Well, I’d intended to make these book reviews a monthly thing, but I’m just going to round up my recent reads from the last few months.

The weather has actually been comfortable recently (minus today’s rain), so I foresee evenings and afternoons spent outside on our patio reading and enjoying the fleeting Spring!

#CUPOFCATHERINEREADS – A REVIEW OF MY RECENT READS

The Mothers by Brit Bennet **** ½

The Mothers is an incredible debut from a woman sure to become a recognizable name in the industry.

The story revolves around Nadia and her relationship with her father (both of whom are burdened with significant grief following the shocking death of Nadia’s mother), her romance (and eventual falling apart) with pastor’s son, Luke, and a surprising friendship with Aubrey, a “motherless” girl in her own way.

Central to both the story and the book’s title itself are “the mothers” (elder women) of the church, who act as sort of a chorus throughout the narrative, explaining histories and divulging secrets of churchgoers and the protagonists.

Nadia navigates the many roads of love, friendship, tragedy (her mother’s death is just one of the gut-wrenching tragedies Nadia endures), betrayal, independence, and forgiveness, but the roads are bumpy and winding, as most are.

I found a few flaws in the novel (which is to be expected with any debut), but overall, I thought Bennet’s writing was beautiful and fluid, and I was glad to see her share the ugly sides of the characters. I wish the characters themselves had more empathy for one another, but I suppose the narrowness (particularly of Nadia in response to her father and to Luke—who experiences their shared tragedy in his own way) of their reactions just shows how we all have to fully grieve before we can open up to others and view things from multiple perspectives.

I give The Mothers 4 ½ stars (out of 5) and look forward to more by Bennet.

***The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck by Mark Manson *

Contrary to a literal interpretation of the book’s title, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** is not about throwing out all your f***s and adopting complete apathy. In fact, it’s about carefully choosing our values, so that we can devote our energies to the activities, causes, and experiences that bring us authentic joy and fulfillment.

I’ve read quite a bit in the self-help genre, and I admit that it’s difficult to find any truly original content these days. Self-help tends to follow the “you can do anything if you set your mind to it” theme, and while I believe that is true on a basic, fundamental level, I think living a fulfilling life is about much more than that.

Manson does a great job integrating his personal story, plenty of humorous anecdotes, and some valuable lessons that reminded me strongly of the tenets of ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) and the underlying ideas found in Brene Brown and Kristin Neff’s works, which is “accept your flaws, be vulnerable, and realize we are all human.”

I didn’t stumble upon any completely new (to me) or mind-blowing concepts in this book, but I did enjoy the read and found it refreshing compared to some other self-help authors (Rachel Hollis of Girl Wash Your Face and Jen Sincero of You Are a Badass) who can’t seem to look past their own privilege.

I give 3 stars (and plenty of f***s) for Mr. Manson.

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer ***

It took me forever to get through this one.

I consider myself to be a fan of Jonathan Safran Foer (Eating Animals was an outstanding and thought-provoking book, and I also thoroughly enjoyed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close many years ago), but I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about this novel.

The novel blends elements of magical realism (the founding of fictional village, Trachimbrod, and the histories of its residents) with the modern-day quest of the young protagonist, also named Jonathan Safran Foer, who travels to the Ukraine with a photograph, in search of a woman who may have rescued his grandfather from the Nazis.

Jonathan travels with Alex, a young Ukrainian translator, Alex’s blind grandfather who drives—yes drives—the car, and Alex’s dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior.

Parts of the story were hilarious (Alex’s letters to Jonathan, with their exaggerations and dreadfully broken English), some parts were gut-wrenching (Grandfather’s emotional telling of his best friend Herschel’s death during a Nazi invasion had me near tears as well as the deeper revelations that Alex shares through his own narration), and other parts were just plain weird (Jonathan’s grandfather’s sexual escapades and his exploits’ fascination with his “dead hand” just seemed unnecessary).

I found the mix of three narrators confusing, but things did improve (you could say they were illuminated) in the last third of the story. At the end of the novel, I had much more sympathy and respect for Alexander and much less for Jonathan (the character).

Everything is Illuminated earns 3 stars.

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon ***

The format of this book is a little different than I expected—I thought it was going to be more like a memoir. It’s actually a collection of stories, recipes, etc.

As a Southerner (who’s fond of old homes, our strange-but-charming customs, and Reese Witherspoon as an actor/person), I enjoyed the book. It was light, funny in places, and full of bright, colorful images that I enjoyed perusing.

It’s a bit difficult to rate this one—but I give it a solid 3 stars (leaning toward 4).

365 Days of Happiness by Jacqueline Pirtle ****

Disclosure: I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.

I’ve mentioned that I’m burned out by the self-help genre, but something about 365 Days of Happiness caught my eye.

The format is simple. It’s meant to be read daily, somewhat like a devotional, with 365 “tips” for discovering, nurturing, and fully experiencing happiness.

To accomplish a review, I had to read the book fairly quickly and digest several days’ worth of tips at one time, so I found the sections to be a bit repetitive.

I did find it light-hearted, encouraging, and realistic (for the most part), and I have full intentions of re-reading as the book was intended.

The book encourages mindfulness, daily “check-ins” with ourselves, learning to identify our emotions, and choosing to live a life of gratitude. It doesn’t provide a recipe, per se, for achieving happiness (because happiness is a mindset and way of living, not a particular point or level one achieves), but it does suggest simple, yet achievable, changes we all can make to live our best lives.

Since author Jacqueline Pirtle has a background in holistic coaching and public speaking, I found her suggestions to be right in line with some of the tips and practices my therapist has given me over the last couple years. The book is all about mindfulness, values, and responding (rather than reacting), thus it never leads us astray from the reality that WE are in control.

I would recommend the book—not as a quick read, but as a daily “devotional” to set the day’s tone and spark some reflection.

It earns 4 stars.

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