Part way through last year I began to feel like I was in a bit of a reading rut…it wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying what I was reading it was just that I didn’t feel I was making very thoughtful decisions about what I chose to pick up. I would finish a book, and just go to whatever happened to look good in that moment without putting much thought into it. Consequently everything I was reading was starting to seem very similar. I wanted to challenge my reading tastes, to broaden my horizons and expand my reading- at least for a test run! So I decided to challenge myself in my reading life and to pick up a few books that I would normally never venture toward and to see what happened!
I hoped not only to gain expanded reading taste, but also to round out my understanding of the world. I read to be entertained, yes, but I also read to learn, to understand different situations other than my own, and to gain a better understanding of world views that differ from mine.
But where to start with books outside my comfort zone? I didn’t want to challenge myself in my reading so much that I never ventured outside my comfort zone again! Historical fiction is my favorite genre, I like it to be fast paced enough to hold my interest, but slow enough to give paint a vivid picture of the backdrop, as well as having some meat to it for me to chew on. I decided to start with something just barely outside of my comfort zone, same time period as I enjoy reading about, but with a different tone from what I usually enjoy. So I started with, Where the Crawdads Sing.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I heard all the buzz about this book and finally picked it up. There is a murder committed in a small costal Georgia town and not just anyone has been killed- the high school start quarter back, the only son of the town’s car dealer, everybody loved him it was said- so who killed him? Then there is Kya, a young girl abandoned to fend for herself in the swamp area of the town, people think she is strange, she is a definite loaner- is she the killer? Will she be the scapegoat? It took me a little while to get into this book but one I did I was hooked! The plot kept me guessing till the end although in hindsight I feel like I should have figured it out sooner. I would not categorize this book as a light read though, there are scenes with domestic violence, abuse, and abandonment. There is a mournful windswept quality about this story. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the town and swamp area to life, I didn’t feel like a struggled to picture anything the author was talking about, and though the book carries a heaviness with it it does get brighter as it moves along. No my favorite type of read but still one that I am glad that I read!
After finishing, Where the Crawdads Sing, I wanted something a little more upbeat and light. So the next book I went for was, The Perfect Couple.
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
After reading Summer of ‘69, I found myself wanting to read more by Ms Hilderbrand! The perfect couple is about a couple about to get married on Nantucket. They seem happy, both families are pleased with the match but things get turned topsy turvy when on the morning of the lavish wedding the maid of honor is found dead on the beach. Was she the intended victim? Who would do such a thing? Why? Weren’t the bride and groom supposed to be the perfect couple? As the police investigation unfolds we find out that there are indeed much more going on behind the scenes…. This was a fun summer read that absolutely kept my interest, there were a few thought provoking questions to ponder but this is definitely on the lighter side- kick back and enjoy!
How to Be Married, by JoPiazza
This book too I had heard about on a podcast. It is the personal story of a travel journalist who after just about giving up on finding Mr Right, finds him at the last minute and gets married- only to realize she has absolutely no idea how to actually be married. Strong and fiercely independent she doesn’t want to give up her freedom- but how do you compromise in marriage without sacrificing who you are? She decided to use the opportunities she has as a travel journalist and to interview women on 7 different continents to see how they have learned to be married, and how marriage differs from country to country. As someone who is not as well traveled as they would like to be I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into different cultures! Be forewarned though- this book had more swearing than I was anticipating and definitely more than seemed necessary.(Is any necessary?)
Open Book by Jessica Simpson
I enjoy reading memoirs and autobiographies so I decided to pick up something in the same vein but not about one a distant historical figure so I chose Open Book by Jessica Simpson. I, of course, knew who Jessica Simpson is, but as I have never been one to follow pop culture very closely, I didn’t know very much about her. She came from a solid middle class family, tried and failed at a few auditions before finally getting her first break with a recording studio. She has since been on reality tv shows, (in the early days of reality tv), acted in several movies and launched the first celebrity clothing line to make a billion dollars annually. Jessica also talks about her personal life and struggles which she has dealt with over the years. Jessica is a very good story teller and this was a very engaging read!
