Reading is my very favorite activity. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. I would read forever and ever if I could. I do, however, hate when I start reading a not-so-good book and just start dragging through it. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Now I just stop reading and never finish. My time is just too precious for boring books. Recently, though I have read some really riveting books that I just could not put down. Even though book recommendations are so personal, I still feel like they are a really good starting point when you are trying to figure your next read.
“Wabi-Sabi Welcome” by Julie Pointer Adams.
I ordered this book when I saw that my all-time favorite photographer, Olivia Rae James, posted about how she was totally inspired by this gorgeous work. Man, was she right! This book is part art and part essay. The book inspires you to live a more authentic, gentler, laid back life with stories about the wabi- sabi culture present in Italy, Denmark, France, Japan and California. The pages exhibit simple, natural beauty. I loved her essays and will most certainly try all of the recipes. Even though I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, I keep coming back to its beautiful pages.
“Garlic and Sapphires” by Ruth Reichl.
Ruth Reichl’s memoir about her tenure as the food critic of the Times is impossible to put down. I love Ruth’s voice and her perspective on her life and work. Her stories entertain and her words mesmerize. Ruth’s talent for writing about food totally captivated me from start to finish.
“Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng.
Oh man, where to start! I wrote a little bit about this book in my recent post about things to do when Chicago is in the midst of the deep freeze, but everything truly bears repeating. Celeste Ng is a complete and total genius. The story focuses around the story of two families who live in a picture perfect suburban town. The crux of the novel surrounds the interactions between the two families during an adoption custody case which has enthralled the town. Through the story Celeste subtly critiques race, class and the definition of family. The surface story is fascinating enough, even without the genius of the underlying critique. This would be a great book for a book study.
“When People are Big and God is Small” by Edward T. Welch.
I finally read this Christian counseling classic and it did not disappoint! For years, it felt like people constantly talked about how this book is a must-read. And now I am here to tell YOU that this book is definitely a must-read. I learned and grew a lot from the Biblical knowledge delineated here. This book will help you re-center your focus and energy on what is truly important in the coming year.
“The Sound of Gravel” by Ruth Wariner.
OH man this is another MUST-read. I could seriously not put this book down. I finished it in a couple of days, I just could not stop reading. I just read everywhere and anywhere I had the chance. “The Sound of Gravel” is a memoir about Ruth Wariner’s childhood when she grew up in rural Mexico as the daughter of polygamist leader. Ruth details the harrowing events of her childhood and what led to her escape from the cult. There were moments when I literally could not breathe I was just so horrified by the terror that Ruth lived through and ultimately triumphed over. This is a true survival story and also an important read about the harrowing underbelly of religion gone bad.
I would love some new book recommendations from you guys! What are you reading now? What have you read recently that you loved? Comment below!
