At the Library - April 2019 Reading

This book impacted me deeply - Brene Brown's insights into vulnerability and courage were astounding in so many ways. I am still processing it all, but I find it coming up in conversation often, which shows how applicable it is to any and all people.

I fully intend to read (and purchase) every other book she has written, as I believe I would refer to them often and I am so grateful for the research she has done and the impact it has had on many. I also have on my to-do list to watch her Netflix special and TED talk.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

The first of two books I read for book club this month, this one left me tired at the end of the journey. I often felt like the subject could not catch a break and there were parts that were really difficult to read. However, I liked the unpredictability of it and I liked that it wasn't all buttoned up and felt raw and realistic, even if some of it was far fetched in theory.

Since reading this I have heard it mentioned on multiple "reader" podcasts as a book that hit the top of people's favorites lists, and while I would not put it at the top of my list of books I have ever read, I certainly appreciated the page "turnability" and the reward that the ending seemed to bring. It reminded me that not everyone's life is as easy as mine, and that moments of redemption are all some people get.

The second of the book club books I finished last month, this memoir was honestly tough for me. Subject matter aside, reading about tumultuous childhoods and how they carry into adulthood issues causes me extreme anxiety. This woman's specific tale is the third memoir of this kind we have read for book club and it doesn't get easier.

This specific story involved abuse and spiritual obsession along with a heavy dose of family obligation that really left me thinking about the way people raise kids to be extremist in any way. We meet on this one soon and I am looking forward to debating the nuances of the parenting style this family used, but in the meantime, I am stewing over it and considering how to let it affect my own life.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. It is a unique story that I want to discuss with people and it certainly got me thinking about what constitutes bad parenting and what we can learn from people radically different from us.

What are you reading? What books do you recommend?

Comments

In the Nursery: Whole Hearted Parenting Manifesto

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Mrs. Rogers Neighborhood

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