1.) The Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi
I follow many people online who are huge Lazy Genius fans. Kendra Adachi has a large blog and Instagram following and a popular podcast. I was curious to learn what she was all about and I looked forward to reading her book.
From Goodreads:
The chorus of "shoulds" is loud. You should enjoy the moment, dream big, have it all, get up before the sun, track your water consumption, go on date nights, and be the best. Or maybe you should ignore what people think, live on dry shampoo, be a negligent PTA mom, have a dirty house, and claim your hot mess like a badge of honor. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well. Kendra Adachi, the creator of the Lazy Genius movement, invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn't. Everything from your morning routine to napping without guilt falls into place with Kendra's thirteen Lazy Genius principles...Discover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else's "shoulds." Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again.
This is a good primer to organization and productivity. It helps you reframe your life by focusing on being a genius about what matters and being lazy about what doesn't. I liked her writing style and her personality. She helps you identify and name what matters most to you personally and then helps you learn to prioritize your time and efforts around the things that matter most.
Adachi advocates 13 Lazy Genius principles to follow:
Decide Once
Start Small
Ask the Magic Question
Live in the Season
Build the Right Routines
Set House Rules
Put Everything in its Place
Let People In
Batch It
Essentialize
Go in the Right Order
Schedule Rest
Be Kind to Yourself
This is a smart way to simplify your life and maximize your time. It is a good practical book. There is nothing new or earth-shattering revealed within its pages and it is similar to several other *systems* books but the major difference is that YOU create your own system by identifying what matters to you...not to her... or to others. And the reverse is true too...you identify what doesn't matter to YOU (personally). That was refreshing. I would recommend this to young women heading out into the world and also to young moms who are trying to do it all and be it all. I enjoyed the author. She is an encouraging voice in a discouraging time. 2020.
I especially related to the section on live in the season. I read this during COVID quarantine and I found it helpful for me as I realized the importance of making more of an effort to live in the season and to try to enjoy it rather than wishing it away and yearning for better things in the future or for times past.
My Rating: Good. Encouraging and relatable.
2.) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
This was my book club's pick for October 2020. This book is considered to be one of Agatha Christie's most controversial mysteries.
From Goodreads:
The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. First, the attractive widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling, complex case involving blackmail, suicide, and violent death, a cast that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his fabled career.
I'm not a mystery fan and I don't always love Agatha Christie and her character of Poirot. I found the ending of Murder on the Orient Express beyond annoying. But when I started reading this book I was already reading a much heavier and bleaker book (which I still haven't finished) so maybe it was the juxtaposition of the novels but I found The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to be a fun experience. It was a super quick read. I read it in just a little over a day. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery. I loved the ending. This is my favorite Agatha Christie thus far.
My Rating: Clever.
3.) Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
I love all things royal and I want so much to like Meghan. I had high hopes that this book would give me a positive perspective on who she is as a person and insight into what caused she and Harry to step back as royals.
From Goodreads:
The first, epic and true story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life together, finally revealing why they chose to pursue a more independent path and the reasons behind their unprecedented decision to step away from their royal lives, from two top royal reporters who have been behind the scenes since the couple first met. Finding Freedom is complete with full color photographs from Harry and Meghan’s courtship, wedding, Archie’s milestones, and many more unforgettable moments. For the first time, Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple's lives as few outsiders can.
It started of okay. I enjoyed reading about Meghan's background, her growing up years, her rise to fame, and how her relationship with Harry began. I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes life of a royal...especially Harry. But the writing is extremely one-sided. The alternate view is never offered and the whole book feels very unbalanced. It does give some insight into their actions but sadly I did not find either Harry (a previous favorite) nor Meghan super sympathetic by the end.
The book is also choppy, too long, too much minutia, and the ending of the book feels extremely rushed. There are also many editing errors and typos. It was distracting.
My Rating: Not great.
4.) Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
This was my October 2020 spooky read. It was also a buddy read with Tyler. (He really liked it.) I am a total wimp when it comes to scary books. I had to have him read this book first and then rate its scariness before I would read it. I repeat...I am a scary book wimp... but this was the perfect amount of spookiness for me. We also had a lot of fun discussing it!
From Goodreads:
What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.
This book was so much fun!! I loved it. The setting was amazing and atmospheric! Riley Sager does such a great job of setting the scene. The house was described so well and in such luxurious detail that I could see Baneberry Hall so clearly.
I loved the way the plot was formatted. It's a book within a book. Maggie's story is being told simultaneously while the story of "House of Horrors" written by her father is also being told. Everything unfolds simultaneously as the mystery unravels. The alternating POV was perfect!
This book was the perfect October/Halloween novel. A creepy gothic mansion with a sinister past. It was deliciously suspenseful and twisty. This novel has been picked up by Sony Pictures to become a movie. Exciting! I liked this book and Sager's writing so much that I look forward to reading more of his books!
My Rating: Fun! A fast-paced page-turning thriller.
