Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Yet another book that I dearly loved as a kid and which I haven't read for at least two decades. I am really having fun reading these Newbery award winners that I had a strong connection with as a child... Maybe I will get tired of this goal once I get past all the ones I've read and start reading new ones I don't love. This is a really interesting story about some genetically modified rats who escaped from a lab that was studying them and have set up their own civilization with electricity and food, etc. It sounds like it is a ridiculous story when you summarize it quickly, but when you read it and the rat is explaining everything that happened to Mrs. Frisby, you totally believe, Oh, yeah, this could totally happen. This book totally held up for me--it was still so fun to read, even as an adult. And I definitely, definitely want to read this one with Dane sometime.

The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

This book was an interesting one. I can't decide if I really liked it or just average liked it. The book is about an academic competition team from a middle school in New York, and about the four members of that team who start out with very different stories. You learn about the four students each on their own, and then see how they all come together in a way that teaches them all kindness for each other and for their teacher. I thought the message of the book was great--how they all became nicer than they had been because of each other. I don't know if I loved all of the individual chapters about each of the kids--they took a long time and felt very random as you were still figuring out how they all came together. It kind of felt like Konigsburg was just throwing together four random stories about these four random kids, with the connecting string of the academic competition in between each of the chapters to keep it going. I liked it, but I don't know that I would have loved it as a kid. And her From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is clearly superior to me.

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie C. Martin

I love a good book about books, and this book is basically a long book list of books for children in other parts of the world, for your children to learn about other countries and to build connections with other parts of the world through stories. I feel a little silly even including this book as one that I've read, because 3/4 of it is a booklist, which I skimmed, but I did read all the rest of it, and I plan to use the book list to my advantage when we get back from our trip and I can request some of these books for Dane to read. I love the idea of reading books about different parts of the world with our kids and this book seems like a fantastic resource to help me do that better.

Holes by Louis Sachar

Of all of the Newbery award winners, this was probably the one I was most familiar with and least needing to re-read. I remembered the whole plotline and everything about it, because I read this book dozens of times when I was the right age for it. But I figured, why not read a book I already KNOW I'll enjoy? Why skip out on a great middle-grade novel just because I've already read it, if I'm reading a bunch of other less exciting ones too? So I read this on Saturday night and plowed through it really quickly, and loved it just as much as I knew I would. I really just wanted to introduce Dane to it right away, because of how good it is and how weird and random and strange it is, but although I know he's capable of reading it, I think he will enjoy it more later when he's a little bit older. There's no rush. He will have plenty of time to fall in love with Holes later on. Although this book is weird and kind of unbelievable, it's just so great and exciting and so un-put-down-able that it's hard not to love it.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I thought the premise behind this book, of being a fake documentary of a fake 70's rock band, sounded pretty interesting. I kept hearing about it and finally decided to check it out, and listened to it as an audiobook. I definitely think this was a great book to listen to instead of reading, because hearing all of the characters' voices was huge. I was eventually able to tell who was speaking just from their voices, and I thought the people they'd cast for each of the characters were great. Daisy Jones's voice in particular was really good, and it really made me feel more invested in the story hearing her say things like she was actually being interviewed. I really got caught up in the story, and it really felt like a believable story for a band. I would totally have been googling it and looking up if it was real if I hadn't already read reviews of people confirming that they had indeed done that and that it was fictional. I thought it was a really interesting portrayal of a specific time and place, LA in the 70's, without really glorifying drug use or addictions. I did really like the characters, particularly the three women and their strong opinions and voices, all in their own ways. And I liked how Billy and Camila believed in each other and how Billy kind of redeemed himself and turned his life around because of her, and the message that he kept choosing her even over other things he might have wanted more at that short time. But I didn't like the constant tension between Daisy and Billy and the wondering if they were going to eventually start sleeping together (I would have been so mad.. you know I hate infidelity/adultery stories). It was definitely a good book to listen to.

Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate by Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries

I kept listening to this audiobook thinking that Tommy might really enjoy this. It's all about how Zillow uses data to learn about trends in the marketplace for real estate, and how much of our conventional wisdom about real estate is not actually supported by what the data is showing. Tommy has always said that he thought Zillow would be a really fun place to work at, with all of the problems they are working on, and this book confirms that. The only thing I didn't really like about this book was that it kind of seemed like it was almost a long advertisement for Zillow. I get that Zillow is the only company with enough data to support all of this research, and the two authors are the CEO and chief economist of Zillow, but the book seemed pretty self-serving and self-congratulating at times. But there was definitely really interesting information and it makes me wish that everyone had access to this information--it seems like this could change a lot of our country's policies and buying and selling habits. I liked many of the specific chapters and the conclusions they came to, but it seems like they seemed really sure of their conclusions.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

This sure seems like a random choice for the Newbery. I read this when I was a kid, but only vaguely remembered it, and I'm kind of surprised that it won the Newbery award. Not that it wasn't good, but there wasn't really a message or anything deep behind it. It just was a mystery, which I enjoy as much as anybody, but it seemed like most of the Newberys have more going on behind the scenes. I thought the mystery was pretty awesome, though, and I love the plot of naming people to in a will and making them do stuff for their inheritance. It was a great read and a fun way to spend an evening.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this Newbery winner. I only read it because I was trapped at the children's museum for five hours with my kids (seriously!), and this was available as an e-book from the library and I read it while we were waiting. This book is about Merci Suarez, who's entering sixth grade and middle school, and she's dealing with all of the same issues that all middle schoolers do--mean kids, wanting things that everyone else has and you don't, worrying about people not liking her. But she's also worrying about her family and her grandpa, as he begins forgetting things and she doesn't understand what is doing on. I thought this book was incredibly well done--I loved Merci's matter-of-fact point of view and the way she loved her family. I was really moved and totally teared up as Merci learned that her beloved grandpa had Alzheimer's disease, and as she began to comprehend what that meant for her and for her family. It was so sad and so real. I really liked this story.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

I had no memory of what this story was about from when I read this when I was a kid. I hadn't thought of this book for years, honestly. But I read it today and was surprised when it took me like 25 minutes. Maybe even less. It was one of the shortest books I've ever read. I liked the story of Anna and Caleb, who were two lonely kids in their prairie home, whose father brings Sarah to their house to try her out as a stepmother for them. They love her from the beginning and spend the rest of the book longing and worrying that Sarah won't love them enough to stay. I thought that was the most poignant part of this book, how you could really feel Anna and Caleb's longing and loneliness, even with the most spare and basic prose of this book. It wasn't my favorite book I've ever read, but it was fine--especially since it was really so short.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I loved this book when I was a kid. Loved it so much. But I hadn't read it for at least two decades, and I didn't remember almost any of it, except the most basic of the story, that one girl helps to protect her Jewish friend during the Holocaust. I had totally forgotten that this was set in Denmark, which I love so much. I feel like I learned about Denmark's resistance movement much later in life and was really surprised by it, and didn't connect it to this book (which I was definitely familiar with). We have such huge connections to Denmark now, and I had never put this together. I love that this was the place where this inspiring story happened. I loved how the Annemarie learns how brave she is, and I love the message for kids. This one is definitely a keeper, and it was just as enjoyable to read as an adult.

Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

I've heard about this book for years and just finally got around to it. I always love a good book about books, and this one did not disappoint. Plus, I love that this was written over 100 years ago, but it felt like it could have been much more modern (other than the horse-drawn carriage part of it all). It was a hilarious story about a woman who buys a traveling book van in order to stop her brother from buying it, because she is tired of him leaving her at home to run the farm while he goes off on adventures. She goes off on an adventure of her own, and starts to try and sell books, and ends up being surprised by what happens to her. I loved this cute little story--it was short; it only took me maybe two hours to read--and I am super happy to have read it.