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
This book had the least correlation to books that I currently enjoy reading. I had heard so much about this book- like so much. From being a pick in Reese Witherspoon’s book club, to hearing it talked about on podcasts I had high hopes for this novel. Perhaps my hopes were a little too high because this book did not quite meet my expectations. Little Fires Everywhere was about a mother and daughter who move to Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s and essentially the little metaphorical fires that occur in their wake, though not directly their fault. The mother, Mia, was an art student and has never followed society’s norms. She pursues her art, packing up and moving with her daughter when the notion strikes her. This was facer paced read that kept me turning pages, and did touch on many topics that be good fodder for a book clubs; topics ranging from the struggle of an immigrant mother, to abortion, to being considered strange for not fitting in with societal norms. It also had more swearing than I was prepared for. While I’m not sorry I read it, and it posed questions worthy of deeper thought, I won’t be rushing to read more of this type.
Overall I am very happy that I decided to challenge myself in my reading life. I really enjoyed most of the books that I tried and now have a greater understanding of what I enjoy in a book. It isn’t just the setting but also the topics, tone, and imagery used within a book that all make a significant contribution to how much I enjoy my reading experience. I now have a better understanding when branching of what I may enjoy vs. what I probably won’t enjoy, with the added benefit of being able to discern better with in my favorite genre what I will really love instead of just thinking that it is ok.
A Few Tips to Help your Challenge Your Reading Life
What about you? Could you stand to branch out in your reading life? Here are a few tips to get you started! Give it a try! If you’re afraid you won’t like it just remember
Try something similar to what you already like to read, if you already enjoy a certain setting for your books, like stories that take place at the beach for example, then try keeping the setting but time era.
If you like a certain tone to your reads; fast paced, slow, dark, wistful, etc., try finding a book that has a similar tone but totally different setting.
Don’t be afraid to quit a book if you really just can’t make it! We don’t like to be quitters, but really if you are reading something for leisure and are a good part of the way through and still not enjoying it just quit. That book may not be for you but there are tons out there still- go try one of them!
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I have stated time and time again how much I love historical fiction, and I am noticing that a subgroup in this genre that I enjoy is biographical historical fiction, where the story is built around what is known about the person from his or her own words, letters, and life events. In addition I absolutely love learning about the revolutionary war and the founding of our country. I can’t get enough of historical fiction from this time period.
Therefore you can imagine my excitement when I found, “America’s First Daughter about Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s Daughter. Here was a book about the revolution, a closer glimpse into Jefferson’s personal life, told through the lense of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter. I started listening to it as an Audio book and at first I was really enjoying it…. then I felt like it started to drag…. Now let me say that reader of the audio book has a very slow reading pace, and honestly I think that impacted how I experienced the book, I believe that if I had nudged up the reading pace it would have held my interest better, as it was I was probably only about a third of the way through the book when it began to feel like a slog.
The other component is that Martha did not lead an overly joyous life, there were happy times, but oh so many hard times too. This book accurately portrays the struggles of the day in the new nation as well as Martha’s personal struggles too. A turbulent childhood at times spent fleeing th British, gave way to a fairly happy adolescent spent abroad in Paris as a diplomat’s daughter, then giving way to a marriage colored by abuse. As a woman in the 18th and early 19th century Martha was no stranger to commonplace domestic violence, the loss of children, as well as financial struggles. I would never wish when reading something of this nature for the authors to paint a rosy picture that did not exist in real life- and there were bright spots to Martha’s life, her close relationship with her father for one- but readers should be prepared to spend time with Martha mourning the loss and traveling with her through the trails of her life, when they pick up this book.
