Rising Strong

Rising Strong by Brené Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can a person be a spirit animal? I love Brene Brown, and if she can't be my spirit animal, I want her to be my next door neighbor. I adore her candid feedback on life and well-researched ideas. She makes me want to be better, and her commentary is thought provoking and leads to endless hours of conversation with Seth and my friends. I can't help it.

If you haven't read anything Brown has written, start with "Gifts of Imperfection" or her TED talks. She really is a rock star.

Happy reading-

ps. Probably a solid 4.5, but like I said, Brene = spirit animal, so we round up.

Present Over Perfect

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my "summer book" - the one whose premise spoke to what I wanted more of in my life. My book two months later is covered in post-it tabs showing a couple dozen quotes or ideas that I want to return to. Shauna's candor and collection of are insights are beautiful, and her commentary about the story of Christ saving Peter after walking on the water is potentially life changing.

So why the three stars then? Because the commentary was repetitive in parts and aimless in others. There are portions that I profoundly loved and then portions where I was left waiting for the point. I admire Shauna Niequist as a person and a writer. I appreciate how she helps others, myself included, cultivate our truth and the goal of living a life that is focused on only the essential. I just wonder if the book needed a bit more editing or more content.

Either way, I think you will find great takeaways in "Present Over Perfect". Happy reading and happy living-

Favorite Sections: You Put Up The Chairs, The Man in the Tuxedo, The Spring of the Basketball Hoop, Walking on Water, Baptism, And the Soul Felt Its Worth

Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Woodson's writing is lovely. The childhood images she invokes are profound and still so simple. Stories written as a series of poems are great because they pare down the extraneous details, so that you don't get lost in side stories.

I loved seeing a glimpse into Woodson's memories. I could taste the arroz con pollo and see the fireflies on a summer night. I loved how she captured her desire to write and how she came to find her voice in a changing world. Plus, how can I not love another Jacqueline who didn't want to be called Jackie.

It may be out of your usual genres for reading, but give it a whirl. Happy reading-

ps. I am really torn between a 4 and a 5. The first half, I was enjoying it, but the second half was so, so good. So Goodreads, please help out your readers, so I can give half stars.

The Power of Vulnerability

The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connections and Courage by Brené Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot say enough good things about Brene Brown's work. Just listening to her speak makes me feel both more capable and more complete. I love these audio recordings because they link the concepts of her various texts together. While this was not described on Audible as lives sessions, her commentary is just as well organized as a traditional text. I cannot recommend this enough, whether this is your first Brene Brown experience or your sixth.

Happy listening--

ps. Brene's next book "Braving the Wilderness" comes out on September 12th (just in case you didn't know). :)

Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything

Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In graduate school, one of my professors said, "You share what you love." For me, two of my most commonly shared loves are baked goods and books. In the two days that I was reading Bogel's debut book "Reading People", I texted six different friends about various pieces of the book, and I talked incessantly about it to my husband. If that wasn't enough, I tabbed the heck out of my book for things I wanted to go back to. I emailed myself (a more common practice than I care to admit) at work with notes about extroversion and introversion that seemed imperative to share in regards to class discussions. I ordered a follow-up book, and then I made my husband take Kiersey's personality assessment after I'd already taken it twice. All this to say, that I was more profoundly entranced by Bogel's "Reading People" than I could have anticipated.

The book, itself, is not an ideal book for reading cover to cover (how I read it) but is meant, instead, to be used as a tool and lens with which to view our personalities and the personalities of those around us. Better understanding aspects of our personalities simplifies the guessing game of "why did I just respond that way?" and allows us to prepare practical courses of action when strange situations arise. This book does not have all the answers. Most books of this nature do not. Instead, it invites you like Carol Dweck's "Mindset" or Gretchen Rubin's "Happiness Project" to become the best version of yourself through more focused self-observation and self-actualization. That process is made all the more enjoyable with Bogel's insights and anecdotal candor. Bogel, who is best known for her "Modern Mrs. Darcy" blog and "What Should I Read Next" podcast, is on her way to being known for giving readers a better way to find their place in the world than their results from "Which Harry Potter House do I belong in?".

Happy reading friends, and when you're reading to talk all things personality, I'll have fresh cookies ready.

ps. On a personal note, this is the first time I've ever been invited to be a part of a book launch team and given an ARC or advanced reader copy of a text. Small reader dream come true.

The Women in the Castle

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While so much of the film portrayals of World War II focus on the men's side of the war, I love how much of the recent fiction features the women who were left at home. I am amazed by both the diversity in their experiences and yet also how much unites these strong women who battled incredible vulnerabilities. Readers who loved "The Nightingale" will like "The Women in the Castle". While the two stories are not the same, the complicated desires and instinct for survival resonate in both.

I am so impressed by Shattuck's ability to capture distinct voices and tell a new story about an era that has been written about so many times. Really well done-

Happy reading--

ps. There was a castle I visited in Germany years ago that played in my mind the whole time through this book. It was a tour that happened to be in German, so I only had my imagination to carry me through what the potential history might have been. As I went through this book, I loved picturing that ancient building and the three main characters holed up together inside.