The Couple Next Door (Shari Lapena)

This is one of those books that tempted me to stay up way too late reading (I resisted...my sleeping super-powers are stronger!).

I really enjoyed it. It has lots of twists and turns. Every character seems to have a secret and it just never stops right until the very end.

I felt sorry for Anne. I thought Marco was a push over. Detective Rasbach just lets the crime solve itself. 

The author was an English teacher turned lawyer. Two of my favorite kind of people to discuss books with!

Goodreads says:

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors--a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all--a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family--a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength and Courage (So many authors)

At  first, I started to feel like this book was a bit of a downer. Every chapter is a story of someone who is an underdog. As I pressed on though, it became more and more compelling to hear their stories. They are stories of people who not only persisted, but accomplished great things despite other people. The more I read, the more inspired I was. I think this book is one of those best taken in full doses. It reminded me of reading a book by Deborah Ellis on First Nations kids called Looks Like Daylight. It wasn't until I had really buried myself in the stories that the feeling took over. This is one of those books that can change you, if you let it.

Goodreads says:

A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many more, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity--but persisted.

"Aren't you a terrorist?" "There are no roles for people who look like you." "That's a sin." "No girls allowed." They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too "ethnic" to play. Former NFL player Wade Davis recalls his bullying of gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Teen Gavin Grimm shares the story that led to the infamous "bathroom bill," and how he's fighting it. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Aushwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one.

What made them rise up through the hate? What made them overcome the obstacles of their childhood to achieve extraordinary success? How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today? With a foreword by Minnesota senator and up-and-coming Democratic party leader Amy Klobuchar, these essays share deeply personal stories of resilience, faith, love, and, yes, persistence.

"Each tale is a soulful testament to the endurance of the human spirit and reminds readers that they are not alone in their search for self. An unflinchingly honest book that should be required reading for every young person in America."--Kirkus, Starred review

"An invaluable collection of snapshots of American society."--VOYA, Starred review

"[A] gem of a book. . . There's a lot to study here and talk about on the way to becoming kinder, more empathetic, and most important, compassionate."--Booklist

"Readers encountering injustice in their own lives may be compelled to take heart--and even action."--Publishers Weekly

"A powerful collection of voices."--SLJ

"The sheer variation in writing styles, subject-matters, and structure to these narratives provides readers with inspiration in assorted forms and a complex interpretation of what it means to persist."--The Bulletin

A Heart Like His (Virginia Pearce)

This book actually belongs to my sister-in-law. She lent it to me. I read it a few years ago and came across it again. It is a beautiful story of a group of women working together to learn how to feel and share God's love. I had forgotten that she is Marjorie Pay's daughter. She seems as real and genuine as her mother. It was a short but wonderful read. It's a topic that I could do well to visit again and again.

Goodreads says:

The ability to feel God's love doesn't just make life nicer or more comfortable-it changes everything. When filled with God's love, we can do and see and understand things that we cannot do and see and understand on our own. As our own hearts are softened by these blessings, our overriding desire becomes to help others experience this joy also. But how do we do that in the normal course of our everyday lives? Presented in the form of an experiment undertaken by eight friends, this step-by-step guide helps us discover the one change we can make within ourselves that will automatically increase our ability to feel the love of God and to extend that love to others.

The 5 AM Club (Robin Sharma)

This book didn't have to be 336 pages. It reminded me of those children's character virtue books that have a lousy story that are actually meant to teach a principle. There are better ways!

Most of it is a poorly written, drawn out story of an entrepreneur and an artist who are never named but always called The Entrepreneur and The Artist. They're taught by The Spellbinder and The Billionaire/Homeless Man. The Billionaire is a hippy who says things like, "Come on cats!" and my least favorite, "Anyhoo". Totally irritating.

It has some great principles (like exercise first and spend some time planning and studying every day) but it took way too long to get to what I was looking for. I'm sure the same principles are available in other books.

I actually spent way too many days dragging myself through this book. I don't recommend it.

Goodreads says:

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity.

      Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.

      Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through:


How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements
A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day
A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth
A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed
“Insider-only” tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world
Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

The Woman Who Changed Her Brain (Barbara Arrowsmith-Young)

This book made me think about all the times I've sat down with someone who has done a learning assessment where they've told me all the areas where the child has a deficit. There were so many times when I thought of various people I've known over the years. If there are exercises someone can do to work on specific areas of the brain and change people's lives, I need to know the exercises! Unfortunately, they're not in this book.

Goodreads says:

Born with severe learning disabilities that caused teachers to label her slow, stubborn, or worse, Barbara Arrowsmith-Young read and wrote everything backwards, struggled to process concepts in language, continually got lost, and could make no sense of an analog clock. But through her formidable memory and determination, she made her way to graduate school, where she chanced upon research that inspired her to invent cognitive exercises to "fix" her brain. Now the Director of Arrowsmith School, the author interweaves her personal tale with riveting case histories from her more than 30 years of working with both children and adults to restructure their own brains.

