recently read for march 3, 2015

Surprised by Motherhood

By Lisa-Jo Baker

A good, refreshing read. Her writing is so smooth and beautiful. Some good quotes:

"Becoming a parent is a lot like breaking up with yourself. There are all these things you used to love about yourself and your life. Those late-afternoon naps. Those spontaneous movie nights. The tidy house and pretty things that could easily break ... uninterrupted meals, sleep, bathroom breaks."

"Jackson grew me up and outof myself more thoroughly than any church service or youth camp or volunteer project ever could have. Stripped of all pretenses, of all instinct for posturing, babies pull us into their orbit of naked truth ... it's impossible to look away, to go back, to stop growing."

" The one ruthless truth of motherhood ... the only way through is through."

The Rosie Project

By Graeme Simsion

LOVED the entire thing! Reads like you're watching a movie - which I think is a sign of a great novel. Tells the story of the completely endearing Don Tillman, who is somewhere on the spectrum of Asperger's, and his life as a genetics professor who decides to systematically find a wife. That project gets delayed when he decides to help Rosie find her biological father. 

American Sniper

By Chris Kyle

Reading this on the heels of Unbroken was interesting, because it really put into perspective how waging war has changed in a relatively short time span. I liked that he wrote how he talks, and that made it easy to follow. (I wish more people would just write how they talk.) I skimmed the details on the guns, because zzzzz. He has quite the story. My heart breaks for his wife and kids.

Bread & Wine
By Shauna Niequist
A gift from a dear friend, and it was DELIGHTFUL. At first I wasn't sure, but as I dug in it got better and better. She says there are two kinds of people in this world: those who wake up thinking about what to have for supper, and those who don't. She is in the first camp, and so am I. Food is one of my love languages. I love having people over, specifically with the belief she expounds upon: it doesn't have to be perfect. Start where you are and gather at the table to nourish each other with food and love.

Orphan Train
By Christina Baker Kline
This is a really great novel, and I felt like I was back in elementary school flying through some historical fiction. (A good feeling for sure.) The story of Molly, a high schooler in Maine who is about to age out of the foster care system, intertwines with Vivian, a wealthy old woman who lost her family as a child and was sent to Minnesota on an "orphan train."

Yes Please
By Amy Poehler
One of the worst books I've read in awhile. Had to force myself to finish because I hate quitting. I read the first chapter at the bookstore and it was hilarious, but the rest was a huge disappointment. She hopped all over the place with no sense of order and really didn't have much to say. The crude parts surprised me - even though they should not have. It's just that I think "Tina and Amy!" but Tina is apparently a whole lot classier, because Bossypants is still one of my faves.