I enjoyed 24 out of the 25 audiobooks I listened to this month. The 24 audiobooks I recommend are in bold type in the reviews below. For other recommended audiobooks, check out this link here.
1-Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance– What an awe-inspiring elegy! JD Vance grew up in Appalachian Kentucky, with some rather out-of-control family members. He and his sister (what a fantastic girl), suffered all kinds of emotional, physical, and social difficulties. JD Vance continued to push through his trials. He later joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and is now the Republican VP candidate. This book is more about Kentucky and the trials and struggles the people in this area face than politics but I do appreciate his insight into how to solve these problems. He believes that this area needs a lot of things. It needs strong and intact: families, communities, and religions, and that the people need to learn to work hard, increase their education, and not rely on governmental welfare.
2- Grant by Ron Chernow– Ulysses S Grant was a fantastic man. I loved learning more about him. This 48-hour audiobook rarely dulled as it was very well written. I enjoyed learning about the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the tumultuous years after the Civil War ended when Grant was President of the United States. Grant and his wife Julia did so much for America. Frederick Douglass eulogized Grant as, “a man too broad for prejudice, too humane to despise the humblest, too great to be small at any point. In him the Negro found a protector, the Indian a friend, a vanquished foe a brother, an imperiled nation a savior.” After reading this book I would agree with Douglass; he is a hero.
3- The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel, Justine Eyre et al.- The Hallmark movie of this book is so well done that I was excited to listen to the audiobook. They are a great combination. While the movie does change the storyline just a bit, I like the change. So, while I greatly enjoyed this book, I prefer the movie.
4-Unlocking the Hidden History of DNA by Sam Kean, The Great Courses- This was a fascinating book. While I do not believe we come from chimpanzees like the author does—actually a lot of the DNA data the author shares does support my religious beliefs, I learned so much by listening to this book! DNA evidence supports that all living humans came from the same one woman (Eve?) well the author doesn’t think she’s Eve and he takes about a chapter to explain how this could be and still be inline with his belief that we came from apes but I know the short answer; we are all decedents of mother Eve and I find it fascinating that our DNA proves this. I also found fascinating that what we eat, drink, and smoke effects our children and our grandchildren through what is now termed parental epigentics. Epigenetics is the study of how genes are regulated, rather than the DNA sequence itself. It suggests that experiences during development can alter epigenetic marks that control gene expression, which can change how and when genes release information. I’m so glad that my parents and grandparents did not smoke, drink alcohol, or abuse drugs and that I have not either because these habits are scientifically proven to negatively effect children’s and grandchildren’s genetic marks.
5- Little Princes by Conor Grennan– I highly recommend this book. It was a very inspiring read. I was moved by everything that Conor and other volunteers and some Nepalese people did for the sweet Nepali children who were sold, stolen, and trafficked for money. War-torn Nepal, with its lack of communication, transportation, and organization, made it very difficult to help lost children and supposed “orphans.” I was inspired by Grennan’s faith, fortitude, and service to these people.
6- The Wright Brothers by David McCullough– This is an excellent book about the Wright brothers, their lives, and how their dogged hardwork and persistence led them to discover the art of flight. The were humble, dedicated, and undaunted. I loved learning about them and their family. Their sister and father were so supportive by helping the brothers, Orville and Wilbur keep going despite their many struggles and failures. I liked how they funded the entire project from their bicycle shop and how they took many trips to North Carolina’s sand dunes to practice and make improvements. I especially liked how they created a wind tunnel in their bicycle shop to test different theories and how they studied birds intently. Once they had figured out how to fly, the brothers were smart enough to patent their airplane and keep rights so that despite the many people who tried to poach or claim they invented the airplane, they did get the credit. While someone would have gotten there someday the Wright brothers were far ahead of any other person trying to fly at the time. I’m so grateful for the fantastic Wright family!
7- Baby Steps Millionaires by Dave Ramsey– Anyone in America can be a millionaire by the time you retire says Dave Ramsey, and then he outlines how this is possible. So I have a few hangups with Ramsey (and I really like him and most of his stuff). One of the problems I have is his push to tighten down the hatches now, while your kids are young so you can be rich later. Why would I defer spending on my children while they live in my home and cut back so far that I cannot afford their activities, family vacations, experiences together, etc. just so that I can be a millionaire when I retire? I do not want this; I would rather live tight when I have retired and my children are all out of the house than tighten my belt now. I do not regret paying for my children’s activities, family vacations (we travel quite inexpensively), and family experiences. I fully understand the power of interest + time but the time with my young children is my priority.
8-The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson– Sanderson did it again—his creativity knows no bounds. I was intrigued by this story, which, being very short for Sanderson’s standards, had so much depth in it. I liked the forger and that she made the best of the path she was forced to take. I liked that he did not try to add too many characters so that the development could be strong for the few he introduces in this short book. Great work.
9- The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry– This is such a hilarious book! I plan on listening to it with my kids. It would be great to listen to preteens and teenagers as well. I’m a big fan of Roald Dahl, and Lowry did a mish-mash of many of Dahl’s stories (and others) to write this funny and entertaining book. It’s a funny Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Oliver Twist, and other stories mis-mashed into one. If you listen, don’t miss the glossary at the end—so many laughs.
