Friends, it’s the first day of March!!!
I kind of like March.
You girls know that in my head, there is a running list of months I love and adore (they all have pumpkins or Christmas lights), and then a list of months I don’t care for (actually just one, I don’t love April…I have no good reason why…it’s just not my favorite), but for some reason, I think March is pretty okay. Spring Break (for us) is in March, our wedding anniversary is in March, baseball season starts in March, St. Paddy’s Day is in March…this morning, I’m super excited that it’s March.
Speaking of March, today is about February. Ha! It’s my FEBRUARY BOOK REVIEW!
Despite the shorter month, thanks to no electricity, two flights and lots of time on my hands, I ended up reading (almost) SEVEN books this month…and my feelings are ALL OVER THE PLACE.
It was either hot or cold this month…no in between.
In fact, I actually read more than half of one and quit it which is rare for me (if I’m going to quit, it’s typically after about a fifth of the way through).
So, I’m not necessarily here to give you a ton of book suggestions (since I didn’t love them all), but I’d sure love some fresh ideas from you.
Please.
Pretty please.
With spring break coming up, I know I’ll read more and for whatever reason, I didn’t do a stellar job at picking books this month, so your help is greatly appreciated. That being said, I’m about to get flat out GIDDY at the end of this review 😉 .
Okay…let’s recap this line up of books starting with…
It’s All Under Control by Jennifer Dukes Lee.
I. Loved. This. Book.
This is a faith-based memoir written by a mom about her journey to let go of control of her life/family/work/everything. A blog reader suggested I read this one, and I could not put it down. I was texting friends that they needed to read it, I was making notes about it and finally, I ended up just buying the hard copy too (I had been reading it on my Kindle) because I wanted to keep a copy forever along with my Bible studies. This one was the perfect way for me to kick off the year/month/turning 40. If you are a Christian woman looking for a book filled with raw truth yet so much hope, grace and love, this book is for you. I wanted to underline the whole thing. It truly is one of the best faith-based books I’ve ever read and could easily be in my TOP THREE this year. It’s honest and direct but at the same time, encouraging and so loving. Read it!
I really love Katherine Center books. I think her novels are elevated chick lit. They’re always happy, upbeat, positive, but with a little more depth than your average beach book. This month, I read What You Wish For…and it was okay. The main character is a lovable, quirky school librarian who lives on Galveston island (where my Granddaddy grew up down in south Texas!). I loved the setting (it was sweet to read about Galveston, and I thought she did a lovely job painting it as a charming little beach town), and I thought the main character was cute, funny and a bit original…but overall, the story fell a bit flat for me. Though the plot covers some very serious topics, I almost felt they were handled a little too Hallmark-y/cheesy/unrealistic. I mean, it was a fine read, but I don’t know that I’m suggesting it today. I would really probably read her book How to Walk Away instead.
I’ve had several of you recommend I read Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward, so that was my third book this month.
This one was hard, y’all.
Typically, Ward writes novels, but this is her memoir about growing up in the New Orleans area as a young/early 20s Black girl and how four men she loved all died as a result of their environment (all in different ways). I loved her writing style. Even though the book was really hard to read, so tragic and terrible…it was written so well and kept me turning page after page to see how theses stories would unfold. She wrote each chapter a bit backwards and then would toggle back a bit forward so that you really saw present day mixed with the past. Many times, you read books about tragic events/circumstances and at the end, there’s a big victory/happy moment/all is well now epilogue, but really, this book doesn’t have that. It leaves you at the end not optimistic or cheery, but just with “this is how it is for many, it needs to change” kind of a feeling. I’m so glad I read this book, and I can easily see how it might land in my TOP THREE this year as it’s a story about lives I cannot forget. This book was published in 2014, but I found so applicable and relevant to 2021. If you’re looking for a memoir to really open your eyes, this is it. If you’ve read any of her novels and want to suggest some of those for me, I’d love those recs in the comment section too.
I’ve reviewed over 350 books on my blog, and I do believe this is the first book I’ve ever quit and told you about. (I do quit books from time to time, but I typically keep them to myself). I read fifty percent of The Right Swipe and couldn’t read another page. Why am I telling you? Well, because I thought the book had GREAT potential, the author came HIGHLY recommended, and I’m certain that I just picked the wrong one out of her collection, so I’d love to hear what other book I should read that she has written. I honestly would have read the entire thing and probably given the novel glowing remarks because it was a super cute, easy to read, funny chick lit that I could see us all reading on the beach this summer and loving except…the adult content was just too much for me (and I loved Game of Thrones and Bridgerton!). I’m almost 40, I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but I do tolerate/accept/whatever you want to call it adult content in moderation and/or when it’s pertinent to the story in a very real way…but this just seemed gratuitous. So, loads of potential, but I couldn’t continue on. If this is an anomaly and her other novels are not quite so “grown up”, then please let me know. I was really into the plot (two people who created/owned dating app companies start dating) and loved the characters, but I couldn’t finish it. This one is very rated R, so beware if you are thinking about reading it.
I adore Kristin Hannah books.
I love them.
Her book The Great Alone was the third best book I read in 2018 (and one of the best books I’ve EVER read!). And Night Road? Well, every parent of pre-teens should read that book. So, I was super, super pumped to read her newest novel The Four Winds.
I think Andrew summed it up best for me…I finished the book while we were in bed watching TV/reading one night and as I closed my Kindle, I said “Ugh, I did not like my book.” He said, “What was it about?”. I said, “The Great Depression.” and then he laughed and said, “That’s like reading a book about the Titanic or Hindenburg and expecting a happy ending.”.
Well said, Andrew.
Well said.
Okay, this novel is about a woman and her family who live in West Texas during the Great Depression…the story opens with her as a young, unmarried woman and then progresses as she gets married, has children, and does whatever it takes to save her family. I mean…I’m sure it’s very accurate. I’m sure the story she told (fictional) was very similar to so many real stories during that time period, but oh my word, the whole thing just wore me out emotionally. You know, The Great Alone is a hard book to read. It’s tragic and painful, it’s raw and uncomfortable…but at the end, it left me optimistic about life in general and the strength of the human spirit. At the end of this book, I was just sad.
Needless to say, it’s not my fave. It very much might be one you would like though? Not everyone loves a good “happy ending/life is great/let’s watch the Hallmark channel now” book as much as I do, so maybe this one is for you. It was not for me. I hate that because I was really excited to read it.
What do you do after you read a book that was just “okay”, one really hard book, one book you quit and a book that super bums you out? You say “to heck with it” and read a newly released slightly controversial book since you’re already in a bad mood…
Oh geez. I read Good Apple by Elizabeth Passarella.
This memoir is trending right now, and the reactions I’m seeing on social media are all over the place. I read over and over that it’s sure to offend, sure to upset and sure to basically piss everyone off (excuse my language…but yeah, that’s what I was reading). So, in my “I haven’t picked the right book yet this month, I might as well tip the scale and really read something terrible”, I read this book…AND I LOVED IT.
I didn’t see it coming.
In this newly released memoir, the author (a married mom of three young kids) is a Southern Christian girl who is permanently living her life in New York City as a Democrat…and apparently, this is upsetting the masses on both sides of social media (and in her own family). I for one thought the book covered SO MUCH MORE than politics and was so freaking fascinating. I live a very suburban life down here in Texas, so I thought the whole “her living in NYC in a very small apartment with her family” was suuuuuuuuper interesting. She goes into great detail about how they live life in close quarters, what it’s like day in and day out, how her kids’ public schools work, doing everything via public transportation and so much more. She sucked me way in. I thought it was more than fascinating to read about how, after 20 years, some people still see her as an “outsider” there, but others embrace her as a New Yorker. I loved when she talked about her parents (her dad was Jewish), family roles and expectations, her miscarriages (she’s had two), how much she loves Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages (me too!), the fact that she’s an Enneagram 8 (me too!!!) and she even has an entire chapter dedicated to When Harry Met Sally (I mean…COME ON!). I loved it all. Yes, she talks about politics and yes, I even enjoyed those chapters too because she was really honest, open and transparent (it was refreshing!). I really loved the whole thing and honestly? It might be one of my top books of 2021. I’m so glad my bad mood sent me to her book 😉 .
