BOOKS I FINISHED - AUGUST 2025

The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife, written by Anna Johnston and narrated by Tim Carroll

The main character in this novel is a kind 82 year old man, recently (as in the day the book starts) homeless, and with no family. By a bizarre and coincidental circumstance, he ends up with an opportunity to live the life of a man who just died. This deception brings him a place to call home and people to show kindness toward. It's a full life, but for the guilty conscience. Addressing things like addiction, estrangement, widowhood, grief, and terminal illness means it could be a downer of a book, but it's not. Because it's also about friendship, second chances, family, forgiveness, and love. I learned about this book from a friend in a reading group and adored everything about it.

1:39:26, Ah, young love. There was nothing better, except, perhaps, old love. Love of fifty years. But you had to start somewhere. 

2:35:48, Grief was love with nowhere to go. 

4:35:54, "Feelings are like flatulence, better out than in. That's what I always say!"

The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me, written by Bruce Feiler

This book was mentioned in The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs, written by Laura Tremaine, which I read in March 2024 and I immediately put it on my TBR. The author's twin daughters were three years old when he received a rare cancer diagnosis. Naturally saddened by the prospect that they may grow up without his presence in their life, he formed "The Council of Dads." These six men had come into his life in various ways and had known him for different lengths of time, but he believed they each represented some aspect of himself that he'd want his girls to know. The chapters of the book alternate between stories about his own life, the relationship he had with each of the men and the conversations they had when asked to be on the council, and letters he wrote to update people during his year of treatment and surgery. Between enjoying stories about friendship, having my own mom die when my siblings and I were kids, and being a parent myself, I loved the premise of this book and enjoyed reading it.

p. 63, Cancer, I have found, is a passport to intimacy. It's an invitation - maybe even a mandate - to enter the most vital, frightening, and sensitive human areas. It's a responsibility to address those issues we rarely want to discuss, but we feel enriched when we do.

The Dictionary of Lost Words, written by Pip Williams and narrated by Pippa Bennett-Warner

A random "skip the line" selection from Libby, this novel is inspired by the real women who contributed to the Oxford English Dictionary, yet didn't receive any credit for their work. The protagonist is someone the reader follows through decades of her life, a girl raised by her dad to love words. As she grows beyond childhood she realizes that many words are being intentionally left out of the dictionary and dedicates herself to defining and cataloguing them. In the process, the story addresses societal issues and historical events. Strangely, I'm still not sure if I liked the book or not. 

3:06:07, Our thinking was limited by convention, the most subtle but oppressive dictator. 

4:12:06, "The dictionary is a history book, Esme. If it has taught me anything, it is that the way we conceive of things now will almost certainly change."

4:57:15, "When yer feared, you need to think ordinary thoughts, do ordinary things. You ’ear me? The fear’ll back off, for a time at least."

11:10:45, The dictionary, like the English language, is a work in progress.

Her Own Two Feet: A Rwandan Girl's Brave Fight to Walk, written by Meredith Davis and Rebeka Uwitonze and narrated by Mirirai Sithole

This book was co-written by a Rwandan teenager who spent a year in America as a nine year old and the woman she lived with during that time. The girl was born with disfigured feet and was unable to walk. Not only did she do everything she could on her own to get herself up off the ground, but she then took advantage of an opportunity to have her feet surgically repaired. That opportunity meant leaving her family, community, and continent for a year, moving to an unfamiliar place where she didn't speak the language, and experiencing intimidating medical situations. It's the story of her courage and tenacity, but also a reminder to not take for granted whatever access to medical care we have and to do what we're able to make regular life more accessible to those with physical disabilities. I'd never heard of this book, but it was an "available now" option on Libby and I thought it was good. Technically a middle grade book, which means it's great for kids to listen to, it doesn't feel childish in any way for an adult reader.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, written and narrated by Maya Angelou

I read the last of Angelou's seven memoirs, the only writing of hers I'd ever read, back in 2019 and felt pretty neutral about it. When this one came up as a "skip the line" option in Libby, I decided to give it a try because it's famous and well-loved. Covering her childhood up through age 16, it describes the life of a child who experienced, among other hardships, blatant racism, rape, a summer spent living in a junkyard, and teenage pregnancy. But it's also the story of a child who knew specific people cared for her, was smart, became resilient, and learned the power of words. I love how a child who coped with childhood trauma by refusing to speak for several years grew to be a woman whose words are valued worldwide. My little summary feels paltry, but I really enjoyed the book and like it when an author narrates a book about their own life. 

