote is the emblem of your equality, women of America, the guarantee of your liberty. That vote of yours has cost millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of women. Money to carry on this work has been given usually as a sacrifice, and thousands of women have gone without things they wanted and could have had in order that they might help get the vote for you. Women have suffered agony of soul which you can never comprehend, that you and your daughters might inherit political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it!"

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

I Can Fix This

I saw I Can Fix This And Other Lies I Told Myself While Parenting My Struggling Child by Kristina Kuzmic recommended somewhere, and the title caught my eye. The book description says, "When Kristina Kuzmič started to see signs that her otherwise sunny, resilient teenage son was struggling, she was sure a few simple fixes could right the ship. But over the following months, the issues her family faced became more nuanced, complicated, and pervasive than she could've predicted—and what began as a clear to do list spiraled into an emotionally fraught and seemingly endless push and pull between signs of progress and overwhelming fear. Despite her best efforts, Kuzmič had internalized a set of obligations, ideas, and unrealistic standards from parenting culture and social media that left her unprepared to guide her child when he needed her most. Featuring an urgent and affirming foreword by renowned and New York Times bestselling clinician Dr. Shefali Tsabary—Kuzmič's new book debunks ten "parenting truths” that kept her in crisis, and delves into her insecurities and the mistakes she made to reveal invaluable lessons and transformative approaches that worked. While her family stands on the other side now stronger than ever, Kuzmič's journey calls to parents who have felt the instinct to say 'I can fix this' in situations where good intentions far exceed our abilities to enact change."

This was a great read. I was super engaged in Kristina's story and was inspired by how she endured some very difficult times with her son. I think this book would be particularly meaningful for people who have children with serious mental health struggles.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

When God Doesn't Fix It

I saw When God Doesn't Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without by Laura Story advertised somewhere on the internet and decided to purchase it with some of my birthday money (since I'm a fan of the author's song Blessings). The book description says, "Laura's life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The fairy-tale life she had dreamed of was forever altered when they learned there was no cure to restore Martin's short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. In When God Doesn't Fix It, Laura draws from her own journey through ongoing hardship and shares powerful biblical truths about trusting God when life doesn't unfold the way we planned. Yes, with God all things are possible. But what happens when God does not change the situation? As Laura wrestled with broken dreams, she discovered joy, deeper intimacy with Jesus, and a faith strong enough to endure unanswered questions. For anyone learning to walk by faith when God seems silent, distant, or unwilling to remove the pain, When God Doesn't Fix It offers an honest and hopeful look at the hard truths."

I loved this book! It was super engaging with lots of meaningful insights. I liked the way the book was written--in order as she faced the trial surrounding her husband's health but with regularly clearly explained lessons. I think this book would really benefit people struggling with trials in their lives that don't just "get better."

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Everything is Tuberculosis

I've had Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection on my to-read list for awhile and finally had the time to get to it on audiobook. The book description says, "Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year. In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis."

This was a really interesting read. I knew very little about TB beside the fact that sometimes you have to get a TB test to get a job or something, but I had no idea how widespread it still is in poor countries. I thought John Green made many powerful points about how the cure is where the disease is not and the disease is where the cure is not. He also observes how we in rich countries don't care enough about TB since it doesn't affect us, so there aren't enough resources poured into it. It was an eye-opening book, and I think it's really meaningful that John Green has found a way to use his platform to speak up for people who are suffering from and dying from TB. One of his lines said, "How can I accept a world where over a million people will die this year for want of a cure that has existed for nearly a century?" I'd definitely recommend this book. 

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Anxietyland

I got Anxietyland by Gemma Correll (a graphic novel memoir) after seeing it on a new-book list at the library. The book description reads, "In 2018, Gemma Correll had a panic attack that lasted for weeks on end. Unable to do much more than walk aimlessly through the streets of Berkeley, Correll admitted herself to the hospital to reckon with The Bad Feeling that had been her companion since she was a child. With her ingenious and charming illustrations 'bursting with personality...peppered with witty asides' (Publishers Weekly), Correll leads readers through the amusement park in her own mind—featuring severe anxiety, depression, agoraphobia, and dissociation—a frightening and darkly funny world that 'feels like a place apart from "real" life.' A hilarious thrill ride exploring the mysteries of the mind-body connection, Gemma Correll’s graphic memoir is shot through with the absurd knowledge that there is no linear way through Anxietyland, nor any cure-alls—but there are ways to feel better if you keep trying to move forward."

