I used to do a monthly post of my reviews with longer summaries. Since I set the lofty goal (for me) of reading 52 books this year, I decided I would do short book summaries of my finished list of books every quarter; this also helps me free up more of my time to create book lists that are themed by topic. I’m excited to say that I’m 3 books ahead of my weekly goal this year.
I’ve learned a lot already and I’ve had a lot of fun reading. I’m excited to see what books I end up finishing up this year! It should be noted that I do not give any spoilers that you would not pick up by reading the book jacket. Additionally, all of these books are family friendly, but there is extensive language in Brain on Fire.
This post includes affiliate links which help support Autumn All Along. Books with a * in front of them were given to me for free in exchange for a review.
1st quarter finished book list
š The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
This was a super easy book to listen to and I loved hearing more background info on the characters. Additionally, you end up having more resolution on what becomes of the characters later on. I would like to pick up more book from the series.
š Anne of Green Gables
I picked up this book and then I wondered how I went a whole life without meeting Anne Shirley. I loved meeting Anne’s lifelong friends and stood in awe at how happy she was despite former circumstances. The ending of her books always end up making me cry and this was no exception! Let’s be honest too, I plan on buying this whole series in print so I can mark them up and read them in the future.
š Anne of Avonlea
I continued to find Anne Shirley a kindred spirit as I read about her first year of teaching. Despite this, this is the only book in the series I have found kind of boring. A large part of the book was focused on a home improvement society that she developed with friends. However, I’ll always love Gilbert for giving her the school placement closest to her home.
š Anne of the Island
Anne follows her dreams to finish her college degree. I loved this book because it reminded me of experiences with roommates and it made me remember how boy crazy girls actually are. I found Anne to be the whimsical and lovable character I came to love in the first book and it ends with the perfect ending š .
š Anne’s House of Dreams
This book chronicles Anne’s first year of marriage in a quirky little small town. Something I love about Anne’s character is she always makes friends everywhere she goes- even with people that have especially eccentric or difficult temperaments. I cried when Anne lost her first baby due to being a stillborn, something that was emulated after the author’s own life, and bawled at the ending when life became so much happier again.
š Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
This is the true to life memoir of Susannah Cahalan as she goes from an independent and successful reporter to being admitted into a psyche ward with unknown causes. Cahalan uncovers her experiences over the month after being diagnosed with an extremely rare autoimmune illness that attacks her brain. As someone with autoimmune issues myself, I felt like I won the genetic jackpot after hearing about Cahalan’s nearly fatal health descent.
š The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back
This was a fun twist on the classic of Cinderella. Mattie Lowe is plagued by her perfect step-sister Ella. After years of Mattie pining for the same boy, Ella and him begin dating and she is convinced Ella is out to ruin her life. This is a dramatic, but sweet reconciliation of characters. I didn’t find Mattie very likable in the beginning of the book, but she grew on me eventually and I read the book quickly.
š How to Solve Your People Problems
I don’t say this lightly, but this is one of the best self-help books I have ever read. Dr. Godwin describes good conflict as well as bad conflict in the first few chapters and then moves on to something a little more complex. The author then goes to divide people into two categories: reasonable and unreasonable people. I ended up making over 70 notes in this book. I highly recommended this to anyone, but especially if you’re struggling to understand some dynamics with people.
š Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
Since I have CPTSD, I try to find anything I can that is reputable to help me understand more. This book was incredibly insightful because the author is a therapist who also has CPTSD. I feel like there are many things in here that would apply to anyone who has experienced shame, guilt, or any type of trauma. This book was particularly helpful in helping me identify some of my triggers as well as helping me understand that responses to triggers don’t always look the same (for example, they can be periods of sadness, obsession, etc.).
š Color Your Style: How to Wear Your True Colors
Zyla is a color professional that mixes his background with costume design to help people find their best colors. The system he portrays is very unique and his words are beautiful and full of flourish. However, the system is a little too complicated in my opinion for people to enact without a professional consultation from him. Zyla gives great tips to DIY with free paint swatches for your personal palette, but I decided I didn’t want to bother with it. If you decide to go this route in the color system, I recommend joining a facebook group to help you piece things together.
š Emotion Code
I ended up reading this because a cousin suggested it. The concept of the book is that people have trapped emotions in their body that impact their health. The book then goes through the steps on how to use muscle testing to help release those trapped emotions for better help. I thought a lot of the book was very interesting and insightful, but Iām on the fence on if it is something I would do. It did, however, help me understand applied kinesiology much better though.
š *Trybal Gratitude Journal
This is a very cute gratitude journal created to help people become more self-aware. I loved this journal because it is very date flexible and it goes through a lot of samples to show you how to get the most out of your journal and gratitude. I used to write one sentence everyday of something I was grateful for, but I found this much more constructive in evaluating my day. The book is also very thick so it could be used for a very long time.
š *Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness
If you or someone you know was just diagnosed with a chronic illness, please buy this book. The author really breaks down the dynamics that are involved with being chronically ill and the ramifications it can have on your career, relationships, family, etc. I felt the author offered kindness, experience, and a lot of insights into the feelings involved with being sick. I wish this was one I had read earlier in my diagnosis journey.
š The Gift of Fear
This book is super interesting! The author is a crime specialist who gives advice on how to understand violence, patterns in crime, and then how to listen to your most valuable tool when you are in a situation: intuition. I feel like this book has helped me alleviate a lot of anxiety I have had because of past experiences from being robbed to having predatory coworkers; I found the advice that the author gives on spotting predatory behavior in the beginning chapters are invaluable (even if you don’t read the rest of the book).
š *The Summer of New Beginnings
This was a cute book set in Georgia. Although a little cheesy at times, the character development was very strong for the mother and her two daughters. The author does a great job giving details, but I felt a little sad when I realized the build up of the book was so long in comparison to the resolutions. I loved the ending and the closeness of characters. I’m also impressed with how family friendly the book is considering so many of the topics being so serious.
š The Princess and the Goblin
I love fairy tales and this one may be a favorite now! While there are some questions I have about some of the elements of the book that were never explained, this story is so unique and interesting! I easily become bored of books and I found myself kind of sighing when I realized I was already halfway through. I’m so excited to start reading the second book in the series!
I enjoyed writing these short book summaries š . I’m excited to keep this up through 2018. I still have a lot of children’s books I would like to read for this year, but I am excited to complete my goal of 52 or more!
