Maame by Jessica George (★★★★☆)
Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Fiction • 2023
Short synopsis: Maddie is the primary caretaker of her father who has advanced-stage Parkinson’s. It means living at home, turning down social plans, and keeping the truth of her life from her best friends. And then her mom returns home from Ghana to help care for Maddie’s father, so Maddie jumps at the chance to move out and experience more of life.
This is the kind of book that grows on you. It’s not an easy book because Maddie does not have an easy life. But it is an impactful one. At first, I found it difficult to connect with Maddie and just wanted her to take more ownership of her life. But as the book progressed and as Maddie’s life opened up with new friends, new romances, and new struggles, I found myself caring deeply for her and wanting to see her growth. This is a debut that sometimes read like a debut (it needed at least one more round of copyedits), but all in all, a book that I ended up really enjoying. I found the way the author tackled issues of racism and sex in dating to be particularly impactful. (Trigger warnings abound, so please read up on them if you need to.)
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore (★★★★★)
Audiobook • Libby • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 2023
Short synopsis: Best-selling author and speaker, Beth Moore, invites us into her life, starting with her childhood in Arkansas through her leaving the Southern Baptist church.
I’ve long been a fan of Beth Moore. Even if I’m not a fan of organized religion and most Christians, Beth Moore has a part of my heart. I grew up on her Bible studies and can still picture the videos we would watch in our women’s Bible classes where she was centered at a pulpit. While there is much that she believes in that I don’t anymore, I was excited to get my hands on this memoir to learn more about the woman behind the Bible minister. And this book was phenomenal. There is so much I did not know about her life and her struggles, and it’s a strong reminder that we never truly know what’s going on in someone’s life. I was really struck by the sexism she endured as a woman minister by other male ministers, although I don’t know why this surprised me. These are the same men who put Donald Trump on a pedestal, after all. (For the record, she didn’t vote for Trump and has been appalled by the behavior of church leaders toward him.) I think this book is best for people who know who Beth Moore is and want to learn more about her life, but it’s very Jesus-y so be warned.
Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren (★★★★☆)
Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Romance • 2017
Short synopsis: Evie and Carter meet at a party and immediately hit it off. But this exciting new relationship comes to a screeching halt when the company Carter works for merges with the company Evie works for. Suddenly, they’re competing for a job.
I honestly did not remember that I had read this book in 2018. After reading the first few chapters, I pulled up my Goodreads app to add it as a book I was currently reading, and was shocked to discover it was listed as “Read.” I don’t know what it says about this book that I didn’t remember anything about it. But it was four-and-a-half years, one pandemic, and nearly 500 books ago, so I’ll forgive myself for not remembering it. It’s a really cute contemporary romance – a classic Christina Lauren novel that’s not going to make you think too much, but will make you root for the characters. There were some things I rolled my eyes at (like all the childish pranks they pulled on each other, oof), but overall, I just really enjoyed the book.
ABANDONED: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
I started this queer romance a few years ago since everyone was talking about it, but it just wasn’t working for me at the time. I picked it up again last week because I was certain there was just something I was missing from it and maybe it would work for me this time. WRONG. I still disliked it immensely. The main character is so mean and unlikable and so much of the writing was over-the-top that I abandoned it again. This time I gave it many more chapters, but I should have listened to past Stephany on this one.
What are you reading?
Interesting about the Alexis Hall book. I didn’t write a full review on my blog, but I was pretty positive about it: Hall is the reigning royal of queer romance and this book has it all – humor, feelings, and realistic life complications. I greatly enjoyed this book. Keeping our book opposites tradition alive!
I am shocked, I tell you, shocked! 😉 I was trying to hang in there for the redemptive story arc, but I just could not do it. I’m glad you enjoyed it, though!
I’m reading “Mika in Real Life.” It’s about a woman who reconnects with a daughter she put up for adoption when she was 19. I wasn’t sure if it was the right book for me initially but I am glad I stuck with it because I’m really enjoying it.
I don’t know who Beth Moore is but have heard great things about her books but I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind for a really Jesusy book. My faith is in a really complicated place right now. I can’t talk about it on my blog because my family reads it. You know I was raised Catholic but I don’t think I can raise my boys Catholic for a variety of reasons – sexual abuse and teachings on homosexuality, among other issues. I can’t stomach them learning that the love between Phil’s best friend and his husband is wrong. Boy I’m really going off the rails with this comment. 😉 So I’ll just stop there.
Mika in Real Life sounds very intriguing!
Oh, friend. It’s such a hard thing, isn’t it? Feel free to email or text me whenever you need to talk about religion stuff like this. I’ve been through that complicated place with my faith as well, and it still feels very fraught and tangled. <3
These all sound good! Especially the last one – that is where my head’s at right now. Just all fluff. I had been wondering what Maame was about, so thanks for the synopsis!
I just started Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family.
Christina Lauren is a great choice when you need a good, fluffy romance!
I’m going to have to look up that book, sounds like one that’s right up my alley!
I cannot remember if I’ve read Dating You Hating You, or if I put it on my 250+ TBR list after I read something else by CL, or what. The premise doesn’t sound remarkable so if I did, I probably would have forgotten too. I have done this many times! Started a book and thought, hmm, this seems familiar somehow…
I just finished The Paper Palace, which I LOVED. I am reading a book called Hold My Girl and it’s not great. It’s not terrible but it’s pretty meh. It’s a Canadian author, so I WANT to like it but it’s really MEH.
The crazy thing is, I didn’t remember ANYTHING about Dating You Hating You. I don’t think I would have realized it was a reread unless I saw it on Goodreads, haha.
I’ve never watched/read a SINGLE Beth Moore study (and I’m Baptist). I really wish I had a connection to her work because I think this memoir would hold more of a punch for me? But I do want to read it anyway because I find memoirs fascinating. It actually came in on hold for me at the library but I was away, so have to re-order it.
I am curious about your thoughts on Beth Moore’s memoir! Her study on James is phenomenal, if you feel like getting into her Bible studies after reading. <3
I read the Beth Moore book but had never heard of her, so it was an interesting read for me. I am not religious but I do enjoy learning about the different facets, how people feel about them and what happens in the places I do not frequent. I enjoyed the book and felt it was enlightening and interesting.
I am currently reading Matthew Perry’s memoir. It is information that I did not know about, but I find him kind of shallow; he jumps from woman to woman, drops words about money a lot (he talks about how many millions his rehab has cost, the sad state of his life while he sits in his multi-million dollar house overlooking the ocean, his Ferrari, etc.) that I do not find add to the heart of the story. I do feel bad for him having a horrible disease/addiction and I do empathize with his struggle, but I don’t think I actually like him much.
I was surprised to see you had read Moore’s memoir! But I love that you are willing to be exposed to other religions and ways of living. That’s really great.
Ugh, I don’t think I want to read Perry’s memoir because Chandler is my favorite character on friends and it makes me so sad to think about the real person behind the character. I know they’re different, but there’s something about knowing everything he went through while filming Friends that could put a damper on my rewatches. Which is a silly reason not to read a memoir, I know!
Maame sounds really interesting – I may have to add that to my miles-long TBR…
And, the memoir sounds interesting. As someone who is not a believer in, really, anything (but who grew up in a mainstream Protestant church), I find it kind of fascinating that someone would put up with what Beth Moore apparently did, yet remain in that church/religious group. I probably would have left. Hm. Not sure I’m interested enough, though, to put up with the Jesus-talk… Thanks for the head’s up on that. (I mistakenly bought a “self-help” book by a very Jesus-y person a few months ago and keep forgetting to just delete it… this reminds me I need to do that! :>)