For the past few years, at the end of the year, I've posted a list of books I've read. Since I read quite a bit, I decided to try something different on 2022 and post a list every month. For each book, I'll share five things:
1. The source (or format) of the book
2. A one-sentence summary
3. A quick review of the content (to help you decide if it's something that fits your interests and values)
4. My review via either a quick comment or a star rating
5. A "final statement" (which is whatever I want to say in closing)
As a naturally lazy person, I reserve the right to bow out of this commitment at any time.
Without further ado, here are the books I read in January in the order I read them:
Will by Will Smith
Source: Audiobook read by the author
Summary: "Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside-down..."Content: Language and a couple of sexual references
Review: ****
Final Statement: Will Smith is certainly full of himself, but he's talented and funny, so the audiobook is quite entertaining to listen to.
What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
(Featured in this post)
Source: E-book
Summary: Dr. Perry and Oprah discuss the effects of trauma and promote a more trauma-aware society.
Content: Examples of and case studies involving trauma
Review:****
Final Statement: This book fed the part of me that wants to grow up and be a marriage and family therapist. Nom Nom.
When it Doesn't Make Sense by John Bytheway
Source: Audiobook read by author
Summary: John Bytheway explores the "law of retribution" and uses scriptural teachings to demonstrate how we can react when something happens that doesn't make sense.
Content: Dad jokes
Review:****
Final Statement: I listened to this on Deseret Bookshelf Plus (which I subscribe to) at a time when I really needed the message.
Later by Stephen King
Source: Audiobook
Summary: Kid sees dead people (but not like "that movie" - so says the kid).
Content: Language, sex, and drugs
Review:****
Final Statement: I finished the entire audiobook while cleaning my daughters' bedroom, so either this book is joyfully short (sometimes you just need a quick read) or my girls' room was horribly messy.
You, Me, and the Colors of Life by Noa C. Walker
Summary: Two people fall in love, and then there are obstacles (GASP!)
Content: Suicidal ideation and terminal illness, but very clean. I would let my grandma read this book!
Review: This book isn't really my style, so I didn't give it a star rating, but I know a lot of people who would really like it.
Final Statement: Apparently this book is full of color references, which I totally missed, so if you read it, pay attention to that.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Source: E-book
Summary: Mom thinks something about her daughter is a little "off," and that she might be dangerous.
Content: Language, disturbing behavior
Review:***
Final Statement: I thought this book had an interesting plot, but some aspects of it bothered me, so I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Source: Audiobook read by the author
Summary: Some boring college students get wrapped up in a boring murder across the span of way too many pages.
Content: Boring stuff and some swears
Review:**
Final Statement: The blurb for this book makes it sound so much better than it is.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Source: Audiobook
Summary: A typical, chick-lit, opposites-attract-but-are-too-oblivious-to-know-it sort of deal.
Content: Language and sex
Review:***
Final Statement: I feel like I could have accurately judged this book by its cover.
Bluebird by Sharon Cameron
Source: E-book
Summary: After WWII, Eva leaves Berlin for New York City to seek justice on her Nazi father who performed psychological experiments on individuals in a concentration camp.
Content: War crimes including rape (alluded to but not descriptive). I would let my grandma read this book.
Review:****
Final Statement: I particularly liked the historical notes at the end of this book and was surprised to find that this is a YA novel.
The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer
Source: Audiobook
Summary: The story of two teenagers living in Warsaw during WWII, one inside the ghetto and one outside the ghetto, and how they assist in the uprising and the effort to save children from the ghetto. Content: War time violence and traumatic situations, rape (non-descriptive). I would let my grandma read this book.
Review:****
Final Statement: This was a good book, but I probably shouldn't have read it back-to-back with Bluebird because they have melded together in my brain.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Source: Hardback book from the Lucky Day shelf at the library
Summary: A therapist named Mariana gets herself all wrapped up in a murder she has no business investigating, thereby creating a plot.
Content: Language and sex
Review:***
Final Statement: I've got nothin'.
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The book I'm most likely to recommend from January is:
1 comment:
I love this 😍😍😍
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