My Eleven Favorite Books This Month | March 2019
I read 18 books this month, and I would recommend a whopping eleven of them! I was in the mood for biographies and I’m recommending several. It was a great month of reading. Below are the eleven books that I gave 4 or 5 stars.
5 stars: The book was extraordinary. It was either brilliantly written, well researched or life changing.
4 stars: It was a book that I really enjoyed reading and discussing with others and would encourage others to read
[NF – Non-Fiction] [F – Fiction]
All books can be purchased from Amazon by clicking the book title.
FIVE STAR BOOKS
The Shining – Stephen King [F]
I had seen the movie, but this was my first time reading the book and it didn’t disappoint. What more can really be said about it that hasn’t been said before. Stephen King has great books and good books. This was a great one.
A Time to Kill – John Grisham [F]
John Grisham hit it big with The Firm, but A Time to Kill was his very first book, and in my opinion, his best. I’ve been pretty disappointed with the last two Grisham books that I read (The Rooster Bar and The Reckoning,) but this one is Grisham at his finest. If you liked The Firm and The Pelican Brief, be sure to go back a little further to read his finest work.
What I thought would be an interesting autobiography about a famous actor, ended up to be a touching and powerful look into what a full life looks like. I liked Billy Crystal before I read it, but now I absolutely love him. He’s so honest (and funny) about the aging process and shares wonderful stores about the important things in life. Loved it.
“Don’t be afraid to bomb.”
The Click Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World – Frans Johansson [NF]
You know how we like to believe that “everything happens for a reason?” This book argues, quite well, that sometimes spontaneous things happen and everything changes. He refers to this as “the click moment.” It is one moment in time that changes the course. It’s the moment when two people randomly meet at a party, and they form a company that changes the world. We try to find meaning in everything, but sometimes, change happens in one magical moment.
FOUR STAR BOOKS
Amal Unbound – Aisha Saeed [F]
A wonderful story of hope, when their doesn’t seem to be any. Amal is forced to drop out of school because she is a girl. They need her to earn money, rather than get an education. Her curiosity and persistence ultimately change her life and the future of her village.
All We Ever Wanted – Emily Griffin [F]
A mother needs to make a choice between protecting her son from his mistakes and teaching him to be accountable after he is accused of violating a girl at a party. It’s an inside look into morals and money and the choices we make.
Every Note Played – Lisa Genova [F]
This was a difficult read for me because it is such an intimate look at living with ALS. A good friend lost her battle to ALS a couple of years ago and I was reminded of what it was like to watch her body slowly stop functioning. I can’t even imagine what it was like for her. She was so strong through all of it.
Broken Mary – Kevin Matthews [NF]
I read this because I grew up with Kevin Matthews and because my husband was working with Kevin in Grand Rapids on the morning that he first started experiencing symptoms of his MS. It was great to read the book and then learn what it was like to be with Kevin as he was going through his initial diagnosis. Kevin is a good guy and I enjoyed seeing how his life has changed and how his faith has deepened over the years.
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact – Chip and Dan Heath [NF]
It’s rare to encounter a book that can impact both your work life and your personal life, but Chip and Dan Heath never disappoint. They give some great insight on how to create amazing experiences that create lifelong memories, whether you are trying to sell a widget or create precious moments for your children, this book provides you the tools to do just that.
“We feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.”
Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News – Dan Rather [NF]
I have really grown to like Dan Rather in his years post CBS. I enjoy following News and Guts on Facebook and also love watching The Big Interview on AXS TV. He was always an exceptional reporter, but I feel like he has really found himself in more recent years. This book delves into some of his most controversial stories and the reasons why he stood his ground. He was always chasing the truth.
Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin – Kathy Griffin [NF]
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. Kathy Griffin can be brash and outspoken, but I discovered that I really like her. She has made some questionable choices in her life, but after reading this, I feel like most of her choices were just meant to be funny, not offensive. She was very honest about telling things about other people, but it didn’t feel mean…just honest. This was a surprise read.
This was another surprise read. I wasn’t a huge fan of Jim Breuer during his SNL years, but I am certainly a fan now. He is unbelievably funny, but he is also honest, kind, and deep. He talks quite a bit about how his faith has impacted his life over the years and the difficult choices he made to ensure that he stayed loyal to his wife. Some stories were painful (Chris Farley) and others were powerful. If you like Jim Breuer at all, I’d recommend this one very much.
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