My Reading List - Spring 2017

I got excited about so many books in the spring months, that I ended up starting way too many, causing me to only finish a few. I’ve shared the rating and summary for the ones that I finished, but I look forward to sharing a much longer summer list in early October.

My Rating Scale
5 – Simply Amazing: Loved the style and the content; added significant value to me, and will be one I re-read.
4 – Very Good: Engaged with most of the content and found some fantastic nuggets throughout.
3 – Good: Had a great chapter or two; overall was average.
2 – Ok: Had one or two things that I resonated with or found helpful; as a whole was just so-so.
1 – Pass: My time was better spent elsewhere.

4-Star Reads
And Still She Laughs by Kate Merrick

One of the most honest books I’ve ever read on grief is by Sonali Deraniyagala who lost her husband, two sons, and mother and father, while vacationing on the coast of Sri Lanka when the 2004 tsunami hit. Kate shares her own story of suffering, with the 3-year journey through childhood cancer and subsequent loss of her daughter. What I love about Kate’s book is that she didn’t shy away from showing her moments of despair, just as Sonali did, but Kate brought it back to finding hope and turning her suffering into joy. Kate’s book is a must-read for anyone who has ever experienced grief and loss.

The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp
The profoundness of Ann’s book is found in a challenge to change our perspective about our “thorn in the flesh”. She shows us the benefits of embracing it, rather than looking at it as a curse, “we can be brokers of healing exactly where we have known the most brokenness.” This book needs to be read slowly, and in small bites, because her words hit deep. It is intense and beautiful. Her previous book, One Thousand Gifts, is definitely one of my top 10 favorite books.

2-Star Reads
The Harvey Girls by Lesley Poling-Kempes
This is an interesting historical read about the life of the women who worked at the restaurants and hotels along the first railroad lines in the western U.S. If you’ve ever been to Gallup or Raton, New Mexico, and wondered how or why in the world a town wound up there, this book will provide you with the answer. The testimonials were great, but the historical aspects were pretty dry. When it comes to looking at different women in history who have influenced how we work and live, The Girls of Atomic City, is one of my favorites.