Book List 2023

 Somehow I missed 2022? I might go back and figure that out. I should have it written down somewhere.

I didn't do a lot of extra reading this year but I did a little and I read all my book club selections. Here goes:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo- I'm actually not quite done with this. We did this for book club and took 2 months. I was the only one who tried reading the full version. I have absolutely loved it! I read it solely for 2 months and then have been reading it in between for the rest of the year. I wanted to have it done by the end of the year but just didn't make it. I often times read it while I blow dry my hair, but I don't make very fast progress that way. I probably have about 200 pages left still. I loved the Waterloo section, even though most others thought it was pointless. This one can speak for itself-it's a classic.

More Than a Body by Lexie Kite- This one was interesting. I started out not knowing if I was going to like it and agree with her perspective. But by the end I did really enjoy it. It was very eye opening about how other people think about and view their bodies and the very real social anxiety that creates for them. A lot of things I liked and had many discussions about. One of them being her view on modesty. I'm also hyper aware now about giving compliments about how people look and try really hard not to do it. 

Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde- I actually didn't read this one. Life was pretty crazy in April. I was sleep training Tanner, he was recently weaned, trying to get ready for our big trip to Hawaii, helped Lindy move across the country, spring sports, etc. I also got called to be YW President during this month. Life happens. I was sad to miss out on this one though.

Pyschology of Money by Morgan Housel- I was disappointed by this book. It wasn't what I expected and I felt like it focused almost solely on investing psychology and not all aspects of money psychology. It did have some good chapters and interesting insights though. Justin and I listened to this one together and had some good conversations as a result.

Educated by Tara Westover and Educating by LaRee Westover: I had read Educated before and loved reading the same story from the mother's perspective. This book and story is fascinating and has so many levels of things going one. I tried not to judge lifestyle and instead focus on how two people can be in the same situations and view it different based on age, knowledge, viewpoint, emotions, etc. I also felt like the mom wasn't totally honest in her book and got the impression that she wasn't at liberty to speak freely.

Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten: Probably my favorite read all year. I absolutely loved this delightful story. There is a reason this is a classic and Walt Disney chose to create this story as one of his first animated movies. The book is a must read in my opinion. And beautiful testimony of God throughout but especially at the end.

A Good Girls Guide to Murder: This book caused quite the stir in book club. Its different than what I normally would choose to read but I did it for a friend. I definitely didn't see the end coming and did not solve the mystery on my own. Even when sometimes I thought I had it figured out. It made a good October book. Some language in parts that I could have done without.

Quit by Annie Duke: This book I felt neutral about. Just not my favorite type of read but again there were some really interesting and though provoking points about why we stick with things longer than we should and changing our mind frame around quitting something.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkein: This is a delightful book with illustrations to match. The perfect Christmas read. It made me sad as the stories progressed and his children aged and then eventually it ended because his kids were all grown. A gentle reminder of how fleeting these moments in time are when my children are all small and the magic of Christmas is strong. 

Unsouled by Will Wight: This series came highly recommended and I have to say I was disappointed. I found the storyline and characters flat and underdeveloped. Somebody said it was better than Harry Potter and that is a strong no for me. We listened to this together and Matthew has continued reading the series. I recently listened to another of the books in the series with him and felt the same. It was just flat.

The Return of the Gods by Jonathan Cahn: This book was FASCINATING. I still bring it up in conversation all the time. We talk doctrinally of Satan and his followers being here and this book brought to reality what that means and looks like. Super interesting. A little dull at times, definitely not a page turner,  but I would highly recommend and worth the read. 

A little bit of a disappointing year in the book department for me. My book club is evolving into reading more self help and informational type of books than I would prefer but I haven't decided to quit yet. I'm hoping this year to do more of my own personal reading on the side but that can be tricky with time. Read the scriptures, read book club books, read on my own, on top of all my daily responsibilities. But I'm gonna try.