Hello, sweet friends. So I read six more books in February. That means I’m inching toward my goal of 80 at a decent clip. 13 down, 67 to go. I think I can meet this goal and I’m really enjoying branching out and reading more. In addition to the books listed below, I also read Song of Songs (hubba hubba!) and Ecclesiastes (turn, turn, turn).
I’m already filling up my March queue (probably will actually finish the first book of March today) and planning on diving into the book of Psalms. If you have a reading recommendation, I’d LOVE to hear it. Add it below in the comments.
I stuck with my audio book addiction using the hoopla and Overdrive apps from our local libraries. So the books are FREE. So I was able to “read” 5 books including a couple of new releases while folding laundry, driving to pick up my kids, and doing the dishes.
Without further ado, here’s what I read in February.
Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship by Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries
You may recall that in January, I read Father Greg Boyle’s first work Tattoos on The Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion and loved it. This second volume follows a similar style but strikes a different theme. I’m not going to lie. Both books made me uncomfortable. I know I need to be a part of the reconciliation of humanity to God. I’m just not sure how I fit into that picture sometimes. Father Boyle is in the trenches daily working with gang members and former gang members.
This book struggles through a lot of current issues including gun violence, poverty, and immigration. Even if you don’t agree with each of the political and social stances (or underpinning theology), you’ll walk away knowing we all are in desperate need of God’s grace and a sweet kinship with one another. The storytelling is quick and funny, peppered with deep Jesus wisdom. Heads up. There’s some language in the work. To me it wasn’t distracting because it’s the vernacular of the community where Boyle lives. But I know everyone has their own personal preferences. This was the only paper book I read this month. I committed to reading around 10 pages per day. I used my highlighter at length.
Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt
I’m a longtime fan of Michael Hyatt’s down-to-earth leadership wisdom on his podcast. This book had some smart strategies to help you put your goals into action. I liked listening to the audiobook but it probably would have been more beneficial to read the hard copy and work through the exercises Hyatt coaches you through. If you feel like you can’t ever quite seem to grasp the goals you’ve set for yourself, this book walks through concrete ways to set your feet on the path. It’s more than a rah-rah sort of personal development, though. Plus, Hyatt uses storytelling to illustrate his plan. I enjoyed his methodology to drive home a point.
Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel
You guys, I’m so embarrassed that I started listening to this book without knowing too much about the actual content. I didn’t read the subtitle (this is a horrifying thought as an author), but I knew of author and blogger Anne Bogel who writes at Modern Mrs. Darcy so I thought the book was about reading (insert embarrassed emoji). And can we all just agree that the cover is BEAUTIFUL?
But it turned out to be a great follow up to Ian Cron’s The Road Back to You that I read in January. Reading People does a flyover of a number of personality tests and theories of what makes humans tick. I found it a fascinating overview of a number of evaluations. Bogel’s experience and love of the Myers Briggs gave it prominence in the middle of the work and a chart read over audio was a little confusing to follow. Overall, it’s a great read to help you reflect on your own personality and behavior and understand the personality and behaviors of others, too.
Victoria: Portrait of a Queen by Catherine Reef
I’m a sucker for a historical love story. Last year, Brian and I binged the first season of PBS’s Masterpiece Theater Production of Victoria. Thanks Prime Now Video! And then there was a brief mention of Victoria in The Greatest Showman. Plus I’ve always loved the movie The Young Victoria and the joke, “Do You Have Prince Albert in a Can?” which my grandpa Hubert told ad nauseam. This work dives deeper into Victoria’s life. If you’re still watching the show and unfamiliar with her historical account, wait because there are “spoilers” that I assume we’ll get to in season 2.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
When I started listening to this book, my daughter Anna (age 15 and book expert) overheard a portion. Without having read it, she predicted “This will make you cry.” She was right. The only piece of fiction I read this month, A Man Called Ove has won all sorts of awards and been the book club selection for everybody on the planet for a reason. It was a touching story with rich characters and I loved it. It was one of the longer selections this month (about twice the length of Reading People and Your Best Year Ever) but worth the investment of time. I laughed a lot (so it’s not straight depressing). For the last 20-30 minutes I UGLY cried. Anna was right. But I’m OK with it.
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
I am apparently one of the only humans on the planet who didn’t know Rachel Hollis of the Chic Site before this book’s release. I saw a friend post about it. Then, I went to Target and her face was on all the TVs in the electronics department. So after I came out of the deep hole where I apparently reside, I downloaded the book.
While there are ways I can’t relate to Hollis (i.e. I’m never going to be at a party with Matt Damon or even want to buy a $1000 purse), this work had wisdom I wish I could have read a decade ago. Hollis weaves her own narrative in and out of lies she once believed. She presents ways for women to move forward from traps tripping them up. I pushed back on some of the concepts in the book but found it to be funny and worthwhile. Her storytelling (and maybe her voice?) reminded me a little of Anna Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody. She’s funny and knows how to wake up a reader to their own junk.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore
Hands down, this was my favorite read of the month. It’s an investment in time (close to 16 hours or 496 pages) but if you’re a history nerd like me, you’re going to love it. The style of presentation reminded me most of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race or The Astronaut Wives Club – two other fantastic audiobooks.
The author Kate Moore winds her way in and out of the lives of dozens of brave women while knitting a cohesive history of the radium dial painting industry during the 1910s and 1920s. With exposure to the personal elements of the women’s lives, you learn more about the greater impact of industrial poisoning and the danger of corporate greed at the expensive of human life. I knew very little about the background of this story. Read: I knew nothing. Brian saw the title and suggested I check it out.
He’s a smart one.
Legit: people thought that radio active underwear was a GOOD thing in the 1910s. WHAT?! Parts of the work are incredibly graphic when it comes to the health struggles and eventual deaths of many of the Radium Girls. However, the story is riveting and necessary. I kept wondering out loud what current “health” trend or technological advancement is actually killing us. Scary stuff to ponder. Don’t skip the back matter (epilogue, author’s note, etc.) because the last hour was some of the very best content.
I typically update what I’m reading on my GoodReads channel. As a reader, learner, author, and academic, I try to engage content that I love as well as content that pushes me out of my comfort zone. A couple of the books this month did just that. It doesn’t mean that I agree with everything an author puts forth or endorse their belief systems. However, I do feel there’s something to be gained by reading across genres and authorial scope.
I’ve set a goal of reading 80 books this year and have knocked out 13 thus far. That means I’m going to need to keep at a 6 to 7 book pace to meet the challenge.
What did you read in February? Have you read any of these works?
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
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