Michael Gates Gill had a successful job in advertising, but when he found himself approaching 60 and his career in shambles, he interviews for a job at Starbucks on a whim, gets it, and spends the rest of the book learning life lessons while learning to make lattes.

The story was interesting and I enjoyed the character development. Gill’s voice, however, was stiff and forced, and the book is rife with anecdotes from his pre-barista life that have little tie-in to the story and seem to only serve the purpose of name-dropping.

The book was an easy read, and the movie rights were secured by Tom Hanks, which is fortunate because it really would make a great feel-good film. This is one book where the movie might actually be better.

This story includes a near-murder of an old gypsy woman Flavia gives refuge on the family’s enormous estate, the hanging of a town ne’er do good on one of the estate’s statues, and includes a cast of almost too good to be true characters. Like the first and second book of the series, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story each evening to find out what happens next, and the story included some plot twists and details you just can’t see coming. Bradly is a masterfully storyteller, but Flavia steals the show.

If you haven’t already read the first (or second) book, please do. The more you know Flavia, the more you’ll love her. If you have, this book is worth your time.

Cleverly arranged in chapters by rooms (Kitchen features food, Bathroom public and personal hygiene, for instance), the book is full of Bryson’s classic wit and occasional laugh-out-loud humor, but is not without a number of meandering rabbit trails. The chapter on the dining room leads to an anecdote about the centerpiece, which leads to a sidebar about how salt and pepper became the two seasonings on the table, but before he even gets to those two specifically he writes a six page essay on the role of various other vitamins and minerals in our diet. All if this is composed in such a way that you’re totally drawn into the story, but by the time you walk back up from nutrition to salt and pepper to centerpieces you have to check the header to see, “What chapter is this again?”

If you have any interest in topics such as architecture, agriculture, art, food, or gardening, you will find this book immensely enjoyable. Just be sure to block out a decent chunk of time for it – this book won’t read itself in one sitting.

Now that we have that out of the way, you should also know she recently wrote a book. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond. It details the story of her meeting, falling in love with, and marrying her husband. Actually, you can read most of what is now the book on her site for free, and I recommend you do so.

I have to admit I am not one for romantic stories. I don’t even read fiction all that often. But I love this tale. Perhaps because it’s true, perhaps because I love Ree’s self-deprecating style of humor, and maybe because not many of us would actually mind being swept off our feet by a handsome cowboy (at least theoretically – until that lands you on a manure-filled cattle ranch). Whatever the reason, I found the story highly entertaining. So when the book was released, I was so excited to buy it to support the Pioneer Woman, and also because it was to chronicle their first year of marriage, which included a less-than-thrilling honeymoon, pregnancy and the birth of their first child.

I was also incredibly excited when I learned The Pioneer Woman was coming to both Columbus and Cincinnati for a book signing – two cities well within a reasonable (four hour) drive from where I live. So my friend Amy and I booked a hotel, hopped in the car, drove 4+ hours to the book store, (shopped at Whole Foods!), waited 2+ hours for our turn, and when we finally got to meet Ree, it went something like this.

“Hi!”
“Thank you.”

I’m very smooth.

Anyway, I came home and read the book (even though I had already read much of it) in about a day and a half. I could not put it down!

My only complaint is that much of the additional material feels like it lacks the emotion the rest of the story. Perhaps this is because the emotions associated with a disastrous honeymoon,  an unexpected and uncomfortable pregnancy, and postpartum depression are not exactly as fun and exciting as falling in love and getting married – I have to give her that – but a bit more reflection would have better matched the feel of the first 2/3 of the book.

Either way it’s a highly entertaining and mindless read – great for vacation or even just an extra-stressful day.

The verdict: Read a few chapters online for free and if it floats your boat, buy the book. It’s a feel-good story, and don’t we all need one of those every now and then?

I was right.

The basic premise of the book is that gratitude is a foundation of faith. This isn’t a new concept, really. Oprah made the gratitude journal a cult phenomenon years ago. But where Voskamp excels is in tying gratitude to the divine. By focusing as much on being thankful as on the object of our gratitude (God/Christ), it gives fresh perspective on thanksgiving.

The text is filled with flourish. Most of what I read is straightforward – I am drawn to this type of prose from my School of Journalism background. But Voskamp’s writing style is more like reading poetry set in prose format. I enjoyed it so much, and think many of you will, too.

My thoughtful husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas. I thought I’d give Sense and Sensibility a read since I loved Pride and Prejudice so much. Well, that and it’s in the public domain so it is free. Either way, I enjoyed the book very much, and read it within a week. A great feat considering the other book I’m reading has only seen through 100 pages in a month. But I digress.

