Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
by Sheryl Sandberg
Alfred A. Knopf, 2013, 228 pages, Nonfiction

Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg examines why there are so few women in major leadership positions, especially in the tech industry, and shares advice from her own experiences and other women on what can be done to help solve this problem as well as how women can find work they are passionate about.

Taking examples from her own experience, Sandberg shows how expected gender roles work against women seeking leadership positions. Not only are women forced to balance family and job responsibilities, but they also experience more bias and subtle pressures from both men and other women whether knowingly or not.

This book is well-researched and relevant for all working women (and I would add men too). Though some of the ideas are not necessarily ground-breaking, such as being more self-confident, remaining engaged, and getting more help at home, the information provided gives women a clear path to improving their work life situation whether the goal is to make it to the top or not.

AJ

The Upside of Stress

The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It
By Kelly McGonigal Avery, 2015. 279 pages. Nonfiction

If you’ve ever complained about being stressed, then you need to read this book. We all experience stress, and we’ve been indoctrinated that it is destructive to our health. Most of us do everything we can to reduce or avoid stress. But Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal, PhD, using cutting-edge research and examples, teaches us that stress isn’t all bad. This new research reveals that if we can learn how to embrace it and accept it in our lives, stress can, in fact, make us stronger, smarter, and more fulfilled.

I picked up this book after watching McGonigal’s TED Talk on the same topic. I was intrigued but a bit skeptical about how to embrace stress in my life. I’m pleased to report that this is a fascinating book as well as an empowering guide teaching us how to cultivate a mind-set that embraces stress, why stress can help us be more focused, and how stress even helps us connect with the people around us and strengthens our relationships. It has shaped the way I now think about stress. I would highly recommend you read it.

AJ

A Lady in the Smoke

A Lady in the Smoke
By Karen Odden
Penguin Random House, 2016. 411 pages. Mystery

Set in Victorian England, Lady Elizabeth Fraser, the only child of the late Earl of Kellham, and who is said to have a dowry worth £10,000 per anum, is set to return home after a disappointing fourth Season in London. At the ball held the previous evening, Lady Elizabeth was shocked to overhear two ladies discussing the loss of her fortune, but when she confronts her mother, Lady Fraser is enraged and blames Elizabeth for not getting hitched sooner.

The next day, they board a train to return to their ancestral country estate, but a short time later the train careens off the rails and bursts into flames. Lady Elizabeth is thrown forward and hits her head and is knocked unconscious. After coming to, she manages to drag herself and her unconscious mother out of the wreckage but is unable to do more. Amid the chaos, a handsome young railway surgeon arrives, attends to their wounds and gets them moved to a local hotel. Elizabeth feels an immediate connection with Paul Wilcox though society would never accept a match between the daughter of an earl and a medical man. But headstrong Elizabeth refuses to let society’s strictures get in the way of helping him attend to the wounded. While helping, Elizabeth learns that the train wreck was no accident and the inspector who tried to prevent it died under mysterious circumstances.

As Elizabeth begins her own investigation, she discovers that the loss of her fortune may somehow be connected and is soon plunged into a dangerous conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of political power in England.

This is an enjoyable debut novel by Karen Odden about a headstrong young noblewoman unafraid to navigate a man’s world and reach for what she most desires. There is plenty of intrigue like family secrets, political conspiracies, lovers who are kept apart and more. I also enjoyed the historical details especially about the railway system in England. Fans of Anne Perry’s Victorian mysteries will likely enjoy this novel as well.

AJ

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
Bantam Books, 2006. 352 pages. Nonfiction

In past decades there was a commonly held belief that intelligence was the key to success and even happiness, but Daniel Goleman’s seminal work, Emotional Intelligence, first published in 1995 revealed insight into the idea that personal qualities, such as initiative, empathy, adaptability, and persuasiveness can have more of an impact on our success in life than our IQ.

Through vivid examples, Goleman describes the important skills needed to develop emotional intelligence. An important concept in the book is that even though our experiences in childhood shape our ability to handle emotions, we all have the capacity to grow and change which can have a profound impact on our relationships, work environments, and even our physical well-being.

