January Book Reviews

What a great start to the year with my reading: eight of the eleven books I read in January were five-star books! Between audiobooks and physical books, I had plenty of great reads to choose from. Here are my reviews:


The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Megan Cox Gurdon (audiobook) ★★★★★
A fascinating and engaging journalistic exploration of the benefits of reading aloud to children of all ages as well as to older adults. Not a how-to guide in the least, but a reader can still find practical tips to create a reading culture in their own home. This is more of a why-to, if that’s a word. The reasons and advantages for carving out even five minutes a day to read a book to your child are exponential, from social connectedness to brain development to a myriad of protective factors against emotional difficulties. There is an extensive amount of scholarly research included in the book but it’s extremely approachable, not high brow in the least. So if you have even an ounce of interest in reading about reading aloud, I think you’ll love this one like I did! 

“The act of reading together secures people to one another, creating order and connection, as if we were quilt squares tacked together with threads made of stories. That's not just another metaphor, as a team of neuroscientists at Princeton has discovered. Even as reader and listener are enjoying their bouquet of neurochemicals ... their brain activity is synchronizing, creating literal order and connection in a process known as neural coupling.” 

“Reading every day with children can't guarantee perfect outcomes for any family—not in grades, not in happiness, not in relationships. But it is as close to a miracle product as we can buy, and it doesn't cost a nickel. As a flawed, fallible person with an imperfect temper, I know that reading every night is not just the nicest thing I've done with my children but represents, without question, the best I have been able to give them as their mother.” 

Rating: G
How I Heard About It: I kept seeing it pop up on Goodreads.


All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio ★★★★☆
Two women are connected by an apartment in Paris: Caroline, a woman in the modern day who gets hit by a truck while riding her bike and loses all of her memory, finds old letters in her apartment written by a woman named Celine during the Nazi-occupied Paris of WWII. Celine, a Jew, endures horrific circumstances in order to ensure the safety of her daughter. Switching back between these two plots, the mystery of Caroline’s past as well as Celine and her daughter’s fate, slowly unravels. Well-written and suspenseful, it was different enough from other WWII novels to be interesting and enjoyable, but as with other similar books with dual plots, I wasn’t quite as captivated by the modern plot of Caroline.

Rating: PG-13. Trigger warning: sexual abuse.
Reminded me of: Sarah’s Key 
How I Heard About It: My sister recommended it and gave me her copy to borrow


The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley ★★★★☆
A good resource for parents who want options other than Cry It Out for sleep-training, Pantley provides a wide assortment of tips and tricks for helping babies fall asleep without crying alone in their cribs. She discusses ways to create a nap and bedtime routine that helps babies realize it’s time to wind down, shares her method for stopping the feed-to-sleep association, and offers many other ideas I haven’t heard in other baby sleep books I’ve read recently. I wasn’t a fan of how negative she was about the CIO method, which I’m not opposed to using eventually if “gentler” methods she proposes do not work, but she backs up her position with enough alternatives that I definitely want to give it a try. I also like that there is a lot of grace in this book rather than a militant how-to manifesto that needs to be followed perfectly. She gives a ton of ideas and encourages parents to use whatever ones fit their family. She is very encouraging and reminds parents it’ll take a long time so be patient and stick with it. She also focuses a lot on co-sleeping, which she encourages when followed with safe precautions (which can be controversial since this is generally discouraged by the medical world). She is a big proponent of attachment parenting, so if that’s your parenting philosophy/style, this book is your bread and butter. I tried a few of her ideas without much improvement in our sleep situation but I think that is mainly due to our little one’s horrible reflux, so once we have a better handle on that, I’m hoping we can revisit some of these suggestions.

Rating: G
How I Heard About It: A friend was moving and gave me several baby sleep books she didn't need anymore.