Finally, I ended my book with another reader recommendation and friends, BRACE.YOURSELVES. I am about to gush like a crazy woman. I owe so many of you an apology because I did not get it.
I.
Did.
Not.
Get.
It.
I get it now, The seventh book I read this month could easily be in my TOP THREE as well…
The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron.
Who am I? Ha!
Okay, here’s the deal, last spring I knew nothing about Enneagram numbers. Nothing. BUT one of the most frequently asked questions of Andrew and me last year was to tell you our numbers. So, we each took the quiz, and it said we were both high 8s. Okay. Cool. We’re both high 8s. That’s awesome. Exceptttttt…every time you would ask me our numbers, and we would say “8”, I would get fourteen billion DMs saying things like “how are you happily married?”, “there’s no way you’re an 8, you seem too nice”, “don’t you fight all the time”, “you’re a 2, not an 8”.
I was confused.
It says I’m an 8. It says he’s an 8. What’s wrong with being an 8?
So, I read this book.
Friends, I am TOTALLY AN 8, and that’s not a bad thing!
I think anyone who personally knows me, knows I’m a total 8, and since they know my hubby too, they probably get how we’re great together because we could only respect/tolerate/love another 8 as spouses. So, I’m way sucked in. I think one day, maybe we’ll do an entire post on Enneagram (seriously, what’s happening to me?!) because I’m that fascinated, and there’s way too much to cover in one book review, but just know, I loved this book, I loved that it’s pretty faith-based and relates to how to use your number to witness to more people, I loved that it covers “wings”, I loved it all! If you have other recs on Enneagram books, send them my way please!! Seriously, we’ll cover this more later together!! In the meantime, read this book!!
Okay, what are your thoughts? What did you read this month? Have you checked out my TOP THREE BOOKS OF 2020 yet? What should I read in March? I need a whole lot of new and fresh suggestions please!!! Comment and share!!
Don’t forget, I keep a running list of every book I’ve read in 2021 right HERE!
Happy March, friends!!! xo
To see the complete list of books I read in 2015 (all 63 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2016 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2017 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2018 (all 61 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2019 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2020 (all 54 of them), click here.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Thank you for the reviews! It’s All Under Control sounds like a book I’d enjoy! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Terry says
I think you’d enjoy “It’s Never Too Late” by Kathie Lee Gifford. I particularly enjoyed hearing her read it herself in audio.
Olga Heath says
“Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris
Sara says
I love book review day! I think you would love This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith. I loved it!
Renee says
Shay, I always love your book review posts. I recently read two of Elin Hilderbrand’s recommendations, Sea Wife and Eliza Starts a Rumor. I really enjoyed both books.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you!!!!!
Kelley Bauer says
I also read Sea Wife because of Hilderbrand’s recommendation. I would also recommend.
One of my favorites in the past year has been Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. Now that I suggest it, it may be because I got the recommend from you. Ha! Another one I have enjoyed is All Adults Here. I don’t have the author at hand.
Cathy Meagher says
I also LOVE all of Kristin Hannah’s books but I was definitely left wanting more happy at the end of The Four Winds. I’m pretty sure you have mentioned Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers but have you read Bridge to Haven by her? I thought it was so good, too!
Sara says
Just finished Eliza Starts a Rumor and I liked it!
Erika Slaughter says
I think we can both agree I’ve already read the Enneagram book from the line-up! ?? You’ll be so proud to hear I finished book two of the year last night! Wahoo!
Mix and Match Mama says
It was the first time I’ve ever read an entire book aloud to someone. Bahahaha!
Mal says
Thanks as always for your book reviews! I’ve read some good ones lately:
The Secret Lives of Church Women – a short story collection about different Black women and their lives, it’s a local author for me – Pittsburgh – which was fun
The Girl in the Mirror and The Last Flight – 2 psychological thriller types of people taking on someone else’s identity
Severance – kind of freaky because it’s very similar to the Coronovirus pandemic but a really fascinating fictional story
Maggie Eterno says
I ordered Its all under control! And I have The road back to you and have never read it. But I’m so intrigued by the enneagram. I actually could totally tell that you were an 8! I sometimes wish I was an 8, ha! But I’m a 3… I’m excited to read it now that you reviewed it!! Have you listened to Annie Fown’s series on the enneagram? She recorded it a couple of summers ago, but I loved hearing about my enneagram number. I also listened to the 9 enneagram episode because my husband is a 9. It’s really good!
Mix and Match Mama says
I haven’t but thank you so much for the rec!!!
Eileen says
I felt the same way about The Four Winds. I was so excited to read it, and I’m glad I read it, but it wasn’t my favorite. It was hard to get through.
You should read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. So good! Also, This Time Next Year was a cute chick lit book.
Kathy says
I also recently finished The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and it was great!
Kristine says
I second The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell! I just picked it for our March book club. 🙂
Liz Thorson says
I loved The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell!
Ginger says
Just finished The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, and it is certainly in the top 3 of the 30 books I’ve read so far in 2021. I think you would really like it. I liked The Four Winds. I was listening to it at the same time as I was reading Send For Me (also good), and it struck me that both stories were happening in the same time period, but we generally know so much more about what happened in Germany than we do in California — and they were both travesties. It was rather eye-opening and certainly educational.
Casey says
The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah
Not That I Could Tell- non-scary “thriller” that’s a decent page turner
The Girl in the Mirror
This Time Next Year- decent story, happy chick-lit
Jennie says
Okay I’m an 8 too and always get weird looks anytime I tell people that. I’m the only 8 on our whole school staff! I’m going to read The Road Back to You and hopefully it will make me more accepting of the whole Enneagram idea.
Corren Mccain says
I just finished Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ memoir. Very easy read and very interesting!
Amy Heinl says
I read The Four Winds and lived it. It was heavy and it was sad but what a strong lead female character who preserved against a horrible time in America. Not only was it the Depression, it gave you a glimpse of life during the dust bowl era in our country. It is something that needs to be covered more in depth in our schools. I don’t knowif I could have survived through those years. It was harrowing. I loved this book…it made me laugh, it made me pull so hard for this family and it made me cry. It reminded me the important lesson that the winds of life don’t always blow in our favor…how we rise to those challenges when the winds blow against us speaks volumes to our character and our faith.
Sherrie Moore says
Amy I totally agree with your review of The Four Winds. It was sad, and hard, but I am so glad I read it. There is so much I had never learned about the great depression and the dust bowl. I remember my grandparents would talk about those times, but I never imagined it could be so hard. And I felt the book did give hope at the end. And it reminds me never to take my blessings for granted.
Shara Gardner says
Yes to all of this. I loved this book, I am so glad I read it and I learned so much.
Holly says
I love book review day! I hope all of you down in Texas are well on you way to recovery – we have been thinking about you and sending good (warm) thoughts your way…
This month I read five books and finished up a sixth that I started in January. Here are my thoughts –
1. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – A group of friends meet each year at a different location to celebrate New Years Eve. Something goes wrong and someone winds up dead. Who did it? I really enjoyed this one and looked forward to picking it up each day. Easy reading and not too scary.