This was an amazing book. I found the book relatable and both serious and funny. (Like she addressed everything related to her mental illness as real but somehow also made me laugh out loud.) The illustrations were amazing, and it was the type of graphic novel I enjoyed reading. I feel like she helped readers understand what it is like to live with mental illness. For those who don't have anxiety, she helped explain what the journey is like, and for those who do, it just helps them feel less alone. She was super vulnerable and authentic, and I just loved reading her experiences. I'm having my 15-year-old daughter read this next.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Anxious Generation

I have had The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt on my to-read list for awhile and finally got through the hold list on the library. The book description says, "After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the 'play-based childhood' began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the 'phone-based childhood' in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this 'great rewiring of childhood' has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies. Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the 'collective action problems' that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood."

This was a great read. I was super engaged and was glad to see the author addressing these issues. I felt validated with some of the choices I've made with my kids regarding technology but also became aware of the choices I could make differently in terms of overprotecting my kids in the real world. I thought the book was super eye-opening, so I am planning to pick it for a future book club pick so I can discuss it with others. I thought the book made some great points about the impact it could make if lots of members of the community made the same choices to kind of change the expectations in our communities. This was a really thought-provoking read that addresses the current issues facing our kids--definitely would recommend.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Good Inside

I saw Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be recommended somewhere and so got it on audiobook from the library. The book description says, "Over the past several years, Dr. Becky Kennedy—known to her followers as 'Dr. Becky'—has been sparking a parenting revolution. Millions of parents, tired of following advice that either doesn’t work or simply doesn’t feel good, have embraced Dr. Becky’s empowering and effective approach, a model that prioritizes connecting with our kids over correcting them. Parents have long been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn’t work. From reward charts to time outs, many popular parenting approaches are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don’t build the skills kids need for life, or account for their complex emotional needs. Add to that parents’ complicated relationships with their own upbringings, and it’s easy to see why so many caretakers feel lost, burned out, and worried they’re failing their kids. In Good Inside, Dr. Becky shares her parenting philosophy, complete with actionable strategies, that will help parents move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Offering perspective-shifting parenting principles and troubleshooting for specific scenarios—including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more—Good Inside is a comprehensive resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of self-regulation, confidence, and resilience."

This was a great read. I found the book had lots of practical ideas and a good perspective on parenting. I feel like there were many parts that helped me see things differently in how my kids behave and how I parent. I feel like this is one of those books I may have to read again (nonaudiobook next time) to really pin down all the parts that stuck out to me, but for now, I hope lots of the ideas have just seeped in to my mind and will help me be a better mom. :) I wasn't always 100% engaged, so it took me awhile to get through it (since I wasn't like, oh I can't wait to listen to this again), but I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way

I read It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered by Lysa TerKeurst for book club. The book description says, "Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But she's also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God."

This was a good read. I felt like the author made some great points, and I found the book to be uplifting and relatable. She asked the hard questions and didn't tie everything up with a perfect bow. Rather, she shared insights that helped her face the difficulties and disappointments that have come her way. I listened to the book on audio but would be interested in going back through the hard copy to make note of some of the lines that stuck out to me. I thought this was a meaningful read and would recommend it to people going through difficult times and trying to come to terms with how this aligns with faith in God. Every now and then, I felt like the book dragged on a bit or was a little repetitive, but I think it was a good read. I would read more books by the author.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

My Story

I saw that there's a documentary about Elizabeth Smart coming out early next year, and it made me realize I never read her memoir and always wanted to -- so I got My Story by Elizabeth Smart and Chris Stewart on audiobook from the library. The book description says, "In this memoir, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime. On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Elizabeth was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life. With My Story, Elizabeth tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving. Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served."