I then saw that the same Authors, Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray, had written another book, My Dear Hamilton, which is the life story of Elizabeth Hamilton, better known as Eliza Hamilton. Should I read My Dear Hamilton when I wasn’t thrilled with America’s First Daughter? I was apprehensive to pick up this book but, as I said earlier, I can never resist a book that takes place during the American Revolution, I went for it. I am so glad I did!! I enjoyed learning the story of Eliza Hamilton as well as learning about Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers that really doesn’t get the attention he deserves- probably due in part to the fact that he never became president.
Eliza’s life was not perfect either; loss, scandal, betrayal, and heartbreak were defiantly written across Eliza’s life story. So were happiness, success, fulfillment, and reconciliation. Maybe because this book dwelt more on the happy times of Eliza’s life than America’s First Daughter did on Martha’s, I found My Dear Hamilton to be a very compelling read. I got immersed in Eliza’s world, in the turbulence of the time and I learned of the very interesting life of Alexander Hamilton, a founding father who was a model of the American dream, starting with nothing, and working his way up to eventually be founder of the American Treasury. I also learned how fragile the new nation was, we think because we won the Revolution that everything was fine, but things were much more precarious than that!
Both books tell the stories of strong and resilient women, who along with their famous relatives, fought to forge the great country we have today. In reading either of these books you will become enmeshed in turn of the century America and you will learn a lot about the struggle it took to bring forth this nation.
When I compare the stories of the two women I see that both lived lives of much hardship. Neither led easy lives, however if you read America’s First Daughter and weren’t thrilled, I urge you not to let that stop you from picking up, My Dear Hamilton, and give it a try! Regardless of which book you choose the authors do a wonderful job of bringing both of these women back to life. Both Patsy and Eliza, emerge from the pages as fully formed people with all the flaws and character quirks that we all have. Ms Dray and Ms Kamoie are great writers who you can tell have taken great pains to flesh out their character without changing who these women were. Pick up either book and you will be dropped into a rich portrait of colonial America.
We are nearing the end of January and that is usually when all these big dreams that we had a few weeks ago stop feeling exciting and instead just feel hard. We want them but sometimes the path there just seems so long and hard. If this is you and you are needing a little boost to keep plodding along towards your goals for this year then check out the book, Find Your Extraordinary by Jessica Herrin.
Ms Herrin is the CEO and founder of the Stella and Dot Family Brands. Before building that company she built Della and James which you may know by its current name, WeddigngCahnnel.com. So she knows a thing or 2 about knowing what you want and going for it- and achieving your dreams in the process!
One of the things that I appreciated about this book is that Ms Herrin clarifies from the beginning that success equals happiness. Not money. Not fame- happiness. She then takes you through her story, guiding you in what steps to take if you would like to find your own extraordinary life.
She talks about how to start believing in yourself beyond what you have reason too- you can’t think that you aren’t someone who can do the hard thing simply because you haven’t done it yet! You have to believe that you really can. Be afraid, then get over it. Be ok with going after your dreams alone, others may not get it, but if you know that is what you really want- go for it!
Then Ms Herrin discusses what she calls, “The Six P’s of the Entrepreneurial Spirit. First you have to find your passion. That’s fun but then you have to choose the Path of least regret and you may have to sacrifice things you enjoy but remember you’ll be doing the things that awakes the passion within you. Third, she talks about the power of a positive mind. This isn’t just about believing it will be ok but instead about how to work through difficult thoughts and doubts that are real and could happen. 4th, she talks about the people in your life, are you surrounding yourself with people who help you to grow? What about the people who are holding you back? She then talks about perseverance, she shares times in her life when the going got tough and she had to stick with it. The last P is Productivity and she discusses how to prioritize. There are always going to be tons of things to do- but what absolutely, positively has to get done, and what would just be nice if it was accomplished? She closes talking about the power of gratitude and finding the people who will come around and support you.
Even if your dreams are not of the entrepreneurial type, there is still a lot you could glean from this book. This isn’t a book about building a business, but rather about building a life. And not just any old life, but one in which you find true success through happiness- a life in which you find your extraordinary.