Where the River Ends by Charles Martin (audiobook) ★★★★★
A love story of grit, courage, devotion, and saying goodbye. Doss grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in a small town in Georgia. Waiting tables at a restaurant in Charleston as a college kid, he meets and soon falls head over heels for Abigail, an affluent Southern belle who happens to also be the daughter of a stern senator. They get married and their careers soon soar — he a prominent artist and she a world-renowned model — until a crippling diagnosis leaves their future bleak. As treatments fail and hope for healing seems improbable, she convinces him to grant her a seemingly impossible wish: to canoe across the St. Mary’s River, a sprawling 130 miles from Georgia to North Carolina. This nostalgic journey, that brings fond memories of many years together, winds up being more strenuous and dangerous than either of them could have imagined. Charles Martin is a masterful author who expertly dives into the human condition, complex emotions, and realistic relationships that bring depth, wisdom, and pure beauty to his writing. Even though his stories typically have some kind of suffering or hardship woven within the plot, his writing is just such a unique and enjoyable experience for me. The plot moves between the current excursion and flashbacks, but the flow is effortless and easy to follow. I also love that I don’t have to worry about questionable or sensuous scenes in Martin’s books, which is a relief. He’s become an author I can trust, so I’m thrilled that he has many novels I have yet to read. My favorite so far is When Crickets Cry, but this is a close second.

Rated: G
How I Heard About It: As mentioned, I really enjoyed other Martin books, so I checked what Overdrive had available on audiobook.


Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (audiobook) ★★★★☆
An intricately woven story, populated by well-developed characters who all find themselves finding healing, rest, friendship, and love in a previously deserted old house in Scotland around Christmastime. An aging organist named Oscar is in the depths of grief when a distant family member gives him the keys to the family home. He invites a family friend named Elfrida, an eccentric former actress. Two younger distant relations of hers also join them, along with a man who’s wife recently left him. As they process their hurts and open their hearts to one another, they become connected to the beauty of the brooding yet beautiful Scottish atmosphere. The plot to this melancholy tale is slow-moving and plays second fiddle to the character development, which typifies the literary fiction genre. But I enjoy these types of stories because I love to get inside the heads of these characters and better understand their motives, dreams, and experiences, especially since they are all vastly different from my own. The writing is vivid, bringing to the forefront the Scottish setting. 

“Life is sweet. . . Beyond the pain, life continues to be sweet. The basics are still there. Beauty, food and friendship, reservoirs of love and understanding. Later, possibly not yet, you are going to need others who will encourage you to make new beginnings. Welcome them. They will help you move on, to cherish happy memories and confront the painful ones with more than bitterness and anger.”

“And the wicked thing is, that when we're really upset, we always take it out on the people who are closest and whom we love the most.”

Rating: PG (I’m not a fan of how flippantly the author was about extramarital relationships. No sex scenes but conversations alluding to this).
How I heard about this: Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next podcast


The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (audiobook) ★★★★★
A modern and melancholy fairytale, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel as well as Cinderella. Danny and Maeve grew up in a large, garish home aptly named The Dutch House after its previous owners. Shortly after their mom abandons them,  their dad remarries. Soon their life unravels as their stepmother eventually banishes them from their beloved home. Decades pass and they are both adults, but they can’t shake the hurt, anger, and loss at the hands of their stepmother, so they routinely drive to the neighborhood and stare at the Dutch House, reminiscing what went wrong. I’d classify this as literary fiction, so expect a slow-moving plot but intricately crafted characters, some I rooted for (Danny and Maeve), while others I couldn’t stand (both their mother and the stepmother). This is my first book by Patchett, so I am eager to read another since I was absorbed by this novel. 

"But we overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we're not seeing it as the people we were, we're seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered.” 

Rating: PG to PG-13 (a few references to sex but nothing graphic; language)
How I heard about this: Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next podcast


The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates (audiobook) ★★★★★
Melinda Gates believes that in order to lift a society, we must invest in women. Her extremely successful and generous organization of which she has been the co-chair for two decades, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to equip and empower women domestically and internationally through endeavors such as access to birth control, secondary education for girls in third-world countries, tackling the atrocity of female genital mutilation and child marriages, fair and safe work conditions and equal salary, increasing access for women in technology, paid family leave for mom and dad, and decreasing gender bias. I loved hearing the many inspiring stories of the women she has met around the world, who are enduring seemingly insurmountable odds because of their gender. She provides startling data, personal stories from her own life and marriage, and inspiring and often heartbreaking conversations with these women in third-world countries who have very limited access to quality healthcare, safe work opportunities, and are treated like property. I also really liked hearing her voice as a feminist who doesn’t aim to bash men or decrease their significance, but to work alongside of them to support women and give them a voice. The last quote below is long, but explains this in a powerful way. 

“Every society says its outsiders are the problem. But the outsiders are not the problem; the urge to create outsiders is the problem. Overcoming that urge is our greatest challenge and our greatest promise. It will take courage and insight, because the people we push to the margins are the ones who trigger in us the feelings we're afraid of.” 