5.) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Another classic! I was excited to read this novel because it is one that I have heard so much about over the years.
From Goodreads:
Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter reaches to our nation's historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth.
This book wasn't what I expected. It was slow and not exactly riveting reading but I didn't dislike it either. Hawthorne dives into the themes of sin, guilt, secrecy, repentance, and redemption. Two characters share in sin and its aftermath. One character faces the consequences head on and the other tries to keep the sin concealed. The story unfolds as each character must come to terms with this and the repercussions of their decisions.
I wanted more from the story. I wanted the backstory of Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester. I wanted Roger Chillingworth to get his just rewards. I wanted a happy ending for Hester. She is definitely the best part of the novel. I admired her strength, courage, and independence. I wanted to know more about the future and what happens with Hester and Pearl. I just wanted...more.
I didn't love that Hawthorne interjects with a lot of unnecessary narration. It slows down the story too much. I would have preferred less narration, more character development, and plot.
My Rating: Okay.
6.) Devolution by Max Brooks
This was another book recommendation from The Currently Reading Podcast that I love. The author, Max Brooks, is also the author of World War Z. This is a Mt. Rainier Sasquatch disaster book and it is right up Tyler's alley! This was another buddy read. We listened to most of it on a road trip to and from Seattle. It was the perfect setting!!
From Goodreads:
As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.
I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars. It was good campy fun and yet still kind of creepy! Mount Rainier erupts and causes massive destruction. You can't live in the Pacific Northwest and never think about that occurring. Could Sasquatch be real? Who doesn't thinks about that when you hear noises in the woods while camping? ;) This was an especially fun book since we live in WA State and read/listened to it in 2020 so it seems like anything could happen! Even a Sasquatch massacre.
This is not a genre I often reach for. This is not a favorite subject matter. But... I enjoyed it. It was fun and fast-paced. I loved the satire about the eco-enthusiasts and their high tech green sustainable "smart" community in the mountains of Washington. That was quite enjoyable. Yes, all of the characters are annoying as we first meet them but they grow on you...most of them.
The story is told through the journal entries of the character Kate which is a format that I enjoy. I especially loved all of the interjected information, interviews, and news reports that the journalist who is writing a book about the case adds to the story. Keep your phone near you. It was fun to google what is fact and what is fiction. The novel also introduces some interesting themes...the brutality of nature, our reliance on technology, the fragility of the modern world, and humans capacity for violence. There was a lot of action, a lot of blood, and I weirdly liked it. Goodreads groups this in the horror genre. I don't know that I agree with that...maybe more Sci-Fi? It was a fun read/listen especially on a road trip in the Pacific Northwest.
My Rating: An entertaining story about devolution of humanity.
7.) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This was a book that I wasn't excited to read. I knew that it would be heavy and hard to read. It was. I knew that there was a lot of controversy surrounding it. But I also knew that it was highly recommended by so many people who I love and respect. When my friend Rebecca suggested that we read it at the same time it was the perfect nudge that I needed.
From Goodreads:
Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.
Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.
Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?
Yes, this book's subject matter is heavy. In 2020 when life already feels so heavy I wasn't sure that this was the right time to dive into this book but I am glad that I did. I had to read it in spurts. Read it...read something lighter...pick it up again... read something lighter...and so on. It wasn't that the plot doesn't move. Quite the contrary... it never stops. I was constantly in terror for Lydia and her son Luca. The books starts off going 100 miles an hour...no set-up...you are thrust in the midst of a nightmare and then on the run.
About the controversy...yes, it's polarizing. Do I think it is important to read own-voices books? Absolutely. Do I think it is important to read books outside of our own experience. Absolutely. Sometimes, as is this case, those two scenarios don't go together but the story being told is still important. Books can change the world. Books have changed my world. Does this book do that for others? I think it does. I think any book that shines a light in the dark is important. A book that gets people talking and learning more about the plight of migrants is important.
This novel is definitely a page-turner even though I didn't (couldn't) read it that way. The narrative is violent, scary, sad, and heartbreaking. I lived in constant terror for the fate of this mother and son and other characters that you come to love on their harrowing journey. I thought the book had excellent pacing and character development. The story was compelling from start to finish. It is a book I won't forget.
My Rating: Good
8.) Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
2020...COVID-19...Presidential Election...take me away to Narnia! I loved these books so much as a kid. My dad gave me a boxed set of The Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas the year I was in 4th grade and I adored them. I still do. This book was a pure comfort read!
From Goodreads:
NARNIA... the land between the lamp-post and the castle of Cair Paravel, where animals talk, where magical things happen... and where the adventure begins. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are returning to boarding school when they are summoned from the dreary train station (by Susan's own magic horn) to return to the land of Narnia—the land where they had ruled as kings and queens and where their help is desperately needed.
It was nice to be back in the world of Narnia and Aslan. The time jump in this book is always a bit jarring and I always wish that we could meet up with other old friends from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe but I enjoyed the addition of Caspian, Doctor Cornelius, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter and...Aslan is back...and who doesn't love him?!
