All Last Summer - Stephanie J. Scott

 Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan.  And for Lila Vaughn who is a type A personality and makes lists for EVERYTHING it can completely turn your life upside down when your boyfriend who you were supposed to go to Brazil with for the summer the night before is out partying with a new girl.  Sure you weren't "supposed" to be at that party.  And you weren't "supposed" to find out that they'd been together for 2 months.  So out the window goes the trip.  The money for the trip and any hope of having a perfectly planned summer.  But sometimes surprisingly things happen that are good when they aren't planned.  

This was a short, sweet read. The setting, character development and story were all very well done in the 400 pages it encapsulated.  It was a nice YA read that evoked teenage memories of trying to find yourself and the self doubt you experience at that age while trying to navigate high school, social relationships and responsibilities.

Great quick summer vacay read!

Lion - A Long Way Home - Saroo Brierley

I have to admit that breaking tradition I watched the movie first and it got me interested in the book.

Based on a true story of a 5 year old boy in India who got lost on a train not knowing how to read or write, how he got adopted by a family in Australia and how in his twenties and the invention of Google earth he found his way home.

This is one of those heartbreaking stories of lost children.  You really feel for his brother who originally took him along to the train station and also for his adoptive mom Sue who really took him in and loved him as her own son (incidentally she also wrote a book about the experience from her point of view and about her upbringing - Lioness by Sue Brierley).  

100% worth the read AND watching the movie.

Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers - Stephanie M. Kriesberg

 

Written by a psychologist and expert in narcissism, Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers offers proven-effective strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you reduce anxiety, build confidence and overcome self-criticism. Practical tips to help you build healthy, trusting relationships; stop apologizing for the failures of others; and start trusting your own good judgment.

A little bit of a different read for me. This one while being a very thin book was VERY emotionally heavy.  I struggled growing up with a lot of feelings of self doubt, self criticism, anxiety and lack of confidence. This book would have skyrocketed my work on myself by a decade at least at the height of my depression however reading it now that I've been able to work on myself over the last decade or two it reinforced that I am on the right path of building my self confidence, finding my own voice and realizing that the things I thought was wrong with me were actually only things that were that critical voice in my head and while I cannot completely silence it, I can acknowledge that its there and not let it rule my inner voice like it has all my life.

This one is a tough read if you struggle with inner criticism and your relationship with your mother.  I would recommend only if you are in a place where you are ready to be open to the work and possibilities of self reflection and growth.  You will have to open some old wounds fair warning.