2. The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennet – This one was on a bunch of booklists last year and has been sitting in my book queue since summer. Twin sisters grow up in very different Americas and go on to have daughters that do the same. Very thought provoking read.
3. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore – Our local independent bookstore had this on a best books list and it did not disappoint!! Warning – it is a straight up romance novel (with some good girl power themes) and is definitely rated R. Read it in two days and ordered the second book in the series.
4. Room-Maid by Sariah Wilson – Cute, predictable girl meets boy story. I thought this one was just ok? Maybe it was just me?
5. The Astronauts Wives Club by Lily Koppel – Bought this after watching The Right Stuff on Disney+. This is the true story of the wives (and families) of the original Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts. I loved this one and ended up passing my copy on to my mom to read!
6. The Push by Ashley Audrain – I bought this one after seeing the comments on your January post. Oh my goodness. I’m not sure how I feel about this one, but I could.not.put.it.down. Mother / daughter suspense / thriller with so many feelings.
Vicki Leuck says
It’s been televised now – with Patrick Dempsey -but don’t watch it yet. Read it. It’s a fantastic read. A wonderful mystery. Don’t let the 600 pages intimidate you. It’s a fast read. Six of my friends read it and loved it! Some of those never read. Ha! The name of the book- THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR. Your welcome. Enjoy! Oh and thanks so much for sharing your book review with us!
Laura says
The Road Back to You is great! Annie F. Downs does an enneagram podcast series every summer- you may enjoy looking back in her archives and listening to the episodes about 8’s- she always has great guests.
I’m reading The Dinner List right now and I’m really enjoying it. I think you might like it too. Having Audrey Hepburn in it is extra fun.
Jessica says
Annie’s podcast Summer of Enneagram is the best! I bought the road back to you and only read “my” chapter, need to get it ouT!
Kristen Thompson says
I also read Four Winds this month and I would periodically talk to my husband about it and when things just kept getting worse he would say, I wondered when you’d get to that part in history (he’s a big history buff) haha! I was so frustrated by it! I thought it was so well written but when I talked to my mom about it I told her it felt like a book you’d have to read in English class in high school. Have you ever read anything by Sarah Jio? I feel like a broken record because I recommend her every month but I love a lot of the same authors as you (Katherine Center, Emily Giffen, Elin Hilderbrwnd, etc) and I think you’d like her writing! The Bungalow and Blackberry Winter are two of my favorites! Thanks as always for your reviews!!
Judy Herling says
I discovered Sarah Jio in January. I read All the Flowers in Paris and loved it. Now I am anxious to read more of her books and am adding the two you recommended to my reading list!
Susanne says
Sarah Jio is one of my favorites! We’re reading Goodnight June in my bookclub but I’ve read almost all of hers. The Bungalow and Morning Glory were my favorites. She’s such a good writer!
Stacy Johnson says
I LOVED Good Apple and was going to recommend it! Had no idea it was so controversial though – ?
Lisa says
I think you would like this one, I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman. A mom and daughter take a trip to the east coast to look at college campuses with a group from LA. It won’t be long before you have a 16 year old!
Kimberly says
I liked Midnight Library, Much Ado about you, and Shipped.
Alexis Murrell says
I flew through The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House! Going to check out that enneagram book!
Elspeth says
Thank you got being honest about your recommendations! I’m always on the look for new reads!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Kelly Marie Sites says
I didn’t like The Four Winds either. I don’t mind learning about the depression, and I like a survivor story, but I just didn’t like it. It was slow, and not developed or something. I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t like it.
But I did LOVE Susan Meissner- The Nature of Fragile Things. It was really good and a page turner. Highly Suggest.
Jessica C. says
I agree with The Four Winds and What You Wish For. Usually loves these authors, but these books were just ok. Good reads, but not great. Always enjoy hearing what you read and to add to my list!
Julia says
Oh, Shay-I’ve totally been there! Where you just don’t love a few in a row. Hopefully you’re due for some good reads up next! I wish I had recommendations but I just read two I know you’ve already read and loved…’Know My Name’ (amazing!) and ‘A Good Neighborhoor’ (probably will be my favorite of 2021 even though so sad!)
Have you read these two?
-The Size of Everything: A memoir along the lines of ‘The Glass Castle’ where you are truly inspired by how much this little girl (turned fashion designer) overcame
-‘Furiously Happy’ Jenny Lawson-a really brave, endearing and LOL funny memoir about the author’s struggle with depression and anxiety.
Those were great and uplifting! Here are a couple on my “next up” list that are supposed to be very good:
-How the One Arm Sister Sweeps Her House Cherie Jones
-Good Neighbors/Langan
I’m so sad to hear Kristin Hannh’s new book isn’t great. I usually am so in sync with your taste in books so I’m thinking I’ll probably feel the same? And I was so excited too!
Lastly, try Elizabeth Berg sometime! She writes very heartwarming novels about motherhood, neighbors, friends and they are just really good feel good books. I feel like you’d like her style!
Happy March! Here in Boston it is grey, dreary and wet. BLAH. The opposite of what the start of Spring should be!
Kelly says
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Dawn McCormick says
Yes, American Wife is so good! I second that!
Jeanie says
Was this the book loosely based on Laura Bush?
Karen says
I love your book reviews. I have read so many good books off your recommendations! I just finished “Sometimes I Lie” and LOVED it! I also just finished “Holidaze” which was a quick and light read. I am currently reading “In An Instant”. So far so good!
Janice Williams says
I have 2 books that I think you’ll enjoy:
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens – I loved this book!
“Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year’s birthday is unlucky, and that it’s all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she’s never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year’s Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990–and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it’s no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.
When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year’s party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all–while Minnie’s on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?”
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honest by Annie Lyons – this book is bit more weighty but loved it. I hope there’s a sequel with Rose.
“Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.
Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of color and sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.
While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.”
leigh says
This Time Next Year was a terrific audiobook and I just loved her accent!
Susan Crivella says
I’m about to read The Four Winds! I am reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, it’s all in letters which takes some getting used to but it is a movie on Netflix that I’m excited to watch when I finish. Also just read The Sanitorium, Outlawed, The Chicken Sisters, Watching You (Lisa Jewell), and YA You Have a Match. Happy Reading!
Susanne says
This is the one time that I feel the movie was every bit as good as the book!!
Amanda says
Oh my gosh, I loved The Four Winds so much! It was so sad but left me thinking about it for weeks! Anyways? You have to read “The Spanish Love Deception” by Elena Arms! Very “hating game” vibes! laugh out loud moments!
Sara Wilder Bryant says
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson, the Dating Plan by Sara Desai, The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare, This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith!!!
Sara Wilder Bryant says
Also Long Bright River is one of the best thrillers I have ever read…and I dont love thrillers. So good and such a page turner!! I read the entire book on a flight from NC to CA!
Sarah Schutte says
Since you loved “The Road Back to You,” you should check out “The Road Between Us” – about enneagram and relationships! Also, check out podcasts by the co-author Suzanne Stabile. She’s kinda an enneagram expert!
Dawn McCormick says
Yes, I second that! Suzanne Stabile is amazing! Shay, she’s in Dallas. You could go to one of her teachings! I would love to sit under her enneagram teaching!
Andee Hart says
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Best book I have read in a long while.
Carolyn says
I second this recommendation. I loved This Tender Land along with Ordinary Grace that he also wrote.
Jennifer says
My February reading was overall pretty blah too! I know it will only get better as so many of the bigtime releases come out in spring, summer, and fall! The one book that I loved from this past month was The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. I don’t know how, but I hadn’t read any of her books previously (despite always hearing about them!), but I loved this one! It’s historical fiction that had depth. Her overall writing reminds me a lot of Beatriz Williams’ books, which I know you mostly appreciate too! I will definitely be going back to read some of her backlog now!
