In 2022, I’m setting monthly reading goals. You can see the 9 books I picked to read in January here. My book picks for February are coming tomorrow! Stay tuned!
I finished 10 books total in January — 4 were audiobooks and 6 were physical books. The 6 physical books I finished were from the stack I had chosen to read in January. Since I didn’t finish three from my January stack, I’m carrying those over to my February reading goals and prioritizing reading them at the beginning of the month.
My Honest Reviews From This Week
Here are my honest reviews of the the four books I finished this past two weeks:
Note: You can follow along with the books I finish this year and my star ratings over on GoodReads. Also, books are rated on a 1-5 star scale. I basically won’t finish a book if it’s one star (not worth my time!) and I’ll rarely give a book a 5-star rating unless it was just absolutely amazing or life-changing.
Fighting Forward
So many different sections of this book resonated with me deeply. It’s part memoir-ish, part essay-ish, but all around thought-provoking!
The idea for my word for the year, Stay, actually originated from reading the very first section of this book at the very beginning of the year. I slowly savored this book and didn’t want it to end. I appreciated the author’s vulnerability and her beautiful way with words.
I am guessing that her style of writing isn’t for everyone (I know a lot of people don’t love books that are more like a collection of essays with more poetic writing woven through), but I truly appreciated it and multiple sections will sit with me for a long time.
Verdict: 4 stars
The Flirtation Experiment
This book is an easy read written by two women who are in very different stages of life — one who has been married for years and is mostly an empty nester and one who has only been married for a few years and has young children. I found the perspectives at both ends of the spectrum to give the book a really good balance that you don’t often find in marriage books.
There are 30 chapters — each focusing on one aspect of deepening our relationship with our spouse. They are short and practical, but also honest. Each chapter ends with some ideas to implement the focus topic to build our marriage. It was convicting and challenging to me!
One of the things I especially appreciated was that they didn’t give formulaic answers, they recognized from the get-go that some wives are in really difficult marriages and that this book might not be a good idea to read and that they need counseling or need immediate help if they are in an abusive relationship.
Verdict: 4 stars
The Midnight Library
I’m not sure what I thought about this book. It had some sections and points that I really loved and some that I just didn’t at all. It also felt like it really developed slowly in the middle and I felt like it would have been better to have condensed it some.
I loved how it gave you fresh eyes to recognize the gifts that are in your life right now. I thought it fell very flat because it wasn’t written from a Christian perspective. There’s so much more to life than just trying to find your happiness!
But all in all, it was thought-provoking, so I’m giving it three stars! (Note: There is some crass language in it.)
Verdict: 3 stars
The Masterpiece
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time! I finally discovered that it was on Libby and I was excited because I was looking for a new audiobook to listen to!
While it’s long and I felt like some of the parts could have been edited down some, it’s a beautiful story of redemption. There’s a lot of real-ness and raw-ness woven in and it doesn’t tie all up neatly with a bow.
I also loved that there were themes of foster care in it that I didn’t know about when I started the book! And I thought it was such a great reminder how we never know what someone has walked through or how many deep wounds and hurts they are carrying around.
Verdict: 4 stars
I’m listening to The Flirtation Experiment on Hoopla a little at a time. There’s a lot more depth to it than I was expecting from the title. While some chapters aren’t things we’ve dealt with at all, others have really resonated. I appreciate how the strong Christian worldview and Scriptural basis for much of their advice. I feel like even things I don’t relate to personally could help when talking with a friend about what they’re going through. I like the views from different stages of life too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you have a list of the books you’ve rated five stars?
If you look on GoodReads, you can see a list of all the books I’ve read and their ratings from the last few years. I shared about 5 of my 5-star books for Christian wives/moms here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZay_Qpj-W4/
I always appreciate your reviews. When I need a new book that is where I turn. Thank you!!!
You are so welcome! That makes me so happy!
Right now I’m reading your book Love Centered Parenting and Mary Slessor of Calabar
Aw! Thank you for reading my book! That means so much!
I had a different take-away from The Midnight Library. It’s possible it’s because I’ve been doing a lot of reading about neuroplasticity and mental health, but what I got out of it was not an emphasis on happiness at all costs, but more a realization that one’s perspective and ability to see the potential of a situation matters more than the actual circumstances. Every life has potential. Every life has value.
Yes! I loved the parts of the book best that brought this out… attitude and perspective make such a difference, don’t they??
Love your reviews, thanks Crystal! I saw another brief review of Midnight Library that mentioned it had a suicide? I’m really senstivie (there’s enough bad stuff going on in the world!), so I’m careful about reading fiction books with certain “heavy topics” (I give more leeway if it’s a memoir/ very historically based fiction ). I also don’t like books that revolve around adultery, even if it’s not “graphic”.
Okay, sorry for the tangent!
Fighting forward seems really interesting, I will look it up. The flirtation experiment looks great! Maybe something to read with one’s spouse? Or not, and then surprise them?? I appreciate your caveat at the end of your review for that book:
The masterpiece seems like something I would enjoy when I am feel very strong and stable emotional. Not doing so great emotionally at the moment, so might not be a great idea at the moment.
I’m starting “joy of missing out” for a book club for the “strive hive”- a membership site hosted by Monica Packer of about progress. The virtual sook club is tonight so, um, maybe I’ll try to find a short synopsis on YouTube!
We have enjoyed the library lately (me and my four kids). We ended up by the picture book biography section- I love those books! We really enjoyed (well, *i* really enjoyed!) “code breaker, spy hunter: how Elizabeth Friedman changed the course of two world wars”- she basically originated the field of cryptography in the US, and there’s a secret code woven throughout the book (I have not cracked it!). Also loved “what Miss Mitchell saw” – she discovered a comet in the 1800’s. I love the unique illustrations In both books, and how they both have additional info on the last page.
I randomly picked up “the Port Chicago 50” off a display and just started it- I did not know anything about this event that took place during WWII. Should be an informative read. I love juvenile/YA nonfiction! (Which this book is).
Thanks for hosting a book discussion hereC crystal!
I loved hearing what you’re reading! Thank you for sharing!
And yes, The Midnight Library does touch on suicide, but it does it from a unique angle and (I think) in a more non-triggering way that encourages people to recognize how important and valuable their life is.
I felt exactly the same about The Midnight Library!
I’m glad I’m not alone!
When we Were Young and Brave by Hazel Gaynor- fiction but based on historical events
Thanks for the recommendations
Thank you for sharing!