This year I set a goal for myself to read one book a month. I have always loved reading but for some reason I always had trouble carving out time to read. When I tried to read at night, I fell asleep. I could never squeeze much time in the day to pick up a book either. So in January I decided I was going to wake up an hour earlier than my family, make some coffee, and cozy up with a book to get my day started. I have to tell you that it has been an amazing blessing to my life. I look forward to my quiet, slow time in the mornings. Since summer is upon us, and many of us look to summer to settle down with a good book, I wanted to share what I have read this year!
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January kicked off with the The Warner Boys. This book was written by professional football player, Curt Warner, and his wife, Ana. Many people don't know that of their 4 children, two of them are twins with autism. This is their incredible story of raising the boys in a time when not many people knew much about autism and how to help them overcome their obstacles. It is truly a story of a family's love and dedication.
Next up was The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner. This book gives you permission to slow down and to say, "no." (definitely something I struggle with) Jessica encourages you to stop the glorification of busy and find those "fringe hours" in your day to do things that fill your cup!
I loved The Fringe Hours so much, that I decided to read another one of Jessica Turner's books. Stretched Too Thin is a fantastic book for all working moms to read. We are constantly pulled in 536 different directions while managing a home, work, the kids, a marriage, friendships, and possibly a few minutes of self care. Jessica reminds us to not feel the "mom guilt" and instead gives us tips on working smarter!
Ghost Boy is the incredible, true story of Martin Pistorus. In 1988 Martin came home from school and felt ill. His health continued to worsen until he eventually became a "hollow shell" that spent his days in a daycare center. Until one day, years later, when his mind woke up. He couldn't communicate that he was aware of what was going on around him because his body was still unresponsive. Martin has come a long way. His journey is definitely worth reading about. Reading Martin's story and how he learned to communicate was fascinating from an SLPs perspective!
Since April was Autism Awareness month, I decided to pick up Uniquely Human by Dr. Barry Prizant. I absolutely love Dr. Prizant's view on autism. He sees autism in a different way than most people do, in a positive way. He encourages us to work with their differences instead of trying to stop or to hide them. I highly recommend this book to any therapist, educator, student, or parent of a child with autism. Heck, anyone could benefit from his views!
"The best way to help a person with autism change for the better, is to change ourselves, our attitudes, our behavior, and the types of support we provide."-Dr. Barry M. Prizant
Present Over Perfect may be my most favorite book I have read this year. Maybe even ever. Have you ever read a book and thought, "Oh wow. She's taking about me. This is ME!" Present Over Perfect was that book for me. This is something I NEEDED to read. Needed to hear. I needed a reminder to stop running around a million miles an hour everyday to make others happy. Constantly people pleasing and allowing others to put more on my already overflowing plate because they know I won't say no (I told you earlier I had a problem with that!) I am very thankful for this book and the reminder to be present over perfect.
If this sounds like a book you would like to read with a book club, Shauna has created a great study guide to go with the book. You can check it out here.
So if you haven't noticed yet, I have had a strong theme in books this year. Books that support inner peace, wanting less, being present, and being me. Brave Love is another inspiring story by Lisa Leonard. Lisa is a jewelry designer, a wife, and mother. One of her sons has special needs (if you follow her on Instagram you will learn lot about her sweet David). This is a very real, raw, and inspiring story of love and strength. Of the toll that is taken on your life when you don't make time for yourself and your own needs to be met. Lisa encourages us to learn how to love yourself for exactly who you are and who you were meant to be.
Last but not least is, Own Your Everyday. I have not yet read this one, it just arrived in the mail yesterday but I cannot wait to dig in!
I would love to hear what you're reading this summer. What are some of your favorites?
