2020 Good Reads: Non-Fiction Q1

I decided 2020 would be a year of self-improvement. Motherhood has been my #1 focus for the past three years, which is good and fine, but at the beginning of the year I was feeling like a washed-up version of who I used to be. Now, I'm not the same as I used to be, and that's ok, but I had let myself use parenting and babies as an excuse to form some habits that were not serving me. So I made a few "resolutions" at the beginning of the year, one of which was to start reading books again. 

I used to devour stacks of books. I'd stay up late to read, neglect housework for books, think about books, talk about books. But in 2019, I think I read....maybe two or three? So I decided to rekindle my love of reading in 2020. I didn't set a goal to read a certain number of books, but I am going to read at least one book every month.

Well. It turns out I still like to read.  

Here are just the non-fiction books that I've read since the beginning of the year. 

The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone

5/5 stars

Detailed and compelling, this memoir was hard to put down. I love WWII history, but I don't prefer gruesome frontline or concentration camp stories (I know they are important to read, and I have read some, but not my fave weeknight read). This book tells the story of one very skilled woman who broke codes in WWI and WWII, significantly influencing the outcome of the wars. I hadn't realized codebreaking was such a new science in WWI and WWII, but Elizebeth Friedman and her husband invented it just before war began. Jason Fagone tells a fascinating story, rich with anecdotes and research. The codebreaking is explained well enough to appreciate its complexity, but rarely gets dry with technical details. When I finished the book, I felt triumph for a war won with the brains and tenacity of a brilliant woman. If you pick just one book from my list to read, let it be this one. 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

5/5 stars

I figured that if I wanted to form some new habits this year, I should probably learn how to be good at it. This book is filled with powerful principles for becoming who you want to be and reaching your potential. It gives overarching principles along with bite-sized practical advice for implementing it. My biggest take-away was to focus on who I want to be, not the goal I want to achieve. Setting goals creates a yo-yo effect, because we tend to justify slacking off as soon as a goal is reached. But if we focus of forming a new identity and create systems that support it, sticking with habits becomes easy. Because of this book, I gave up my old, unhealthy habit of watching YouTube and eating a treat every night after putting kids to bed. I swapped that habit for sitting down with a book and drinking a cup of herbal tea. Same relaxing effect, but my new habit supports the best version of myself. I also have started exercising every most mornings by using his two-minute trick. Instead of telling myself I'm going to workout for 30 minutes every morning, I just have the goal to put on my sports bra and open my 7 Minute Workout app. I can do that in two minutes, and if I have my sports bra on and the app open, I might as well just do the workout, right? So, if you are wanting to form some new habits this year, check out this book. 

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon

4/5 stars

I haven't watched Downton Abbey, but I enjoyed this nonetheless. Lady Almina was the Countess of Carnarvon during WWI, and her massive wealth, passion for nursing, and enormous estate spurred her to create a hospital for wounded soldiers. The story is told well, and I enjoyed learning a new piece of history. Descriptions of glamorous parties and English countryside, along with the story of Lord Carnarvon's discovery of King Tut, keep the book light and entertaining. 

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

5/5 stars

Read this one sitting down and with a cup of tea and a box of tissues. Paul Kalanithi was in his last year of residency as a neurosurgeon when he was diagnosed with cancer. Really bad cancer. This book explores what makes life meaningful, his emotional and medical grapple with disease, and how to find happiness where we are. Dr. Kalanithi was an English major before medical school, and this book is powerfully and beautifully written. Read it, weep, breathe, and hold your family close today.