Hi! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break! It feels like it’s been forever from this little space. Whatever sickness took down Jonathan proceeded to take down Harrison and Nathan the week of Thanksgiving. Needless to say, it’s Monday morning and this is the first time I’m writing to you when my house feels eerily quiet after two weeks of sick people at home. This morning, everyone is back to school and work. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for a rough sickness season, but truthfully, I’m not ready. I’m already tired just thinking about it.

Today is my (usually) monthly book review. This November I finished three books, and I wish I could say I loved the as much as my October books, but alas, I wasn’t that lucky.

I started this month finishing The Glass Castle.

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly.

Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict”. Cooking a meal that would be consumed in 15 minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town – and the family – Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

(Book descriptions from Amazon)

I find it hard to criticize a memoir. It’s somebody’s recollection of their life. I struggle with this book, though. The callousness of the parenting was at sometimes hard to read, and while I can understand the author’s adoration of her parents, it seems discouraging. Overall, this book just wasn’t for me.

Colleen Hoover’s sequel It Starts with Us, which is the follow up to It Ends with Us came up, and I decided to grab that one next.

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).

I enjoyed this book at the level that I got to reconnect with Atlas and Lily and pick up where their story left off. But overall, this novel fell flat for me compared to the first in the series. I didn’t feel like the character development was as robust, and the exploration of life circumstances just didn’t compare to the first. Overall, I’d call it just perfectly fine.

I ended the month finishing up my Kindle book, Why Motherhood Matters.

Mama, your work has deep worth

Do you ever wonder if your efforts as a mom make any difference?

Take heart. Whether you’re struggling through sleepless nights with your toddler or endless battles with your teen, September McCarthy’s story offers practical insights and powerful inspiration to encourage you on your own mothering journey.

As a mom for 25 years who continues to raise young children and love her young adults, September imparts words of wisdom and grace in key areas of Christian parenting, including….

• Faith – getting honest with your family about your need for Jesus
• Wellness – learning to take care of your kids…and yourself
• Education – raising a new generation with creativity and character
• Relationships – speaking to the heart of your children in unique ways

In this audiobook you’ll find sweet anecdotes and gentle guidance for those moments you need both a breather and a lifeline. Motherhood is an incredible labor of love – and in the scope of eternity, it matters more than you know.

There were parts of this book that I really loved. Things that I took away and want to do with my own kids. And other parts that Nathan and I just have taken a different parenting path than the author. I read this book on my Kindle, and I’m the slowest reader alive when it comes to sitting down and reading through physical books. So my struggle with this book I think was partly due to just not consistently picking it up every night.

What are you reading right now?