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.

Ok, so that last part might not be as much of a guarantee as an enticement, but my hunch was spot on.

The general idea is that the author’s husband left her for another man he met online, and a week later she was in a terrible car accident. She returned home to stay with her parents while she recovered, where they lived in a California Mennonite community.

I certainly don’t want to give more than that away (you can gain that much from reading the back cover), but it was a great read. Janzen is a wonderful storyteller, with bits and pieces unfolding as the story moves forward. Her humor is spot-on, and a breath of fresh air in the midst what would otherwise be a heartbreaking tale. I read it in three sitttings. (Unheard of, since I typically fall asleep after approximately five pages – not because books are bad, but because I’m worn out from chasing my kids around all day.)

If you enjoy memoirs, and want something upbeat, funny, and just plain enjoyable, don’t pass this one up just because the cover is cute.

Even if you hadn’t read the first in the series (which you should), this book tells a complete and completely entertaining story. But having read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, not only do you have a more complete picture of the characters, but there are a few plot elements that make more sense having known what had transpired in the previous version.

Speaking of the characters, the charming Flavia de Luce is absolutely fantastic. I feel like I actually know her. And who wouldn’t want to? A curious, smart, sassy and cunning young lady – she’s pretty much everything any young girl would be if we’d only had the guts.

The plot moves along smoothly, even if slightly slow at first, but the dialogue more than makes up for any sluggishness. It’s not a bit dry, and laugh-out-loud funny in places.

I have probably mentioned here before that I don’t read fiction often. But when it comes to Flavia, I cannot wait to see what Bradley dreams up next.

The premise of the book is to examine examples of success and what helped people get there. The answers were so fascinating – such as how being the child of a New York City garment worker helped make many successful lawyers, or why Asian students are typically better at math. I won’t give away the reasoning, because then the book would lose some of its appeal, but the overarching thesis of the book seems to be that a combination of cultural legacy, timing, unusual circumstances (not to discount plenty of hard work and dedication) are what makes success.

I’m note sure this book has much practical application, but was an extremely fascinating read. It goes quickly, and keeps with Gladwell’s typical voice.

Verdict: Two thumbs up – read it!

Basically, it’s eleven chapters based on musings of spiritual practices. Some common (prayer), some less common (doorposts? It’s actually a good chapter. Honest.) Winner grew up Jewish and later converted to Christianity as an adult. So what this book is mostly about is explained in the introduction:

“It is, to be blunt, about spiritual practices that Jews do better. It is, to be blunter, about Christian practices that would be enriched, that would be thicker and more vibrant, if we took a few lessons from Judaism. It is ultimately about places to learn where Christians have some things to learn.”

These places include: Sabbath, Food (perhaps my favorite chapter…no surprise there), Mourning, Hospitality, Prayer, Body, Fasting, Aging, Candle-Lighting, Weddings, and Doorposts.

If you’ve read my site much you know I pretty much only talk about my faith on here in terms of the books I’ve read (I figure if you really want to know what I believe we can discuss it in person – not on Simple Modern Life). So – yes, this book is about spiritual practices and Christianity, and I found the perspectives refreshing. The book is short – it literally only took me about three days to get through the whole thing by just reading before I went to bed. But it’s worth checking out, for sure, and brought to mind a few areas which I hadn’t considered – always my favorite feature in a book of any kind.

Last summer, I had gone to visit my grandmother, and she insisted on making lunch for us. This is no surprise, since you’re pretty much not allowed to visit without having a meal. I have no idea what she made (sorry, Granny…I know you’re reading) but I do remember she sat out a plate of sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. I took one bite of the pepper and asked, “Where did you get this pepper!?” It was the most peppery-pepper I had tasted in years. It had come from my aunt’s garden. I knew right away that there was something to this grow-it-yourself idea because I buy green peppers frequently from my fancy Kroger and none of them taste that good. Ever.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet on the site before, but we’re planting a vegetable garden this year. It’s something we’ve said for the past few years we should do, and just never got around to it. But this year we’re committed. The pepper incident was a first step in pushing me toward actually getting some seeds in dirt, but it was reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that really pushed me over the edge. It might be a complete flop. I have no idea what I’m doing, but we have plenty of family members to ask for advice. And even a few successful plants of produce will be worth it. My goal is just to have something growing in my dirt this summer.

I had been reading this book for what feels like forever (since approximately January 17, which is when I did my last book post), but that is in no way a reflection of how much I enjoyed the book, or of its quality. To be completely honest with you, this book is changing my life. It didn’t hurt that a couple of chapters in, I watched Food, Inc. (and ALL of you should, too), which in some ways felt like the video companion to this book. It will simply change the way you think about food.