Disclosure Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
A fresh new year has begun! I love the newness that comes with the changing of the calendar. A new year is a chance for a clean slate and to switch up things, to evaluate what is or isn’t working well and to make plans to do differently in the upcoming year. As I look back over my list of books I read in 2020 there are several that stand out as good companions that will help you on your way when you get the urge to change things up! These books will help motivate you to change, help you to put practices into place to build new habits, help you dig to the root of what you should be doing with your life and why, and ultimately help you to build the life you want! I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!
Essentialism- by Greg McKeown
This book is all about getting to the core of what is most important to you, what are the things you were put on earth to do? What helps to further your goals and what distracts your from them? It may seem like a harmless meeting to have, it is a good cause to lead, but what is it really costing you? Is that project that you’re head of a good thing but not nearly as important as spending time with your kids? Is that side line of work a good revenue maker but ultimately detracting from your major life mission? It’s time to dig deep and get strategic!
Better than Before, by Gretchen Reuben
Ms Reuben really breaks down all the things habit related; why habit matters, how habits are formed, and how to most easily and effectively implement new habits into your life. Habits are what we do without thinking about it. They take away the need to make decisions and free up mental space to allow for us to concentrate our efforts on what matters most to us. If you have had trouble developing new habits in the past give this book a try!
The Compound Effect- by Darren Hardy
This book is great because it stresses the fact that it’s not necessarily the big things in life that make the biggest change in our lives but rather the small things. The little minute changes that you make day after day, that compound on top of each other and add up a big difference over a year or more. A lot of books on creating new habits can be overwhelming, but since this book stresses the importance of small wins you can come away feeling encouraged by a small change that you made!
Off the Clock- by Laura Vanderkam
Feel like there’s never enough time? Want to get more enjoyment out of the things in life that you do have time for? Ms Vanderkam discusses how its not always about the amount of time that we do have but rather is about how we approach it. As a time management expert, Ms Vanderkam also discusses how to prioritize to ensure that you are making time for what matters most to you, so you can spend time on that- and not things that don’t matter to you. I do a pretty good job of squeezing every precious minute out of my day and still there were tips in here that I hadn’t thought of!
The Next Right Thing- by Emily P Freeman
Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Do you ever feel paralyzed by the consequences on decisions could bring? You are not the only one! Whether it’s the dollar menu or a major life change sometimes it’s nearly impossible to decide… and what if we choose the wrong option? Ms Freeman talks about how it’s not always important to know what the next 5 steps will be, a lot of the time it’s just about the next right step. We wear ourselves out making every decision feel like the end all be all but it rarely is.
See other discussion about Books here on Essentially EmmaMarie
There are several books that I have really enjoyed reading this fall. Ones that I find my thoughts drifting back to, thinking of the character as friends and real people rather than just fictional personas.
The Jane Austen Society
This book is set in England shortly after World War 2. While there was a real Jane Austen Society formed around this time, this book is about fictional characters whose lives have been touched by Austen’s various works and who undertake to preserve the house in which Austen lived, located in their village. The Author did a wonderful job of bringing to life in vivid detail not only the characters, who I thought were very well formed, but also the setting of the rural English village. This is a great choice to cozy up with this fall.
I decided to read this one because I like the author, not because I had done research as to what this book was actually about. I was most pleasantly surprised to realize that this was definitely a book I needed to read! Ms Bogel discusses how we tend to spend so much time and energy ruminating over a decision that really doesn’t matter- and that we don’t actually want to have spent that much time thinking about. She talks of tactics that she has used to help her start overthinking less. Journaling, like the physical act of writing out thoughts can be helpful, this was a “ah ha!” Moment for me, because while I love lists and often keep notes on my phone I have noticed that just typing up a list on the notes section of my phone is not nearly as effective as putting pen to paper. She also discusses how prepping or the week, and clearing clutter in your house can help to free up emotional space. I knew this to be true for me already but its always nice to hear back up that I’m not the only like this!