More than 20 years after his work was first published, Goleman’s ideas have infiltrated many of our society's beliefs and values. Reading this book today, I found myself already familiar with many of the concepts discussed. However, as more studies reveal the importance of “soft skills” such as self-regulation, empathy, generosity, and good communication, and additionally, the research frequently cites the concern that emotional intelligence is actually declining in youth today, I think this is still a very important book to read.

AJ

Always and Forever, Lara Jean

Always and Forever, Lara Jean
By Jenny Han
Simon & Schuster, 2017. 325 pages. Young Adult

Jenny Han surprised fans when she revealed that she would be writing a concluding third novel to her duology that follows the life of craft-loving, wistful Korean-American Lara Jean Covey Song. Now in her senior year, life is looking pretty good. She and her boyfriend are in love, her widower dad is finally getting re-married, and college acceptance letters are coming in the next few weeks.

Never comfortable with change, Lara Jean is happy to attend nearby University of Virginia with her boyfriend. But change is looming on the horizon. When she doesn’t get in to UV, Lara Jean is forced to confront difficult life choices and is confused between choosing what her heart is saying or her head. And what does this all mean her relationship with her boyfriend?

It is always delight see the world through Lara Jean’s eyes, so I was excited to pick up this third book after P.S. I Still Love You. Lara Jean is an insightful and authentic character, and I have enjoyed reading about her journey from child to adult. This is a satisfying conclusion, but if you’re like me, it may leave you wishing to know more about what happens to Lara Jean at college and beyond.

AJ

One Dark Throne

One Dark Throne
By Kendare Blake
Harper Teen, 2017. 448 pages. Young Adult Fiction

In this sequel to Three Dark Crowns, the Ascension Year has not played out the way the inhabitants of the magical island of Fennbirn expected. The three queens, triplet sisters, are now 16 and must battle each other to the death so one can be crowned. Many people believed Mirabella, the most powerful elementalist in generations, who can control wind, water, and fire, would easily defeat Arsinoe and Katharine, but she has hesitated to attack.

Meanwhile, Arsinoe, raised by the naturalists who commune with animals and nature, has discovered she’s not as powerless as she once appeared. And Katharine, once the meekest of the sisters has become ruthless after an encounter with the strange, unsettling magic of the island. As alliances shift, the various factions conspire to tip the scales. Even the queens’ potential suitors become pawns. However, no one can prevent the queens from deciding to take their fates into their own hands.

This sequel loses none of the first book’s momentum. Something you don’t always find in middle books. With complex characters and an unpredictable plot, it is gruesomely fascinating to watch unfold. I especially enjoyed how the story explores themes of loyalty both among the different factions and the fact that the queens are grappling with the reality of killing one another for the ultimate throne.

AJ

A Shadow Bright and Burning

A Shadow Bright and Burning
By Jessica Cluess
Random House, 2016. 207 pages. Young Adult Fantasy

In an alternate Victorian England, the country has been under attack for years by powerful demon type beings known as the seven Ancients. There are three types of magic practiced in this world but only sorcery is legal, and it is exclusively male. Henrietta, a young woman living in a rural Yorkshire orphanage, fears her powers to summon fire will have her executed for witchcraft. But when they are eventually revealed, she is astonished to be hailed as the prophesied female sorcerer who will finally defeat the seven Ancients.

Henrietta only agrees to go to London to train as a sorcerer if her childhood friend, Rook, can come along. Years before, Rook was attacked by one of the Ancients and has been fighting a bond to the creature ever since. As Henrietta settles into her new life, making friends with some of the young male sorcerers in training, she is drawn to a trickster magician living on the streets of London. It is through him that she learns the true nature of her ability which may threaten to tip the very precarious balance between human beings and the Ancients.

Young Adult fantasy fans will find much to like in this new series. Henrietta is a strong female who is pragmatic and funny. While in many ways, this is a re-tread of standard fantasy elements such as a Harry Potter-like chosen one, there is still enough fresh detail to make it interesting. One personal complaint is the use of evil monsters from the horror world. I prefer more traditional fantasy evils. Fans of The Dark Days Club should definitely check this book out.

