Read With Keri: Books I Read in January
As we wrapped up 2020, I debated whether or not to keep monthly book recaps as part of my 2021 content strategy. I know not everyone’s a “reader” or enjoys hearing book recommendations, so I wasn’t sure what to do. In the end, I decided to keep them as part of the Coffee With Keri lineup.
Why? Well, for a few reasons.
Reading is one of my favorite past-times. Coffee With Keri is a place where I share what I’m doing, learning, and loving with you. Reading, especially lately, is one of those things.
This keeps me accountable to keep reading. If I didn’t share the books I’m reading, I probably would not read as often, to be honest. It’s like working out. When you have an accountability buddy, it encourages you to keep going! My 2021 reading goal is 75 books so we’ll see how it goes!
It’s like a little book club. I’ve seriously considered starting a book club but I don’t love the idea of forcing someone to read a book when there are so many amazing ones out there that you may like better. So as a compromise, I’m naming this series “Read With Keri,” and in these posts, I’ll share what I’ve been reading, you can share what you’re reading, and we can love reading together from a distance! P.S. If you want more timely updates on what I’m reading, follow me on Goodreads or my bookstagram, @readwithkeri.
Now with that little housekeeping update out of the way, here are the books I read in January.
Present Over Perfect — Shauna Niequist (4/5 stars)
One of my words of 2021 is “intentional” so this was a perfect book to kickoff the new year. The author is a Christian, which I didn’t know going into it, but really enjoyed her perspective even more when I realized it. She focuses on the importance of being present in everyday life and shares practical tips and wisdom from a biblical perspective.
The 5 Love Languages — Gary Chapman (5/5 stars)
This book has been chilling on my bookshelf for a few years and I decided to finally dive in. I’ve heard so many good things about it and knew going into it what it was basically about. It’s the idea that everyone has a primary “love language” even though we technically have all 5 to some extent: acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, and gifts. Gary Chapman walks through each one and shares why knowing others’ love languages is important to building lasting relationships.
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life — Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein (4.5/5 stars)
I’m a huge Marie Kondo fan, aka the woman who coined the phrase, “Does it spark joy?” This book was helpful and practical. It’s basically a guide to decluttering your workspace, your digital files, finding joy in work/at the office, and finding ways to enhance your schedule.
Coronavirus and Christ — John Piper (5/5 stars)
A short, but impactful read. John Piper (an incredible preacher) wrote this at the very start of COVID in February 2020. Everything he says he backs up with Scripture, which I found encouraging. It’s short but very deep.
American Dirt — Jeanine Cummins (4.5/5 stars)
Wow, this book. It kept me on my toes and I couldn’t stop reading it. I had heard good things and it definitely lived up to the hype. I will say it was definitely emotionally and physically intense at times. The first chapter literally starts by describing an entire murder scene and sets the tone for why the two main characters are fleeing Mexico for the United States. (That’s not a spoiler alert, by the way.) So good, but definitely proceed with caution.
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years — Julie Andrews (3.5/5 stars)
I’m a big Julie Andrews fan. She’s talented, classy, and has a regal presence. I read this as an audiobook and Julie Andrews narrated it, which was super cool. She describes her acting years but it doesn’t really go into much past the ‘90s. The entire time I was hoping she’d describe her The Princess Diaries experience but she never did.
The Night Circus — Erin Morgenstern (3/5 stars)
The Night Circus was recommended to me by several people so I decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I couldn’t get into it and the author’s writing style was not my favorite. She is a very descriptive author and I found myself skimming pages because she went into such detail about little things that were unnecessary. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters but by the end of the book, I had more questions than when I started.
The Vanishing Half — Brit Bennett (4/5 stars)
This was another book I had heard so many good things about. I requested it from the library back in September and it finally came in. It’s about twin sisters who are separated and live completely different lives based on how they choose to identify (white v. black). Here is a better recap of the book from Amazon:
“The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?” Read the full recap here.