It was another wonderful adventure with the Pevensie children in the magical land of Narnia. Definitely a balm for crazy times.
My Rating: Good.
9.) The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
I am still on a comfort reading kick. These books are such great nostalgic escape reads. Rereading this series has been perfect as we move into the holiday season during turbulent 2020.
From Goodreads:
The secret passage to the house next door leads to a fascinating adventure. NARNIA...where the woods are thick and cold, where Talking Beasts are called to life...a new world where the adventure begins. Digory and Polly meet and become friends one cold, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to...somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.
This is one of my favorite Narnia books. Although it is one of the darker volumes I adore the origin story of Narnia. I have never forgotten it over the years and I still love how C.S. Lewis describes the glory of Creation and Aslan as the Creator. It is absolutely beautiful. The allusions to the Book of Genesis are lovely. It is a magical prelude to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
There is so much to love about this novel. First, Lewis' writing is timeless and his world-building is fantastic. Narnia is so rich and vibrant just as Charn is cold, dark, and desolate. Second, I loved the setting of Victorian England and old houses with secret attic passageways that lead to portals to the multiverse. The fairytale quality of this book makes it such a favorite. Diggory and Polly are delightful and in some ways I enjoy them more than some of the Pevensie children.
Then there is Aslan and his beautiful words that touch my heart every time I read them:
“Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!”
“No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice.”
'My son, my son,' said Aslan. 'I know. Grief is great.”
“All get what they want; they do not always like it.”
"...I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings."
Those are just a few of my favorite quotes. There are many.
This is a great story of human nature. Good versus Evil. Darkness versus Light. Magic versus Miracles. It is interesting and engaging. It stands the test of time. I loved it as a kid and I love it as an adult. I highly recommend it. Plus you get to see how many things in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came to be.
My Rating: A beautiful and timeless book. One of my favorites.
10.) Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
This was our book club pick for November 2020. It was not an easy read but it was an eye-opening and thought-provoking one. "Each one of us is more than the worst thing that we've ever done" the author states. I was so moved by the compassion and humanity that was shared by the author in the pages of this book.
From Goodreads:
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law office in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to defending the poor, the incarcerated, and the wrongly condemned. Just Mercy tells the story of EJI, from the early days with a small staff facing the nation’s highest death sentencing and execution rates, through a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our history of racial injustice. One of EJI’s first clients was Walter McMillian, a young Black man who was sentenced to die for the murder of a young white woman that he didn’t commit. The case exemplifies how the death penalty in America is a direct descendant of lynching — a system that treats the rich and guilty better than the poor and innocent.
This was a powerful and compelling read. This book (and the author himself) speaks poignantly and powerfully for the voiceless. The dedication, commitment, and life's work of Bryan Stevenson is awe-inspiring as he fights for justice for the marginalized.
The main focus of the book is the case of Walter McMillian who was falsely accused of murder and on death row. Stevenson also chronicles additional stories of others who were also falsely accused or children prosecuted as adults or the incarcerated mentally disabled and it is heartbreaking. The author battles tirelessly against all kinds of obstacles to fight the injustice found in our legal system. He is both heroic and noble.
The book also discusses how the Equal Justice Initiative was formed and the work they do. EJI is Stevenson's nonprofit firm that provides free legal counsel to those who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system such as condemned prisoners, juvenile offenders, people wrongly convicted, the poor, and those affected by racial bias, and marginalized communities.
Despite this being a book that discusses people and cases that make you feel powerless and angry the real message is one of hope.
There are so many statements in this book that literally caused me to pause in my reading and think about the author's words and let them sink in before I continued on. Here are a few:
"My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice."
"...I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”
“The death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit. The real question of capital punishment in this country is, do we deserve to kill?”
“Mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven’t earned it, who haven’t even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion.”
I particularly loved the words of an elderly woman in the book who sits in on a court case and tells Stevenson that she is there because she is a "stonecatcher". She catches the stones that are thrown at the accused as she references the Bible and the woman who was taken in sin and brought to Jesus and he says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". I want to be a stonecatcher too.
This book gave me a lot to think about and discuss. It made me think about my own naivete and bias. It motivated me to educate myself and learn more about what I can do to affect change. Powerful.
My Rating: Excellent. Should be required reading.
11.) Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard
I love the
Half Baked Harvest cookbooks, blog, and Instagram account. This is the way I cook and these are the kinds of meals I make. I've made several of the recipes from this book... all are delicious!
From Goodreads:
On her blog and in her debut cookbook, Tieghan is beloved for her freshly sourced, comfort-food-forward recipes that taste even better than they look. Half Baked Harvest Super Simple takes what fans loved most about Half Baked Harvest Cookbook and distills it into quicker, more manageable dishes, including options for one-pot meals, night-before meal prep, and even some Instant Pot(R) or slow cooker recipes.
My Rating: Fantastic!