AJ

Lucky in Love

Lucky in Love
By Kasie West
Point, 2017. Young Adult, 342 pages

Maddie has been worrying about her future. Her parent’s financial struggles have put a lot of stress on the family, and she’s worried she won’t be able to win a scholarship to pay for school. But Maddie’s whole world is about to change. On her 18th birthday, after her friends abandon her, she is goaded by a convenience store sales clerk into buying a lottery ticket. A few days later she discovers that she has won $50 million!

That kind of money can solve a lot of problems. No longer worried about paying for college or losing the family home, Maddie’s future looks bright. But $50 million also brings a lot of attention, and it gets hard to know who to trust. While struggling to balance everything, Maddie is reluctant to divulge her lottery win to Seth, her friend from work who somehow hasn’t heard.

Though, you will likely have to suspend your disbelief through a lot of this book it is a quick, light read with a sweet storyline. Kasie West never fails to deliver enjoyable clean, light YA romances.

AJ

What to Say Next

What to Sat Next

by Julie Buxbaum
Delacorte Press, 2017, Young Adult. 292 pages

Only a month ago, high school student Kit Lowell, lost her father in a car accident. She’s been trying to put on a brave face, but she just can’t face the inane talk from her two best friends anymore. At lunch she decides to sit next to David Drucker, a smart, nice boy that has always been a little socially awkward. David is unafraid to bring up the subject of her father, and Kit finds his blunt honesty refreshing. Soon Kit and David are eating lunch together every day as their tenuous relationship blossoms. Kit even asks David to help figure out the specific forces of the car accident that led to her father dying.

However, when David’s notebook, which is filled with commentary about his fellow students, is stolen and published online and Kit is forced to confront truths about the accident she is not ready for, their budding relationship is challenged.

After reading Tell Me Three Things, I was excited to pick up Buxbaum’s newest book. Like Tell Me Three Things, she has created extremely nuanced and interesting characters facing real issues. While I think I connected with the characters more in the first book, this is still an interesting book I would recommend for fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen, and Jennifer Niven.

AJ

The Ship Beyond Time

The Ship Beyond Time
by Heidi Heilig
Greenwillow Books, 2017. Young Adult Fantasy. 456 pages

In this sequel to The Girl from Everywhere, sixteen-year-old Nix continues her time traveling adventures through both real and imagined places aboard her father’s ship, The Temptation. Her father has always done the navigation, but Nix has inherited his ability to travel through time, and she has now been given the chance.

While on a quick break in modern day New York to resupply, Nix meets a mysterious young woman who gives her a map of Ys, a mythical island city off the coast of Brittany in France. Along with the map, dated 1637, is a letter from a man named Crowhurst inviting her to visit Ys and claiming the past can indeed be changed. With the desire to right the wrongs that happened in the previous book and possibly save Kasmir from his prophesied fate and whom Nix has developed feelings for, the crew heads off to Ys.

While I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, I am still looking forward to the next installment. This book is highly recommended for readers looking for strong female characters. Nix is flawed, being driven by her heart. Yet she uses her wits to solve the problems around her which I always appreciate in the characters I read about.

AJ

Crosstalk

Crosstalk
By Connie Willis
Del Rey, 2016. Science Fiction. 498 pages.

In a slightly alternate version of our own modern day, people are demanding ever faster and better connections. Briddey Flanagan, who is constantly besieged by her “no boundaries” Irish-American family, works for Commspan, a cell phone company out to beat Apple by coming up with the next great product. Shortly after her seemingly perfect boyfriend and coworker, Trent, proposes, Briddey undergoes a procedure to become empathically connected to Trent. However, things go comically awry when she ends up connected to the wrong guy, instead connecting to C.B. Schwartz, the eccentric techie who works in Commspan’s basement.

Willis juxtaposes a hilarious girl-finally-finds-right-boy story alongside razor sharp commentary on everything from corporate espionage and helicopter parenting to superficial connections versus true intimacy. While I enjoyed many aspects of this book, it wasn’t a total hit for me. I found Briddey’s utter refusal to believe what was happening to her very grating. I think there could have been a better way to keep the pacing of the story than to fall back on this trope.

AJ

Letting Go of the Words

Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content That Works
By Ginny Redish
Morgan Kaufman, 2012. Nonfiction. 333 pages

No website, no matter how great the design, will be successful without well-laid-out and well-written content. Author Ginny Redish, a linguist by training, is an expert on information design. In her book, she shows the reader how to produce clear, easy to comprehend writing that will help users find what they came to the website to learn and retain what they read.