Kathleen says
I felt the same way about The Four Winds. There was one happy event in the whole boom and then back to sad.
Sheaffer Sims says
When are you coming over to read me a book? I’ve got a pretty slow week.
Mix and Match Mama says
We’re going to start with the enneagram book, you six you. 😉
Amy hernandez says
I am also a six! That book was so insightful!
Elizabeth says
LOVE book review day. Read with a pen and paper near by…I am listening to Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. It’s funny, heart warming and entertaining. Plus it is fun to hear the author read the book!
Sarina says
Oh boy!!! Once again you have influenced me and I am buying the enneagram book.
I have taken 5 different quizzes all of which say I am a One and I don’t believe it. Maybe this will finally convince me hahaha!
Karla Nore says
I love book review day! I recommend Live in Love by Lauren Aikens. She is Thomas Rhett’s wife. The book covers her life and topics like family, faith, adoption and marriage. It was my favorite book of 2020! I think you will love it.
Jenny says
Loved, loved, loved this book!!
Jennifer says
I agree! I started this yesterday and was up until 11 reading it, which rarely happens! I didn’t know anything about her (besides being somewhat aware of Thomas Rhett and his songs), but I am loving her book!
Kate says
I have three books for you! You may have read The Floating Feldmans? I really loved this book, set on a cruise, I really grew to love this family! Lots of dynamics, I loved it.
The lion’s Den – (St John) – so good, twisty and turny! Set on a yacht a little unsettling at time but so good and a few surprises really got me!
The Flight Attendant – also a page turner, just started watching the show last night but pretty different from the book and I like the book better.
Three I really loved!
I also started Kevin Kwans Sex and Vanity and I couldn’t finish, didn’t even get halfway and I always finish books. I loved Crazy Rich Asians so I was pretty surprised how much I hated this book.
Jenn says
I always love book review days. I read Good Apple and it was one of my most favorite books I’ve read. I felt so seen by this book, it was hilarious and deep all at the same time!!
A fun book I read this year is The Wife Upstairs. It is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre set in southern suburbia. Reading is so individual, but two other books I’ve read and loved this year are, The Push and Sorrow and Bliss. Lastly, The Lazy Genius book, it’s such a practical, helpful book for thinking through your life, not just a blanket everyone should do it this way, but ordering your life for how you best function and are made, it’s another of the best books I’ve read. I’ve truly read some of my best books ever this year! It sounds like you have as well!
Beth Miller says
I’m also an 8, and WE ARE NOT MEAN! We are very direct and opinionated, but not mean!
Mix and Match Mama says
I couldn’t agree more!!!! 😉
Kristine says
I actually loved The Four Winds! It was sad and depressing, but I also thought it was very interesting and well written.
Alison T. says
I highly recommended Know My Name by Chanel Miller. It’s the memoir written by the victim of the Brock Turner rape case. She is simply brilliant with her writing – her personal fight and all the emotions and angles that came with being a victim that no one knew about until she decided to write the book. It’s very good!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes!! I read that one last year!! I will never forget that book. It’s a must-read for sure!
Kim says
Oh dear, I started The Four winds yesterday! So far, so good. Here’s a couple of books I’ve recently enjoyed: The Exiles, The Fortunate Ones, and The Last Year of the War. I always appreciate your book review posts!
melody says
I loved the four winds! Anxiously awaiting surviving Savannah! By Patti Callahan Henry!
Amy says
I am also waiting on Saving Savannah. I think it’s going to be sobgood
Carrie Tinsley says
I have three book recommendations for you: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Midnight Library, and The Jane Austen Society.
Kelley says
I also loved the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and the Midnight Library. Both are books that really make you think about life.
Taylor says
Recs… Bill Bryson – I’m a Stranger Here Myself or Notes from a Small Island, as someone who enjoys England!
Dorothy Sayers – Gaudy Night, or start with Strong Poison, since the two main characters meet in Strong Poison.
Rumor Godden – In this House of Brede.
Gaudy Night and Brede were both chosen for me in a book club and I was so pleasantly surprised by both!
Cheryl says
I’m assuming you’ve read Firefly Lane?? I am almost done and I LOVE IT. I read Night Road before this and next I plan to read The Great Al
Mackenzie says
This post came at just the right time because I just finished 2 incredible books that got me out of a book rut and are sure to make my top 3 list at the end of the year (yes, both of them! And we aren’t even a quarter way through the year yet!!). The first was Hum If You Don’t Know the Words. The second is The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Wow. One takes place during the Apartheid in South Africa and the other during the early 1900’s in rural Kentucky, and yet both stories are so relatable due to the strong, lovable female main characters. I cannot recommend both enough.
Thank you for your recos this month!
Laura Gibson says
I love your book review day! You have introduced me to so many great authors and helped me diversify my reading. The only downside is sometimes your suggestions are hard to find in Canada!
I have read 2 of the top 3 books for 2020 and loved one and didn’t love one. I actually started the 3rd twice but couldn’t do it.
Here’s a couple of book suggestions I don’t believe you have read:
Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
The bright side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
Also I just finished Alisha Rai’s 2nd book and really enjoyed it. I don’t think it was super R rated but sometimes I just skim that section if it’s really bad.
Jordan Miller says
I love that you are now an “enne” girl! A great website is enneagraminstitute.com. Here, you can see how 2 numbers match up in relationships, which is so fascinating. There is levels of health for each number and so much more on there. Suzanne’s podcast is so great as well, ‘The Enneagram Journey’. Is there am address or po box that I could send you something?
Jayne says
Oh I so agree! I have gone through the Enneagram Journey class twice and loved it. It’s so great to really dig into those numbers and unpack it all.
Jenn says
Baby doll by Hollie Overton. Read it in one day. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Melissa B says
I loved the Right Swipe and Alisha Rai, but if this was too much for you, her others probably won’t work either. I didnt find it gratuitous at all, so I guess everyone’s comfort level with sex on the page is different. And the impact of it being written by a woman and from female perspective, gaze and place of power can be different for each person. Too bad you didn’t finish it, but everyone has different things that work for them and that don’t. Thanks for your reviews.
Ann says
Suggestion for March book review…You have to read He Put My Buddha In the Freezer by Amy Karl. It’s a memoir about her decade in Hollywood trying to make it as an actress. You won’t be able to put it down.
Kayla Bruce says
I love book review day!! And I’m so glad you loved the Road Back to You! It’s SUCH a good intro to the enneagram. The companion book is The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile, which focuses more on how we can relate to other people through our number. Ian (Cron) and Suzanne really know their stuff! There are also some great enneagram podcasts. Ian Cron has one called Typology, and Annie Downs (That Sounds Fun) and Jen Hatmaker (For The Love) do enneagram focused podcast series once a year with some really great guests.
I also did not love The Right Swipe! I haven’t read anything else by that author, but I was not a fan of that book.
Kristie says
Thank you so much for your book reviews!
Mary says
My favorite book of 2020 was Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. Sooooo good! Check it out- I think you will love it! 🙂
Kelly says
I second this recommendation – I read Big Lies in a Small Town last month and loved it SO much!!
Sandra Reynolds says
I just pre-ordered The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, sounds amazing. It’s available March 9.
Have you read A Gentleman in Moscow or Rules of Civility by Amor Towles? Both excellent reads.
I love your Book Reviews every month, thanks Shay ?
Candy says
When Crickets Cry oh my not done but can’t put it down. Your book loving heart will love it!
Lori says
I always look forward to your book reviews. I am a huge fan of Kristin Hannah but felt the same way about The Four Winds. I had to read some mindless chick-lit to recover! ha In that genre, I loved The Country Club Murders series by Julie Mulhern. I also just finished Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah–LOVED it!
