Aaaaaaand we’re off! I will admit this one was a little trickier than I anticipated, because I’ve been mostly reading books on my phone via Kindle or on audiobook, but instead I read 2 physical books and 1 (and a half) on audiobook. Finally it was halfway through the month and I hadn’t even started “These is My Words” for Bon’s Book Club (post on Thursday) so I realized I would need to schedule my reading time, just like anything else.

Reese is a tornado these days. A cute tornado, but one who really wants to walk and touch literally everything she can. It’s not TOO bad to get stuff done – I just need to contain her. The door-frame jumper while I shower and get ready. Her Minnie Mouse scooter and toys in the office while I do my freelance and blogging. Her crib with a pile of books while I do laundry and tidy up her room. Ryan’s “baby fort” in the living room while I make dinner or clean. These all work pretty well for getting stuff done. Unfortunately she is still happily singing/yelling and wants to show me every single toy and book she has while she’s in these various baby jails. It’s adorable, but it also makes focused reading difficult.

I finally realized – her nap time is currently being utilized for freelance, blogging, or showering, but I can do all of those pretty well while she’s awake. It feels weird to just sit on the couch or in the rocking chair and read while she’s sleeping. Like it’s a waste of time or that I’m being lazy. (Type A people to a tee, amirite?) But it’s what’s best! Suddenly I was elbow deep in “These is My Words” and loving it so much that I was squeezing it in every second I could. THAT’S how I’ll get to my resolution, just like any other: make time for it.

So without further ado – my books of January

The Nightingale

Vianne and Isabelle are sisters dealing with the occupation of France and consequences of WWII in very different ways. When the French men are shipped off and Germans arrive in their place it seems the entire world is turned upside down and their very souls must change to survive. Where Isabelle is young, impetuous, and brave, Vianne is dependent, meek, and scared. Through loneliness, death, and facing impossible choices each sister learns to emulate the good qualities of the other, each becoming a better but harder version of themselves. 

I’ve read quite a bit of historical fiction, especially WWII stuff. I’ve always loved it, and I mean, I AM a history teacher. This one takes a really wonderful and scary approach – The Women. These French sisters are holding their ground in France while the war rages in Europe, and you get to see day-to-day effects of the occupation. I was a little bored in the beginning and even a little in the middle, but this book has one of the most beautiful and satisfactory endings I’ve ever read. It’s like Kristin Hannah is spoon-feeding you heartbreak every step of the way and then at the end she’s like “Ok here’s a cherry on top!” and it somehow makes the horribleness better? Idk. It just felt so REAL. Seeing the war through the eyes of these two very different sisters helped me to understand it even better, even after years of historical study.

Good

• Her characterizations are so strong. I kind of hated them both, instantly. Isabelle was far too impulsive and selfish. I’ve never identified or loved the rebellious teen. Vianne was so WEAK. But by the end I had so much love and respect for both of them. You watch them change and evolve before your eyes, but in such a realistic and important way. It’s like watching yourself grow up. Amazing.
• Historically enlightening. As a history teacher, college, and high school student I have studied history for ten years. I found myself Googling and cross-checking a lot of the details of the book and learning SO MUCH. Yet it didn’t feel like a textbook or boring historical fiction (of which I’ve read plenty ugh).
• GIRL POWER. I don’t really need to say much more.
• Refreshing love stories – not your typical “I love you please return from war!” although there was some of that. Love is shown as a much more dangerous and layered thing. It’s even a disadvantage during a time of war, for those who love are much more susceptible to terrible consequences. The love stories in this book weren’t just between romantic interests, but also the love between family members, friends, and neighbors.
• A many-faced enemy. I really liked that they showed the Germans as people too, even if Von Richter was the devil. I think Beck really was a good man, and wasn’t trying to seduce Vianne. He was just a man in a foreign country, doing something he didn’t want to do, and missing his family. It doesn’t make it right. But it does provide the depth and dimension you need to truly understand this war.