This is about Joy Grisham Lewis, C.S Lewis’s wife. I found it a fascinating read on several levels. 1) I know a fair about C.S Lewis’s work, without knowing all that much about him. 2) I knew nothing about Joy and she was a fascinating person as well. And 3) their love story and how they came to know each other, become friends, and ultimately marry, was a shot in a million. I enjoy books that teach more about famous people we already know something about told through the lens of someone close in their lives, who we may hardly know existed.
I heard this book mentioned on a podcast, and then my husband mentioned it as one of his favorite books that he read in college so I decided I must join the club and read it too. The Compound Effect is written by Darren Hardy who started his own business and became a millionaire by the time he turned 24. Mr. Hardy talks of what made the biggest changes in his life, and how its not necessarily the big things that make the biggest change in our lives but rather the little changes day in and day out that add up to a huge difference over a lifetime. If you feel overwhelmed by how far away you are from a current goal, read this book for motivation and encouragement.
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
In theory this is the perfect time of year to curl up with a heart warming Christmas book, in front of a warm fire, under a warm, comfy blanket. Reality tends to look a little bit different! However given that this has been the year of quarantine you may find that you have more time on your hands than you have in the past! Regardless of what your situation is this year I hope you are able to carve out a little bit of time to slow down and drink in the season. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas books- some are young adult or children’s books, others are classics, and one is hopefully for you this Christmas season!
A Season of Giving by Richard Peck
I originally read this one when I was in middle school, but I went back and listened to it this year and I still really enjoyed it! Told by Bob, the 12 year old son of the town newest preacher, this book is full of quirky characters that make up this small town- not the least of which is Mrs. Dowdle, Bob’s next door neighbor. We hear about the many different escapades that happen in the months leading up to Christmas and ultimately are reminded that some of life’s biggest gifts do come in the form we expect.
This is a book from the Dear American Children’s series but it is still one of my favorites. It’s full of all the Christmas feels! Simone is 18, and has to figure out what she is going to do with her life, and then America enters World War 1 and there are many options then available to her. Simone’s brother enters the war, and Simone wants to do her part too. This yearning ends up landing her halfway across the world and introduces to a handsome soldier, the future could be bright for Simone- but only if everyone makes it through the war safely.
I’m sure you are familiar with this story but if you have never actually read it- please do it! Not only is this a classic book that everyone should give a try reading at least once but you will feel your spirits lift so incredibly at the end of the story- you won’t be able to help but get in the Christmas spirit!
This is a short little story about a young family, Richard, Keri, and their 4 year old daughter, who rent out a wing of a house, owned by an elderly woman named Mary. They find their landlord to be a gracious woman and quickly grow fond of her. One day Richard stumbles across a beautifully engraved box in the attic. Later he dreams about and angles and awakes to hear music that leads him back to the box. The box and Mary ultimately lead him to the realization of what Christmas is truly about.
If you want a light and uplifting Christmas read with all the cheesy sweetness of your favorite Hallmark movie this one will scratch your reading itch! Merry is finishing up a year of working as a temp at a consulting firm. She really likes her job and has been grateful to have it as it has allowed her to save up money to finish her college degree. The only thing Merry dislikes is her handsome but disagreeable boss, who always seems to have a bone to pick with Merry. Merry’s mother and brother want to add some fun to her life and sign her up on a dating sight. Merry is reluctant at first but starts to come around to the idea, especially as she meets a very nice guy named Jay online….but what will Merry do when she meets Jay and he isn’t what she expected?
I hope these help to give you some ideas for your reading life this Christmas! In the meantime I am always anxious to hear about any other good books that I haven’t read yet- what are some of your favorite classics? Do you have one that you read year after year and embodies the feeling of the season for you? I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below or meet me over on instagram or Pinterest at EssentiallyEmmaMarie!