Jeannie Pautsch says
Thank you so much for your book reviews! We read a lot of the same books. I also did not love Four Winds.
I recommend The Push by Ashley Audrain for a raw in-depth portrayal of motherhood. Also, Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land by William Kent Kruger.
Susy says
Our passion for travel has come to a halt as we all work together to set aside some of the things we love the most to safeguard our communities for a few more months. So. . . . my reading has been travel-based. I’ve read most of Frances Mayes books, and I’m enjoying A Year in the World currently—ahh the food, the cultural immersion. But for a most unusual book about travel try Passionate Nomad about Freya Stark, seeking new frontiers in the Middle East in the days when few women traveled alone and exploring with an intrepid mind.
Cortney says
I recently read The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley and really enjoyed it! Thank you for all of your reviews, I added a few to my ever growing list.
LSilva says
The Liturgist podcast has a few episodes on the Enneagram that are really interesting. You might check them out.
Season 3 Episode 1: The Enneagram
Season 5 Episode 17: The 27 Subtypes of the Enneagram- The Gut Center
Season 5 Episode 18: The 27 Subtypes of the Enneagram- The Head Center
Season 5 Episode 19: The 27 Subtypes of the Enneagram- The Heart Center
jette says
I love April! Winter gloom is gone for good, the earth is warming, trees are leafing, flowers are blooming (in the south at least) and best of all – humidity is still low!
Book recs: Currently devouring every Beatriz Williams novel I can get my hands on at our tiny community library.
Gracie says
I read The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox this month and it was fantastic!!
Kate L says
I read Open recently after your recommendation. Neither of these are recent but have you read Tim Tebows first book, Through my Eyes or Phil Knights (Nike) book, Shoe Dog? I thought they were both incredible and fascinating!
Amber says
I can’t remember is you reviewed “Love Lettering” by Kate Clayborn? “Love at First” is her new release and it is such a wonderful light read. She is one of favorites. Her first (3 book) series “Chance of a Lifetime” is also great. All 3 books have Luck in the title- so perfect for March! Thanks for the reviews! I look forward to them!!
Kris says
Yes! Love Lettering and Love at First are fantastic, feel-good reads. They are both what I call Deserted Island books. So, so good.
Lauren says
Love all your book reviews! I’ve got to read the enneagram book! I’ve been on the fence about reading 4 Winds because of reviews, but I usually love Kristin Hannah.
A book rev is “All the ways we said Goodbye” by Beatriz Williams and 2 other contributing authors. I think it came out last year. It’s historical fiction and flips through time between the 2 World Wars. Towards the end I did feel like they could have put some meat/gone more in depth on a part but overall I loved the book!
Ashley says
Sing, Unburied, Sing and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward are both amazing reads! I haven’t read The Men We Reaped yet but I’m adding it to my list now.
Lesley says
Love your book reviews. Here are some recs for you, apologies if you’ve read any of them!
Hollywood Park, a memoir by Mikel Jollett
The Glass Hotel- Emily St. John Mandel
The Nickel Boys- Colson Whitehead
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover and Me a memoir by Adrienne Brodeur
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
The Sound of gravel by Ruth Wariner
10% Happier– a book about meditation by Dan Harris
Evicted- Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (I think this won the pulitzer prize)
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
Pachinki by Min Jin Lee
Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption
Janesville: An American Story
Holly says
Thanks for these recs – I added several of them to my Amazon list. I agree with you on The Nickel Boys – phenomenal.
Deanna Zehr says
Ahhh! So many great suggestions! It’s book day on my blog too. Give me all the reading happiness!
http://fromheretozehr.blogspot.com/2021/03/book-review-february-2021.html?m=1
Lisa Elliott says
I’m a number 1 on the Enneagram. We did a staff retreat where we worked on who we are and how we relate to other staff members with different numbers. Oh – I’m on staff at a large UMC in Birmingham, AL. You did indeed read a great book!!
Meghan McClellan says
Read Such A Fun Age- Kiley Reid. It’s a Reese Witherspoon book club book and somewhat similar to Little Fires Everywhere. It’s about race, white/class privilege, but it doesn’t feel preachy and has a fast moving, witty plot. It’s just a great book that really highlights human flaws and interactions! Couldn’t put it down!
Mix and Match Mama says
I did read that one…I didn’t love it though. I believe I read that one in 2019??? I need to go back and read my review again to remind myself!
Stacey Carrington says
So glad you read a Jesmyn Ward book..she is a beautiful writer but her books ( the ones I’ve read are hard to get through emotionally). I recommend Sing, Unburied, Sing ( the audiobook was fantastic), it is one of my favorite book ever.
Nicole says
I just finished “The Silent Wife” by Kerry Fisher. Most books I end up rush-reading to get to the end (because sometimes I think authors don’t know how to “wrap it up”!) but this one I was “with it” the entire time.
Hope you enjoy!
Amy says
You HAVE to read Big Lies in a Small Town!!! So good! One of my favorite books of all time! By Diane Chamberlain- newest book of hers. Her other one Necessary Lies is one that will stay with you forever. I will forever think of Ivy. 2 AWESOME books!
Katelyn Magerko says
Kristin Hannah Firefly Lane. I have not read it but with the boom in popularity recently with the show on Netflix (SO GOOD) I heard the book is even better!
Katie says
Anxious People is a wonderful book! It’s in my top 3 for this year and maybe of all time.
Mix and Match Mama says
So far, I haven’t loved any of his books…will I love this one?!
Liz Thorson says
Shay, if you haven’t liked any of his books, I wouldn’t read Anxious People. I have read I Man Called Ove, Beartown and Anxious People. I loved all of them. His story telling is genius, to me. It’s quirky, sprinkled with humor, sadness, compassion and is brilliant, in my opinion, but it does require attention to detail. His books are not light reading.
Liz Thorson says
* A Man Called Ove
Carly says
No. If you don’t love Ove and Britt-Marie, I’d miss this one. He’s my favorite contemporary author, but his style is very distinct and this one remains true to that style.
(Although, I think Beartown veers off stylistically, and if you haven’t read that, you might try it.)
Kim says
I think you will! I read Bear Town and didn’t like it, but Anxious People was in my top 3 (or 5?) of 2020!
Leslie says
Loved A Man Called Ove! Top book in 2020 for me.
Lindsay says
You should listen to Suzanne Stabile’s podcast on Enneagram… so good. The Enneagram Journey.
Rachel says
I just finished The Vanishing Half and LOVED it! The author’s writing style was beautiful and the plot was very original and kept me engaged from start to finish. Highly recommend!!
Donna Cook says
I haven’t read it yet but I did hear good things about “It’s Never Too Late” by Kathie Lee Gifford.
Shana says
Hi! I highly recommend The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister! It’s so so good. I passed it on to my bf and she loved it so much she passed it on to another friend.
I also highly recommend The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Another amazing read that keeps getting passed along to others and the story just stays with you for a while after you’ve finished. So, so good.
Susan says
I just devoured When We Were Young by Jaclyn Goldis and can’t say enough wonderful things about this novel! I wasn’t able to put it down and had to read well into the night until I finished it. It’s partially set in idyllic Greece and I wanted to jump into the pages. It’s a story about three generations of women and the effects of their interconnected secrets. It’s women’s fiction but weaves in a layered, historical plot based upon the fascinating true story of what happened to the Jews of Corfu during WWII. Highly recommend!!!
Lynn says
I love the author Charles Martin! He is one of my favorites. You should read Water From My Heart. I think that you will really like it and then you will want to read more and more of his.
I saw that you had read his new one and didn’t love it. I haven’t read that one yet. But I can tell you that any of his other books are such interesting stories. They are all different. I close his books and think “Wow, how did he come up with that story?”.