If you’ve read Pride and Prejudice, this will come as a familiar comfort. None of the surprises or revelations that transpire throughout the text come as a complete surprise if you are familiar with Jane Austin’s writing, but it’s not exactly predictable, either. I have to admit I enjoyed Pride  and Prejudice better of the two, and if you’ve read neither, do yourself a favor and read it first. But both are worth your time. Trust me.

The themes of the book include character and reputation, romantic attachments, economic considerations, familiar conflict, friendship, trust, betrayal, logic, and more. It’s a fascinating look into the lives of the upper class late 17th century and makes me almost long for that time. (Until I remember they had no indoor plumbing, electricity, books were a luxury and I would likely be a servant, not one being served. Oh, well.)

For those of you who have read both, which did you prefer?

Anyway, I looked it over a few times, and kept thinking I should try out a few of the projects. Then I’d put it back on the shelf. But when two friends announced they were pregnant, I knew it’d be the motivation I’d need to tackle a project, because the book is filled with cute projects for babies and children.

I chose Elodie the Elephant, a simple project that really only takes half a yard of fabric and a couple hours. I’m really pleased with how they turned out, and hope their recipients are, too. I mean, who wouldn’t love a stuffed elephant, right?

Sidenote: I started these elephants while on my trip to Arkansas where I was able to use my grandmother-in-law’s sewing machine which is…ahem… slightly nicer than my own. I finished them up on my (still nice…but not that nice) sewing machine at home and between the rattles and humming of the motor am trying not to have sewing machine envy. To which I think to myself: who knew there could be such a thing as sewing machine envy.

I can’t share the pattern with you because it’s copyrighted, but you can definitely go pick the book up for yourself and make any number of the dozens of super cute projects.

I finished this book over the weekend, and had to restrain myself from flipping from the last page back to the first and starting it immediately over again. I don’t think I can overstate how much I enjoyed this book.

First of all, Donald Miller is a phenomenal writer. He could compose a book devoid of meaningful content, and I would still enjoy the way he structures his sentences and weaves a story together. Fortunately, his books are full of meaning.

In short, this book is about story. About how we each live out a story, and some of us live boring, uninteresting stories, and others live purposeful, meaningful stories. Miller came to this realization after a screenwriter and producer came to make a movie out of a previous book, and he began to realize he hadn’t been living out a story (worth telling) in his own life. Miller writes through this process by highlighting elements of what makes a great story, and the whole book comes together fantastically.

Put simply, this book is changing my life. (The only other time I’ve made such a claim on Simple Modern Life is after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is still true – my eating/shopping has definitely changed since reading that book.) I’m not sure how it will all play out, but I definitely want to live a better story in my own life, and I would bet that after reading the book, you will too.

And because I love the book so much, I want you to have the opportunity to read it, as well. Just tell me your favorite movie in the comments below before Saturday at 9:00 p.m., and I’ll choose send a random winner a copy of the book. All the rest of you non-winners should go out and buy this book. Do it for me, ok? I’m sure Donald Miller wouldn’t mind, either.

Night is the account of Elie Wiesel during his captivity in concentration camps during World War 2. I read it quickly because I felt like if I lingered over the words too long, my heart might break in two and I might lose any hope I had remaining in humanity. I do not exaggerate. Yet his story needed to be told. His writing voice was relatively detached and void of excessive emotion even in the midst of unimaginable circumstance. I’m not sure if this was deliberate or because of the difficulty in translating the work into English.

The book is short – just over 100 pages. And while I can’t say I enjoyed it, I felt like I honored Mr. Wiesel for hearing his story. And it is certainly a story that deserves honoring.

The verdict: Read it if you don’t mind crying at least half a dozen times.

When I heard about The Introvert Advantage, I was curious. I had never thought about advantages or disadvantages to an attribute of temperament, although I’ve long been fascinated with all aspects of temperament. I found the book generally interesting, although I was already familiar with much of the facts presented (I have a master’s in counseling), but for anyone who is introverted and not as familiar with personality theory would likely find it quite informative.

One of the things I found interesting is the author repeatedly makes reference to the fact that many introverts feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or like an outcast for their introversion. I never felt any of these things. I do remember during high school thinking it would be more desirable to be extroverted (or sociable – that having a wide circle of friends meant I was more accepting and caring than having a few intimate friends). Otherwise, I’ve always been fine with how I was wired.

Also of note, I found the writing style frequently dry, even when the information was pretty interesting. I think it was written in the style of many of my college textbooks – informative, but bland.

The verdict: If you’re interested in personality/temperament, or if you’re an introvert and curious about what that means, it’s worth the read. Otherwise, pass.