This book really reminded me of The Bookshop on the Corner with Nina's traveling bookshop that she set up in her van in Scotland, although it was a totally different setting and time period. It just felt like both Helen (from this book) and Nina just seized this random opportunity to drive around selling books to people, and both were about how people just need to find the right book, and the importance of spreading literature to the masses and bringing books to them.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

I really loved this book when I was a kid. I read it many, many times, but I didn't remember anything specific from it--just that it was about a boy and there was something to do with a divorce. I read it again today, and was pleasantly surprised to find that a) it is a SUPER fast read and would only take me like one hour and b) it holds up as a really well-done book, even though I am reading it as an adult. I am so impressed at how well Beverly Cleary helps you to see Leigh as a character and how you come to understand his emotions and why he feels the way he does, even with just the bare writing that Leigh is doing. I also really liked how Mr. Henshaw clearly took a little bit of time to get to know Leigh and to respond to his letters, and how he helped him to increase in confidence and become a better writer, just through a little bit of encouragement.

The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

This is officially the children's book I have read aloud to my kids the most, by their request. Graham LOVES this series and continues to beg me to read it over and over. I love it too, and the cute kids and their adventures, so I don't mind at all.

The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles by Dale G. Renlund and Ruth Lybbert Renlund

This is the third book I've read in the last two weeks about the priesthood, and I still feel like I am barely starting to understand more about it. This book was not about women and the priesthood, like the previous two that I read, but it was a solid, foundational overview of the priesthood and what we know about it from the scriptures and from the Renlunds' experiences (particularly Elder Renlund's experiences). I loved the second half of the book where they shared specific principles that priesthood holders should live their lives by, because it really emphasized the humility and selfless service that is defining of the priesthood. I feel so inspired to think of the good that men living the true order of the priesthood can be like--truly focusing on humility and trying to be like the Savior. I am trying to figure out how to relate all of this to my talk on Sunday, but either way, it was very useful and interesting to read.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

I read this book as part of my goal to read all the Newbery award winners--I want to read 25 of them this year (it'll take a long time to get through all of them). I really enjoyed this simple, short biography about Abraham Lincoln. I definitely want to buy this one to keep on our shelves, because it seemed like a really concise book about Lincoln that is perfect for kids. I can't say I learned anything super new about Lincoln from this one, but it would be great for kids.

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

I loved this book so much when I was a kid. I read it many, many times, and I can't even say why. It's not the most engrossing cover or the most exciting story, but I loved it, and I loved how real the kids in this story are and how determined they are to achieve their goal of getting a wheel on the school so they can lure storks to settle down in their town. It's still a great story, and one I really enjoyed reading again. I love how the kids get so into their project of finding a wheel, and how their project becomes this unifying thing between the whole town, involving people who have been ostracized or alone. I think this is well worth the read and a great one to keep on our bookshelf.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

I read this for my book club meeting next week, and I kept putting it off because I really didn't want to read it. The name sounded kind of weird and I just kind of pictured it being a very "book clubby" book, one that felt like it was written just to be discussed by a group of women. And basically that's what it was, but it was also really enjoyable and a fun read. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, mostly because I liked the main character, Queenie, and all of the women in their quilting club. I also felt totally absorbed in the setting of the book, Depression-era Kansas, and I loved how much the setting played a role in the story. It may have been a book clubby book, but I loved the Persian Pickle Club and the message of loyalty between these women, and I was surprised by the turn it took at the end where the book all of a sudden kind of becomes a murder mystery. I really wanted to know "whodunit" at the end, though, and you don't really know! I was definitely pleasantly surprised by this book and am glad I read it. Plus it only took me a few hours today, which is always a bonus.