Unsurprisingly, this book is easy to read and immediately put into practice the many great words of advice. Before reading this book, I thought I already understood how to write good web content, but Redish has given me new guidance that I had not previously found on websites that seek to provide the same information.

I would highly recommend this book to any wanting to learn how to write more clearly for any type of writing, not just on the web.

AJ

Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited

Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
By Steve Krug
New Riders, 2014. Nonfiction. 200 pages

This book has been on my to-read list for a long time. After finally reading it, I can definitely say I wish I had read it sooner. For over 20 years, author Steve Krug has been a website usability consultant for a wide variety of clients like Apple, Bloomberg.com, Lexus.com, NPR, the International Monetary Fund, and many others. He uses this expertise to create a how to guide on creating good websites that are actually usable and useful.

This is not a technical guide on how to design a website but rather a practical look at topics such website usability standards, accessibility, avoiding wordiness, organization and hierarchy, and other related topics. I found this book very easy to read and understand. There are lots of illustrations and the overall feel of the book is lighthearted. It has definitely changed how I will approach web design from here on out.

AJ

The Masked City

The Masked City
By Genevieve Cogman
ROC, 2016. 372 pages. Fantasy

In the second installment of the Invisible Library series, Irene must travel deep into a chaos infested world run by the Fae after her assistant Kai is kidnapped from the alternate Victorian steampunk earth they had been living in. Kai is the youngest son of dragon royalty and it’s up to Irene to save him before the dragons start a war with the Fae, their longtime foes.

Full of fast-paced action including an epic prison break and a final showdown on a train á la the wild west. This installment lacks some of the energy of the first book, but it’s still a fun, inventive fantasy with a smart, tough, and witty female heroine.

AJ

Too Big to Know

Too Big to Know: Rethinking Knowledge Now that the Facts Aren’t the Facts, Experts are Everywhere, and the Smartest Person in the Room is the Room
By David Weinberger
Basic Books, 2011, 231 pages, Nonfiction

Dr. David Weinberger is the author of several books mostly discussing the effect of the internet on our ideas. His latest book, Too Big to Know, examines how the instantaneous, collaborative, social, and hyperlinked nature of information in the age of the internet has fundamentally transformed how people acquire knowledge.

Using several enlightening examples, Weinberger explores the knowledge that can be gained from unbound networks that form the internet. Before the internet, knowledge was sought from experts and the structure of books shaped and filtered knowledge. But the internet scales indefinitely meaning with today’s instant access to these immeasurable amounts of data, any person; amateur or expert is able to explore new possibilities and new solutions to any issue.

This is a quick read that I found this to be a fascinating topic. I would highly recommend it to those interested in the way the future is changing or those interested in learning and how we gain knowledge.

AJ

P.S. I Like You

P.S. I Like You
By Kasie West
Point, 2016. 329 pages. Young Adult

Sometimes you just need a light fun book to read and this book fits the bill.

Quirky Lily Abbott has always felt a little insecure at school. She buys her clothes from the thrift store, listens to Indie music, and dreams of being a songwriter. So, it doesn’t help when wealthy, cool-kid, Cade teases her. Cade and Lily have been enemies ever since he dated her best friend, Isabel. Not like Lucas who she has crushed on for years, and he is even in a band.

One day while spacing out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some lyrics down on the desk. The next day she is surprised to see a reply. Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging letters, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. The letters quickly become the best part of her week as she struggles with her crazy family and her evolving friendship with Isabel. It doesn’t take Lily long to realize she is falling for this unknown boy, but will he be everything she dreams of in real life?

Kasie West excels at writing funny, relatable characters. This sweet love story is maybe a bit predictable but oh so enjoyable.

AJ

Ever the Hunted

Ever the Hunted
by Erin Summerill
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. 392 pages. Young Adult

Outcast Britta Flannery has always been distrusted by the people of Malam because her now dead mother was from the neighboring enemy country of Shaerdan. So after her father is killed, she has no one to rely on and is soon arrested for poaching. While awaiting her execution, Britta is offered a deal. Instead of being put to death, she can use her expert tracking skills to capture the man believed to be her father’s killer. Britta is shocked to learn it is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice and her best friend whom she has secretly loved.

