I had a lot going on in December. If you missed the announcement, I gave birth to two adorable mini Stacks (aka twin sons), and that kept me busy between the hospital and getting settled back at home and figuring out how to make two strangers stop crying in my arms. I was able to squeeze in four books, and with all that was happening I feel very good about that. I also hit my goal of 100 books for the year in December (I eeked out 101). Reading 100 books was goal I’d had for a long time and never thought I’d accomplish, sort of like the reading equivalent of running a marathon. I feel very proud of myself.

December by the Numbers

Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman

Pamela Druckerman, and American ex-pat journalist living in Paris, looks into the differences in parenting from how things are done in The United States versus France. The book is mostly her observations from raising her own kids and she adds some insights from French parents and a parenting specialists.

I really liked this book as a parenting book and as a look into parenting from a cultural studies perspective. Druckerman does a good job of taking her ideas and thoughts and finding ways to explain and prove why somethings may or may not be true. She talks about eating habits, sleeping, mommy snap back, and more. The book is very specific to her experiences, and while some things could be expanded to fit many families, some of the book is extremely anecdotal. The book is also mainly focused on middle to upper class white families, simply based on who Druckerman. I wished she would have taken the time to look at how wealth changes the parenting experience in France. Just like all cultures and countries, France has issues that this book doesn’t get into. Thats ok, but I did find it misleading to leave out most (if not all) of the negative aspects of French culture which is no doubt passed on to these children. I would suggest Bringing Up Bébé to any parents or parents-to-be who want a fresh perspective on how to raise kids with a little less stress.

Three Stars | Random House Audio | February 7, 2012 | 9 Hours 8 Minutes | Audiobook | Listen on Audible

---

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep by Robert Bucknam M.D. and Gary Ezzo

A book mostly about the ways in which to sleep train your child. I really only read this book because we were expecting. I don’t think the writing was particularly good, though it is a comprehensive look at one technique of sleep training for babies. As far as these how-to parenting books go, this one was better than many I’ve read, and isn’t nearly as repetitive. We’ll see if it works!

Three Stars | Hawksflight & Associates, Inc. | February 1, 2012 | 279 Pages | Paperback | Purchase on IndieBound

---

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

I have read Twelfth Night a few times, and was lucky enough to choreograph a production when I was still living in NYC. This play has so much going on and its a total blast to watch. The story follows Viola who dresses as a boy to woo Olivia for the Duke. There is a ton of mistaken identity and love triangle action. There are also a bunch of other sub plots that provide comic relief, and the moral center of the story.

If you’re newer to Shakespeare, I would suggest this play. It may be better to see the play, but it is a fun story with lots of language to unpack and work through. The play has amazing women characters who drive the story, deal with issues like grief and choice, and are generally wonderful to get to know. I am looking forward to carrying the #shakethestacks challenge into 2020!

Four Stars | Penguin Classics | July 5, 2016 | 144 Pages | Paperback | Purchase on IndieBound

---

Your Hour Will Pay by Steph Cha

This book reimagines they murder of Latasha Harlins in a fictionalized look at the families of a murdered girl and the woman who killed her. The concept of this book is great. Alternating perspectives and time frames are used to examine generational trauma. Cha is a strong writer and she’s bringing up a topic, non-white anti-Blackness, that I wish was talked about more. There is a lot to appreciate in Your House Will Pay.

I’ve always been fascinated by the LA uprisings and the stories of racism and distrust between the Black and Korean communities. I liked the concept, but the execution fell short. Mostly because Cha had a strong understanding of the Park family (Korean), but missed on the Matthews family (Black). It was as if she had researched Blackness but couldn’t quiet grasp the nuance of what it means to be a Black family dealing with trauma. This left the book to feel lopsided and cliched. I was interested in what would happen, but never fully felt engaged or that I cared for the characters.

Three Stars | Ecco Books | October 15, 2019 | 320 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase on IndieBound

---

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs in which we receive a small commission when products are purchased through some links on this website. This does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.