The Forest of Vanishing Stars

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A unique World War II story that was good, but not great. Some of the characterization is overwrought and the serendipity of some of the plot was a bit much. That said, the book does have a great title.

Happy reading-

What Kind of Woman - Round Three

What Kind of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes you just need Kate Baer's words as part of your day. Her poetry really is extraordinary.

State of Terror

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What a strange pairing: Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Because it was Louise Penny though, I had to read this book. The short version is that I was totally hooked by the story and the conflict from the beginning. However, the not-so-veiled references to the previous presidential administration in the book were SO heavy handed. I think he-who-must-not-named is practically the antichrist, but it was borderline ridiculous that some of the commentary didn't get edited out. It honestly distracted from their otherwise clever story. The other strange thing in the book was the random inclusion of Three Pines and Armand Gamache. You know that I love the Gamache books, but he didn't belong in this book. These sections might have read better to someone who didn't know who Gamache was. All that to say, I'd actually recommend the book if you're a high volume reader and/or you enjoy political thrillers. It was smart and fast paced and would make a great movie or mini-series.

Happy reading-

ps. 3.5 stars...I debated rounding up because I read this book so quickly, but the aforementioned issues really were frustrating.

Lift - Round Four

Lift by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Still my favorite book on motherhood. Profoundly applicable in all stages of parenting. I love Kelly Corrigan.

Missing Books....

The last few months of 2021 were a bit of a blur. We navigated Hudson starting autism preschool and ABA therapy, while still trying to understand his overall autism diagnosis. We prepared for and completed another round of IVF, which thankfully was successful. I taught for the first time at BYU as an adjunct professor. And we just did life - parenting two small boys and trying to keep our heads above water as COVID continued and society seemed to crumble a bit more each day. All that to say, that I didn't write reviews for the last chunk of books that I read last year. I still clung to books as a life raft and sanity saver, but I didn't write much about them. Maybe someday I'll go back and list them out here or write those reviews, but suffice it to say, that I read and we lived our lives. Our boys were happy and growing. We were in love. The rest of the details don't really matter. Happy 2022. 

Lighten Up

Lighten Up by Chieko N. Okazaki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chieko Okazaki is one of my very favorite women of faith. I love her optimism and her honesty. Her tenacious spirit and commitment to being herself was remarkable. I loved reading this and appreciated her encouragement during a very chaotic stage of life. Both the audio and the hard copy are equally enjoyable to read.

Happy reading and happy lighter living--

Anxious People - Round Two

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I knew I would revisit this book because I wanted to reread it almost as soon as I finished it last year. Issues in this book hit close to home, and I wanted the chance to see it through clearer, less emotional eyes. The book was still just as enjoyable, though I did miss the big surprises. I love Fredrik Backman, and I can't wait for my annual reading of his Christmas novella.

Happy reading, and remember, you are fine just the way you are. Here's to less anxious living in 2022, since 2021 certainly didn't mellow out the way we thought it would.