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)

Zarina Divided

I saw Reem Faruqi had a new book out, so I got Zarina Divided from the library. The books description says, "Zarina loves her life in Poona, India. She spends her days happily hanging out with her best friends, Geeta and Jahana, and playing with her three brothers. However, Zarina and her family are given unsettling news: Muslims and Hindus are to separate by religion. Hindus are expected to stay in India, while Muslims are expected to move to a new land, Pakistan. Zarina is heartbroken at having to move away from all she knows and loves, and after the frightening journey to Pakistan, she feels unsure that the unfamiliar country will ever feel like home. When an accident happens that leaves Zarina grappling with extreme guilt, she decides it’s best to attend boarding school far away, much to the protest of her mom. Will a fresh start at a new school give Zarina the chance to thrive in Pakistan, or will the divisions within herself and her family continue to widen?"

This was such a great read! It was a super quick read since it was written in verse (probably just took me an hour), but I loved the characters and the storyline. I didn't know much about the partition in India, so it was great to learn more--plus it was super cool that this was based on the experiences of the author's grandmother. I thought the author did a great job portraying the difficulties of the experiences surrounding the partition in a middle grade–appropriate way. This one was really close to loved it. I definitely would recommend this to others.

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

Lost Evangeline

I got Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo from the library since it's the brand new third book in the Norendy Tales collection (not really a series since they're all different stories but they all take place in the same magical land). The book description says, "When a shoemaker discovers a tiny girl (as small as a mouse!) in his shop, he takes her in, names her Evangeline, and raises her as his own. The shoemaker’s wife, however, fears that Evangeline has bewitched her husband, so when an opportunity arises to rid herself of the girl, she takes it. Evangeline finds herself far from her adopted father and her home, a tiny girl lost in the wide world. But she is brave, and she is resourceful, and with the help of those she meets on her journey—including a disdainful and self-satisfied cat—she may just find her way again."

This was another beautifully written book, as Kate DiCamillo's books always are. I thought it was a sweet story with a character to root for and some fun adventures. I wished the ending had been more conclusive, but it kinda fit the vibes of the other books in this collection. I thought this was a nice, quick read.

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

Outrun the Moon

I chose Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee for my book club read for this month (since I've read two other books by the author and enjoyed them). The book description says, "Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown, San Francisco in 1906, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes. On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. Now she’s forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the 'bossy' cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?"

This was another good read by the author. I enjoyed the story and Mercy's assertive, go-getter personality. I thought the story had lots of fun plot lines to follow that kept me engaged, and I liked lots of great side characters (like Tom and Francesca). There were some sad things that happened but the book had a keep-moving-forward vibe that kept things positive. I learned a lot about the time period and the history related to the earthquake and what it may have been like for Chinese people living in San Francisco at that time.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked 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)