Hi friends and fellow bibliophiles,
July was a pretty good month for reading. I finished an amazing epic fantasy series and read a few interesting nonfiction books.
Our family also enjoyed July with 4th of July celebrations and going to a family reunion in the mountains.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these books and what you think about them.
Cheers,
Tonya
Speaking Bones (Dandelion Dynasty #4) by Ken Liu
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, but need to read the first three books first
Review: This was the concluding volume in the amazing Dandelion Dynasty epic fantasy series. It was quite an epic ride. It was full of ups and downs and some truly surprising and heartbreaking character deaths. Liu’s prose flows well and is a pleasure to read, as seen in this quote, “Good isn’t always accomplished through beneficent means, and Evil isn’t always committed without some sympathetic cause.” He has also created some of the best-developed characters I’ve ever read --- including one of the most controversial characters. There are no simplistic or two-dimensional villains, and our protagonists make some serious errors and then have to deal with the equally serious consequences. I really loved how Liu tied all of the threads together at the end to give the reader a fulfilling conclusion to a long journey. The pacing was a bit slow in places, and I think it probably could have been about 100 pages shorter. We didn’t get to meet some of our protagonists from the third book until almost 50% of the way through this one. I guess that’s bound to happen though with a large cast of point-of-view characters. I also loved the female characters in this series. They are cast as everything from leaders, to tyrants, to artists and engineers, and it’s great to see the breadth and depth of the female characters he writes. Liu’s theme work is equally well done and he explores themes of everything from how history will remember us, to finding the right path in this confusing, mortal world. I highly recommend this series to anyone who’s into fantasy or good books in general. Liu really hits it out of the park with this conclusion.
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and NurtureYour Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Segel and Tina Bryson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, for parents
Review: This book changed the way that I approach my parenting. The authors explain a method for disciplining children that doesn’t rely on threats or time-outs and spankings. The focus of the discipline method is connecting with our children and talking to them about what they did, how they’re feeling, and why they did what they did. It doesn’t advocate for removing consequences or punishments, but it does stress that they shouldn’t be doled out in anger. When applied, the skills here allow children to develop their own emotional intelligence and moral compasses. However, like all parenting books I’ve read, this one is easier read than applied. The authors acknowledge this and even talk about a few situations where they’ve lost it with their kids, although to be honest, these read as pretty sanitized stories. To help with these lose-it moments, the authors suggest that parents admit when they’ve made mistakes as well and apologize to their children, a strategy, which I’ve noticed usually works pretty well. I recommend this book to all parents with young children while acknowledging that not all of the skills are as simple as they make them seem, and that some of them haven’t worked completely for us. Still, I think it’s better than what we were doing before, which is progress.
Shadows of Self (Mistborn Saga #5) by Brandon Sandeson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, but need to read the other Mistborn books first
Review: This is the 5th book set on Scadrial, the Mistborn world in Sanderson’s Cosmere extended universe, and the second in his second arc of stories. In this one, we pick up with Wax and Wayne a few months after the conclusion of the last book and things aren’t looking good in Elendel. In an interesting twist on the trope he used in the first Mistborn novel, Wax and his friends are pitted against a being that’s trying to topple the government. Wax gets to go “detectiving” for a lot of the book, and we learn more about his Teris heritage and past. Wayne, true to form, gets to test out even more disguises, and provide us with truly funny quips and snide remarks. I also enjoyed getting to see Marsi grow more out of her crush on Wax and into a good constable. I also liked that we got more Steris in this book, as I remember her being one of those side characters that Sanderson makes you go from not really caring about to loving. The book ends with Wax crushed and his faith destroyed, which turns out to be a more interesting turn for his character than a complete victory. All in all, I really liked my re-read of this installment and can’t wait to read the next.
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy is Wrong -- and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, for pregnant people
Review: This is a pregnancy book written by an economist, not an OB/GYN. Oster uses her research and evaluation economist skills to sift through the actual research that supports all those pregnancy do’s and don'ts that the doctor and your friends tell you. She talks about the research behind the list of foods that pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat and breaks down the risks from each type of bacteria and whether that bacteria is harmful to the baby or not. She talks about the recommendation not to sleep on your back, and provides detailed charts about the likelihood of going into labor at different weeks. She says that bed rest hasn’t been found to reduce preterm labor, among other things. I find that having more information is generally helpful to me and helps me to worry less about things that I can’t control. I recommend this for other women who are curious if all those recommendations they’re getting have any evidence to support them.
A Brief History of Equality by Thoman Piketty
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes
Review: I’ve read most of Piketty’s books, including the ones that are 1000+ pages, and this one is definitely the most approachable. He basically tries to condense the most important ideas and data from those works into this high-level summary, although he does try to sneak in more in the extensive footnotes at the end of each chapter. That’s right, I see what you did there, Piketty… In any case, I don’t think there’s any new content in this that you wouldn’t find in one of his other books, but it’s definitely briefer and more understandable. Piketty makes the case that since the 1800s the world has been on a slow but undeniable march towards more equality. Although this progress has and continues to face setbacks, it is real. I think it’s important in the face of all the negativity and setbacks surrounding inequality and justice to remember this message, and Piketty does a good job of explaining it without shying away from the current issues and problems. He makes a slew of policy recommendations that, in this day and political environment, seem impossible, but would undoubtedly make great progress in reducing inequality globally. I always enjoy reading Piketty’s work and recognize that even though the changes he proposed seem impossible, just starting a dialogue about how to reduce global inequality is part of the process to create real change. Recommend for anyone interested in inequality, economics, or tax policy. |
| I love it when I find Chloe reading to Maya. |
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| Chloe and Maya thought the best part of 4th of July was the face paint, which they insisted on wearing the next day too even as it gradually got wiped off. Chloe also said that the fireworks were beautiful. Maya said they were loud. |
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| Sharing a shake at 5280 Burger Bar in Denver. So yummy. |
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| Maya being silly. I love it when she does silly little dances and things. |
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| We took the girls climbing in Eldorado State Park. Maya wasn't very into it, but she did let Daddy pull her up the rock a few feet. |
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| Chloe was much more enthusiastic. To be honest, we spent most of the time trying to keep them from running in the road as the climbing spot was right by the busy parking lot. |
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| Chloe and Maya were so proud to finish this puzzle together at the Broomfield Library. We love going to the library, not just to check out books, but also to play with the neat toys they always have available. |
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