book review: be happy

Face it: it's not always easy to feel happy. With all of the worries and trials of day-to-day life, the cares of the world can seem overwhelming. But as popular speaker and author Hank Smith demonstrates, no matter your circumstances, you can be happy—the kind of happy that illuminates you from the inside out, a joy that does not depend on what happens to you but on what you do with what happens. 

Big Hank Smith fan over here!! I took two religion classes from him my freshman year at BYU and they were life-changing! I love his perspective on the scriptures. He makes them come to life and if you know anything about him, you know he is hilarious! 

He is just about one of the happiest people I know so I feel like he was definitely qualified to write this book. 

Even if you find yourself feeling happy right now, there are so many great reminders in this book, funny stories, and science that explains what makes our brains tick.

What I loved the most was understanding how much CONTROL we have over our happiness and strategies we can learn to change our thoughts and behaviors. It is incredible what our minds can do and how easily we can distract ourselves from the way we're feeling or stop ourselves from reacting in a way that would not be beneficial for anyone. So many relationships can be improved if we are mindful about our attitudes and our responses to the things that happen to us. 

His last chapter about depression was also super helpful and something we should all be more knowledgeable and understanding about! It's so important to note that sometimes chemical imbalances in our brains totally prevent us from being happy! It is beyond our control and we should give kindness, love, and empathy to ourselves or those around us if this ever happens! 

If you're looking for a short, easy read that also has valuable information, this book is for you!

book review: sarah's key

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

I was fascinated by this book! It's not your typical WWII novel. It was a mystery and a love story and was full of surprises. It was also heart-wrenching and full of loss, grief, and all of the other emotions that come along with war time.

It is one of my favorite books that I've read this year because I couldn't put it down! I was intrigued the whole time and couldn't wait to find out what happened next!

I also loved that it went back and forth between the two stories and how they were intertwined.

As I went to the Holocaust museum in D.C. this summer I loved that they designed it to be a reflective experience where everything they have curated is not the answer, but a question. Why does something like the Holocaust happen? How do so many people get on board with creating such a horrific time in our world's history, and how can we prevent something like this from ever happening again?

After learning about the Vel' d'Hiv and how France was involved with the Holocaust, I can't imagine the pain and uncertainty that Sarah's family went through.

This novel does end with hope though and I think that's the most important thing that keeps us going. Amidst the tragedy that our world has seen and been through, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Half-Year Update on 52 Books in 52 Weeks

How is it already halfway through the year?! As most of you know, I have been flying through books trying to reach my goal and have been having a bunch of fun doing it!

I wanted to give you a little update of how I'm doing so far. So this is week 26 (exactly halfway to 52) and I have read 36 books. However, only 26 of those books have fit into one of the categories on my checklist.

So, basically that means I'm right on track with the checklist but I will most definitely read over 52 books this year. I am also making a TOP 10 list that I update as I read a new book. I will be sharing that at the end of the year!

Here's my updated list of which categories I've already crossed off! Below is the category with the book I read to complete it.

• A childhood favorite - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A novel that is considered a "classic" - Emma by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐
• A mystery novel - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A biography - Shoe Dog by Phil Knight ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book that challenges your viewpoint - This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book you can read in a day - Beyond Basketball by Mike Krzyzewski ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book that has been made into a movie - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle ⭐⭐
• A book chosen solely by its cover - The Temple Mount Code by Charles Brokaw ⭐⭐⭐
• A book on theology - Power to Become by David A. Bednar ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A celebrity memoir - Becoming by Michelle Obama ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book with a six word title - The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book set in a country you want to visit - Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book that makes you laugh out loud - Eleonor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book you read in school - Holes by Louis Sachar ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book with a green spine - Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book with a character that shares your name - Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory ⭐⭐⭐
• A book published in 2018 - Educated by Tara Westover ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book recommended by a friend - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly ⭐⭐⭐.5
• A book recommended by a librarian - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A books that makes you cry - I'll Push You by Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• An e-book - Make Your Bed: Little Things that can Change your Life...and Maybe the World by William H. McRaven ⭐⭐⭐
• A book set in Africa - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A Historical non-fiction book - The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book that's been on the New York Times Bestseller for more than 10 weeks - A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book about travel - The Road Home by Richard Paul Evans ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• A book about a current world issue - That We May Be One by Tom Christofferson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The books I highlighted are the ones that are currently on my TOP 10 of the year. The only one that didn't fit in a category is The Other Side of the Bridge by Camron Wright.

If you have any book recommendations  for the rest of the categories I have left or if you have read one of these and want to share your thoughts, please leave a comment!