With no alternative, Britta sets off with three of the king’s guard. Her tracking soon leads her to neighboring Shaerdan, home to female magic-weavers known as Channelers. There she discovers more about her own unrealized powers and that not all is as it seems both in the people she has encountered and in the worsening relations between Malam and Shaerdan.

It’s been a while since I’ve read any quest fantasy so this was a fun take on the genre. The story is full of engaging characters, adventure, and romance that definitely kept me turning the pages.

AJ

The Girl from Everywhere

The Girl from Everywhere
by Heidi Heilig
Greenwillow Books, 2016. 454 pages. Young Adult

At 16, Nix has known no other home than her father’s ship, The Temptation. But with her father’s navigational skills and an accurate map of the desired destination, the ship can travel through time to any place both real and imaginary. Through their time traveling adventures, Nix and her father, Slate, have gathered a wonderfully diverse crew that includes roguish Kashmir, a teen boy they saved from an alternate Persia and who Nix has a complex relationship with.

Slate, is from current day New York, but he met Nix’s mother, Lin, in Honolulu’s Chinatown in the1860s. Slate has been consumed with trying to find a map back to this time to save Lin from death during child birth.

During their latest attempt, The Temptation ends up in 1884 Hawaii, but all is not lost when Slate gets word of the existence of an 1868 map. The only problem is the men who own the map want Slate and his crew to rob the King of Hawaii’s treasury in exchange for the map.

This is a fast-moving adventure. Nix is an intriguing character who uses her wits to outsmart foes. In addition, reading about colonial Hawaii, where the majority of the adventure is set, and a time period I knew almost nothing about, was very interesting.

AJ

The Serpent King

The Serpent King
by Jeff Zentner
Crown Books for Young Readers, 2016. 372 pages. Young Adult

When you live in a small town set in the deep south named after the founder of the Ku Klux Klan, even being slightly different isn’t going to go down well. Dillard, Lydia, and Travis are best friends entering their senior year of high school. Dill is living under the shadow of his charismatic father, a Pentecostal snake-handler who was recently incarcerated for child porn on his computer. He yearns for more in life but is fearful of losing his friends. He also feels compelled to honor his domineering mother’s wishes, who has suggested he drop out of school to help pay for his father’s legal fees.

Candid and offbeat Lydia comes from a wealthier family and has found success as a fashion blogger which she hopes will catapult her to New York where she can attend NYU. While Lydia is determined to realize her dreams, she is unaware of the cost this is taking on her friendships.

Travis, large of body and gentle of soul, is happy to work at the local lumberyard and lose himself in a Jordan-esque fantasy series called Bloodfall. He has even met a girl online through a Bloodfall fan site but struggles under his father’s emotional and physical abuse. As they each grapple with these concerns, a shocking act of violence sends their lives into a tailspin.

With an openness and grace, Zentner explores difficult issues teens face such as struggling under the failings of our parents, adjusting to life after high school and the fear of the unknown, and how to strive for lasting friendship. Fans of Rainbow Rowell and John Green should definitely consider picking up this touching debut.

AJ

Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns
by Kendare Blake
Harperteen, 2016. 398 pages. Young Adult

On the magical island of Fennbirn, a set of girl triplets is born to the Queen every generation. Each one has a different magical ability. The sisters are separated and raised on different parts of the island by factions who share their ability. Mirabella is a powerful elementalist who can manipulate fire, water, and air. While, Katherine who can make and ingest poisons and Arsinoe, a naturalist who can control plants and animals have manifested only weak versions of their gifts.

Now nearing their 16th year, the sisters are in the final days of preparing for a bitter fight to the death. It is the custom for only one to survive to become Queen Crowned. With Mirabella’s formidable magical skills, it seems obvious who will win, but there are other intricate machinations and deceitful plots at play.

Blake has created a twisting dark fantasy full of complex characters with mysterious motivations. The vicious game played through the lives of each queen is intensely fascinating to watch unfold. While this isn’t an exact read-alike, I think fans of Sarah Maas’s Throne of Glass series could find much to like here.

AJ