7:38:04, The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination.

10:10:07, Mother whispered, "See, you don't have to think about doing the right thing. If you're for the right thing, then you do it without thinking."

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party, written by Daniel James Brown and narrated by Michael Prichard

Recommended by a friend who said it was a good, I opted for the audio version of this book. Needless to say, a deep dive into the story of a group of people who chose a hard path with the belief that it would be worth the struggle, followed the advice of someone they shouldn't have listened to, and ultimately paid for that decision by either dying or surviving by eating the emaciated bodies of those in their group who died isn't exactly a fun time. It was interesting, however.

Love Forms, written by Claire Adam 

A woman in her late fifties, recently divorced and the mother of two adult sons, has been trying to find the daughter she placed for adoption when she was a teenager. It's set primarily in Trinidad and Tobago, where she's from, and London, where she currently lives, but also in Venezuela, where she was sent to to give birth in secrecy. Incidentally, the author was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago and currently lives in London. Alternating between the present and the past, this novel addresses hard topics (teen pregnancy, political unrest, adoption, family dynamics) in a gentle way. I learned about it from Shelf Awareness, 8/8/25 edition, thought it was great, and will be putting Adam's other novel on my TBR.

My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, written by Amy Silverstein

I read Silverstein's first memoir, Sick Girl, back in 2010. That book's about the nearly twenty years she lived as a heart transplant patient, having received a donor heart at just twenty-five years old and exceeding her post-transplant life expectancy by a decade. Then that heart finally failed. This memoir, which I learned about in 9 nonfiction books that will make you a better friend, a 2/22/23 Modern Mrs. Darcy post, is about the amazing friendships that sustained her through waiting for a second transplant. She and her husband temporarily moved from New York to California to increase her chances of getting another heart, a period of time that lasted five months, and nine women rotated shifts so that she was never without a friend by her side. Set in the context of her health situation, this is a moving testament to the importance of friendship - the support it provides, challenges it faces, and all the opportunities it gives us to think past ourselves. I loved it. 

p. 85. A sick person dressed as a sick person becomes an even sicker person is how I've come to figure it. 

p. 178, In the moments of greatest uncertainty and dread, there is something to be said for history and habit and the comfort that comes from an utterly familiar voice on the other end of a phone.

p. 244, It's so easy to get lost in the chase when the goal is life itself. It blinds you to the quality of that life.

Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard, written by Laura Bates

Bates, a Shakespeare scholar and college professor, found herself teaching in the SHU, the highest security part of the prison, with students who were serving life sentences for murder. Her volunteer work in that position introduced her to many people over the years, but she developed a special relationship with one man whose life was transformed by studying the works of Shakespeare. This memoir is as much his story as hers. The book will make the reader consider things like whether prisons should offer college courses or if minors should be given life sentences, give some insight for how a kid or teen may end up committing violent crimes, and raise awareness about our personal biases. I learned about this interesting book on What Should I Read Next, episode 292 - A life-changing library trip and liked it.

p. 104, I didn't necessarily want to go skydiving at the age of ninety, but I did want my life to expand with each passing year, rather than narrow. I wanted to avoid spending my life in a prison of my own making. 

p. 122, In seg, after so long, you get this sense of helplessness: there's nothing you control in your life, nothing! You need somebody else for everything in your life: for your clothes to be clean, for something to eat, to go to the shower, you need somebody else. After long exposure to that, it just grows into you and then you don't have any kind of confidence in yourself, you feel like that's your life, you feel like you're just this animal that they say you are.

p. 162, "It is not our conscience that torments us over our image; that is our ego tormenting us. Our conscience torments us when we behave in ways that are contrary to our values. When you look in the mirror and cringe as a result of your shame, it is your conscience. When you look in the mirror and cringe as a result of how people think of you, it is ego. Which of the two is more prevalent in your life?"

p. 179, I was once interviewed by a local news reporter who asked the common questions: Why are you doing this? Why do you care about these prisoners?

"I do care about them," I replied, "but, hey, I also care about you and me. Most of these guys will be on the street one day, and when the move in next door to you or enroll in one of my classes on campus, I want them to be less violent than they were when they came to prison."

p. 224, Why do we assume that educating a criminal is merely helping him commit more sophisticated crimes? Whey can't we assume that an education can give this person the tools to make more acceptable choices? 