This was an engaging and inspiring read. I remember when Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped (it hit close to home because she was a member of the same religion as me and I was also a teenager at the time) and when she was found. At times reading this book was sickening and upsetting, just learning all that she went through and picturing it from the perspective of my daughter who is the same age. I was also inspired by Elizabeth's ability to make the most of her circumstances and thrive in her life after. This was one of those books that I always wanted to keep reading.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Sing Sing Files

I have had The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice by Dan Slepian on my to-read list for awhile and so got it on audiobook from the library. The book description says, "In 2002, Dan Slepian, a veteran producer for NBC’s Dateline, received a tip from a Bronx homicide detective that two men were serving twenty-five years to life in prison for a 1990 murder they did not commit. Haunted by what the detective had told him, Slepian began an investigation of the case that eventually resulted in freedom for the two men and launched Slepian on a two-decade personal and professional journey into a deeply flawed justice system fiercely resistant to rectifying―or even acknowledging―its mistakes and their consequences. The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice is Slepian’s account of challenging that system. The story follows Slepian on years of prison visits, court hearings, and street reporting that led to a series of powerful Dateline episodes and eventually to freedom for four other men and to an especially deep and lasting friendship with one of them, Jon-Adrian 'JJ' Velazquez. From his cell in Sing Sing, JJ aided Slepian in his investigations until his own release in 2021 after decades in prison. Like Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, The Sing Sing Files is a deeply personal account of wrongful imprisonment and the flaws in our justice system, and a powerful argument for reckoning and accountability. Slepian’s extraordinary book, at once painful and full of hope, shines a light on an injustice whose impact the nation has only begun to confront."

This book was SO GOOD. It was a super engaging story and just alarming to read about the unfair justice system so many people have had to face. The book reminded me of the vibe of Just Mercy (I thought that before seeing that it's also mentioned in the book description above) and just opened my mind to so many things, especially how broken the police and court system can be in some cases. I thought this was a really meaningful read that just reminded me that there is more to every story. I came away inspired by Dan's dedication to the cases he looked into and the resilience of the innocent men wrongly imprisoned.

* * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

I read Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty for book club. The book description says, "Armed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin Doughty took a job at a crematory and turned morbid curiosity into her life’s work. She cared for bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, and became an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. In this best-selling memoir, brimming with gallows humor and vivid characters, she marvels at the gruesome history of undertaking and relates her unique coming-of-age story with bold curiosity and mordant wit. By turns hilarious, dark, and uplifting, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes reveals how the fear of dying warps our society and 'will make you reconsider how our culture treats the dead' (San Francisco Chronicle)."

This was a really unique and enjoyable read. There were parts that were kind of disgusting or sad or whatnot, but it was also enlightening and fascinating and eye-opening. I learned about a topic I had really not given much thought to and found the book to be a fun listen. I think it'll be a fun book club discussion book, and it was also a fun one to read around Halloween time. I really liked the author's perspective and her opinion that death needs to be less hidden in our country and culture.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

Murder Among Friends

I love Candace Fleming as an author, so when I saw her book Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime, I got it from the library. The book description says, "In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial error: as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan's eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket. Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case--how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty."

This was a pretty engaging book and of course, well written, like all of Candace Fleming's books. But I think just the content of this book was kind of upsetting, so the vibe just wasn't one I completely enjoyed. The boys were just so messed up that it was kind of disturbing to read about. I feel like sometimes books like this are fascinating, but this one wasn't as much for me. I did think it was well-organized and well-researched. I liked the connections to what the killers would have been diagnosed with in today's world.

Rating: * (1/3) = It was okay

The Boys of Riverside

I got The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory by Thomas Fuller on audiobook from the library after seeing it advertised somewhere. The book description says, "In November 2021, an obscure email from the California Department of Education landed in New York Times reporter, Thomas Fuller’s, inbox. The football team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, a state-run school with only 168 high school students, was having an undefeated season. After years of covering war, wildfires, pandemic, and mass shootings, Fuller was captivated by the story of this group of high school boys. It was uplifting. During the gloom of the pandemic, it was a happy story. It was a sports story but not an ordinary one, built on the chemistry between a group of underestimated boys and their superhero advocate coach, Keith Adams, a deaf former athlete himself. The team, and Adams, tackled the many stereotypes and seemed to be succeeding. Fuller packed his bags and drove seven hours to the Riverside campus. The Boys of Riverside looks back at the historic 2021 and 2022 seasons in which the California School for the Deaf chased history. It follows the personal journeys of their dynamic deaf head coach, and a student who spent the majority of the season sleeping in his father’s car in the Target parking lot. It tells the story of a fiercely committed player who literally played through a broken leg in order not to miss a crucial game, as well as myriad other heart-wrenching and uplifting narratives of players who found common purpose. Through their eyes, Fuller reveals a portrait of high school athletics, inspiring camaraderie, and deafness in America."