Less Good

• I don’t know about you, but I am so impressionable. The books I’m reading, shows I’m watching, music I’m listening to all have a HUGE effect on my mood and outlook. I’ve only re-read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix TWICE because Harry’s emotional turmoil and aggravation while he’s basically being possessed by Voldemort the whole book GETS TO ME. This book is ~rough. There is so much sadness, heartache, and evil. And it’s all the worse because this ish was REAL. Like not this exactly, obviously, because it’s fiction. But this WWII stuff. It was all based on reality and it’s just crushing. So much of it left me feeling drained and depressed.
• I mean, this kind of is the same thing, and I don’t want to post any spoilers… but “I was brave!” and little girls and UGHHHHHHHHH I was bawling in the Swig drive-through and I’m pretty sure that girl thought my entire family had been murdered.
• Long. I don’t know why – maybe because a few of the parts get super boring? Super sad? But this book felt really long to me. I had to take a lot of breaks, emotionally and mentally. I couldn’t just listen to it for hours on end like I can most books.
• I still kind of hated Isabelle. I understand why she needed to be so rebellious and unwieldy, but it was so frustrating and almost made me want to give up.
• The ending was SO GOOD but it definitely felt a little rushed. I wish more time and explanation had been given. I felt a little like I had fought through that whole book of heartache and hope and sadness. I DESERVE MORE EXPOSITION.

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

Entire review coming Thursday when I co-host Bon’s Book Club!

Yes Please! by Amy Poehler

Thoughts on life, love, divorce, motherhood, comedy, Hollywood, feminism, and anything else you can think of from one of the world’s most prestigious female comedians. Amy speaks unapologetically about things she’s learned and how she gets through basically anything. 

I have had this book for OVER A YEAR and FINALLY finished it. I’m the worst. I was pregnant, and then I was a new mom, and then I only read it on vacations… I should have just made myself sit down to read it a few nights a week and I would have finished it right away. It wasn’t as easy of a read as “Bossypants” or “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” but had a lot of the parts I liked about female comedian memoirs – hilarious anecdotes, strong feminist mantras, and of course plenty of smart humor.

Good

• I SO appreciate her vulnerability. She isn’t afraid to talk about mistakes she made, things she really wanted, guilt she feels. She shares a story about a bad, bad joke made on SNL once and how she failed to apologize when she was called out on it. It was so HUMAN. She eventually rights the wrong, but she shares the story not to show that she’s amazing, but to show that it’s ok to make mistakes and the most important thing is to try to fix them.
• There will never be enough celebrity or behind-the-scenes TV anecdotes to satisfy me, but she does a really good job.
• ALL. THE. GIRL. POWER. I loved how much she loves and needs other women. I love how much she encourages us to stick together and fight for one another. I love how we don’t all need to fit into the same molds. “Good for her. Not for me.” is such a helpful mantra for me. I love my life and usually feel like I’m doing everything totally right, so naturally I think that everyone should do everything just like me. I’m still learning that what’s right for me isn’t for everyone, and visa versa.
• I just got such good vibes from how she’s learned to live her life. The idea that we should really just be honest with ourselves, go after what we want, and look for true, genuine people with whom to share our lives? Sure it sounds so basic and common sense. But the way she shares it you can tell she’s LEARNED it. It makes me want to be more real with the people in my life.

Less Good

• As I said above, this one didn’t GRAB me quite as much as Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling’s book. I don’t know what it was. I guess I mostly felt so disjointed, like everything was bouncing around and all over the place. It made it way too easy for me to set it down and forget about it, hence the 18 month reading stint.
• Am I a prude? There was just a little too much sensitive/inappropriate stuff in this one. Nothing that I couldn’t handle, and not enough for me to burn the book. But still not my favorite. Sometimes the language and sexual content seems so unnecessary and cheap.
• I feel like maybe she isn’t the most positive or credible source on marriage and motherhood but I wish she would have spoken a little more highly of them. You can tell she loves being a mom and that it’s so important to her. I guess I just loved hearing Tina Fey talk about being a mother and Mindy Kaling write about her parents marriage and how she believes marriage is important and realistic.
• I have always loved Amy Poehler’s versatility but it wasn’t until I read this book that I realized how much she WAS Leslie Knope in my mind. It’s ok, but for some reason it was mildly irritating to realize like “oh. There’s a little of Leslie here. But Leslie would NEVER use that word!!!!”

My February Book Picks

“A Darker Shade of Magic” by Victoria Schwab (for the Delicious Reads Book Club)

“Better Than Before” by Gretchen Rubin

And “A Man Called Ove” by Frederik Backman for Bon’s Book Club in February!

Read along with me if you’re down!