I also like Adriana Trigiani. Very Valentine is about a young Italian woman in NYC and her family’s shoe company. The banter within the family is so funny! She is a strong 33 year old woman making her way in the family business and incorporating a new look on an old way of making things that she also loves. The story takes place in NYC and Italy. I think her stories are funny, interesting and pretty.
Susan says
Thanks for your book review–love reading it as always and getting ideas for my next book to read!
Wanted to share that I just devoured When We Were Young by Jaclyn Goldis and can’t say enough wonderful things about this novel! I wasn’t able to put it down and had to read well into the night until I finished it. It’s partially set in idyllic Greece and I wanted to jump into the pages. It’s a story about three generations of women and the effects of their interconnected secrets. It’s women’s fiction but weaves in a layered, historical plot based upon the fascinating true story of what happened to the Jews of Corfu during WWII. Highly recommend!!!
Amy says
Have you read This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ? It’s good, kinda along the lines of Where the Crawdads sing.
Megan Barker says
I read The Road Back To You based on a comment here last month and LOVED it too! I am also an 8 (my husband is a 9! “fire and water”) It was my first enneagram book as well and I loved the Christian aspect to it. I can’t wait for other enneagram posts/book recommendations!
Jennifer W says
People ask me occasionally what enneagram I am. I’ve taken a quiz TWICE & still can’t tell you because I forget ? But it’s certainly a popular topic these days & you’ve convinced me to read The Road Back To You. And I guess I’m off to take quiz #3. I’d love if you did a blog post on enneagrams!
Lori says
I just read and loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue!
Janique says
In February I read: American Dirt (loved), Before the Crown ( a historical fiction novel about Prince Phillip and the Queen from the time they meet until the wedding), Miss You by Kate Eberlen (just the right amount of rom/com fluff that I needed after reading a few heavy books), The Girl Who Smiled Beads (refugee story), The Last Story of Mina Lee, and The Girl with the Louding Voice(loved).
Stephanie says
If you loved the road back to you, you will super love becoming us by Beth and Jeff McCord. Great great book!
Kristin says
I have the perfect Spring Break chick-lit book for you! The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee. I saw it recommended on Instagram and when I looked up the synopsis I thought “no way!” But the characters are so well developed and likeable that the storyline actually works. It’s just an easy, can’t put it down read!
Amy says
I am currently reading The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles and think you would love it! I’m only 1/3 through but love the character descriptions and library setting that the main character works in. So far loving it!
Kelsee says
So many great recommendations this month! I’ve added several to my Wishlist! Out of the 7 books I read last month, I would highly recommend: The Push, Stars Like Stars (publishes tomorrow and I cannot recommend this one more!), and Transcendent Kingdom. Also read Girl With The Louding Voice and it was soo good, but I know you’ve already read it. Looking forward to your next review!
Emily Gardner says
My favorite book of February was IN FIVE YEARS by Rebecca Serle! It was so good, super short, and so much more than I had originally anticipated! It’s under 300 pages as well, so if you haven’t read it yet, I’m sure you would fly through it! I also finally got around to reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz (also very much enjoyed it), and I read It’s All Under Control as well thanks to your recommendation! This is my favorite post of yours all month – thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yessssssssss! It was my third favorite book of 2020!!!!
Emily says
Re: your request for Jesmyn Ward recommendations, her most recent novel “Sing, Unburied, Sing” is incredible – it actually won the National Book Award in 2017. Similarly to how you described her memoir, it’s heavy and doesn’t have a happy ending, and it also has a supernatural element to it (ghosts). So know going into it that it’s not a light or fun read, but it’s really powerful and I’m so glad I read it. (Another one of her books, “Salvage the Bones,” also won the National Book Award but I didn’t really care for it. Also didn’t like “The Four Winds” as much as I’ve liked every other Kristin Hannah book I’ve read, which I think is almost all of them!)
Alison says
I know you love Colleen Hoover. Have you read Ugly Love?
Katy says
I LOVE all of Sarah Jio’s books! They are all a little romance with some mystery tied in. Not all are super happy endings but all of her stories feel complete at the end if that makes sense. And they are all quick reads! Great for spring break!
Marisa Tompkins says
I am enneagram obsessed. Lots of good pages to follow on Instagram. It has really helped my parenting as well to extend understanding and grace to my kiddos who are so different. The road back to you also has a podcast. Suzanne Stabiles voice is like a warm blanket and she is so wise. You will love it. If you really want to go deep read The Sacred Enneagram by C. Heuertz will take it next level.
I am reading the push right now…so much hype, we shall see!
Jayne says
I recently read What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz. It was really good – so many details early in the book come full circle toward the end. I highly recommend it!
Angela says
MUST READ: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett!
Keisha Dawson says
I had a total book slump this month, and I can’t really pinpoint why. I don’t think I picked up a single book during the Texas Winter storms, and this seriously blows me away. We went through a 1/4 cord of firewood, and my favorite place to read is in front of the fire, yet I’m 99% sure I didn’t ready once. I read 3 books, and I’m 65% done with a 4th. I really did enjoy all of them, just can’t figure out what happened. I’ve had The Road Back to you sitting in my TBR pile for over a year, and I’ve yet to pick it up. I think I’m a little scared of what I might find out about myself, but I know I need to dive in. My favorite book this month was Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, and I’m almost positive that book made my TBR years ago because of you. I’m really trying to go through my backlist this year, but of course, the new stuff is so hard to stay away from! Thanks for all of the great recommendations. This is always my favorite post of the month!!!
Joanne says
I LOVED The 4 Winds but I completely agree that it was totally depressing. I guess I really was hoping for a happy ending (at least happier than that one!).
Lisa says
Ok, I’m jumping on the enneagram train….ordered the book! Just finished The Survivors by Jane Harper. I’ve read several of her books and enjoyed, but this was the hardest book to get through for me. Was never so happy when I finished it. The Four Winds and The Sanatorium are in the queue… Now I’m undecided about reading The Four Winds, ugh.
Love all your reviews, thanks a bunch!
Emily says
I love your book reviews & most of the books I read come from your recommendations. I haven’t read them, but “Defending Jacob” by William Landay & “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger sound good. Would love your thoughts on them.
Rachel Tran says
Where is your book mug from? So cute!
Mix and Match Mama says
I bought it at a coffee shop!
Susie Harrold says
Fiction
Dear Emmie Blue
The Boy From the Woods
Non-fiction
Finding Freedom (@ Harry and Meghan – fascinating)
Whiskey in a Teacup (Reese Whithershoon)
Heather Strauss says
Personally I love the book “Every Breath” by Nicholas Sparks. It’s a romance novel, and I’m in college so I’m not sure if it fits your interests but it is one of my all time favorites! Can’t wait to try some of these books ?
Ashely says
I can not recommend Jill Mansell high enough. She is the type of author that I know you will love. Her books hit off on three things that I feel like make a perfect book for you (I am totally pretending to be an expert based off of years of reading your recommendations lol) but each book has
1) charming towns in the UK
2) a lovable and quirky main character (think Sophie Kinsella)
3) a feel good story that leaves you a little bit happier than when you started it.
I hope you are able to read one of her books these days and more importantly I hope you love them!
Cynthia Berger says
Panchinko: In early 1900s Korea, Sunja is the prized daughter of a poor yet proud family. Her unplanned pregnancy threatens to shame them all. Deserted by her lover, Sunja is saved when a young tubercular minister offers to marry and bring her to Japan. Caught in the indifferent arc of history, through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, Sunja’s family members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, family, and identity.
Yellow Crocus: Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come.
I would put these books on my all time favorites.
sbwthomas says
Yes^^ LOVED Pachinko!!!