I LOVED this book! I was engaged from start to finish. I just loved the premise of the book, probably partially because I took ASL as my language in high school and college and have some background knowledge about Deaf culture. I loved hearing the stories about the coaches and players and how they rose up even when people underestimated them. And since I also enjoy watching football, it was fun to follow the descriptions of the games. This was an inspiring and enjoyable read. Definitely would recommend it to others.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Braiding Sweetgrass

I read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer for a book club. The book description says, "Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings―asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass―offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return."

This was one of those books that I would have never picked up if it weren't for book club. And even when I started it, I don't think I really knew what to expect. I thought it was going to be primarily a factual book when really it turned out to be a beautifully written memoir of sorts, with facts and lessons woven throughout. I listened to the book on audiobook, and I'm so glad it was read by the author because I think it just captured the beauty of the writing. There were times that I was just like, Wow. Other parts of the book bored me a little bit (long section on the deep science of lichen and things like that), but overall the book really opened my eyes and was thought-provoking. I left pondering my relationship with the earth and reflecting on the wisdom of the indigenous people that is really missing in our world today. I loved the author's wide knowledge -- that she was well educated in the scientific field but also had this important background of being Anishinabekwe. Really, this was a beautiful book, and I almost wish I didn't read it on audio because I was often driving and couldn't write down or mark the parts that really stuck out to me. It was a long book, so I don't know if I really want to re-read it, but I am actually tempted.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

There was one section I remembered particularly liking (about motherhood), so I got a hard copy of the book to mark some of the quotes to share at book club. So I'll record them here:

• So it is my grandchildren who will swim in this pond, and others whom the years will bring. The circle of care grows larger and caregiving for my little pond spills over to caregiving for other waters. The outlet from my pond runs downhill to my good neighbor's pond. What I do here matters. Everybody lives downstream. My pond drains to the brook, to the creek, to a great and needful lake. The water net connects us all. I have shed tears into that flow when I thought that motherhood would end. But the pond has shown me that being a good mother doesn't end with creating a home where just my children can flourish. A good mother grows into a richly eutrophic old woman, knowing that her work doesn't end until she creates a home where all of life's beings can flourish. There are grandchildren to nurture, and frog children, nestlings, goslings, seedlings and spores, and I still want to be a good mother.
• 
  
• The earth, that first among good mothers, gives us the gift that we cannot provide ourselves. I hadn't realized that I had come to the lake and said feed me, but my empty heart was fed. I had a good mother. She gives what we need without being asked. I wonder if she gets tired, old Mother Earth. Or if she too is fed by the giving. "Thanks," I whispered, "for all of this."
• 
  
• We are showered every day with gifts, but they are not meant for us to keep. Their breath is in their movement, the in hale and the exhale of our shared breath. Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift and to trust that what we put out into the universe will always come back.

Big Dumb Eyes

We are big fans of the comedian Nate Bargatze, so when I heard he had a book coming out, I put it on hold from the library. I got the audiobook before the physical book, so I listened to the book: Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind. The book description says, "Nate Bargatze used to be a genius. That is, until the summer after seventh grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and 'my skull got, like, dented or something.' Before this accident, he dreamed of being 'an electric engineer, or a doctor that does brain stuff, or a math teacher who teaches the hardest math on earth.' Afterwards, all he could do was stand-up comedy. But the 'brain stuff' industry’s loss is everyone else’s gain because Nate went on to become one of today’s top-grossing comedians, breaking both attendance and streaming records.  In his highly anticipated first book, Nate talks about life as a non-genius. From stories about his first car (named Old Blue, a clunky Mazda with a tennis ball stick shift) and his travels as a Southerner (Northerners like to ask if he believes in dinosaurs), to tales of his first apartment where he was almost devoured by rats and his many debates with his wife over his chores, his diet, and even his definition of 'shopping.' He also reflects on such heady topics as his irrational passion for Vandy football and the mysterious origins of sushi (how can a California roll come from old-time Japan?)."