“As women gain rights, families flourish, and so do societies. That connection is built on a simple truth: Whenever you include a group that's been excluded, you benefit everyone. And when you're working globally to include women and girls, who are half of every population, you're working to benefit all members of every community. Gender equity lifts everyone. Women's rights and society's health and wealth rise together.” 

“Being a feminist means believing that every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential, and that women and men should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that still hold women back . . . That is why we women have to lift each other up—not to replace men at the top of the hierarchy, but to become partners with men in ending hierarchy . . . I’ve never held the view that women are better than men, or that the best way to improve the world is for women to gain more power than men. I think male dominance is harmful to society because any dominance is harmful: It means society is governed by a false hierarchy where power and opportunity are awarded according to gender, age, wealth, and privilege—not according to skill, effort, talent, or accomplishments. When a culture of dominance is broken, it activates power in all of us. So the goal for me is not the rise of women and the fall of man. It is the rise of both women and men from a struggle for dominance to a state of partnership.If the goal is partnership between women and men, why do I put so much emphasis on women’s empowerment and women’s groups? My answer is that we draw strength from each other, and we often have to convince ourselves that we deserve an equal partnership before we get one.”  

Rating: PG (not explicit but discusses genital mutilation) 
How I heard about this: Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next podcast


Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland (with Charisse Jones) (audiobook) ★★★★★
Against all odds, Misty has become one of the most recognized and celebrated ballerinas in America. When she was introduced to ballet at the age of thirteen at a YMCA center (which is considered an ancient age to begin ballet), she was living in a rundown motel with her mom and five siblings and known as a shy, anxious kid. With grit, determination, and budding passion for the art of ballet, Misty astounded the local -- and soon national -- ballet community with how quickly she not only caught onto the techniques, but excelled at them, often being referred to as a prodigy. In this moving (pun intended) memoir, Misty shares the hardships and obstacles that stood in her way of reaching her ultimate dream: to be a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater. As an African American ballerina, she stands apart from her predominantly Caucasian ballet counterparts and often faced resistance to land lead roles in classical ballet performances since she didn't "look the part". But her outstanding stamina, graceful yet strong performances, and increasing self-assurance in her right to be among the very best in the profession has led to her success in both classical and contemporary ballet. She has become a role model and supporter  of aspiring ballerinas who face similar hardships such as lack of funding for the expensive sport and works to bring more accessibility of ballet to the African American communities in America. This was exceptionally written and flowed well between different stages in her life that shaped her into the woman she is today. It is also a fascinating look into the competitive and intense world of ballet. It was  an inspiring story, not only because of Misty's  admirable character and drive, but also because of the many people in her life who supported her along the way, such as her first ballet instructor who became like a foster mom to her for several years and opened up many professional doors that would lead to her future success. Lastly, it would make a great book club choice for all the above stated praise but also because it would be interesting to discuss Misty's mom, who's erratic, nomadic, and often seemingly irresponsible lifestyle added hardships to her children's lives, yet her love for them was strong and enduring in her own way. It made me think a bit of The Glass House in this respect.

Rating: G
How I heard about this: Either Anne Bogel's What Should I Read Next or her blog, ModernMrsDarcy and word of mouth.


The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (audiobook) ★★★★★
A mysterious new tenant is living in the long-unoccupied mansion that is Wildfell Hall. She is young, beautiful,  mother to a young boy, and supports herself through painting. The small village is buzzing with gossip about where Mrs. Helen Graham came from, what brought her to Wildfell Hall, and why she lives such a secluded life. When a young man befriends her and eventually pursues her romantically, she adamantly denies his advances and eventually (after he makes a total jerk move) shares her story. A faithful spouse to a conniving, cruel, unfaithful, and alcoholic husband, she led a melancholy life in a distant countryside village. There is just so much to say about this novel. Like her older sisters (Emily wrote Wuthering Heights and Charlotte's most famous novel is Jane Eyre), she has a brooding, dark, and often depressing mood and atmosphere to her writing, likely because of their upbringing in the dreary English moors as well as their hard life with an alcoholic and drug-addicted brother who made disastrous life choices. Whereas her sisters are often dubbed as romantic authors, Emily is known for her realism, infusing her stories with the less-than-perfect marriages that resulted from matches made to move up the social ladder rather than based on character and love. Her critique of social norms through imperfect characters add depth to this novel. Her spirituality (her father was a minister but she diverted from her Calvinistic upbringing and ascribed more to a Universal Salvation ideology) is also infused in the characters, primarily through the morally upstanding life of Helen contrasted with the debauchery that her husband was celebrating. This novel surprised and turned off a lot of readers during her short career and life because it was just too uncomfortable.  Even her oldest sister Charlotte kept it from being marketed after Emily's death because it seemed so unlike what people wanted to read about. But, similar to contemporaries such as Dickens, she exposed societal conventions that were unfair and just ridiculous as well as the realities of living a hard life, often due to other people's horrible life choices. Sadly, Emily died at a young age due to illness, so the only two novels she wrote (other than lending some poetry to a compile book of poetry with her sisters) is this novel and Agnes Grey, which I also enjoyed very much. Why did I like this book so much, despite its tragic themes? I think it is partly because of the character development of Helen, who, early in her life and speedy courtship,  thought she'd be able to "fix" her husband's wild living by marrying him (boy, did she learn how ignorant she was!) and displayed strength and courage (especially in protection of her son), her strong moral backbone and theological discussions (particularly some fascinating quotes on protecting children from temptation), and her ingenuity in protecting herself and her child were all praiseworthy. I was cheering her on and raced through the book to make sure she'd be alright in the end.

