Books I Read in May

After two monster reading months, May was . . . slower. Lol. I only got through two books, and both were good in their own ways. I was trying to spend more time outside as the weather was getting consistently warmer, so that may account for a slower reading month. It doesn't really matter though - at least I was reading!

Everybody, Always by Bob Goff

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Religion, Religious

Review: I went back and forth with this book, and I think a lot of that came from reading reviews on it before I finished (rookie mistake!). The first few chapters had me in tears at the beauty and power that comes with loving people unconditionally. And then I read the reviews, and suddenly felt more critical while reading.

To clear it up: yes, Bob Goff comes from a place of immense privilege. He was a highly successful white male lawyer, and that has afforded him many things in this life that most of us will never get. Being able to buy multiple homes. A vacation home in British Columbia. Flying from San Diego to Seattle and back every day. Plane tickets all over the world multiple times a year. The ability to take his kids wherever they wanted when they turned 10 years old. Etc., etc. If you look at these things only, you miss the point of the book. And I'm pretty sure his frequent mention of him being a lawyer is purely for comedy because he does it so much, he can't be serious.

While at some points, the stories of what he did and does for people felt a little exhausting (talking about the things he does for others while in the same chapter reminding us that God asks us not to boast about how we help others, for example), the message was abundantly clear: we are called to be love to everyone we come across. It will be difficult and messy and extremely uncomfortable, but it's what gives this life a grander purpose. And, while the book uses his bigger examples of showing love to others, he is constantly saying to do what we can with the resources we have, and that will be enough.

It was a pleasant read, and when I stopped taking it so seriously or analyzing it so critically (his actions/stories, etc., and not the overarching message), I really enjoyed it. If you've been thinking about reading it, I'd say to give it a go.

The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shelves: Memoir/Biography, Favorites, Environmental, Nature, History

Review: This was a very interesting read. I liked how the author highlighted Humboldt's life, and then supplemented his works and how important they were with his influence on other scientists, artists, and authors. It was fun to read about how men like Darwin, Marsh, Haeckel, and Muir all took the concepts Humboldt established, and ran with them down the avenues they were passionate about.

It was also interesting to see how many of these men not only predicted the current state our world is in in regards to climate change, but how many of them were progressive: calling for an end to slavery, wanting women's rights and voting privileges, etc.

Overall, a better book than I expected, and a last-minute addition to my reading list. But I'm glad I read it before getting too deeply into John Muir's biography.