Book Talk pt. 1

Yoohoo!

Starting this month, I've decided to share what I'm currently reading, and share my recommendations. So far this year (2021) I've read 44 books. (I don't have a problem -- YOU have a problem!!) Clearly, my bookshelf runneth over. There is no such thing as too many books! (So what if I have to stack them in odd corners and throw a sheet over them so it looks like a tiny table instead of an obvious addiction? SO WHAT?!)

Anyway, hopefully through this series I can commiserate with my fellow bibliophiles, and share some quality reads that everyone can enjoy.

Here are my top 5 Recommendations for the Month of May:

1. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by JB West (Nonfiction) -- I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did! It's told from ex-White House Usher Mr. West's perspective, and it narrates the different ways in which First Ladies impacted the White House during Mr. West's tenure. He worked under Eleanor Roosevelt, all the way up to Pat Nixon. This was a gripping, interesting and informing read, and one I think any patriot would appreciate, even if they aren't into politics in any way!

2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (Fiction) -- I think I'm behind the Bernadette-train -- this book has such a cult following!! And for good reason. This epistolary comedy novel grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Let me share with you a short synopsis: Bernadette Fox is notorious. To Elgie Branch, a Microsoft wunderkind, she's his hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled wife. To fellow mothers at the school gate, she's a menace. To design experts, she's a revolutionary architect. And to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, quite simply, mum. Then Bernadette disappears. And Bee must take a trip to the end of the earth to find her. WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE is a compulsively readable, irresistibly written, deeply touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's place in the world. It really does serve as a fantastic escape, and something I wish everyone would read!

3. It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst (Christian Nonfiction) -- I got this book from a used bookstore in Biloxi, MS for only $5, and I can now say that that was a total steal. Lysa has a vulnerability that makes consuming her insights no different than getting coffee with a close friend. Simply put, in this book, "Author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn't turn out like they expected." This is so relatable for so many of us living in a post-shutdown world; Lysa walks us through the weary waters of uncertainty and chaos, and shows us that it is indeed possible to find our footing again.

4. An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor (Creative Christian Nonfiction) -- Mrs. Taylor is one of my spiritual godmothers. Everything she writes is beautifully lyrical, and rings true in a way that resonates deep within my bones. This book in particular spoke to an aching part of my soul, and I think would probably be enjoyed by several of us. In An Altar in the World "Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life." If you've ever wanted to learn how to see Jesus in the everyday places of your daily routines, then this book is for you.

5. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker (Christian Nonfiction) -- I've talked about 7 before here, but I loved it so much I thought it's worth mentioning again! If you feel like you're drowning in stuff, you feel convicted to be better stewards of your time/resources, or you feel called to a life of downsizing, then this is definitely a book that should be on your radar. "7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of materialism and overindulgence: food, clothes, possessions, media and technology, spending, waste, and stress." I was hooked after the first chapter, and I think you will be too.

Bonus Book: Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir by Ian Cron -- I adore memoirs, and this was a good one. While I wished that Cron had given us some more depth, more insight, or more details about his childhood in a home with an alcoholic father who doubled as a CIA operative, I can't deny how beautifully written this story is. Cron uses excellent metaphors and a biting wit to recount his tumultuous experience growing up with his father, and I think this is something anyone could easily read in a day.

And that's a wrap on our first Book Talk! Let me know what you've been reading down below.