I wrote my 2017 reading list about a year ago about trying to focus my 2017 reading on more serious political books & memoirs & mix in a few light-hearted books here & there to keep me sane.
So here’s what I’m reading now. A little light & funny. A little heavy. A little gory. & a little calm for the soul.
What’s on my end table: I’m finishing up Fire & Fury by Michael Wolff & also What Unites Us by Dan Rather.
What’s on my kindle: Clash of Kings (Game of Thrones book 2) & Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.
What I’ve read in last year:
- Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (started 2017 with this one & it ended up being so appropriate with what happened in Charlottesville etc)
- In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson (called my dad & made he & my mom listen to this pre-WWII book on the US ambassador to Germany)
- Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (such a great read on the Great Migration),
- Our Kids by Robert Putnam (didn’t make it all the way through for book club but reminded me of sociology books),
- I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi (laughed til I cried),
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed (an adventure & come to find yourself story that had been on my want-to-read-list for years)
- The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines
- The Book Thief (everyone should read this WWII novel),
- Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean (another one for book club that I didn’t make it through, reminded me of a college text that I’d have slept through),
- Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel (didn’t finished by book club but I enjoyed reading the stories of these vets, want to watch the movie)
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (I didn’t know his back story & it was a fascinating read)
- Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (loved this book then had to see the movie)
- Game of Thrones by Martin (so much content on the characters I love from the series)
- What Happened by HRC (just finished it this week. I didn’t make it through a chapter without crying over what could have been vs what our current reality is)
What’s on my To Read list:
- 13 Reasons Why by Jay Ashley (I watched the show on Netflix, been meaning to read the book)
- Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst
- A Wrinkle in Time (not sure why I never read this one in HS, movie review coming soon!)
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria (I requested this one at the library & it arrived at the same time as 3 others, so it’s back on my to read list)
Upcoming books I have my eye on:
- Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer
- The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes
- & my old school BlogHer buddy Jill Krause’s 50 Things to Do Before You Deliver (not having more babies here but I love reading her words & so excited for her!)
I’ve also been on a podcast kick while traveling & at work. I’ve found I can best focus on work & tune out my co-workers/background noise while listening to Pod Save America & the other Crooked Media podcasts, Stay Tuned with Preet & I’m trying to figure out how to listen to Jen Hatmaker’s For the Love here at work too.
What am I missing? Any books you’ve loved recently? What’s your favorite podcast? As summer (ok, spring!) is almost in sight, we tend to be in the car more & I do love reading while traveling.