It has been awhile since I shared what I have been reading, so I thought I would share a few of the books that I read in May.
I know it is still pretty early in the year, but I am pretty sure that one of my recent reads will make my favorite books of 2018 list.
Rise of the Rocket Girls
I agree with the review Grace gave of this book. I really enjoyed this book and am glad that I read it. It was a little slow at first, but once I got into it I loved it. I have not read very much on the space industry. I definitely didn’t know that so much of the space industry started in California, so it was fascinating to learn so much about it. The author did a great job of weaving personal stories into a book about science to make it more interesting.
Staying Stylish
This book was a decent book to read. I bought the ebook when it was on sale for only a dollar or two. It didn’t really have any new information in it, but was an interesting read even though I don’t agree with the author on everything. I like the fact that Candace Cameron Buree is so different than most of Hollywood. It is nice to read about someone that is not afraid to speak their mind and that will stand up for something even when they are in the minority.
Pride and Prejudice and Cheese Grits
So I will totally admit this was a fun mindless read, that was a bit cheesy. When my daughter saw the title, she gave me a hard time for even reading it. I read it after a really long week and finished it in less than 24 hours. It definitely will not become a classic piece of work, but it was a fun modern take on Pride and Prejudice. And it was just the easy fun read that I needed after a long stressful week.
Jack’s Life The Life Story of C.S. Lewis
My kids got me this book for Mother’s Day, and I am so glad that they did. I really enjoyed it. I have not read any books about the life of C.S. Lewis, so I can’t really compare this to other books about his life. I enjoyed this book though because it was written by his stepson, so it is written from more of a personal perspective. It covers some of C.S. Lewis’s academic and writing life, but it is mainly the story of his personal life. It covers his childhood, his relationship with his parents, brother and friends, his marriage, and more. It was an interesting look into the life of a an author so many know and love. If you love C.S. Lewis’s writings, I think you will enjoy this one.
Educated
It is only May, but I am pretty sure this book will go on my list for favorite books of 2018. I always struggle to say that I enjoyed a non-fiction book like this that shares a tragic event or difficult life and childhood. Maybe saying I found the book very fascinating is a better way to describe it. Once I started this book, I had trouble putting it down. I read it in just a few days. One day I had to force myself to put it down to cook dinner.
This is one of those books, like Hillbilly Elegy or The Glass Castle, that is almost too unrealistic to believe. But the reality is that there are more families like this then we like to admit.
Books like this are important because they open our eyes to the lives around us and how people live. I also loved how this book proved all that you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. It is called Educated for a reason. The author took her education into her own hands when her parents failed her. With hard work, determination, and a desire to learn you can accomplish almost anything.
I will add that I have seen this book all over social media the last few months. It is a book that many people are reading and have shared their love of. I was not aware of some controversy over the book until after I started reading it. Quite a few people don’t like the book or how she portrays her family and her life. It didn’t bother me at all. I know that there are always extremes, especially when it comes to politics, religion, schooling, etc. Just because her family did it one way does not mean that all people do it that way. I don’t think the author intended at all to say all homeschoolers or all Mormons or all conservatives are this way. She was simply sharing her story.