The Priesthood Power of Women: In the Temple, Church, and Family by Barbara Morgan Gardner

This was one of the most eye-opening books I have ever read. It makes me incredibly sad that I didn't understand all of this about the priesthood before, because this has honestly changed my life and my testimony. I feel like understanding more about the priesthood has answered and can answer so many of the questions that I have had, and that many other people have had. Gardner has done so much research and reading, and is incredibly well-organized in her writing. This book felt much more in-depth than Sheri Dew's book about the priesthood, which makes sense considering Gardner's background as a professor and researcher, and I felt like she did a very good job presenting the information in such an organized way. I underlined sentences on almost every page of this book--so many things I wanted to remember and come back to, and to use in my talk about the priesthood next week. I'm so grateful to have read this and to have been assigned this talk so that I've been motivated to study so much more about the priesthood. The more I read, the more I've realized I need to read more, and ponder, and pray about it, but this was an incredibly valuable resource that has given me so much more light on this subject than any other book I've read.

Women and the Priesthood: What One Mormon Woman Believes by Sheri Dew

I've had this book on my shelf for about 5 years and never read it. (There are so many books to read!) But I am giving a talk in church in a week about President Nelson's talk from the women's session in General Conference about women and the priesthood, and I thought it was high time I finally read this book. I thought it was very enlightening and interesting--I was underlining sentences throughout the book. I was a little disappointed at how Dew got right up to the questions that I feel like everyone is asking--like, isn't there an inherent inequality in men having this authority while women don't?--and then just swept them away by saying "No, it doesn't," without giving any sort of explanation or justification to her thoughts. I am totally ready to agree with her, but she didn't explain it. She just went into talking about how we have to have faith and not understand everything, which I agree with, but there HAS to be some sort of explanation that someone could make that helps people feel better about it. Right?

She does make some great points. I loved how several times she detailed all of the opportunities for leadership and governance that women have in our church that they don't have in other churches. This is something we might be just taking for granted because we are so used to all of the chances we have to lead organizations, speak from the pulpit, and teach gospel doctrine. It made me feel very empowered to realize how unique we are in this way. I felt like the crux of her argument was in the chapter "Access to God's Greatest Blessings," where she goes into the differences between priesthood authority and priesthood power and the blessings of the priesthood. It was very similar to what President Nelson said in Conference, which felt so radical and exciting, but obviously is not new at all, since Dew wrote this book years ago. I won't detail everything she said here, but it will be very helpful to my talk and I plan to use it there.

The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan

This was another not-so-stellar read, but at least it was for my book club so there was a reason for me to have read it. I feel like this book was a not-so-good version of The Happiness Project, with less research and less specific things that the author did to increase her gratitude and improve her life. I felt like this was a very amorphous project--the author said she was "going to be more grateful" during the year, and she supposedly focused on gratitude in different aspects of her life each month, but it was hard to see what she was doing other than saying what she was grateful for. I liked how in The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin had very specific goals and actions she was doing to improve her life, and she had very specific habits and ways of tracking those improvements. This just didn't have the same "oomph" behind it, and Kaplan had some annoying habits as a writer (like always incorporating her research interviews into her narrative--I kind of hate when they do that, like they just so happened to think of a question, call someone up and talk to them that day). I think this had a good point to it, I just didn't love it.

The Year of Less by Cait Flanders

I really wanted to only read really good books in 2020. Books that I actually wanted to read, and books that were really good. I already failed with the first book of the year. I got sucked in by the cover on this one, I guess, and I also do love books that are about year-long projects (even though they are starting to get old). I started reading it while we were eating lunch at McDonald's and the kids were playing, and I had already checked the e-book out from the library so it was just waiting for me on my phone. The one really good thing about this book was that it only took me about an hour and a half of reading (I did skim some sections because I was so bored). This book was just filled with meaningless meandering thoughts by Flanders, who has no expertise and did no research into this topic, so this book was really just the story of her year and her kind of whining about how hard her life is when it sounds like she just had a lot of addictions that she had gotten herself into that she was getting herself out of. Kudos to her for doing it and turning her life around, but man... this was just not interesting and not inspiring and not at all worth the read.