The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I stumbled across a movie preview for The Tender Bar and it looked interesting so I grabbed the book by J.R. Moehringer before watching it (I just can't help myself, I just can't watch the movie first!)

I've become a big fan of memoirs and really liked this one. Some parts felt a little long and drawn out but at the same time the slow, detailed pace of it all was also what I loved about this book. I was wrapped up and engaged in the story the whole time, it was beautifully written. It was funny, touching, dysfunctional and heartwarming. 

I re-read Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. I'll continue to go back to this book, it has a lot of great advice. I last read it when my kids were toddlers, and now that they're both in elementary school often times I feel like they are fighting non stop. I needed to re-read this!

Ryan Holiday recommended Kate Bowler in one of his monthly reading list emails, so I picked up No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear). I continue to enjoy memoirs and found myself speeding through this one and enjoying it. Bowler reminded me of a mix of Glennon Doyle and Rachel Held Evans. She has an interesting take on the world of self-help and positivity, calling it toxic. Her writing is refreshing and funny and a nice reminder that we all are simply - human. 

I've spent the last 4 months either in a reading lull or starting and not finishing several books. I finally picked up How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith and really liked it. This was another Ryan Holiday recommendation. I learned a lot from this book and was shocked by how much of the history related to slavery and racism  I didn't know. 

I like how the chapters are separated by historical areas Smith visits. He tells a beautiful story with eye opening historical details, revealing the past and also how these sites operate today.

Forget about all the controversy about CRT, just read this book if you want to learn more about the history of slavery.

I was looking for a novel to read while on vacation, so picked up The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. This book kept me engaged and was a quick read. It wasn't overly juicy but I liked the story and it kept me reading until the end to see what happened. 

Wow I loved The Premonition by Michael Lewis, I couldn't put it down. I was fascinated by the story and how Lewis pieced together the unlikely heroes that were willing to step up to the plate during the pandemic but ultimately were unable to.

This story reveals how those people arrived to the right place at the right time and how current systems, politics and leadership didn't allow them to implement the culmination of their work when needed the most.

I can't wait until this book gets turned into a movie. I learned a lot, got a cool inside view into the world of disease, the key players in keeping the country safe from outbreaks, the inner-workings of the CDC, health departments and various federal agencies. The U.S. was judged to be one of the most prepared countries for a pandemic in 2019. If you're curious as to what happened, definitely read this one. 

I picked up Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman after learning about it in How to Raise an Adult. While not my favorite memoir, this had some good nuggets and was funny, honest, blunt and edgy with many risks taken by the author that ultimately I appreciated. 

After continuing to hear how good it was, I picked up Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey and read it in a week. Even with the good reviews I was still skeptical about this one but man am I glad I read it. What a unique, well written, thought provoking and at times hilarious memoir. I loved everything about this book, and even if you're not a McConaughey fan, I'd give it a try.