It can be totally overwhelming to pick a new book, and when reading time is limited I want to make sure that my choices are going to be well worth it. About once a month, I share my reading list in the hopes that it makes your reading list a bit easier to navigate and, more importantly, helps you discover books you really love. After all, life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy!
I’m linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy to share my reading list this month.
On My Nightstand This Month
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Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
Based on the author’s own experience of moving to New York with her Cuban-Jewish family during the 1960’s, this is the story of Ruthie and the year she spent in bed after a car accident. Beautifully written as a middle grades novel this book is funny and charming and a beautiful look inside the mind of a young girl who walks through a very difficult season of life. I love young adult literature that captures new voices of color and this book is a fantastic addition to that group. It would also make for a great book discussion with your kids or in a classroom about immigration.
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Two different people recommended this book to me within one week so I knew I needed to grab it, and yes, it was worth the hype. The book begins with a family in Poland celebrated the seder just as the war breaks out and then follows the five grown children of the Kurc family through the horrific and unbelievable years of war that follow. What makes this WWII historical fiction stand out is that it’s based on the author’s own family and their miraculous story. I couldn’t read this one fast enough and enjoyed the stories of places on the periphery of war that are often not discussed. If you’re a WWII fan, this is a must read.
A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck
When I pick them up to read them, I don’t like to look at the book jacket because I don’t want any spoilers and so I just dive in, knowing that someone had recommended it. As you can imagine that sometimes leads to a bit of a shock and with this book, I was blindsided. While the beginning of the book is a cheesy YA romance novel waiting to happen, a big twist sends the book in a totally new direction and changes the entire story. I don’t want to give it away if you like to be surprised but if you want to know more, make sure to read the summary before you pick this one up. Overall it was a good read but know whether you can handle a plot disruption or not. Also, it’s written by high school English teacher and he nails the internal monologue of a teenage boy but there’s quite a bit of language if that bothers you.
Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
My book club picked this one, mostly because we needed a short book and were intrigued after hearing lots of buzz around this one. Beth Ann Fennelly is a poet and her language is precise and thoughtful in this series of mini-memoirs from her life. Some are as short as a sentence or two and some are several pages long but the book is a funny and poignant look at the big and small moments that make up a life. We all found different stories to connect with and enjoyed navigating a genre we enjoy in a new and fresh format. It’s a great book for discussion or a quick read that’s different from the usual memoir.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferris is the author of the book Four Hour Work Week and on his wildly successful podcast, he interviews lots and lots of interesting people. Tools of Titans is a summary of many of those interviews and offers short and fascinating glimpses into what makes many of these guests so successful. I thought I wouldn’t find much to relate to in the stories of tech company founders and ultra marathoners but I’ve found so many small tips that have made me really stop and think about how and why I’m doing things a certain way. You can read through the whole book (it’s huge at 736 pages!) or you can use it like a reference guide although I would argue that some of the most interesting pieces of advice are hidden where you least expect them so devouring this book in small chunks is my favorite way to read this one.
What was your favorite read this month? Have you read any of these books before? I’d love to hear what’s on your nightstand so leave a comment below!
PS. As always, you can find all my book recommendations here.
Updating my TBR list right now! These books all sound great.
🙂 April, you’ll have to let me know when you read some of them! It’s always fun to discuss books with fellow readers.
This is a great list–I love the variety that you have here! I’ve been wanting to read We Were the Lucky Ones so I’m glad to hear such good things. I don’t read a lot of middle grade fiction but I’m always trying to branch out–it sounds like I should pick up Lucky Broken Girl.
I think middle grades fiction has really upped its game lately…I’ve read several really good books in that category this last year and it’s much more complex than I remember of my own Baby Sitter Club days 🙂
I read the book The Woman Who Smashed Codes over winter break. It was very interesting. I enjoy learning about WWII. A few parts were slow. I learned a lot about the code breaking history of the US as well as activities that were going on in some countries in South America. It also had some information about rum runners during prohibition. I’ve been watching the History Channel’s Hunting Hitler and parts of the book and show went together well.
That sounds so interesting! I’ll have to check both the book and tv show out.
I really liked Lucky Broken Girl! It was sweet, sad, and hopeful. I am really intrigued by Tim Ferris’ book. My husband listens to his podcast. The 700+ page count is a bit daunting but doable in small chunks, especially with the fascinating tips and stories
Don’t be intimidated by Ferriss’ book! It really is super approachable. I keep it on the front seat of my car and read a couple of chapters (most are 2-4 pages) while I sit in the pick up line at school. It’s actually better if you digest it slowly.