Our second argument is "Why should we do good for bad people?" The answer is because "anything else would be bad." If we are not doing good for bad people, then we are doing bad for bad people. We should not be working on ways to do bad for isolated populations of people; rather, we should work on developing good no matter who is on the receiving end. That is our obligation to society. 

p. 245, Regret suggests a concern for yourself: "I'm sorry I got caught because I'm sorry I'm in prison," whereas remorse is driven by concern for the victim: "I'm sorry I did that because I'm sorry he's dead."

The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, written and narrated by Sharon McMahon

I've heard positive things about this book from a few people over the last year, and know even more people who like the author, so I grabbed the book from the "skip the line" options on Libby. I enjoyed learning about people I'd never heard of and the impact they made on our country. The whole book is a good reminder to not just say something's important to you, but to prove it with your actions. It's about people who did the right thing simply because it was the right thing, regardless of whether they received any recognition, and often at great personal cost. 

5:39:18, But quiet lives can sometimes leave the loudest echoes.

8:00:31, What will history remember with kindness? The leader with the most cunning tweets? The one with the most self-aggrandizing speeches and the biggest audiences? No, it's not the cynics who emerge the heroes, but the people who spent their lives in service to others. It's those who fight for justice for someone whose reflection they don't see in the mirror.

9:13:16, The protestor was likening black children to animals. Listen, y'all don't need to write to me saying, "That's not true Christianity." I'm not asking you to believe it is, but these were not fringe beliefs in many of the evangelical churches in the south. This was how most white Christians at that time and in that place interpreted the scriptures. It was what they heard from their pulpits and what they wanted taught in schools. White supremacy and white Christian identity are inextricably linked in American history. Facts don't require our personal approval for them to be facts.

10:06:59 ... education is liberation and an educated population is very difficult to oppress.

Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America, written by Mike Yankoski 

The author and another young man chose to spend five months being homeless, a decision made out of a desire to put their Christian faith in action and to the test. Dividing their time between six major cities (Denver, D.C., Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, and San Diego), the men started off in separate rehab facilities as a way to transition into their new life, then lived on the streets for the duration. This book chronicles their experience of never knowing where they'd sleep or if they'd eat, the ups and downs of their relationship throughout their time together, the realities of life on the street, and the way they were treated by other homeless people, the general public, and Christian churches (which they made a point to continue attending every Sunday). I didn't make note of how I heard about this book, but it's been on my TBR list since December 2023 and I'm glad I read it.

p. 14, Suddenly I was shocked to realize that I had just driven twenty minutes past the world that needed me to be the Christian I say I am, in order to hear a sermon entitled "Be the Christian you say you are." Soon I would drive back past that same world to the privilege of my comfortable life on campus at a Christian college. 

p. 46, If we are the body of Christ - and Christ came not for the healthy but the sick - we need to be fully present in the places where people are the most broken. And it has to be more than just a financial presence. That helps, of course. But too often money is insulation - in conveniently keeps us from ever having to come face-to-face with a man or woman whose life is in tatters.

p. 48, Obviously the people standing in front had good enough intentions, but our good intentions and sound theology are wasted if those we minister to don't feel that we care about their immediate concerns. 

p. 65, While kids might pretend people who don't exist do, it's the parents who pretend that unwanted people who do exist don't. 

p. 107, To me, one of the best things about the gospel is that Jesus Christ proclaims and restores human and eternal worth for everyone who believes - regardless of what a person might look or smell like now, no matter what's crawling through his hair.

And because we follow this Christ, each of us has both the ability and the responsibility ("response-ability") to do the same. 

p. 121 (quoting Of God and Men, written by A.W. Tozer) We hear a Christian assure someone that he will 'pray over' his problem, knowing full well that he intends to use prayer as a substitute for service. It is much easier to pray that a poor friend's needs may be supplied than to supply them. 

p. 140, "The Bible clearly says, if you see someone hungry, feed them; if you see someone naked, clothe them. Those words weren't meant for us to make books and sermons about. They're written so people don't go hungry and naked. And they require action from all followers of Christ, not just the rescue missions."

p. 217, The bottom line is that real love always shows itself in action.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, written by Christopher Paul Curtis and narrated by LeVar Burton

Tyler and I (and occasionally Tim) listened to this middle grade novel about a family who lives in Michigan, but goes to visit relatives in Alabama. It addresses racial tensions in the 1960s, but also has lots of sibling shenanigans, family life, and funny moments. We didn't realize until after we finished it that it's written by the same author that wrote Bud, not Buddy. We enjoyed the audio version of both books.