Tell Me What to Read: Spring 2018
Tell Me What to Read is quite possibly my very favorite thing on my entire blog.
It usually takes me FOR-ever to get through the three books because I have book ADHD, but I absolutely love seeing all the recommendations and I’ve read so many amazing new authors and titles over the past eight years (eight years I’ve been doing this! I still remember when I had this idea, when I was traveling with my mom and visiting a local library – the whole thing started with this book!).
I’ve just finished up the three books from the fall edition and I’m ready to roll with a new set of three for this spring!
You know the drill – suggest something fun (although that doesn’t need to mean chick-lit – I’m up for non-fiction, memoirs, young adult, middle grade, AND chick-lit), and I’ll pick three to read in April, May, and June!
Your job: Comment with the title of a book you think I should read.
My job: Choose three from the suggestions and announce which ones I’ll be reading.
I’ll read one a month (ish) between now and the end of June (hopefully). Feel free to read along and check back every month for my reviews.
And, as always, even if I hate the book, I will not hate you.
And go!
I’m going to recommend Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. It’s about our broken justice system—from unfair trials to corrupt law enforcement to the death penalty. Heavy stuff for sure but written in a super compelling way. I’m in the middle of it right now, and it’s one of those books where I keep thinking, “This is happening in MY country during MY lifetime?!”
Yes, this is so good! And an important read!!
There are lots of great suggestions already in the comments…if I were to pick from that list, I’d vote for We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, Educated by Tara Westover and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The Hate U Give is also amazing.
I’ve read a few other great books recently that I’d also suggest: Ghost Boy by Jewell Parker Rhodes, The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship and Hope in an American Classroom by Helen Thorpe, and How To Walk Away by Katherine Center.
“There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather” by Linda Åkeson McGurk. An easy-to-read book reminding us why it’s good to get outdoors with children, told in a humorous fashion by a Swedish mom living in the States. Lots of interesting facts about the differences of Scandinavian vs. American parenting views of the outdoors.
“The gift of pain” by Phillip Yancey.
The first chapter is hard, but if you can get through that the rest is fascinating. One of my faves.
I’m loving The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone.
Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard. I am in the middle of it and loving it so much! It’s the story of a man who becomes an unlikely ultra-marathon runner and, while running a 6-day race across the Gobi Desert, met a little dog who followed him the entire race and basically adopted Dion as his person.
Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin has been a fascinating (yet horrifying) read….
I read The Phantom of the Opera in January and loved it–I was surprised by how much I got into it. I think the musical is great but didn’t expect to be as wowed by the book!
The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen is an interesting read–she was a journalist in Finland before marrying an American and moving to New York. The book is about the differences between Scandinavian and American cultures in terms of relationships (between parents and children, employees and employers, romantic relationships, and parents and children), education, business, and healthcare. It gave me a lot to think about. And the cover is really fun!
Have you read It Ends with Us? It’s got some fun romance but also looks at deeper/bigger topics…it is just so well done (and a 5 star rating on Amazon!). I’ve bought it 8 times in the past year to give as gifts. And, I know you enjoyed the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series – have you read The Court of Thorns and Roses series? Gosh, talk about an addictive series that is just fun – I liked it better than Daughter of Smoke series! Can’t wait to see what you choose!!
I just finished Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. It is amazing book that tells the story of the family of two half African sisters in Ghana in the 1700s. One gets sold into slavery and her family lives with the consequences of it in the US. The other sister marries a white slave trader and stays in Ghana. We follow both family histories into the world today. It’s a powerful, well written story about memory, family and the affects of racism.
My recent favoyite is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. By Taylor Jenkins Reed. First, the book cover is beautiful,!
This is an easy read, covering the life of a fictionalized move star (she’s very Elizabeth Taylor-like) from the 1950s to present. But it has a twist, or two that pack a punch. This book has stayed with me, and I can’t wait to recommend it to book club!
Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth – Frank Cottrell-Boyce. It’s children’s literature, but it is one of the most hilarious, well-written books I’ve ever read (and that’s saying a lot for me). I didn’t post a review of it ever, but it’s definitely on my favourite books list.
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel and The Silent Sister bun diane Chamberlain we’re both great!
I just realized I used the wrong were! That’s what happens when two kids are pulling at you ?
Counting by 7s!!! I can’t remember if I suggested it before, but it was my favorite book that I read last year and I still talk about it all the time!
Educated: A memoir by Tara Westover. It’s so fascinating. It’s about a girl who grew up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho who never went to school. Her parents feared the government so they never went to the doctors either (she didn’t get a birth certificate till she was 9). But she educated herself and got into BYU and eventually a PhD at Cambridge.
Highly recommend Beneath Wandering Stars by Ashley Cowles. It has such a different perspective than a lot of other YA novels and is also just really beautifully written.
A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka – a novel following two parallel lives: one that of a couple in WWII Poland and their wartime struggles and romance and the other that of their granddaughter in modern day Poland. So funny and sweet!
Have you read The Mysterious Benedict Society? Ella is old enough for it, I think.
I just finished One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus on audio and I enjoyed. Good mystery and some YA romance thrown in.
A lot of great suggestions! I read secondborn a few months ago as my kindle first book and was surprised how much I liked it! The next one in the series comes out next month and I’m looking forward to it!