In 2023, I set a goal to finish one book per week. I’m aiming to listen to 30 minutes of an audiobook per day (while cooking, cleaning, and/or driving) and read 10 minutes of a book. By doing this, I hope to be able to finish one book fairly easily per week.
You can follow along on GoodReads to see what I’m reading, what books I finished, and the star rating I gave each of them.
Book #7: The Giver of Stars
Honestly, I’m still not sure what I think of this book. I think the part that I struggled with most was that the book makes you kind of want to root for infidelity — or at least for a marriage to break up so that the main character can marry another guy. And that just felt sort of morally wrong, even though I heartily agreed with the main character leaving the first husband because of the abuse caused by his father-in-law.
But the book drew you in, it was interesting to learn more about the Packhorse Librarian Project, and get a peek into how women’s rights have changed so much over the years. That said, if you are looking for a book to read on The Packhorse Librarian Project, I’d recommend The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek over this one.
Verdict: 2 stars
Book #8: Remaining You While Raising Them: The Secret Art of Confident Motherhood
I got to read a pre-release copy of this book because I wrote an endorsement for it! Here’s the endorsement I wrote:
From the moment I opened this book, my heart felt a huge relief and a big dose of encouragement. Alli has such a way with words — she makes you laugh, she’s so relatable, and she shares wise truths in a gentle but firm way.
If you’ve ever felt like you are failing your kids or that you just don’t have what it takes to do this motherhood thing well, Remaining You While Raising Them is just the book you need to read to feel less alone and be infused with practical truths and inspiration to keep on keeping on.
Verdict: 4 stars
Book #9: Stuart Little
Kierstyn and I read this book together and enjoyed it so much. We’d read it last year, but she wasn’t really old enough to fully enjoy it. This year, she really got into it and asked me so many questions about it.
My only critique of the book is that I think it ends sort of abruptly and I wish it had a better conclusion. But it’s a fun read for kids who are newer to chapter books!
Verdict: 4 stars