My Bookstack, May-June
Ratings, reviews, and a quick poll.
Seven books! Yippee! I’m gradually getting back on track for my annual goal after a slow start to my reading year. All the driving back and forth to Minnesota gives me plenty of time for audiobooks (you’ll notice six of the seven I read over the past two months were on audio). While I get real satisfaction from turning real pages, I also really enjoy audiobooks. I love that I’m able to do other things (i.e. knit, clean house, and DRIVE!) while reading a book. I’m curious how common audiobooks are with my readers. Will you take my poll?
Without further ado, here is my latest “stack,” along with my personal ratings and reviews.
*BookStack, vol. 9, May-June, 2025.
Where the Light Fell (Philip Yancey) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highly Recommend. I haven't read any of Philip Yancey's other work, but I'm very familiar with his name through the Christian community. I was very touched by his memoir. Despite a very fundamentalist upbringing in a racist, judgmental church and home, he was able to find his way to the saving grace of Jesus. I was moved to tears as he described how meeting the woman who would become his wife changed his life, and then again as he encountered Jesus on a very personal level in college—an event that changed the trajectory of his faith. His brother's heartbreaking story is woven throughout the book, and although Marshall had many struggles, Philip's support and love for him are unfailing, in many ways mirroring the grace he himself experienced through Christ in his own life. (Audiobook)
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Jonathan Haidt) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highly Recommend. Jonathan Haidt lays out a very convincing argument on the detrimental effects of smartphones and social media on children/teens that began in 2010 and continues today. The statistics are sobering and scary. Two of my children (my daughters) grew up during the "phone-based" era he describes, and I'm sure they've suffered some of the struggles he points out. I've also witnessed negative outcomes (i.e., addiction, low self-esteem, anti-social behavior, etc.) in middle school (and younger) boys and girls I've worked with. His data even has me considering a change in my phone and social media use habits as I see and despise the addictive mechanisms at work.
In an ideal world, every parent, teacher, and school administrator would read this book. Although the pressure to give kids phones and social media accounts is even greater today than when my kids were young, the evidence to support waiting until high school (for smartphones) and age 16 (for social media accounts) is also greater. Haidt gives many suggestions for combating the phone-based childhood, including phone-free schools and collective action by parents. He promotes more independence and unsupervised play in the real world for today's kids, with greater restrictions and supervision in the virtual world. (Audiobook)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommend. This book has been on my TBR list for a long time, probably since I was first introduced to and moved by Maya Angelou’s poetry. For some reason, I was under the impression that this was a book of her poetry and didn’t realize it was her memoir. Of course, that made it all the more interesting, and still beautiful in Angelou’s lyrical writing style. Angelou recounts her childhood and the struggles she and her brother endured growing up in a racist community under her grandmother’s care after their parents abandoned them. When her mother reentered her life, another tragic incident caused much heartache and confusion for this young girl as she came of age. The book was more graphic than I expected, and I was disappointed with the ending which seemed abrupt and incomplete. Still, I always appreciate a story of greatness born out of struggle and admired Angelou for her perseverance. (Audiobook)
Good Night, Irene (Luis Alberto Urrea) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommend. I sometimes attend the women’s book club Beagle and Wolf Bindery in Park Rapids (MN), and was excited to see this book on the list for June. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, as I learn some history while reading an engrossing story. Good Night, Irene opened my eyes to a group of strong women—the Donut Dollies—who served donuts and coffee from Clubmobiles, in an effort to boost soldiers’ morale during World War II. A little-known branch of the Red Cross, these women were brave—willing to leave all that was familiar and comfortable—in an act of sacrifice for their country. Although the book started out somewhat slow in the first half, the action and intrigue increased as the book went on and I appreciated the theme of lifelong friendship as well as the story’s ending. Urrea’s author’s note added interest as well, as he shared the background story of his mother, whose service as a Donut Dolly inspired his writing. (Audiobook)
Eat Like a Heroine (Lorilee Craker & Jenny Williams) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highly Recommend. (Hardcover) Definitely the most unique and adorable book I’ve read this year! Lorilee and Jenny together—through whimsical words and illustrations—bring us lessons on food, literature, and strong female characters we’ve grown up loving. Think: Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, the March family of Little Women, and more. The authors’ entertaining style and humor bring us more than unique recipes and analysis of literary classics. Through deep research and personal experience, they teach us how food serves many purposes in our lives, only one of which is to nourish our bodies. They helped me connect to characters I’ve loved and admired, and introduced me to new ones I have yet to read (and inspired me to pick up the Maya Angelou book I had long intended to read!). (Hardcover)
All the Colors of the Dark (Chris Whitaker)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highly Recommend. My friend Deb Alexander recommended this book and it did not disappoint. Full of suspense, mystery, tragedy and triumph, it was often hard to put down. A boy named “Patch,” and his dear friend—a girl named “Saint”—weave a tangled web as they search for “Grace,” a missing girl (one of many in the book) who had played a part in saving Patch’s life. Chris Whitaker’s storytelling is packed with intriguing characters, beautiful sentences, unexpected twists, and complicated love stories. This one ranks near the top of the books I’ve read so far this year. Content warning: contains scenes of child abduction and abuse that readers may (should) find disturbing. (Audiobook)
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff (Dana K. White)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommend. This was a quick read/listen that I will chalk up as my “home improvement/self-help” book for the year. Dana White has a simple yet effective plan for decluttering your home. She is also funny! She presents her decluttering method, and then goes through the home—room by room—to demonstrate how it works in each situation. Her method is repeated in each room/chapter, which, although repetitive, helps the principles stick so you can easily recall them by the end. I’ve already started using some of her “tricks.” Thanks to my sister, Phyllis Penninga, for bringing this book along on our shopping jaunts around Minnesota! (Audiobook)
Although writing these reviews takes me a little time, I find that doing so helps me dwell longer on each book, process what I’ve read, and remember the books longer. Also, I know that leaving a review (or a simple star rating), REALLY helps authors! Which reminds me…I have a quick ask for you. If you’ve read Empty-Nest Joyride, and haven’t yet left a review or rating, would you take a few minutes to do so?
I concur - All the Colors of the Dark - fantastic! I also love the graphic on how to support an Indie author. Well done
Yancey's book is an incredible must read! Happy July, Linda ...