1). I'm probably going back to blogging books in fours.
2). May was a slow reading month - for me. I also know the more stressed I am, the less I read. Once I realized my pace was off, I righted the ship.
3). There were some high quality reads this month. Some of my favorites in 2017 for sure.
Option B was incredible. I adore Sheryl Sandberg, and this read was about the aftermath of the sudden loss of her husband. Her honesty and authenticity throughout were beautiful. She also partnered with psychologist Adam Grant to explore some of the science and emotion on grief. It's a hard read in that it's "tough stuff," but it's so worth checking out.
Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, A Student, And A Life-Changing Friendship was an advance reading copy I received. Y'all, it's phenomenal. It's written by a Teach for America volunteer who finds herself in rural Arkansas. She writes of the challenge and joy she finds in her classroom. Years later, she goes onto law school and finds out one of her students is now in jail. She makes the decision to return to rural Arkansas to continue reading and educating him as he's in jail. I anticipate this one will get lots of buzz when it's released in a few weeks, and it's definitely well-deserved.
Watch Me Disappear was another advance reading copy I received. It's about a mother who unexpectedly disappears and her husband and daughter trying to piece it all together. There's some good suspense and twists and turns that kept me reading.
What Alice Forgot was my fifth(!) Liane Moriarity. This one is about a woman who faints at the gym and wakes up with no memory of the last decade of her life. However, she quickly finds her life has played out far differently than she planned. This one doesn't have the suspense of her latest books, but the story here is still fantastic. It's wonderful (as nearly all things Liane Moriarity are), and it makes you think about what would happen if you got the chance to do things all over again.
Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity was a book I read for work-ish. It had lots of good tips for ways to open up communication channels, bring your whole self to work, and just be a better human/professional. It made me think and also included things I already do which was pretty validating to read.
'Round Midnight was a yet another advance reading copy I received. I loved Laura McBride's first book We Are Called to Rise. This book is equally amazing. She is a masterful storyteller when it comes to weaving the stories of people who are seemingly unconnected together. This one focuses on stories centering around four women with different identities and experiences, but all end up in Vegas. As the story goes, you find there are many common threads. Another one to check out when it is released soon.
