July 2016 books

July has consistently been a high-yield reading month for me, and it is traditionally the month where I end up bingeing on YA. I'm therefore concerned that this year, all I have to show for an entire July of reading is three non-fiction books. WHAT IS GOING ON. At least they were GOOD non-fiction. Take a look!

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good - I think the author out-Erik Larsoned Erik Larson! In that vein, though, I would have liked her to go a little deeper when it came to the medical side of things - what exactly caused Garfield's symptoms and his death? What should the doctors have done (besides the obvious of not probing his wounds on a train station floor)? What would this case look like today, both from the standpoint of the Secret Service and the doctors?

But the author always kept it light, which was a good and bad thing. The book was always clipping along at an interesting pace, even if some of the deeper background issues were not really addressed.

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Speaking of Erik Larson...

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This may be my favorite Erik Larson - less "this is what this character was thinking at this exact moment" and more powerful, evidence-driven narrative. I laughed when I read the author's note at the end and saw that before this book, he and I had shared the same vague idea that Woodrow Wilson had the US enter WW1 right after the Lusitania sinking. This book was the perfect way to remember/discover what really happened, and get a survey of many of the issues facing the US/Europe during WW1.

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The Assertiveness Guide for Women: How to Communicate Your Needs, Set Healthy Boundaries, and Transform Your Relationships by Julie de Azevedo Hanks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Sometimes just knowing more about what's actually going on with you can help you to calm yourself down and communicate from a place of more security." (p. 184)

After a year of upheaval (new country, new job, and everything that comes with), this book was exactly what I needed to just sit down for a hot second and sort myself out. I have spent so little time over the last year thinking about my emotional health, and I worried that I was slipping into bad habits - suppressing emotions, always trying to please, and letting stress seep into my relationships with my husband and children. Reading this book was like sitting down with Dr. Hanks and having a chat, including hearing some stories from her own life and practice. There were also self-inventory questions throughout the book that provided an opportunity and framework for reflection.

Each chapter builds on the one before, starting with attachment and differentiation styles and ending with specific strategies for implementing assertiveness in all areas and relationships of your life. Key elements of this book include finding your "wise mind," recognizing the "gift of resentment" (really!), identifying primary and secondary emotions (I am so good at this with my kids but horrible at doing it for myself!), and showing empathy for others. The most meaningful concept for me (and the core of the book, in my opinion) was the symbolism of the doormat/sword/lantern styles of communication. I hope to carry those images with me in future interactions with others.

I recommend this book for anyone hoping to improve their assertiveness skills, but also anyone who needs (like I did) a self-check for emotional health.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book for advanced review, but all opinions are my own.***

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