Jenny Sherman says
Which Ennegram quiz did Andrew and you take?? I’ve been wanting to do one but there’s about a million to choose from!
Megan says
Giver of Stars & Beantown Girls — both phenomenal reads!
Amy in PA says
Highly recommend “A Fall of Marigolds” by Susan Meissner – a great story set in NYC in the fall!!
Marie says
This post makes me so happy. A book review on a Monday and the start of a new month?!?!! BRING IT ON!!!
Carolyn says
You need to read The Push!! It’s a thriller but so much more – a story about motherhood in all the raw and real ways and it’s both horrifying and honest – woah, this book stuck with me and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it! I’d love to see what you think
Heather A says
I recently finished The Secret Life of Addie LaRue! I liked it…..but I would love to see what your review would be on it. I didn’t LOVE it but I also didn’t hate it. I also finished Bridgerton and LOVED IT! I think I like the book better than the show! ??
Nicola says
I LOVE book review day!! Always excited to hear what you’re recommending.
I just finished Tessa Afshar’s Thief Of Corinth and loved, loved, LOVED it!!!! Pearl In The Sand (Tessa Afshar) is also great! Highly recommend her books.
Christine says
Hi! On book review day I sit with my water, pen and paper and take lots of notes. I love your book reviews! Do you have interest in reading self help books? I alternate between fiction and non-fiction. I’m very interested in healthy living topics for so many reasons!
Amanda says
The Bromance Book Club is hilarious/chic lit/has baseball players – who could want more ?
Megan says
I highly recommend “You Were There Too” by Colleen Oakley! I read it after Oprah included the book in her article about romance novels and I loved it!
Jordyn says
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah- so, SO good. (& then watch the show on Netflix and get frustrated on the different paths it takes from the book 😛 )
Debbie says
You must read The Enneagram A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr. It is very challenging and humbling but gives so much insight.
Summer says
My most recent favorites are “When Breath Becomes Air,” “The Mountain Between Us,”” The Girl With the Louding Voice,” and “American Dirt!”
Heather says
Loved the book The Mountain Between Us! Hated the movie.
Margaret says
I love Kristin Hannah and thought Four Winds was depressing but it kept me wanting to read – I wanted to find out what was going to happen and was very upset on how it ended. I saw others in comments recommended The extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. I liked it too. I also think you would love The invisible Thread (it’s a true story and makes you feel good) I just read The Silent Wife, Have you seen Luis Valez, and It Started with A secret. I think you would enjoy them all. I am an 8 also so we probably like the same books, right? haha I listened to the podcase today you did discussing Ashby..WOW it is amazing how God worked to bring you together in Dallas for the exact healthcare she particularly needed. You and Ashby both have such strength and you continually share with each other making each other stronger. God Bless you all in Ashby’s continued health journey!
Michaelann says
Thank you for you reviews, any updated book reads from the younger readers in your family??
Mix and Match Mama says
I need to write those down and share!!
Jess says
Love Lettering by Kate Clyborn is cute chick lit! Just finished that book and loved it.
Ella Williams says
Hey Shay!! Loved this book review as always. Have you read Educated by Tara Westover? It’s a memoir about a girl (Tara) growing up with a survivalist family and then going to get Educated. Also wondering – What do you use for your graphics? They’re always so cute!!
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!!! Oh my word! That book is unforgettable!!
Jessica says
Shay! I love your book reviews and look forward to them every month! Thank you! Fire Fly Lane by Kristin Hannah if you haven’t read yet. I know there is a series on Netflix now based off of the novel.
One of Us is Lying by McManus is an easy read! It’s a mystery between classmates. It’s actually a YA book, but lately I’ve been delving into YA because they are easy reads and sometimes we need easy reads!
Laura says
This past month, the book I enjoyed the most was This Tender Land.
Amy Rich says
It is interesting that you didn’t live the four winds. I’ve found over the course of the last year and a half with a move to another state for my husbands job that challenged myself and my two teens mentally plus covid that I had to read and choose books based on my “mood” and what I needed. There are books I have now read I doubt I would have enjoyed 6 months ago simply due to being in a different mindset- so like a sad or depressing book I set aside for another time. I’m not one to reread books but it would be interesting to see if you enjoy the four winds at another point in time! Love reading about your thoughts on books! Thanks
Danya Bell says
I didn’t care for “Four Winds” either. Interesting read though! I recently read “Big Lies in a Small Town” by Diane Chamberlain For book club and we all really enjoyed it. “the Henna artist” by Alka Joshi is really good. “Together Tea” by Marian Kamali was also very good. A great easy Read just for fun is “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” by Abbi Waxman. Love your reviews!
Victoria Gagne says
I just read The Midnight Bargain by CL Polk and loooooovvvveeeddd it! Couldn’t put it down!
Rachel says
Love reading your book recs, Shay!! I highly recommend all Christians listen to the Abide Podcast (season 1, episode 3) on The Sufficiency of Scripture + The Enneagram …it was really insightful!❤️
Tracy Baack says
You should read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Comer!!! I’m going to recommend it on every one of your book reviews until you read it lol
Erin McGuire says
Thanks again for your honesty!
Two suggestions: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Such a sweet series, one Kensington might enjoy in another year or two.
And, The Simple Wild Series by K.A. Tucker.
Paula says
Have you read
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek:
by Kim Michele Richardson. I thought it was a great read about a fierce and brave packhorse librarian, based on true people who were considered “blue” in the Appalachias. Mix in some romance and good family ties and I really enjoyed this book!
Robin says
Okay my most recent 5 star books were When We Believed in Mermaids and In An Instant!!!! I usually check your lists before I send ideas but I didn’t this time so you’ve possibly read these. But both were so so so good! And I think you would like!
Lori Moore says
I just finished This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens which was an enjoyable chick lit that takes place in London. Also, the sequel to Friend Zone which is The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez was enjoyable!
Jennifer says
I was not a fan of The Right Swipe, either.
Some great ones I read recently were Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore and Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn.
Patti M says
Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee.
Hoping Reese Witherspoon reads it and makes it into movie?
So so good!!
Tracy Abraham says
The Chicken Sisters was good. I am disappointed about The Four Winds. I was going to read that next.
The Wife Stalker was also good by Liv Constantine. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue was also a great one that might make my top 2021 list. Different then I normally read but really good!
Love your book reviews every month and all the comments too. Have added a bunch to my TBR list! ❤️
Susan says
I just read Men We Reaped last month and loved it so much I looked up the author to try to learn more about her. I was saddened to learn that her young husband passed away suddenly in 2020. As you know, she’s a beautiful writer, and wrote a piece for Vanity Fair on grief during a pandemic: https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/jesmyn-ward-on-husbands-death-and-grief-during-covid
I read one of her other books, Salvage the Bones, right after. Still the same fantastic writing, and although I prefer a hopeful ending but can handle a sad ending, the ending just didn’t have closure. If I had known how it would end, I might not have read it because I like more closure!
Melissa says
Concrete Rose. Not a recommendation really, because I just got my copy today. But it’s the prequel to The Hate U Give. I’m hoping it’s as good as that one was.
Mandy says
Love your book review and love reading everyone’s comments. Just finished Giver of the Stars, Circling the Sun and the Silent Patient. Thumbs up to all 3! Next up for me, the Vanishing Half and This Tender Land.
Alexis says
Okay so everyone loves Firefly Lane but I did not. Ha! It was an okay story but about 200 pages too long for me. One of the characters is so self-centered throughout that it made me have a hard time liking her or rooting for her in any way. I LOVED Night Road and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah though!
Have you read Burying Water by KA Tucker? I LOVED it!! Loved The Simple Wild series by her and wanted to try another by her and it may be one of my faves. I think you’d love it!