The premise of the book is a family who lives in rural Virginia that decided for one year to eat completely locally (with very few exceptions, such as milled flour, coffee, spices, etc. that couldn’t be acquired locally). There’s a whole locavore movement now, but this hadn’t yet caught on when this family started their experiment. They bought locally grown beef, raised chickens and turkeys, planted a large garden, then canned and froze the extra harvest. Not only is it a fascinating story (the book is arranged chronologically) of the various growing/harvesting seasons, but is packed full of useful information about the food industry as a whole.

My only complaint about the book is it started a bit slow for me. I wanted to hear more about their personal story and how they actually got started, but the first couple chapters were full of socio-political commentary about the food industry. Not that I minded the information, but I found it preachy and impersonal. Once past the first part, this kind of commentary was thrown in places where it fit along with that part of the story, so I didn’t mind. But once I got through the first couple chapters, it wasn’t an issue.

The story is true – a memoir (no surprise that I’ve enjoyed another one) of two friends. One a former cotton-picking virtual slave and homeless man, the other an international art dealer, and the story of how they became friends. It is so incredible, if someone had made it up, only people who like incredibly sappy things would enjoy it. But because it’s true, it makes it increasingly hard to put down the further along in the story you get. I began reading it slowly (a couple chapters a night) and then finished it in two subsequent late-nights because I simply could not put it down.

Like some of the other books I review, it does have many Christian themes. Regardless, it’s one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever read.

The verdict: Go read this book. Today. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. And then let me know what you think about it.

Note: This is an affiliate link, which means if you buy this book after you click on the link, I make about a quarter. No pressure. I want you to read it, but I don’t need your quarter.

A memoir (no surprise as this is my absolute favorite genre) about life and faith and family and how those can intersect, this memoir does not follow any sort of timeline. In fact, it has a more stream-of-consciousness feel than is common. He will be writing for several pages about his daughter’s struggle with anorexia, and then jumps right over to some issue of faith that ties in together beautifully, even though you can’t quite put your finger on how he made the leap.

I also felt like throughout the book, I’d be reading a few pages and thinking to myself that it’s sort of interesting, but mostly just self-aware musings from someone wanting to just sort of put it all out there, and then I’d be blown away by a few pages of some of the most incredible writing I’ve ever read. This happened several times throughout the book, and made the less interesting parts worth pushing through (not that I was ever in danger of putting it down for good).

The verdict: An easy read at only 106 pages, this book is fantastic if you like a memoir. And yes, while it does feature prominently the author’s faith, it’s never preachy or even annoying.

There were a few tips I did find helpful, and have been putting into use. One was to do tasks in short time bursts. (The author specifically specifies 2-minutes, but I’ve found success in using time blocks 15 minutes or less). She encourages you to try to, say, clean the kitchen, straighten up your workspace, or fold a load of laundry for just a couple minutes at a time. This is helpful for me because I find it’s usually the starting I have trouble with, but saying to myself, “I’m only going to work on this for a few minutes,” makes it easier to get started.

Another great idea that I have actually been putting into action is to prepare for tomorrow tonight. This means to get any paperwork, supplies, etc. for the morning ready the night before. If you work outside the home, that includes putting keys, bags, and anything else you need to take with you in the same place every day so it’s ready to go. For me, this means putting milk in sippy cups and putting them in the fridge, setting out dishes, and programming the coffee pot the night before. That way I don’t have two whining children literally tugging on my pant legs while I’m walking around the kitchen gathering things for breakfast. It also means preparing envelopes or packages for the post office, and paperwork for the bank the day before so all I have to do is grab it and go.

The first half of the book I found pretty helpful. I am already doing most of the things she suggests (which further confirms my suspicions that much of my stress comes from having two little ones at home, and not from some character deficiency I have). It is full of practical tips. The further the book goes, the more abstract the advice because it deals with long-term planning, goal setting, dreams and priorities. There were still helpful sections here and there, but I found the first sections much more helpful for my day-to-day issues, which is why I wanted to read the book in the first place.

Then, in the very last chapter, she went and quoted Joel Osteen. It was something about success and setting your mind to things. Ugh.

The verdict: If you’re feeling like your schedule is out of control, there are plenty of helpful tips about keeping a calendar, to do list, and time-management strategies. If you’re in reasonably good shape and looking for just a few hints, you can probably find plenty of those from from organization blogs.