Want to know what books I finished in August? In 2019, I’m sharing the books I read each month and what my honest thoughts were on those books. If you love books, you don’t want to miss this post! (You can see all of my book reviews for this year here.)
I set a goal to finish 80 books in 2019 and a second goal that 40 of those books will be books I already own. (You can see which books I picked to read from those I already own here).
By the way, I’m truly loving using GoodReads to track my reading. You all were right! It is really motivational to see my progress! And I’ve been ahead on my goal for the last month!
I finished 7 books in August —- yay! Here’s what I read + my honest thoughts on each of the books:
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. Honestly, I was expecting for there to be a lot more in the book about the assassination attempt. As it was, it felt like that was a very small part of the story and the bulk of the book was devoted to Reagan’s earlier years.
That said, I did find it fascinating to hear that there is belief that the assassination attempt contributed to Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease and that his Alzheimer’s disease was already beginning to show up during his presidency. I had not heard either theory before and found that part of the book very interesting and intriguing.
Verdict: 3 stars
I loved this book enough to ask Rebekah Lyons (the author) to join me on a podcast episode! (Listen to that episode here.)
In this book, she shares 4 rhythms she believes everyone should prioritize in their life, why they should prioritize them, and practical ways to make them a reality.
In a world where “hustle harder” can often seem the over-arching message, this book is a welcome message to make time for play, rest, creativity, savoring, and more.
Verdict: 4 stars
This book was sent to me by its author and she had kindly mentioned my courses, Make Over Your Mornings and Make Over Your Evenings in it.
While it had a lot of good suggestions and ideas, I didn’t find a lot in it that was new to me — maybe because I’ve read a lot of similar books in the past?? 🙂
If you are someone who feels overwhelmed with life or is struggling through a health crisis, though, I feel like there could be some helpful and encouraging information in it. The author’s story is moving and she definitely has lived out what she encourages in the book!
Verdict: 2 stars
If you listen to our podcast, you know that Jesse loved this book and encouraged me to read it. I found that I could download it for free on Libby so decided to try it out.
Let’s just say, Jesse’s taste in books and my taste in books are VERY different, I quickly discovered. This is a thriller, supposedly, but to me it seemed more like a “Let’s kill as many people as possible all while using a lot of bad words” book. Which is not really my type of book, ahem.
But hey, I read it. I finished it. And I survived. And now I know that when Jesse recommends a book, it’s probably safe to say I can steer clear of it. 😉
Verdict: 2 stars
I truly loved this book. I shared this quote from the book and posted this on Instagram:
It’s easy to talk about ideas. It doesn’t take a lot of work to criticize systems. It’s pretty simple to point fingers.
It’s a lot harder to get in the game and do something to actually make a difference… but that’s what’s going to change our world.
Smile at that person. Befriend the neighbor who is struggling. Show up for someone who is lonely.
Lean in and love those who are hard to love. Choose kindness instead of condemnation.
Don’t stay where it’s safe and comfortable. Step out and offer a hand. Open your door and your heart. Listen more than you talk.
Don’t just surround yourself with people who are similar to you or who believe exactly what you do or who think just like you do. Love and befriend those who come from very different backgrounds, beliefs, and political parties. If you’re anything like me, you’ll discover you have a whole lot to learn from them!
Instead of giving out lofty-sounding solutions, let’s go start being the solution — one person at a time. Let’s be hope-givers with mud on our shoes.
Verdict: 4 stars
I had big hopes for this book. What’s not to love about a book set in Paris with the subtitle, “One woman’s journey from the fast lane to a slow stroll in Paris.” And while there were a few parts of the book that I thought were insightful, most of it fell flat for me.
Verdict: 2 stars
I’d wanted to read this for a long time, so when it came available to download for free on Libby, you better believe I downloaded it.
It was very thought-provoking in parts and I had fun trying to figure out which tendency I am. I went into it thinking I was a questioner, but of course I had to question that for the entire book… because, hello, I’m a questioner! 😉
I did feel like some parts were redundant and that I would prefer to read this book over listening to it because I think I’d get more out of it by reading it (I’m more of a visual learner). But I do feel like it was valuable to listen to and I’d like to go back and read it in the future.
Verdict: 3 stars
What have you been reading recently? Any books you think I really need to read soon? I’d love to know!
