Happy New Year! I hope you had (are having!) a wonderful Christmas.
Every year, I read a mix of nonfiction and fiction and share at the end of the year my favorite reads. You’ll find a mix of health and psychology, memoir and fiction, parenting and religion. Check out the full list here. Below are my favorites per genre:
Contemporary Fiction:
Pineapple Street, by Jenny Jackson—Super fun, likable characters (which I feel like is rare in contemporary fiction), and just a delightful read.
Classic Fiction:
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck—I only made it through the first half because I was reading it for Well-Read Mom, but in the second half, I couldn’t put it down!
Religion and Spirituality:
Catherine de Hueck Doherty: Essential Writings, by Catherine de Hueck Doherty—I know pray every day for her (and Léonie Martin’s) cause for sainthood. What an incredible woman.
Parenting:
The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being, by Simone Davies—I’m not going 100% Montessori, but I’m definitely incorporating elements of her philosophy into my daily life. This book was engaging, informative, helpful … and didn’t inspire mom guilt!
Business:
Carry Strong: An Empowered Approach to Navigating Pregnancy and Work, by Stephanie Kramer—reviewed for Catholic Women in Business.
Memoir:
Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey into the Science of Attachment, by Bethany Saltman—part science reporting, part memoir, this one was a great look at what attachment theory (and the research behind it) really says.
Health and Wellness:
Cycle Charting for Single Women: The Catholic Woman’s Guide to Charting Your Menstrual Cycle for Health and Wholeness, by Christina Valenzuela—I haven’t been single for over three years now, but I still got an important insight from this book about the goodness of my body as a woman. Highly recommend for any woman who is cycling!
Check out the rest of the list here.
What I’ve Been up to:
In the last episode of Catholic Women Lead for 2023, Elise and I shared why we aren’t setting New Year’s resolutions this year. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
I wrote about ValueSelling and the feminine genius for Catholic Women in Business.
Writing today’s Gospel reflection for CatholicMom.com.
Content I’ve Liked:
I loved
’s take on the “motherhood penalty.”For anyone interested in mental health (particularly depression), this Quanta Magazine article on the (possible) causes of depression was fascinating.
This Catholic World Report article by Casey Chalk on motherhood and Christmas was lovely.
Have you heard of bibliotherapy? I’ve always thought being a bibliotherapist would be a great job. Here’s an article from Psyche.co about it.