Helen's witty rebukes to her loser husband: “You may think it all very fine, Mr. Huntingdon, to amuse yourself with rousing my jealousy; but take care you don't rouse my hate instead. And when you have once extinguished my love, you will find it no easy matter to kindle it again.” 

“I will give my whole heart and soul to my Maker if I can,' I answered, 'and not one atom more of it to you than He allows. What are you, sir, that you should set yourself up as a god, and presume to dispute possession of my heart with Him to whom I owe all I have and all I am, every blessing I ever did or ever can enjoy - and yourself among the rest - if you are a blessing, which I am half inclined to doubt.”

Helen's advice to a friend wanting to get married: “When I tell you not to marry without love, I do not advise you to marry for love alone: there are many, many other things to be considered. Keep both heart and hand in your own possession, till you see good reason to part with them; and if such an occasion should never present itself, comfort your mind with this reflection, that though in single life your joys may not be very many, your sorrows, at least, will not be more than you can bear. Marriage may change your circumstances for the better, but, in my private opinion, it is far more likely to produce a contrary result . . . Keep a guard over your eyes and ears as the inlets of your heart, and over your lips as the outlet, lest they betray you in a moment of unwariness. Receive, coldly and dispassionately, every attention, till you have ascertained and duly considered the worth of the aspirant; and let your affections be consequent upon approbation alone. First study; then approve; then love. Let your eyes be blind to all external attractions, your ears deaf to all the fascinations of flattery and light discourse. - These are nothing - and worse than nothing - snares and wiles of the tempter, to lure the thoughtless to their own destruction. Principle is the first thing, after all; and next to that, good sense, respectability, and moderate wealth. If you should marry the handsomest, and most accomplished and superficially agreeable man in the world, you little know the misery that would overwhelm you if, after all, you should find him to be a worthless reprobate, or even an impracticable fool.”

Protecting a child as a parent: (Markham) “What is it that constitutes virtue, Mrs. Graham? Is it the circumstance of being able and willing to resist temptation; or that of having no temptations to resist? - Is he a strong man that overcomes great obstacles and performs surprising achievements, though by dint of great muscular exertion, and at the risk of some subsequent fatigue, or he that sits in his chair all day, with nothing to do more laborious than stirring the fire, and carrying his food to his mouth? If you would have your son to walk honourably through the world, you must not attempt to clear the stones from his path, but teach him to walk firmly over them - not insist upon leading him by the hand, but let him learn to go alone.' 

(Helen) 'I will lead him by the hand, Mr. Markham, till he has strength to go alone; and I will clear as many stones from his path as I can, and teach him to avoid the rest - or walk firmly over them, as you say; - for when I have done my utmost, in the way of clearance, there will still be plenty left to exercise all the agility, steadiness, and circumspection he will ever have. - It is all very well to talk about noble resistance, and trials of virtue; but for fifty - or five hundred men that have yielded to temptation, show me one that has had virtue to resist. And why should I take it for granted that my son will be one in a thousand? - and not rather prepare for the worst, and suppose he will be like his - like the rest of mankind, unless I take care to prevent it?” 

