Reading has been one of my favorite things for as long as I can remember. During my early years of motherhood, I let the habit lapse because of all the demands of caring for my young children. Then, shortly after my third child was born, I remember noticing (like a glaring beacon shining through the fog of sleep deprivation) that I felt happier when I made time to read. Ever since that revelation, I've made it a point to keep reading, even during these busy years.
I've been doing the Modern Mrs. Darcy's Reading Challenges for several years now, and I LOVE them. Last year she put out a make-your-own reading challenge guide, so this is what I came up with along with the books that fit in those categories.
1. Parenting book ✔
Loving Our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk -- This book gave me a new way of thinking about discipline, alternatives to spanking, and lots of food for thought. I especially appreciated the emphasis on treating children with kindness and respect during the discipline process.
2. Marriage book -- FAIL (In my defense, the parenting book took more time to read and process than I had expected)
3. Book I own but haven't read yet ✔
Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler -- I picked this up on a whim at a used bookstore. It's historical fiction about a home for unwed mothers set in the early 20th century. I was particularly struck by how honest and compassionate this book was in its depiction of both the women and those who aimed to help them. It was heart-wrenching, not one I will soon forget.
4. Book about racial issues or current events ✔
Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall -- a memoir about the friendship between the author (a white woman) and her gardener (a black man)
Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum -- This book is written by a Black college professor for parents and educators of minority children/teens/young adults. It is weighty and academic, littered with psychological terms and ideas, but it held my interest. A thoroughly worthwhile read, especially for its intended audience
Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson -- A long, intense, captivating book, Caste takes a long look at history and argues that when the Blacks in the United States were brought over as slaves, a caste system was essentially created and they became the "untouchables".
5. A book published before I was born ✔
Passing by Nella Larsen -- Written in 1929, this is a novel about a Black woman who "passes" for white, leaving her community and family behind and creating a new life for herself. So interesting
6. A book I've already read ✔
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card -- I listened to this on audio this time and really enjoyed it.
7. A book I had previously abandoned ✔
The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy, and "Women's Work" by Kathleen Norris -- A really thoughtful book that challenged me to approach my ordinary, everyday tasks as an act of worship
8. Book from a favorite author ✔
Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos -- Not my favorite book of hers
9. A classic I've never read ✔
Fahrenheit 451 -- This one has been on my TBR for several years. The audiobook was really good.
10. Book from a new (to me) author ✔
Dead Wake by Erik Larson -- Historical nonfiction about the sinking of the Lusitania; fascinating, educational, and completely engaging
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison -- Heartbreaking and inspiring (true) story of a foster mother and some of her foster children
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab -- "France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets." (Goodreads) I couldn't put this book down; it was such fun to read.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot -- Fascinating story behind the stem cells used in research labs
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore -- The story of the factory girls who painted radium on watches...with horrifying results
Shakespeare Saved my Life by Laura Bates -- I loved this memoir about a college professor who taught Shakespeare to inmates in solitary confinement.
11. An award-winning book ✔
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson -- This
is about the Great Migration of Black folks from the South to the North
after the Civil War during Jim Crow days. Wilkerson intersperses historical facts/events with the experiences of several families. I learned so much from this book! It took effort but was
totally worth reading.
12. A book set in another country ✔
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan -- Sweet, fun, romantic
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus -- A middle-grade historical fiction about siblings who were evacuated from London during WWII, this was warm and charming. One of my favorite books this year.
Bonus: The Bible ✔
By my count, I read 56 books this year (many on audio), in addition to the Bible. The list above is just a sampling of my favorites. If you read any of the ones I listed, I'd love to hear what you thought of them!
