Book Review: January 2023
I’m starting the year with some really great reads (and a slightly new format for my monthly blog posts). In January, I liked the mix of fiction and personal development book. I set a goal of consuming (reading / listening to) 65 books this year. That’s a little more than 5 a month so it will certainly be a challenge, which I love!
Do you have a book goal for the year? Or maybe an intention pertaining to reading? It could be to read more fiction books, or maybe to read a more diverse group of authors. If you love reading as much as I do, please share your suggestions in the comments section at the bottom of the post. Cheers!
“Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead” by Dr. Brene Brown
5 stars
My queen! This isn’t the latest book by Brene Brown but it hit me at the right time. I actually started it in December 2022 while traveling in Morocco but finished it in January so it’s going on this blog post . I love the processing / reframing Brene offers on situations both big and small. She is so relatable and makes it feasible for us to make changes in our lives. Her definition of vulnerability as “the willingness to show up and be seen” is one that will be guiding me all year. I want to be open to new experience and learning processes which is done in large part by being vulnerable yet brave. It was part of my inspiration for starting the Sober Curious Circle
“This Is How It Always Is” by Laurie Frankel
5 stars
My first fiction read of the year was this sweet and sad but ultimately redeeming book about family, gender, secret keeping and the cultivation of love. While reading the book I actually clutched my heart a few time, it was so tender. I loved the dialogue between characters, especially the parents. Their non-traditional relationship was a good backdrop for the rest of the story. The novel centers on Claude, the youngest of 5 boys who very early in life decides that he wants to be a girl. Gender is after all something we all create together and it can be fluid. I hope you read this book with an open heart and mind, it’s great!
“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortal” by Oliver Burkeman
4 stars
I’ve always considered myself great at time management. I was a college athlete and in a sorority and graduated Cum Laude. I had to be organized and manage my time well. I worked hard and played hard. But I always felt like I had to be doing more and more, like I was on a hamster wheel at hyper speed. Considering we only have 4,000 weeks to live (if we live to be 80 but I plan to live to at least 100 haha) it feels like there is more to do than ever before. So the challenge isn’t how to fit it all in, but how to do more of what we love so letting go of the expectations for the “other” stuff. Really neat and helped me to reframe some negative self-talk I’ve been having about productivity.
“Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World” by Adam Grant
3 stars
Maybe I was hoping for too much here, considering I really like and respect the work from Adam Grant. But “Originals” was just “okay” for me. I liked hearing stories and examples of folks who were originals and spoke up. But I wanted more practical implications for my life which I didn’t really get. I actually prefer another book of his, “Think Again.” There are a few gems but I was looking for more next steps and ways to move forward on my own.
“The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama
4 stars
Michelle Obama’s easy and kind way of writing (and speaking) made this an engaging book. I loved the way she included stories of her time before the White House as well as intimate moments during her husband’s tenure as president. She is certainly the best First Lady of modern times and certainly of my generation. I especially loved hearing about how Michelle makes and keeps friends. The power of female friendship is something I value deeply and she does too. My favorite part was learning about two of her mantras, "starting kind” and "going high." These are applicable in so many situations.
“Tell The Wolves I’m Home” by Carol Rifka Brunt
5 stars
This book was such a tearjerker! I really cried at the end, it was so bittersweet. The relationships between sisters, between parents and kids, between other people that feel like family. It just hit me in all the right place. The protagonist June and her Uncle Finn share a special bond. When he passes due to complications of AIDS and June befriend’s his partner, the secrets start to pile up but are revealed too. This was a touching coming of age story that made me want to give all the character a big hug. Themes of forgiveness and compassion were explored in a way we can all relate to. A lovely story, I hope you read it!
“We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
3 stars
I wanted to like this book but it was just okay for me. I found some of the character dull and a bit predictable. I did love that story line focused on female friendship. Too often society tells us that our romantic partner should be the primary relationship for our whole lives. While I think that our spouse is important, I have been deeply impacted by the female friends in my life so I was inspired by this story line. Not a bad book, but just not as good as I was hoping for given the theme of female friendship.
Monthly Book Total: 7
Annual Book Total: 7