Each month I share the books I have been reading as a part of The 2016 Reading Challenge, as well as books I have read for fun. I hope that these quick reviews provide you with some new titles to add to your list of Books to Read.
What I’m Reading This Month
Adult Nonfiction
French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
I am slightly embarrassed to say that I am a bit of a Francophile! I haven’t met a book about France that I didn’t love. 🙂 I read Mireille Guiliano’s book French Women Don’t Get Fat a few months ago and really enjoyed some of the practical tips and ideas that she shared. I also appreciate the positive relationships that she has with food. So many American women equate eating with guilt, while, according to the author, most French women equate eating with pleasure. I’ll have to say, however, that I enjoyed French Women Don’t Get Fat more than French Women for All Seasons. It was a fun read, but it didn’t live up to my expectations based on the first book.
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington
This month I am focusing on resting more. So, it was only natural that I read a book devoted to the topic of sleep! Huffington provides extensive research showing the benefits of sleep, the dangers of sleep deprivation, and the need for a sleep revolution in our culture. If you want some justification for taking naps or going to bed early, this is your book! Or, if you think that you are doing just fine on six hours of sleep, this is a book that you must read.
Young Adult Fiction
The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud
This is the fourth installment in the Lockwood and Co series, which I have been eagerly awaiting. I finished it in one night–though it involved staying up WAY past my bedtime. 🙂
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I cannot stop thinking about this book. Seriously. It is messing with my mind in a good way. How It Went Down is the story of a young black man who is shot and the aftermath that follows. Magoon uses 18 different narrators (ranging from friends, family members, and community members to politicians) to tell the story. The end result is a poignant, honest, and beautifully told novel that should be on every teen and adult’s “must-read” list. Please, please, please. Go read it.
Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath
I am embarrassed to say that my knowledge of world history is woefully inadequate. That is one reason that I love literature so much–my worldview can be expanded every week through the novels and nonfiction that I read. Like Water on Stone tells the story of three siblings during the Armenian genocide. Told as a novel in verse, the poetry and music beautifully express the love and loyalty of family and depth of loss that occurred during that dark time.
Young Adult Nonfiction
I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka and and Martin Ganda
I would recommend this book to any teenager or adult who has ever asked themselves the question, “Can I really make a difference in the world?” This is the true story of a pen pal relationship that ended up transforming two families. Such a positive and encouraging read!
What have you been reading this month? I always love to get recommendations!
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