This was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed listening to it because part of what makes Nate Bargatze so hilarious is how he says things, and the audiobook can capture that. Parts of the book weren't completely engaging, but other parts made me regularly laugh out loud. I definitely am glad I listened to it and was entertained throughout the book. I'm still waiting for the physical book and will enjoy looking at the pictures he referred to and the blank pages he described. 

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Whale Eyes

I saw Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson on a new book list and got it from the library. This book is about the author's experience with strabismus, an eye condition. The author created an Emmy-nominated short film by the same name, and this book is expanding on the same topic. The book is interactive (trying a vision test, for example), and the book description says, "James’s story equips readers of all ages with the tools to confront their discomfort with disability and turn confused, blank stares into powerful connections."

This was an interesting read. Right when I started the book, I decided to go watch the video he had made, and that really got me invested in his story. The book helped me understand how to respectfully approach interactions with someone who has strabismus or similar eye conditions (just look into the eye that is looking at you!), and it helped me understand what it would be like to grow up like he did. I liked following his journey into the documentary world and then watched a couple of the other memoir-style documentaries he created about people with disabilities on NYT (face blindness and stuttering). They were so great! Overall this was a good read but best for 10+ due to a spoiler about something my 8-year-old still believes in. :) I think kids will enjoy the pictures and interactive nature of the book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Wolves of K Street

I read The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government by Brody Mullins and Luke Mullins for book club. The book description says, "In the 1970s, Washington’s center of power began to shift away from elected officials in big marble buildings to a handful of savvy, handsomely paid operators who didn’t answer to any fixed constituency. The cigar-chomping son of an influential congressman, an illustrious political fixer with a weakness for modern art, a Watergate-era dirty trickster, the city’s favorite cocktail party host—these were the sort of men who now ran Washington. Over four decades, they’d chart new ways to turn their clients’ cash into political leverage, abandoning favor-trading in smoke-filled rooms for increasingly sophisticated tactics, such as “shadow lobbying,” where underground campaigns sparked seemingly organic public outcries to pressure lawmakers into taking actions that would ultimately benefit corporate interests rather than ordinary citizens. With billions of dollars at play, these lobbying dynasties enshrined in Washington a pro-business consensus that would guide the country’s political leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike. A good lobbyist could ghostwrite a bill or even secretly kill a piece of legislation supported by the president, both houses of Congress, and a majority of Americans. Yet nothing lasts forever. Amid a populist backlash to the soaring inequality these influence peddlers helped usher in, DC’s pro-business alliance suddenly began to fray. And while the lobbying establishment would continue to invent new ways to influence Washington, the men who’d built K Street would soon find themselves under legal scrutiny, on the verge of financial collapse or worse. One would turn up dead behind the eighteenth green of an exclusive golf club, with a $1,500 bottle of wine at his feed and bullet in his head."

This was the third super long book this book club picked in a row (after Warmth of Other Suns and Middlemarch), so I wasn't sure what I'd think of this. But I was so engaged in the book from the start. I was fascinated by the story and appalled by how much money influences decision-making in DC. I was disgusted by the greed of the lobbyists highlighted in the book. The book is one that I was just thinking about all the time and recommending to my husband and father-in-law. It was really fun to discuss at book club, especially because the host invited a friend from church who is a top lobbyist in DC so she could share her experiences in that position (not being a greedy maniac like the ones in the book). It was super fascinating to hear about her job and the differences of how she approaches things. Overall I'll say I liked (not loved) the book because there were times I was less interested or lost track of people or whatnot, but it was a great read that really opened my eyes to a lot of things (and made me realize I can't trust pretty much anything related to politics).

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Warmth of Other Suns

I read The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson for book club. The book description says, "In this beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson presents a definitive and dramatic account of one of the great untold stories of American history: the Great Migration of six million Black citizens who fled the South for the North and West in search of a better life, from World War I to 1970. Wilkerson tells this interwoven story through the lives of three unforgettable protagonists: Ida Mae Gladney, a sharecropper’s wife, who in 1937 fled Mississippi for Chicago; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, and Robert Foster, a surgeon who left Louisiana in 1953 in hopes of making it in California. Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous cross-country journeys by car and train and their new lives in colonies in the New World."

