I don’t really get to read books any more, but I love to listen to them. Especially when I’m traveling or cleaning. A good audio book makes the first one pretty enjoyable and the second one pretty tolerable. Summer time is THE BEST time to dig into a book, here are a few to check out.
Things a Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone | By far a favorite! If you have an entrepreneurial bone in your body you will love this book. Biz shares his story of cofounding Twitter and about all of the trials before, after and during. It’s really personable (I was a teensy bit worried it would lean toward dot com boasting – and it sorta started that way) but in the end it was inspiring and a good listen.
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley | I started by first borrowing this book from the library but wasn’t able to get all the way through it in that crazy allotted time (10 days??) and switched over to audio. Ripley dissects the educational system at home here in the US and in three of the most successful countries in the world: Finland, South Korea and Poland. (For comparison, the US ranks 29th, 22nd and 19th in the world overall in math, science and reading). The commonality between all three of these top countries? Kids witness their parents holding, reading and loving books. I guess headphones connecting my phone to my head don’t count. But, you’ll never look at school again in the same way after reading this one.
Maxed Out by Katrina Alcorn | I found this book through a blog on this particular day. When I travel for work I am always making crazy car commutes at crazy hours of the day to align everything right for family to care for Marley while I’m in the office. Sometimes a 1 or 2 hour commute (almost 3 hours one morning, that was pretty crazy) and I always download a new book to join me for the ride. I so look forward to listening that I could drive all morning. But back to this book – if you are a working mom and want to commiserate with another working mom on how the system is unbalanced (with plenty of facts to support), try this one out. I enthusiastically support her honesty and another book on why we should change the culture is awesome, but the missing piece from this book is more on how.
To All of the Boys I’ve Ever Loved by Jenny Han | I found this book through a blog as well while looking for a light chicklit. I wasn’t hooked, but I did finish. Classic YA literature and it was cute but not a must-read for me.
Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? Mindy Kaling | Really enjoyed this book and love Mindy’s sense of humor. Her honesty is refreshing, her writing is witty and while I might have enjoyed certain other funny lady books a little more, her authentic self is the very best part of this book. (I’m on the wait list for Not That Kind of Girl through OverDrive at the library as next up).
I just started Prince of Tides at my mom’s suggestion – any thoughts? Also, a paperback version of Better than Before just arrived in the mail. It was a library book that turned into a full blown purchase because I want to highlight that thang up. Gretchen Rubin is awesome.
PS I listen to all of my audio books through Audible on my iPhone, Amazon + Audible = :).
One of my favorite parts of maternity leave was that I would finally have the time to get in some good reading time. Not sure that will happen this time, but if at all possible, I’ll be referring back to this list. (I also just realized that the kids probably have no idea how much the Husband and I love to read. That needs to change)
Thanks for the report! As a HS teacher in a school that serves primarily minority and low SES students, I’m interested in checking out The Smartest Kids in the World!
I think you will really enjoy it! It was a great read for me with little kids :-).