Happy winter! Please enjoy a short list of books I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed to keep you cozy inside this season. Plus, a small blurb on why I loved each so much.
Non-fiction:
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
This book is such a necessary reminder that we cannot control other people, and allowing them to have their reactions sets us free. Let them underestimate you. Let them think what they want about you. Let them be in a mood. And critically, Let me. The second part to the equation is where the book focuses most of its energy and that is where your opportunity lies.
Why I loved it: I loved this because I struggle with caring about (controlling) what people think of me. I’ve actually experienced more peace and freedom since reading it.
Fiction:
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
A LOL story following two people who are navigating a breakup. Andy is a comedian and we follow his journey first as he really goes through it wondering WHY Jen broke up with him. Jen is an executive for a big company grappling with trying to fit into a society that encourages being in relationship. I read it in 3 days. So good!
Why I loved it : It’s hilarious. Very witty writing. Loved getting to know the ins and outs of Andy’s world as a stand-up comic. And in the end, I loved the twist of getting to hear Jen’s side of things.
That’s not how it happened by Craig Thomas
From the writer of How I met Your Mother, one of my personal favorite rewatches, comes a funny novel about a family at the center of its own story. Rob was a successful film writer in Hollywood and experiencing a career dip when his wife Paige, a one-time journalist but longtime stay at home mom to their two kids, writes a memoir of her experiences being the primary caretaker to the couple’s son Emmet, who has down syndrome. The book finds crazy success becoming a best seller and lands her with a movie deal… that puts the family in a tailspin.
Why I loved it: It has Thomas’ signature romcom feel good it’s all gonna be okay fingerprints all over it. It’s heartfelt and reminds the reader of this important universal truth: everyone (& their family) is as crazy and flawed as you (& yours) and it’ll be okay.
The road to tender hearts by Annie Hartnett
This dark comedy was as entertaining as it was heartwarming. We follow PJ, an elder lottery-winner grappling with the death of one of his kids, loneliness and alcoholism when he decides to take a road trip with his estranged daughter and two orphaned children all in an effort to reunite with his high school crush. Oh yeah, and there is a death predicting cat. Harnett has a true talent to tackle very serious subject matter in a very funny way.
Why I loved it: This was such a weird and witty novel (bit a of theme for me this winter). I mean, there’s a grim keeper cat! I pictured PJ as “the dude” and watching him stumble through his entire journey boldly making one seemingly irresponsible decision after the next, I still found myself rooting for him. It made me reconnect with the inner dreamer in myself igniting something inside me to also be bold in my choices (even if I do stumble). Life is just too short.
The husbands by Holly Gramazio
Lauren comes home drunk after going on a bachelorette party when she discovers her attic produces an endless supply of new husbands (and lives to go along with them). This predicament forces her to consider what makes the perfect match as she continues to swap lives.
Why I loved it: The premise! I was on the edge of my seat with each new life. It reaches a riveting boiling point and I found myself really wondering about every new partner, why she swapped him and how she seemed to change a bit herself with each of the new men in her life.
To top off the entertainment aspect, I did feel a deeper message once finished. In a world with seemingly endless possibilities and swipe culture, the temptation of a better someone (or something) is always there. However, no one is the perfect partner and the perfect life doesn’t exist either. There is no value in questioning what could have been or what could be. Your true happiness lies in being present and confident in your choices.
Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts.
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