10- The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey– This is my favorite book by Dave Ramsey. I loved the Biblical references to wealth and the encouraging and refreshing messages in it, and I liked his humor in this book. This is the funniest of his books; there was a lot of wittiness and dry humor, which I appreciate.
11- Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan– Patti Callahan is an excellent author. I loved this book. I admire C.S. Lewis and loved Callahan’s “Becoming Mrs. Lewis“; this book about C.S. Lewis’ inspiration for a British family was almost as good. The way it ended was magnificent and poetic.
12-Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan– I liked this book about a little girl who is a genius and the people that she helps as they create a community for her. It was a sweet and entertaining read. I wished the ending was a little bit more developed and thorough because while the reader does get some closure, there is still a lot left unknown for an interested reader.
13- The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore– Holy smokes, this is a must-read. I had never heard about Elizabeth Packard but I am glad I have. She was wrongfully committed to an insane asylum when her evil husband decided he no longer wanted her around. She was separated from her children, family, and friends and was left to the devices of a psychopathic warden (if he wasn’t, he bordered on psychopathic). She stood up for others in the asylum and when she finally got out went on to champion the cause of protecting those who are wrongfully committed and those who are truly insane. She did so much for the cause of humane treatment of those who suffer from mental illness. What an amazing woman. It the very end of the book I feel Moore couldn’t help but push her own feministic agenda but the rest of the book was very good.
14- Imagine the God of Heaven by John Burke– I was fascinated by the research on the thousands of Near Death Experiences (NDEs) that Burke studied and their commonalities. I know there is a God and an afterlife, and Christ is our mediator and Savior. So, while most of this book came as no surprise, I was fascinated by many details from those who have been clinically dead, left their bodies, and returned.
15- Miracles by C.S. Lewis– This book requires quite a bit of introspection and time to digest. Since I usually listen to books at 3x speed, I had to slow this one down… I still was not able to fully grasp some of Lewis’ philosophies. He is a genius; I am not, so I was not surprised at my inability to comprehend some of it. This was my least favorite book of Lewis’s as I found it overly complex; however, what I did understand was profound. Overall, I agree with Lewis; I know that God uses what we term miracles to further His purposes on earth.
16- Great Again: How to Fix our Crippled America by Donald Trump- The more I learn about Trump the more I like him. I agree with his ideas on strengthening America’s economy and positioning globally. I hope he is given another chance at the presidency.
17- The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys– Sepetys is a good author. This book is about what living in Spain under the fascist dictator General Francisco Franco, was like and it sounded pretty miserable. I was sad to hear about how the babies of republicans were stolen and sold to parents of those who were more in league with fascism. The love story that was the main plot was okay, but I felt like it could have been much better developed.
18- Win Your Case by Gerry Spence– This is a great book for those interested in legal matters, court cases, etc.
19- The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar– This was an entertaining read about women pilots during WWII. They were able to help out with the war effort in unique ways because of their talent flying airplanes. They were not recognized as part of the Air Force until years later. I thought the storyline was good, and there was fair character development.
20- Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump– I liked this book about how Trump grew his business and made himself a billionaire. He had a knack for knowing where and when to buy, what to design, and how to make money without becoming a conglomerate business.
21- Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze– This was a refreshing financial book. It reminds me a lot of the financial book my sister and I wrote together, Living a Rich Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom. Rachel Cruze, daughter of Dave Ramsey likes to shop and spend (like me) but she has learned to budget, use cash, invest, etc. basically do the steps her dad teaches. What I find refreshing is that she talks about the vice of comparing oneself to another on social media. This truly is a trap so many in our generation fall into. Comparison shopping, traveling, buying, etc. is so real for me that for the past 12 years I’ve hired a virtual assistant who does my business social media because I have found life to be much better when I stay off social media almost entirely. This a good book about modern day issues relating to finances.
22-Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Acheiving Success by Rory Vaden– I feel like motivational and learn to be productive books are all very similar. Vaden talks about putting in a lot of time on the front end of something to reap on the back end. You can put in 80-hour work weeks for a few years until you get to a point where you can do the 4-hour work week thing as Tim Ferris talks about. I can definitely see how this would work through referral clientele, streamlining systems of production, a large client base, etc. For a stay-at-home mom like me, most of these books don’t apply. I will be putting in 80-hour work weeks until my children are all about 16, 17, & 18 or have moved out… but for those in the workplace, this is a good book for them. I may reread it if/when I return to the outside-of-home workforce.
23- The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by Admiral William H. McRaven– This book has very sound advice about leadership and attacking problems head-on. I really like his emphasis on telling the truth and having integrity. It was entertaining yet concise: McRaven is a great author. There are some repeats in this book from his other book, Always Make Your Bed.
24- A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie– Some authors can sketch characters and create development so quickly, and that is one thing I love when I read Christie’s books. This was no exception: significant character development, a quick-moving plot, and a cohesive storyline. This was a fun listen.
25. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey– I did not like this book. McConaughey professes his belief in God and Christ yet throughout the entire book normalizes and even glorifies breaking God’s commandments. Lying, cheating, stealing, abuse, immorality, profanity, assault, drug use, alcoholism, trespassing, and more—these have been the building blocks of his life and are normalized by Matthew in this book. He’s finally settled down and gotten married—yet the movies he is producing have immoral standards and he is marketing/selling alcohol despite having a alcohol addiction. Even knowing his background of an abusive childhood I still struggled through this one.
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