This was a great read. It was a LONG book (Amazon says 640 pages, but without references and such, it was more like 500-something), and the library didn't own the audiobook. So it was hard for me to finish it in time -- luckily I had two fairly open days the last two days before book club and read several hours each day to get it done. But it definitely was a book I'm really glad I read. It took me a bit to get into it and to get in the groove of each of the three stories, but I thought the author did a great job reminding us where we left off last time we were following each person in order to prevent confusion. The book is very eye-opening and just really helps the reader understand what it was like to live as a black person during those time periods. There was lots to discuss at book club, and I really think it was an important read even though it was long and not always 100% engaging like a fiction read (though sometimes it was!). There was a quote at the beginning of one of the chapters from James Baldwin that said, "I can conceive of no Negro native to this country who has not, by the age of puberty, been irreparably scarred by the conditions of his life....The wonder is not that so many are ruined but that so many survive." I left this book inspired by the resiliency of the three people highlighted in the book and also just the race as a whole. Really glad I read this book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Power of Moments

The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath was recommended at one of my book clubs recently, so I got it on audiobook. The book description says, "While human lives are endlessly variable, our most memorable positive moments are dominated by four elements: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. If we embrace these elements, we can conjure more moments that matter. What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember twenty years later? What if a manager knew how to create an experience that would delight customers? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? This book delves into some fascinating mysteries of experience: Why we tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest. Why 'we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.' And why our most cherished memories are clustered into a brief period during our youth. Readers discover how brief experiences can change lives, such as the experiment in which two strangers meet in a room, and forty-five minutes later, they leave as best friends. (What happens in that time?) Or the tale of the world’s youngest female billionaire, who credits her resilience to something her father asked the family at the dinner table. (What was that simple question?) Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck—but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences."

This was an interesting read. To me, the audience seemed to be more people who are business owners or work in leadership positions or things like that. I think I would have enjoyed it more if more seemed directly applicable to my life (like a "Power of Moments" primary focused on parenting). But there were definitely things that stuck with me. One example is a line the authors used several times: "Beware the life-sucking force of reasonableness." (Like sometimes you have an idea on how to create a powerful moment, but it seems unreasonable, so you drop it. One example was a business that does handwritten thank you notes, but with all the logistics, reason says, Why don't we just do it via email? But that takes away the power these thank you notes can have.) There was another line that said, "Courage is contagious." Again, it went with specific stories, but the message is that when one person has courage, it encourages others to do the same. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting book to listen to with some great points, and I'm hoping I subconsciously took away some things that will affect my day-to-day life.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Power of Fear

I had heard The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence by Gavin De Becker recommended and so got it on audiobook from the library. I realized after starting that the version I got was an abridged version, though, so I didn't get the full book. But the book description says, "A date won't take "no" for an answer. The new nanny gives a mother an uneasy feeling. A stranger in a deserted parking lot offers unsolicited help. The threat of violence surrounds us every day. But we can protect ourselves, by learning to trust—and act on—our gut instincts. In this empowering book, Gavin de Becker, the man Oprah Winfrey calls the nation's leading expert on violent behavior, shows you how to spot even subtle signs of danger—before it's too late. Shattering the myth that most violent acts are unpredictable, de Becker, whose clients include top Hollywood stars and government agencies, offers specific ways to protect yourself and those you love, including...how to act when approached by a stranger...when you should fear someone close to you...what to do if you are being stalked...how to uncover the source of anonymous threats or phone calls...the biggest mistake you can make with a threatening person...and more. Learn to spot the danger signals others miss. It might just save your life."

This was an interesting read. I kinda wish Libby had the full version because there were some gaps that I think would have been resolved if I read the full version. But I did like the messages about trusting your gut and realizing that your brain is noticing more than you think it is. I also liked how he distinguished in the end between the gift of fear and unnecessary worrying. I think it was an important distinction (especially for me as a worrier), but again, I feel like the full version probably dug into it quite a bit more. Maybe I'll have to go back and read the whole thing sometime.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)