On the bookshelf in December

I started reading Hand to Mouth: Living in Boostrap America by Linda Tirado because it was next on my list & I felt like it was a pretty perfect follow up to The Four Winds which was the last book I read last month. Understanding poverty has always been really interesting to me & my curiosity has grown since I started working in a public school in a fairly low socioeconomic district. Overall this book was fairly interesting to me & I caught myself thinking of different situations in which I’ve judged impoverished people unfairly. This book made me rethink everything I thought (or really, assumed) about the impoverished population & their choices. It was a pretty quick read, only took a few hours (of course, I stretched this out over the course of a week). I would recommend this book to anyone who works with or has interactions with people who are in poverty (AKA, everyone ;) ). I gave it three out of five stars.

The next book I read ended up being my favorite book from 2021!!! It was High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life by Tiffany Jenkins. I feel like I’m experiencing a bit of writer’s block because I don’t even know where to start with this one — it was THAT good!

When I first went to college, I was really interested in the criminal justice system & thought I wanted to be an addictions counselor, so this book was right up my alley. My mom read this book before me & kind of had a hard time with it. It’s honestly like watching a tragic car wreck in slow motion. My mom wanted to look away, whereas I couldn’t get enough — I needed to know how she made it out alive. I truly felt like my eyes couldn’t read fast enough!

I’m a sucker for a redemption story & this one is exactly that. I am so thankful that Jenkins has done the work & healed so much that she can share her life struggles with us readers. The book is incredibly authentic & she hides nothing (this is your warning)! She exposes the thought process that takes place for so many people who struggle with addictions & it was incredibly eye-opening for someone like myself who loves to understand the “why”. I feel so proud of her for writing this book & I don’t even know her!!! I gave it five out of five stars.

The third book I read was Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land. This book ties right into my strange kick lately with reading books about the cycle of poverty. I started reading this one when I heard lots of talk about the Netflix series that’s based off of this book. I really enjoy reading books & then watching the movies / tv shows that are based on them & seeing which one I like more. This book is about a single mother, Stephanie, who is fighting to stay afloat & raise her young daughter, Mia, while minimum wage jobs, including cleaning services (as observed by the title of the book ;) ).

If I’m being totally honest, I was surprisingly disappointed by this book. I felt like it was pretty depressing & felt like every chapter I was reading the same thing over & over again. I also didn’t love the ending & am wondering if the author left it open so there’s the possibility for a sequel? But I don’t even know that I’d read it if she did come out with one. I’m not sure if I’m being extra harsh on this book solely because the one I read right before this blew my socks off, or what. But regardless, I gave this book two out of five stars.

My mom read this book after I did. She grew up with a single mom & said it really opened her eyes to a lot of struggles her mom must have had that she wasn’t aware of. She gave it three out of five stars.

The fourth book I read was Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate. Because of my background (getting an undergrad degree in social work & a masters degree in school counseling), I figured I was going to love this one & for the most part, I did. The main character, Christie, is in recovery for an eating disorder. A recommendation of a therapist, Dr. Rosen, comes up while in conversation with a friend. Christie says why the heck not & goes for it. She winds up being part of a group where she’s prompted to share her secrets with a circle of strangers.

There were a few parts of the book, specifically the therapeutical experience / relationships, that I disagreed with. Dr. Rosen believes that all trauma / human struggle can be linked back to sexuality or death. Personally I believe that there are a lot more roots to struggle than just these two, but the book really hones in on these. Because we’re talking about sex, there are areas of the book where it’s kind of uncomfortable to read & some sections that are pretty raunchy & I would consider rated R — just a warning!

In the end I gave the book four stars because I genuinely loved reading about her group therapy experience & could relate to some of her internal struggles with her body & even being a single woman.

PS - I actually didn’t even notice until typing up this book review that it is a memoir! That just shows how easy it is to read her story.

The next one I read was The One by John Marrs. I usually don’t read thrillers because I’m too much of a chicken lol. I told myself I could read one while on Christmas break because if I couldn’t sleep, I’d be able to take a nap. #logic

The idea behind the story is a program called “Match Your DNA” where people submit their DNA in order to find their “perfect match” according to their DNA. Fascinating! Each chapter jumps back & forth between the five main characters & their stories — Ellie, Nick, Jade, Christopher, & Mandy. There is a serial killer amongst one of the groups, so some chapters are a bit freaky. Overall, I was super invested in each of their stories & truly could not put it down! I gave this one four out of five stars.

My mom read this one after me & agreed that it’s a total page-turner!

I started reading Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel, but only made it about a tenth of the way through before deciding to stop. I went through a season of life where I forced myself to read / finish books & that totally took the fun out of it. I wasn’t enjoying this one & told myself it was okay to stop! This is where I ended for the month of December.

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