6 Books I Recommend—April 2024
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”
– Haruki Murakami
Here are 5 nonfiction books + 1 novel I recommend from what I finished reading in April 2024.
[See previously recommended books here]
NONFICTION
1. Supercommunicators
How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
by Charles Duhigg
If you’re able to talk about difficult topics, if you’re able to discuss opposite viewpoints, if you’re able to get others to speak up, you might be a supercommunicator. And if you’re not, you can read this book to improve. I highly recommend it.
[Read more hear about Supercommunicators in “Which of These 3 Conversations Are You Having?”]
2. Curious
The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It
by Ian Leslie
Being curious is not being nosy. It’s being engaged in life and wanting to understand and know more. Lots of practical advice in this book. It was a perfect read for me since my One Word of the Year is Curiosity.
3. Oath and Honor
A Memoir and a Warning
by Liz Cheney
Representative Liz Cheney goes into detail about the facts gathered surrounding the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. She writes even-handedly and cites multiple sources of credible witnesses leading up to the day, the day of, and the days following January 6.
4. Preparing for War
The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next
by Bradley Onishi
Bradley Onishi is a religion scholar and Associate Professor of Religion. His book explains both the origins of Christian Nationalism and where he sees it heading. While this is a troubling book, it can serve as a wake-up call for all Americans who are serious about keeping democracy alive in the U.S.
5. How to Know a Person
The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
by David Brooks
If you like to really know a person, this is the book for you. Brooks is so engaging and practical in his advice to better see other people and to allow yourself to be more seen. This will be one of my top 10 books of the year, I already know!
[Read more thoughts here on How to Know a Person]
FICTION
6. It Starts with Us
by Colleen Hoover
This is the sequel to It Ends with Us, a novel that show you what it looks like for a woman to live with an abusive spouse. Colleen Hoover wrote this book as its follow-up at the request of her fans. I’m glad she did because I wanted to hear more about what happened to Lily and Atlas.
WHAT I’M READING NOW
- The Latecomer
by Jean Hanff Korelitz - Cloistered
My Years as a Nun
by Catherine Coldstream - Say Good Night to Insomnia
by Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs - The Exvangelicals
Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church
by Sarah McCammon - No Bad Parts
Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
by Richard C. Schwartz - Write a Must-Read
Craft a Book That Changes Lives―Including Your Own
by A.J. Harper - Life After Doom
Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart
by Brian D. McLaren - Hidden Potential
The Science of Achieving Greater Things
by Adam M. Grant
What good book have you read lately? Please share in the comments.
Absolutely loved Liz’s book, and if one is fair- and open-minded, whatever your political stripe, I think you’d find it truthful, gripping, engaging, and prophetic (in the sense of what will happen if nothing changes– and I wonder if it will precisely because those who need to read this and know the facts–demonize someone like Cheney and refuse to know the truth). I’m so glad I read it, even if those I would love to read it, won’t. Have “Ex” on order from library. Lisa another excellent, potent, and short read is Jesus and the Powers by British theologian N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird. Can’t recommend this enough! Keep reading and keep reporting. We are all CURIOUS about what you find! xo Lynn
Thanks for your recommendations, Lisa! God bless!
Lisa, thanks for the book recommendation on writing. Will add to list. As an author, though I have not submitted for publication in a long while (other than Stanley’s In Touch Mag maybe 3 yrs before it folded and I was privileged to become a contributing author), b/c the book industry has drastically changed since my last book was published in 2004, I’ve not attempted that again. Still, I am interested (self-publishing, maybe)? Also, I note that this author references Steven Pressfield’s War of Art. I recommend that to you, as well, along with A Writer’s Paris by Eric Maisel, both address the writer’s creative process. You write excellently, and need to write a book!
xo
L
I can’t remember if I read It Starts with Us or not… I KNOW I read it Ends with Us and really enjoyed it. You always find such great books to recommend each month.
Great recommendations!
I haven’t read these. I did read It Ends With Us awhile back but don’t think I’ll read the sequel!
Thanks so much for linking up with Share Your Shelf! Tanya – TheOtherSide-oftheRoad.com
All the non fiction books and what you are reading now sounds so interesting and enlightening! Thanks for linking up with us!
The Brooks and Cheney books have been on my list since they came out. The Otishi sounds like me, too. Thanks for the introduction. ~ jeanie from Marmealde Gypsy
Saw you had Cloistered on your to read list. I just finished it = man did it get unexpectedly dark. What an experience she had and I think still recovering from… love your list
It Starts With Us is a good book. I’m eager to see it in movie form.
There are some other great recommendations on this list, too. I guess I can be a super communicator if I need to. 🙂 That made me feel good. 🙂 But sadly, I can not do it for long spells.
I’ve not read any of these books but I’m intrigued to know if Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs has a cure for insomnia!
I’ve just read two really good books The Vanishing of Class 3B by Jackie Gabler and The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith which had so many twists and surprises that I still can’t stop thinking about it!
#MMBC
Some great sounding books. I find the Liz Cheney book interesting as a person outside the U.S. I sure have my thoughts about it all and what is happening now, but I’ll keep those to myself!! I haven’t really read Colleen Hoover but sounds like a good follow up book.
I got Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives―Including Your Own by A.J. Harper after seeing it listed here. As much as I have read on writing in general, I don’t think I’ve ever read about about how to set up a nonfiction book. I’m hoping that will help me in the editing/revising stage I am in now–one of my biggest struggles is how to arrange my chapters.
The older I get, the more I want to read nonfiction. Currently I’m reading The New Climate War by Michael E. Mann. I would like to learn how to communicate with people about the climate crisis without flipping out on deniers. I’m trying to start by finding out what everyone had in common, but it’s really hard. Would Supercommunicators help with this do you think?
Yes, Cheriee, I think Supercommunicators is a great book for talking about climate science or any other topic that people disagree about. (I want to use it for that topic, too.)
I just got the sample of the book you mentioned sent to my Kindle. Thanks for the recommendation. Have you read “Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet” by Hannah Ritchie? It was published in January of this year. I found it to be helpful in providing easy conversation starters about the climate crisis with those who are unfamiliar with much the science (I still have much to learn myself!). Plus, it provided me with a little bit of hope in an area that can be disheartening. 🙂
Ohh, I read “It ends with us,” curious about the sequel too!
I really enjoyed Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, so I will have to look into his book on communicating because I am sure I have a lot to learn in that area! I always enjoy your book reviews! Linking mine in case you want more books to add to your to-read pile 🙂
No Bad Parts and Life After Doom are good reads. Supercommunicators sounds like a guide to what I’ve always wanted to be! I’ll definitely check it out.
I bought Liz’s book but haven’t read it yet. Preparing for War sounds like a terrifying but important read.
~ Maria
As always, grabbing my pen and paper when I read any of your book posts, friend.
I think I must be the only person in the world who hasn’t yet read a Colleen Hoover book! As always a lovely eclectic inspiring mix from you. Thanks for linking up.
Hi, Lisa – Thank you for these recommendations. I haven’t yet read any of them but but you’ve made me curious about ‘Curious.’ I am off to check that one out further now. <3
Hi Lisa, I’ve not read any of Colleen Hoover’s books but have heard a lot about them. I like the sound of the Curious book and love that it’s not the same as being nosy – very true! Thanks for joining us and your list is full of super interesting titles.
Those all sound interesting. My reading is slow going this month.