Helen's trust in God: “God help me now!’ I murmured, sinking on my knees among the damp weeds and brushwood that surrounded me, and looking up at the moonlit sky, through the scant foliage above. It seemed all dim and quivering now to my darkened sight. My burning, bursting heart strove to pour forth its agony to God, but could not frame its anguish into prayer; until a gust of wind swept over me, which, while it scattered the dead leaves, like blighted hopes, around, cooled my forehead, and seemed a little to revive my sinking frame. Then, while I lifted up my soul in speechless, earnest supplication, some heavenly influence seemed to strengthen me within: I breathed more freely; my vision cleared; I saw distinctly the pure moon shining on, and the light clouds skimming the clear, dark sky; and then I saw the eternal stars twinkling down upon me; I knew their God was mine, and He was strong to save and swift to hear. ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,’ seemed whispered from above their myriad orbs. No, no; I felt He would not leave me comfortless: in spite of earth and hell I should have strength for all my trials, and win a glorious rest at last!”

Rating: PG (alcoholism, domestic abuse, infidelity)
Reminded me of: Other ill-matched couples  with despicable spouses, namely Catherine and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights  (each were horrible to their own spouses because of unrequited love for one another) and the frustrating Rosamund Lydgate from Middlemarch. Helen reminds me of Dorothea from Middlemarch.

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (audiobook) ★★★★★
Agatha is the Queen of Mystery and she has done it yet again! I have read several of her books, yet I continue to be surprised by her twists and turns, never able to guess the murderer. This time, there are five suspects that oddly remind the ever-witty Hercules Poirot of the nursery rhyme, the Five Little Pigs. A cheating husband was murdered by his wife sixteen years prior. The verdict was declared, she ends up in prison, but is that the end of the story? Hardly! Now her daughter has found a letter from her mom, Caroline,  declaring her innocence and begs Hercules Poirot to investigate if her mother truly murdered her father in a jealous rage as everyone assumed, or if she is innocent. The five people who were on the property when the crime happened are all questioned by Poirot as he searches for the truth. Could it be the deceased husband's lover,  his best friend or the best friend's brother? What about the grouchy governess? Or Caroline's sister? I love how Agatha creates intriguing plots full of suspense without gore, sensual scenes, or cussing. She is such a fun author to read!

Rating: PG (infidelity)

Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons ★★★★★

"We become what we behold" is Ruth's motto in this masterpiece of a book. Written as a devotional with thirty-two essays, coupled together in sixteen "chapters" that start with an essay on beholding a certain attribute of God and then the proceeding essay is on becoming more like Christ, hence the title. Not only is Ruth a wise writer who shares her own thoughts and experiences while expounding on sound Biblical truths, but she is also an accomplished artist. Her artwork, focusing mainly of floral and other nature themes, adds to the writing rather than distracting it. The delightful artwork includes hand-lettering of her quotes as well as Scripture and hymn lyrics as well as beautiful borders on the pages with the devotions and a two-page spread between the beholding and becoming sections of each couplet with practical ideas to savor and apply the truths.  Examples of some of the couplets include: 

• Beholding: God's Greatness in Creation,  Becoming: It's Okay to Be Small 
• Beholding: God's Provision in the Unremarkable, Becoming: Learn to Love What Must Be Done
• Beholding: God's Perfecting Work Through Daily Practice, Becoming: Hard Can Be Holy
• Beholding: In Praise of Failure, Becoming: Discover True Success
• Beholding: How to Measure Abundance and Plenty, Becoming: You're More Than Your Money
• Beholding: God's Mercy When Things Seem Unfair, Becoming: Remember Your Purpose
• Beholding: Rest is Productive, Becoming: Stop Making Bricks

This is a devotional to savor and will stand up to re-reads since I am sure new things will stick out with subsequent readings. It is short enough to fit in a busy morning, yet long enough to dig deep into spiritual truths. It fit wonderfully with my 2020 goal to focus on God's presence in my everyday life since the writing and meditation of the daily readings were great reminders to slow down and linger in God's Truth. I found myself thinking of what I read throughout the day. To learn more about her art, writing, and ministry, visit her Instagram or blog, GraceLaced.

"We either become molded by our sense of self-promotion or shaped by our understanding of God's preeminence." 

"Abiding is active -- it's a choice, and it doesn't happen passively... abiding is an active pursuit .. Abiding is loving Jesus above all else so that we find no other place to be than by His side." 

"At best, discontentment is a pacing back and forth of someone who's itching for better; at worse, it's bitter, defiant stomping of someone when "better" isn't given."

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What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?