1. Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary D Chapman
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This book was recommended to me when I was home for Christmas break (Thanks Ryan!). While neither Ryan and I are engaged and/or married (to be clear), the intent of the book is in the title: things I wish I'd known before we got married. Chapman notes that this book is for all readers: single people, couples considering marriage, engaged couples, even couples who are already married. Conflict resolution, the importance of apologies and forgiveness, and determining the "love language" of your significant other (and yourself) are just a few of the topics addressed in this book.
I'm only about halfway through this book, but it already has really made me reconsider how I think about my relationship: the way I express and internalize love, and areas that I need to work on to be a better partner. I've found that many of my friends and colleagues are familiar with Gary Chapman through his writing on "love languages" (which he details in another book, The Five Love Languages). This aspect has been one of the most significant takeaways for me thus far, and has inspired a lot of great conversation between Mike and myself on our own respective "love languages." For a taste of this concept, take the quiz to discover your personal love language here.
2. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
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I've been hearing about this book for a while in the blogger circles... I had previous read Moriarty's book, Big Little Lies while I was traveling to and visiting Mike in Italy last year and absolutely LOVED it. I think the combination of mystery, character development, and a foreign setting (Australia) really covered all the bases for me. I'm excited to start this book and see how it stacks up against Big Little Lies.
3. Consider the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace
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To be honest, I didn't pick this book, or collection of essays, rather. One of the girls in my monthly book club (who happens to be an English teacher at a local university... that's what book clubs are for, right?) picked it. Nevertheless, I'm excited to read it. The idea of reading short stories takes me back to my own days as a college student, taking countless literature classes (ah, nostalgia). Though I haven't read anything by Wallace before, I know that he is known for his humor and wit, so my inner English major is excited to dive into this collection.
Have you read any of these books? If so, did you like them? Dislike them? I'd love to hear it!
Labels: book-club, books, reading
