I usually have a strong start to my yearly reading, and this year was no exception. I’ll get right to it… this is what I read in January:
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (5 stars) – This book was recommended to me by friends as a “OMG, I can’t believe you haven’t read this yet!”. I would put this book into the same category as Educated and Hillbilly Elegy – stories of adults who grew up in extreme poverty with toxic and/or inconsistent parents, learned the lessons and broke the cycle. I appreciate the authors of all of these books for not only conveying the day to day life of these situations but also what it feels like, which is key for those of us from different backgrounds to gain understanding of what that life is like.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle (4 stars) – This book was recommended by a PA superintendent during a webinar I was on in November. She mentioned it as being useful in uniting her board members. I’m pretty sure I ordered it on the spot, and I’m thankful I did. As a new school board president I’m encountering some challenges that this book gave me insight into how to steer us towards success.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (4.5 stars) – I’ve had TJR’s books on my ‘to be read’ list & pile for AGES. I enjoyed the interview format of this novel, and the story was engaging the entire way through. It didn’t quite merit 5 stars because when I was done with it I knew I wanted to read more of her works but I didn’t finish this one with the big exhale that I typically have with a 5 star read.
Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Core by Patric Richardson & Karin Miller (4 stars) – I heard about this book from my favorite book podcaster, Anne Bogel. Not only does this book have great laundry tips (a tried and true stain guide for everything!) but offers engaging stories about the author’s history with clothing, laundry and his Southern family.
Currently Reading: Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman – I first found this work as the short series on Netflix when it came out in 2020. I thought the main character and her story was so engaging that I knew I wanted to read the source book. I found it on the shelf at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago (still one of my favorite places to pick up books!) so I grabbed it and dove in.