The Night Swim was a good thriller I read recently, but the best would have to be The Last Flight. I couldn’t put it down and it was just a really well written story. Not one where I could predict everything that would happen…and I feel like those are few and far between for me these days!
Last thing…I’m assuming you’re an 8w7?! I totally see the 7 in you, too! I hope I’m not totally off with this. Ha! I would have thought you’d be a 3 overall but 8 would have been my second guess!
Andrea Lloyd says
Have you ever read books by Sara Ackerman (several WW2 stories set in Hawaii?) or Kimmery Martin?? Those are 2 authors that I enjoy &I don’t think that I have seen on any if your reviews….
Deb says
I enjoyed Four Winds because I hadn’t read anything about the dust bowl before but Hated the ending. I wasn’t expecting that! Tiny Imperfections was laugh out loud funny at times and thoroughly entertaining
Becky says
I read What You Wish For last summer and did not enjoy it. Very cheesy. I’m a teacher and thought many school related parts were unrealistic. However, I am in the middle of The Four Winds and am sucked in! It reminds me of a book I read with my 5th graders, Esperanza Rising in many ways. I just watched Firefly lane, so I want to read that next. (Though I’ve heard book is different than the show.)
Kristen says
Can I ask, and maybe someone else can answer too, why you think every parent of preteens should read Night Road? Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! It’s fiction, but the story is based on the consequences of teen drinking and driving. It’s really good.
Kristen says
Thank you!!
Tiffany says
My favorite book I’ve read this year (after Dear Edward, which I know you’re read and loved) is No Heaven for Good Boys. It was heartbreaking and made me cry, but I loved the two main characters and their connection.
I also loved (as many others suggested) This Tender Land.
Mix and Match Mama says
I loved Dear Edward so much!!
Leah Claire says
I remember when I read The Road Back to You, I felt like someone finally understood me. I’m a 1 with a wing 2 and many of my friends are 8’s. It has helped all of us understand each other so much more in the workplace and everyday life. I just finished the second book, The Path Between Us, which goes into more detail on how your number works in relationships with other numbers. I also loved Annie F Downs podcast series on the Enneagram.
Thanks for always sharing your book reviews! It’s one of the highlights of my month.
Cassie says
The Push, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and Hamnet were all fantastic books I’ve read lately.
Sharon says
Oh my gosh- I am also fascinated by the enneagram — and this was a great book! There are also tons of good enneagram accounts you can follow on IG that are helpful!
Amy says
Just finished Finlay Donovan is Killing It – such a fun read!!!
Kim says
Two books I enjoyed lately are Shipped and Love Lettering.
Katie says
I just read “The Marriage Game” by Sara Desai and loved it! I’d definitely give it an R rating but it was such an easy, fun, chick lit read. Highly recommend for spring break!
Elizabeth says
“When Harry Met Minnie”…read it in one sitting (potty break involved). True story..set in NYC, two dogs and their people, touching, funny and sad.
Emily Shaner says
If you are getting into the enneagram, Suzanne Stabile has a follow up book The Path Between Us She talks about how each number relates to the other numbers. She also has her own podcast called The Enneagram Journey.
Jennibell says
I just received “the road back to you“ in the mail this week based on all the readers who suggested it in yours and Andrews video a couple of weeks ago. I also bought the study guide because I would like to do that too. There’s also a book, “the road between us“ about how you relate with someone close to you in your life. Let’s see how this one goes… But since you said in the comments you “basically read the whole book out loud“ maybe you and Andrew would like that one too.
I’m super-bummed to hear about Kristin Hannah’s book… I just got it two weeks ago (I rarely buy books but my mom knows how much I like her and purchased it for me). I will still read it but it was probably good to have the warning.
No book recs from me considering I get most of mine from you 😉 I’m currently reading The Cafe By the Sea – it seems like something you would have recommended but if not, you would like it!!!
Christina Spinella says
I LOVED Good Apple! I thought it was very light on the politics but had so many parenting gems that really hit me! I highlighted so many quotes in my Kindle version that really stuck with me!
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!!!!!!! I couldn’t agree with you more!!
Julie Hicks says
I may have already recommended her but I have loved every book I’ve read by Marisa de los Santos. I started with “I’d Give Anything” and then went back and read everything I could find. So well written, so much heart…..
Kirsten J says
Yes! And Love Walked In.
Lorie says
Will you please recommend some books that Ashby would like? I purchased the Owl Diaries books, based on your recommendation, and they were a huge hit! Looking for some other “early reader” ideas. Thanks so much for your book reviews…always a favorite!
Emily says
Read the boys club! At first I was like meh but it grabbed my interest quickly and has kept me thinking about how as a woman we have to do things in our careers that men would never be asked to do. Very interesting for sure.
Susie Harrold says
Magic Hour – by Kristin Hannah – This is my favorite of all her books
“In the rugged Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest—nearly a million acres of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. From deep within this old growth forest, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she offers no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past.
Having retreated to her western Washington hometown after a scandal left her career in ruins, child psychiatrist Dr. Julia Cates is determined to free the extraordinary little girl she calls Alice from a prison of unimaginable fear and isolation. To reach her, Julia must discover the truth about Alice’s past—although doing so requires help from Julia’s estranged sister, a local police officer. The shocking facts of Alice’s life test the limits of Julia’s faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice—and for herself.”
Elizabeth says
I think most of these have been shared, but definitely Eliza Starts a Rumor and When We Believed in Mermaids. Though maybe don’t read them in the same month because they have very similar endings.
I’ve just started to hear great things about Matthew Mcconaughey’s book Greenlights. Just requested from my library!
I haven’t read any of their books, but follow Beth McCord on Instagram for the Enneagram and she and her husband are fantastic!
Jane Augspurger says
Anything by Heather Gudenkauf! She is a master at featuring strong women protagonists in a mystery/thriller genre.
She is just finishing up book #9.
Three of my favorites are :
The Weight of Silence-nominated for an Edgar
Not a Sound
This is How I Lied
Marcie says
I’ve loved author Amy Harmon. Where the Lost Wander and From Sand and Ash are my favorites. You should read them! ?
Elizabeth says
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousins was so, so good. Great spring break read!
sandi says
My favorite post and I could not enjoy it on Monday so I’m reading it on Wednesday. What I’m Reading… The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany… so so good! Hillbilly Elegy is in the stack next followed by Michael J. Fox No Time Like the Future!
Thanks for the recommendations!
Amy says
Highly recommend This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross Smith!
Olga Heath says
“Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris
Amanda Preece says
Have you read Long Bright River by Liz Moore? It was my first book by her and it was really great. Also, Group. It’s pretty heavy and very adult at times, but it made me think.
I love your recommendations! I always go back to them when I’m picking a new read. You also inspired me to start keeping track of what I was reading! Game changer!
Tami says
This Tender Land I loved this book and had a book hang over for a week after I finished. So good.
Tiffany Medford says
Just finished Love Lettering and loved it! Perfect beach read.
Theresa says
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
Like you, I’ve lost a best friend to cancer and this book changed me. It helped heal a hole that brutal cancer opened in my heart & I think you’d appreciate the story❤️
Angie says
I just read The Witness by Nora Roberts. It was so good I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to spend every spare minute reading it. I’d be curious to know what you think. I also didn’t realize it was from 2012.
June says
The Push by Ashley Audrina. A tense,page turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family!
Dessie Cunningham says
You have to put Surprised by Oxford on your reading list!!
Helen says
Just read Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley and I loved it! It is unique, moving and joyful. It leaves you happy and satisfied at the end.
Sarah says
I just finished The Only Plane in the Sky and wow. It was a very hard read but I really enjoyed it.