The Woman Who Changed Her Brain powerfully and poignantly illustrates how the lives of children and adults struggling with learning disorders can be dramatically transformed. This remarkable book by a brilliant pathbreaker deepens our understanding of how the brain works and of the brain’s profound impact on how we participate in the world. Our brains shape us, but this book offers clear and hopeful evidence of the corollary: we can shape our brains.

Science Comics: The Brain - The Ultimate Thinking Machine (Tory Woollcott and Alex Graudins)

This is amazing! They don't dumb things down at all and everything is taught so well. The graphics are amazing. A great book!

It starts off with the history of brain studies....right back to the Egyptians who would keep all sorts of body parts, but throw the brain away. They thought the brain was just for cooling the blood!

Goodreads says: nothing!! There is no summary on Goodreads. Weird!

This is the summary on the back of the book:

Make Connections with the brain!

Fahama has been kidnapped by a mad scientist and his zombie assistant, and they are intent on stealing her brain! She'll need to learn about the brain as fast as possible in order to plan her escape.

Think fast! The Brain: The ultimate thinking machine

How did the brain evolve? How do you senses work in relation to the brain? How do we remember things? What makes you, YOU? And why do neurons need an unlimited texting plan? (Because they send a lot of messages!) Get an inside look at the human brain, the most advanced operating system in the world....if you have the nerve!

Squidtoons: Exploring Ocean Science with Comics (Garfield Kwan and Dana Song)

Non-fiction graphic novels are a win! Lots of funny stuff and plenty of facts to satisfy kids. This one is a winner!

Goodreads says:

Dive deep into the latest, most interesting (and weirdest!) science about underwater creatures with Squidtoons!

These educational comics combine fun science facts about marine life and a strong environmental message. From whale vomit to bone-eating worms, narwhals to sea dragons, Squidtoons presents real ocean science in a series of easy-to-understand comics. Venture from the seashore to the deep sea, and learn about the ocean’s diverse life forms straight from the experts.

The World According to Humphrey (Betty G Birney)

Super cute story! Humphrey has all sorts of wisdom to share. Most importantly, he shares that there is something good in everyone. When I was talking about it with my son (who just graduated from high school!) he was all over this story. He remembers reading it when he was about 8 years old and did he ever remember a lot about it! Just goes to show you how important reading in these early years are! Humphrey has some great lessons. He would be a great kid-friendly way to talk about segregation and racism in the world today. He goes home with a different kid almost every weekend and always comes away finding things to really appreciate about that person. Goodreads says: The first book in the series about everyone's favorite classroom pet! You can learn a lot about life by observing another species. That’s what Humphrey was told when he was first brought to Room 26. And boy, is it true! In addition to having FUN-FUN-FUN in class, each weekend this amazing hamster gets to sleep over with a different student, like Lower-Your-Voice-A.J. and Speak-Up-Sayeh. Soon Humphrey learns to read, write, and even shoot rubber bands (only in self-defense, of course). With lots of friends to help, adventures to enjoy, and a cage with a lock-that-doesn’t- lock, Humphrey's life is almost perfect. If only the teacher, Mrs. Brisbane, wasn’t out to get him! Boys and girls can't help falling in love with Humphrey!

Amal Unbound (Aisha Saeed)

Wow! This is a compelling story. I think a theme may be doing what's right, even when it isn't easy and things don't seem fair. Life is not fair for Amal, that is for sure. This would be a great story to do when we talk about segregation. The cover is beautiful. It's a page-turner that I couldn't stop reading and ended up reading in one day. The main character remains a good person despite really difficult circumstances. The afterward talks about Malala and the fight for girls to have a right to education. 


Goodreads says:

The compelling story of a girl’s fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when–as the eldest daughter–she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens–after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal–especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans’ nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams. 

In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It (Lauren Graham)

Quick read full of lots of great little quotes to keep!

Listened to the audio book.

Goodreads says:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Advice for graduates and reflections on staying true to yourself from the beloved Gilmore Girls actress and New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Talking as Fast as I Can and the novel Someday, Someday, Maybe.

“If you’re kicking yourself for not having accomplished all you should have by now, don’t worry about it. Even without any ‘big’ accomplishments yet to your name, you are enough.”

In this expansion of the 2017 commencement speech she gave at her hometown Langley High, Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, reflects on growing up, pursuing your dreams, and living in the here and now. “Whatever path you choose, whatever career you decide to go after, the important thing is that you keep finding joy in what you’re doing, especially when the joy isn’t finding you.” In her hilarious, relatable voice, Graham reminds us to be curious and compassionate, no matter where life takes us or what we’ve yet to achieve. Grounded and inspiring—and illustrated throughout with drawings by Graham herself—here is a comforting road map to a happy life.

“I’ve had ups and downs. I’ve had successes and senior slumps. I’ve been the girl who has the lead, and the one who wished she had the bigger part. The truth? They don’t feel that different from each other.”