Hi friends,
August was a busy month for us, but I managed to get some good reading in including some parenting books and some excellent fantasy novels. Let me know what you think about these books, and if you have suggestions for further reading.
Tonya
In the Shadow of Lightning (Glass Immortals #1) by Brian McClellan
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Recommendation: for those whole like the author’s other work
Review: This book came highly recommended from Brandon Sanderson, my favorite author. I’ve also read some of McClellan’s powder mage series in the past, so I figured I’d give this book a try, but to be honest, I was kind of disappointed. The premise is really cool: imminently failing empire, murder mystery, hard magic system, and a fallen hero just itching to be redeemed. It took me a while to get into this book though, and I found that I didn’t really care about the characters for most of the book. I finally warmed up to them at the end, but I think that was a weak point. McClellan does a very good job of writing suspenseful action scenes and keeping the reader on their toes. I’d recommend for people who are bigger fans of his work than I am.
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, for parents of young children
Review: I read Oster’s Expecting Better last month where she examines the data behind common pregnancy recommendations and rules. Since I also have kids in the early preschool range, I decided to read this one as well where she takes a similar approach to the early years of parenting before public schooling begins at about age 5. She discusses the research that could help you answer many questions about the early childhood years: what effect does a parent working have on child development? If you need childcare, should you hire a nanny or find a childcare center? What effect does sleep training have on a baby’s development and relationships? I enjoyed learning about what research has shown in regards to each of these questions. I also liked that Oster advocated for considering parental preference in addition to child development. As she notes, “This idea—that what parents need or want will play a role in choices—can be hard to admit. In a sense, I think this is at the core of a lot of the “Mommy War” conflicts.” Applying parental preference means that a choice that might be right for one family, wouldn’t be right for another. Highly recommend for parents with young kids.
The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision-Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, for parents of school-age children
Review: Unlike her first two books where Oster examines the research to help parents answer common parenting and pregnancy questions, Oster recommends a framework for family decisions making and provides the reader with some useful tools. This book is targeted towards parents of children in grade school, and Oster recognizes that the type and decisions that parents begin to face at this stage is a lot broader than during pregnancy and even early childhood. So instead of discussing decisions individually, she draws from her time teaching business school classes and recommends a decision-making framework similar to what business students are taught. She recommends: 1) Frame the question 2) Fact-find 3) Make a Final Decision together 4) Follow-up. She says that this framework won’t guarantee that you make the right decision, but it will help you make a thoughtful one that is supported by the facts you can find. As my daughter started kindergarten last month, this seemed like a good time to read about this approach as we’re going to be making choices about extracurriculars, how to handle homework, how to balance family time with friend time, etc. She also talks about a few case studies that do have research supporting them like how much sleep does your kid need and when should you get them a cell/smart phone. All in all, it was a good mix of discussing research and applying the framework that she recommends.
The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn #6) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, a must read for fans of the series
Review: This is the third book in the second era of Mistborn, or the sixth book in the series so far. This was, I think, the best of the second era books we’ve got so far. The fourth one comes out in a few months, so we’ll see if that changes. I remembered virtually nothing about this book from my first read through, so it felt like I was reading it for the first time. It’s a good ride. I really enjoyed seeing Steris’s character development and watching her and Wax’s relationship progress. Sanderson really opens up the world in this book, and we get to see more of Scadrial and its peoples than before, which was neat. The climax is a lot of fun, and definitely evokes Indiana Jones, but of course, since it’s Sanderson there are multiple twists. Can’t wait for the next one!
Secret History (Mistborn #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, for those who have read all the other Mistborn books
Review: Saying anything about the plot or even the characters in this novella is a major spoiler for all the Mistborn books, so I’ll just say that it was interesting and really expanded the world of Scadrial into the Cosmere. It was kind of slow and disjointed at parts, even for a novella. Not my favorite entry in the Cosmere, but should be read after The Bands of Mourning.
Furysong (The Aurelian Cycle #3) by Rosaria Munda
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Recommendation: yes, but must read the first two books first
Review: This is the third and final installment in the Fireborne trilogy, and it was a great ending to an outstanding trilogy. This one sees our heroes, Lee and Annie, finally get over themselves and move on from all the frustrating fighting and arguing that they did in the second book. They still argue in this book, but they’re not working at odds anymore. In this one, the threats that they face are more external than the internal moral conundrums they faced in the second. There is plenty of dragon riding action, along with some even more emotional moments. It was satisfying to see how each character’s arc resolved and the sacrifices that they had to make. I highly recommend this series for any fantasy readers. The ending is definitely worth the read.
Mommy Corner
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| The girls like to build a "cozy corner" out of pillows on the couch and then read together. It's pretty cute. |
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| As part of Dan's family reunion at the beginning of the month, we went to the North Pole in Woodland Park, CO. The kids had a great time on all of the rides. |
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| Chloe was especially excited about this one. |
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| Maya was living her best life at the family reunion. |
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| For work, I got to go to NASA's first attempt to launch its new Space Launch System rocket in Florida. Here is my very pregnant self standing in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building, where they put the rocket together. You can barely see the rocket to the right of me in the background. Unfortunately, the rocket didn't launch that day, and hasn't yet, but it was still really exciting to go and great to see all the projects I've been working on for years. |
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| I brought the girls back these "catstronaut" shirts. They were right up their alley. |
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| We took all the little cousins climbing at the reunion. Well, Dan did. My pregnant self stayed at the cabin with Maya. I heard most of them had a good time. |
