The Read-Aloud Family, by Sarah Mackenzie
I obviously love to read. Thus the start of this series to document and share my recent reads. But I didn’t always. I wasn’t one of those kids with her nose buried in a book, secretly reading under the covers with a flashlight after lights-out. On the contrary, I actually remember hating to read. But somewhere between then and now, I grew a love of nestling myself in a blanket with a warm drink and a book in hand.
This book talks about how reading to our children brings connection, gives us points of references with one another, and even helps us through hard times. It wasn’t a new concept for me. In my childhood practicum course in grad school we talked about “bibliotherapy” - the use of books to help children through their problems.
As parents, we have dreams, hopes, visions for our children - that they will become kind, smart, well-adjusted individuals. And apparently, reading to them is the answer! This book shares the many, many benefits of reading to our children at all ages and offers practical advice and even book recommendations.
Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy, by Angela Garbes
During my first pregnancy with J, I read up a lot on natural birth and in the process, learned about the history of midwifery and how “modern medicine” changed the landscape of pregnancy, labor and delivery. This book delved into that as well as how women “weren’t just driven out of the field of health care, they were also actively excluded from accessing medical education”. The author talks about how every woman’s experience in pregnancy is unique and the importance of access to information for women to make informed decisions. It was fascinating learning about the history of the medicalization of pregnancy and birth and how that has in someway shape or form influenced us all in the way we think about it now.
In my recent post about first trimester woes I included some of my favorite quotes from this book
“There’s no right or wrong way to be pregnant, to become a mother, to make a family. There is only one way-your way, which will inevitably be filled with tears, mistakes, doubt, but also joy, relief, triumph, and love.”
The author emphasizes the need for diversity of perspective and stories when it comes to pregnancy, labor, birth and motherhood. It empowered me to keep sharing mine.
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, by Lori Gottlieb
I had heard about this book through the grapevine and was curious about a memoir about a therapist and her therapist. But as the waitlist for this book at my local library was so long, I decided to listen to it on audio.
I felt like she approached therapy in a relatable way - touching on psychotherapy terms and concepts but not in a textbooky way. And her portrayal of “case studies” were more vignettes, letting you into her therapy sessions, her clients’ lives and hers in such a raw, vulnerable but personable way. I especially found the parallels between the author’s clients and her own experience with her therapist very interesting. There were moments I chuckled to myself and moments when I teared up.