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BlogHer Book Club: Daring Greatly

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown was a bit tough for me.

I’m used to fiction. Where I can almost skim pages while also watching TV, care for babies, nursing or pumping at work. Where I can escape in the flow of words on a page.

But Brene Brown’s non-fiction, I guess really a self-help book, required thought. It’s not just because she’s covering a lot of research topics but because it takes what you think you know or think about everyday relationships & interactions and forces you to explore within yourself. I couldn’t skim words because then I’d miss a main point. I didn’t want to miss anything.

Daring Greatly refers to really putting yourself out there. Your real open-for-all-to-see-you-naked self. Being Wholehearted & vulnerable. I learned how it really takes courage & hard work to shake off the layers we use to protect ourselves, to fight off using shame to keep relationships at bay, to be vulnerable.

As a college sociology major, I related to her research & discussion on how men & women view shame, relationships/sex & vulnerability differently. There were so many places in the book where I was nodding along, mentally going ‘yes, I’ve done that, seen friends do that, my husband act that way & I now more clearly see why’.

Daring Greatly isn’t an easy read, but it’s a book I think I’ll hold on to. That I’ll pick up again as the babies get older & I need to more clearly show them that being a truely strong, healthy little example of feminine & masculine doesn’t mean to follow the definitions socity has created, but instead for them to be open & vulnerbale & real. God, I hope I can live up to that task.

Feel free to read more about Daring Greatly & join in the discussion at the BlogHer Book Club page.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book CLub but the opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading

The Age of Miracles

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker was my book club’s September pick. I read it on my Kindle Fire within the last week or so. I’ve found I can read on my cell or tablet while nursing &/or holding a sleeping baby much easier than I can read a ‘real’ book these days. Sadly, I was the only book clubber to have finished The Age of Miracles. We all were having busy weeks, so we decided to cancel last night’s discussion though I gathered that the others were all unimpressed with the book.

I’m still working through my thoughts on The Age of Miracles. It was definitely pretty crazy & somewhat intense. I liked that it was told from the point of view of a middle school aged girl. I think the young adult point of view helped tone down the intensity, making the story more readable.

The premise of The Age of Miracles is that the Earth begins to slow down its rotation or as its called in the book ‘the slowing’. The main character, Julia, takes us through what happens to her, her family, friends, school, community & really the US as a whole because of the slowing. And none of it is good. It’s very much an almost post apocalyptic situation.

I’d never thought of the Earth’s rotation. Never pondered what would happen if it suddenly or slowly changed. I’m so used to 24 hour days. And knowing we can count on days being light & nights dark that it was wild reading about life any other way.

I don’t know enough about science to have been fact checking my way through The Age of Miracles. And honestly I just was thinking my lucky stars to have had the free moments to read. So I don’t know if all the wild events would or could occur. I just suspended my disbelief & read. And when The Age of Miracles ended, I was okay. I was glad I’d read it. But I’m not sure I’m jumping up & town ready to encourage you to go read it. But if you like science fiction, end of the world maybe novels, then this one might be for you.

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Everything Else Reading

Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was August’s book club selection. I just barely made Mays book club & missed June & July’s meetings. So even though I was just 32% finished {according to my kindle fire}, I packed up Lucy & my new super big diaper bag & made it to our book {& baby & life} discussion last Wednesday night.

Ever since, I’ve been reading Gone Girl every chance I had. Aka while nursing, holding a sleeping baby or the three minutes I’m not running around. And tonight, even though I kinda knew how it ended since I told my book club not to hold back, I was shocked when I read the end. Wow. I know why so many are talking about this book.

Gone Girl held my {hard to now keep} attention. Its definitely the most suspenseful book I’ve enjoyed in years. And I think I’d reread this just to get another perspective now that I know the full story.

Ive already recommended Gone Girl to my mom for her book club & would tell anyone ready to read something pretty intense that you cant put down.

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Everything Else Reading

Blogher Book Club: What Alice Forgot

When What Alice Forgot arrived at my doorstep, I thought two things ~ this book is thick & I’m so glad its more of a ‘chick lit’ light read. I’d been reading either heavy books for my local book club or pouring through multiples & breastfeeding books. I knew in my sleep deprived state, I couldn’t handle anything I had to think too hard about.

And what happened as I was reading What Alice Forgot, I got less sleep because I skipped naps in favor of reading. It was that good & I just had to know how it turned out.

What Alice Forgot tells the story of Alice Love, who wakes up on the gym floor thinking its 1998, shes 29, happily married & pregnant with her first child. But actually, its 2008, she’s 39, has 3 kids & getting a divorce {& she remembers nothing of the last 10 years}. The book tells the story of how she got from one place in life to the other. The 29 year old Alice reminded me of my recent former self, but I could understand & see how the 39 year old Alice got there.

The novel is told through Alice’s perspective but has letters that Alice’s sister Elizabeth writes to her therapist {helping her deal with her infertility struggle which hit close to home with me} and also letters their ‘grandmother’ Fannie writes to an old boyfriend {loved feisty Fannie!}. I enjoyed the others’ perspectives. Seeing Alice & her memory loss through them helped clue me in to what she’d gone through.

I really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was a quick, fun read & I’m looking forward to hearing what others thought of the book. For more discussion on What Alice Forgot, jump on over to the BlogHer Book Club page for the book.

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer Book Club, but the thoughts & opinions are my own.

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Everything Else Reading

BlogHer Book Club: Where She Went

Where She Went by Gayle Forman is actually the sequel to If I Stay. So in the last week (actually two weeks ago now), I read both. I couldn’t put either down; reading If I Stay as a library e-book from my phone Fri & Sun then finishing Where She Went in the hospital last Wednesday. These books are written under the young adult genre but are not quite as fluffy as somethings that ‘YA’ might lead you to believe.

Both IIS & WSW, describe the story of two musicians, Mia & Adam. Mia is a talented classic cellist while Adam is in a rock band called Shooting Stars. IIS is set in Oregon, from Mia’s point of view & mostly involves the story of her & Adam coming together as a couple, her family & the aftermath of a horrific car accident. WSW picks up on Adam & Mia’s lives but three years after the accident & told from Adam’s perspective, mostly taking place in NYC.

I really liked them both for what they are: entertaining quick reads. But Where She Went brought me to tears. I really didn’t want the book to end. In the way back of the novel though, there’s a glimpse at what I hope is a third!

BlogHer Book Club will be discussing Where She Went. Join in talking your thoughts on the book at http://www.blogher.com/bookclub/now-reading-where-she-went.

I was provided a copy of Where She Went & compensated for this post as part of the BlogHer Book Club, but my thoughts & opinions are all my own.