We’re FINALLY caught up! Today I’m writing a short post about the books I read in March. Yes, it’ll be short and sweet because it is the fourth Four Points Mom & Books post I’ve written this month and I don’t want to bore you all too much. There are a few really great ones though, so I don’t want to skip them. Let’s get to it!
Did you miss my recent wrap-ups? My last post is here. You can also find recaps of all previous books I’ve read here: 2019 books, 2018 books, and 2017 books. So, if you’re quickly trying to find ideas for books you can go to one page and click directly to the books on Amazon. Hopefully this helps you a bit when you’re in a bind and NEED a good book fast.
Alright, on to my books from March!
Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Carlton Abrams
I highly recommend this book. Did I enjoy every moment of it? No. I thought it kinda drug on for a bit. Did I like the audiobook version? No. The voices were too similar and I was very confused trying to figure out which narrator was speaking for which author. However, this book has the words of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu! I learned so much about each of these influential men, I enjoyed their insight on life and how to truly be happy. We could all benefit from it. Read it!
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
Apparently I’ve been living under a rock because I had not heard about the real-life saga upon which this book is based. Let me fill you in, in case I’m not the only one who might have avoided the news last year (yep, I blame the nonsense associated with the presidential race for pushing me away from the news but I digress). Elizabeth Holmes founded a Silicon Valley start-up, Theranos, which claimed to glean vital health information from a tiny drop of blood. The possibilities for this technology were endless! But, it was all a lie. Millionaires and big companies poured money into Theranos with no clue that the technology didn’t work. This book is not at all in line with what I typically read and it was fascinating. Some of the medical-talk was over my head (or just boring if I’m honest), but it didn’t change my overall opinion of it. Plus, it’s in all of the top books of 2018 lists (The New York Times, Time, Wall Street Journal, and so on …). I recommend Bad Blood for sure.
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
If you like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, you’ll enjoy the creepiness of this psychological thriller. Anna Fox hasn’t left her house for months and spends her time observing her neighbors in her NYC suburb. Yes, think Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Speaking of Alfred Hitchcock, there are tons of references to his movies and other horror/ thriller movies of that time. Growing up, my dad and I would rent those movies all the time so I loved the references. Now I need to look up whether these movies are on iTunes …. the times are changin’. Okay, sorry, back to The Woman int he Window, I really liked this book. I didn’t know what was happening and I thought there TONS of turns and twists along the way that I did not see coming. The one warning I have for you, though, is that I heard from several people that the audiobook’s narrator wasn’t a favorite. This is the only one this month that I actually read on an actual in-your-hand book, so I can’t tell you personally about the audiobook. But, my husband and several friends complained about it so I thought I’d pass that along to you. And this book is being made into a movie starring Amy Adams! She will kill the role!
Voice Lessons for Parents by Wendy Mogel
I’m on a roll here because I’ve been raving about Wendy Mogel the past few months. This is the third book I’ve read by Mogel (and my last for now in case you’re getting tired of hearing about my love for her). 🙂 In Voice Lessons, Mogel focuses on the actual words we use to communicate with our children as well as the way we say those words. Wow. Wow. Wow. I learned so much from this book. Plus, I love that you can skip around and find chapters that help you right now. For example, you can hone in on her recommendations for communicating with a specific age of child. Then, she even splits up into the best way to communicate with girls and boys of each age. Genius! From my personal experience, I know that what works for Foster doesn’t necessarily work for Parker and vice versa. So, I love that she not only gets that but she helps explain why and points you in the right direction. So, along with The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B Minus, check out Voice Lessons to amp up your parenting game.
As always, don’t forget to follow me on GoodReads to see what else I’m reading! Later this week I’ll be filling you in on Parker’s Unicorn Party, so stay tuned for lots of unicorn fun. 😉
