The Year of 5-Star Reads?

Welp, it's halfway through February, and I'm already six books behind schedule on my 2024 reading goal. However, about half of what I've read this year has earned a five-star rating from me. Will this be the year of 5-star reads?!

Knowing that by the end of this year, it's possible I'll have forgotten the details of these truly incredible books, it seems only fitting that they get their own post right now, while they're fresh on my mind.

The first book I read this year was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, thanks to the genius idea from one of the members of my book club (Hi, Maddie! ☺) that we'd read a trendy/best-selling book of the previous year for our January book club. Generally, I'm skeptical, if not utterly opposed, to something EVERYONE is reading and loving. This book has over one million ratings on Goodreads and is still rated 4.6 stars. Knowing fantasy isn't typically my genre of choice, I opted to listen to this one. After our book club meeting, I was grateful for the understanding of the various obscure pronunciations but felt like I was more likely to be confused by the plot, having depended fully on my listening.

If you haven't heard about it, I'll give you a brief summary, but you have to promise not to judge too much. There is no good way to describe it without sounding like a weirdo. Fourth Wing is about a young woman who's spent her life preferring the quiet life of academia but suddenly is jumping into the rigorous, highly regarded dragon riding school (bear with me!). There's all sorts of intricacies that come with this process and this world where dragons and humans live together. There's family drama, uncovered history, social divides, and romance. Yarros does a phenomenal job of hooking readers from the start, to the point that all the dragon things somehow seem normal while reading. The book has some pretty intense spicy parts, which made for entertaining book club discussions but feels very important to mention to anyone considering reading. This book (and its recently released sequel) is getting so much buzz, and I completely found it worth the read. I love the chance to read something outside my norm and devour it; yet another reminder of the importance to branch from what's comfortable as readers.

My second read of 2024 was Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari. Oh my goodness. First off, a good nonfiction, self-help type book is always more powerful for me when read in January, when I have all the "new year, new me" energy, but this book has rocked my world. If you're like me, you've probably felt all sorts of frustrations with the ways technology and screens seem to have robbed your ability to focus on anything else, you've felt disappointed and helpless when you've somehow wasted an entire evening scrolling mindlessly, and you thought it was just a you problem, something you were supposed to solve on your own. Stolen Focus looks at the ways our entire society is struggling to focus, and consequently, why less fulfilling things are able to seep in so deeply into our lives. It covers the societal implications of an entire people not being able to focus (spoiler: one is why everyone is arguing all the time), how sleep and diet affect our focus, the sheer beauty that comes from doing only one thing and doing it well. UGH if you ever read anything I share about here at Midway Jenn, I think it should be this one.

Next up was another earth-shattering nonfiction read, The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter. This was such an incredible one to follow Stolen Focus. It looks at how early humans lived such drastically more uncomfortable lives, how our psychology still has us looking for problems in our safer lives, how we're living in a constant state of chronic stress and how much more meaningful our lives are when we seek out the uncomfortable. The book follows Easter as he does a multi-week caribou hunt in Alaska, stripped of all of our daily comforts.

The Comfort Crisis has changed the way I see everything. I learned years ago that God meets me in my discomfort - when I'd go to church alone, meet new people, encounter rejection, etc. When I'm comfortable, I'm less likely to lean on Him. However, now I'm seeking discomfort in more ways and simply feeling empowered to settle in. For example, I love a quick lap to the teacher's lounge to snag whatever sweets are lingering on the counters. I'm not hungry when I'm seeking these things out, just eager for something to break up the monotony of whatever I'm doing. I've never been one to limit myself when it comes to food, especially desserts, but now I think twice before grabbing one, just to feel the discomfort of breaking from what I typically do. I know, it's such a minuscule thing but here's the thing: we feel like time is flying past us because we're doing the same thing over and over again.

This makes so much sense to me. Think about the vivid memories of your life. Why do they stand out to you? For me, it's all the things that weren't the same. I remember FEW details from my elementary school through high school days. I remember the day my entire 6th grade class dressed up like the Romans (or was it the Greeks?) and getting to ride shotgun in my nanny's car on my birthday. I remember our family trip to DisneyLand in 8th grade and even watching my uncle run with the Olympic Torch when I was in 2nd grade. The big life moments - our wedding day, the days my parents died, my mission trip to Tanzania, Quinn being born - all stand out so clearly in my mind. It's the break from the ordinary that we remember, that stops time from racing before our eyes. So yeah, you should read The Comfort Crisis.

Lastly, I absolutely loved Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus. A middle grade historical fiction book, Nothing Else But Miracles was an absolute delight. It follows Dory, the middle child with two brothers, whose mom has died and whose dad has gone to fight in World War II, leaving the children in the charge of the oldest brother, only seventeen. Dory is such a lovable character. She's spunky, big-hearted, and creative. The neighborhood knows that Pop is gone and works hard to take care of the children but a new landlord threatens the safety of home. It's set in New York City and Albus treats the setting like another character - I was right there with the Byrne family as they navigated it all.

It's baffling to me the impact a good book can have. I have a student in my class who is currently discovering the beauty of the Harry Potter series, devouring the first six books in the last month, and I love getting to witness that impact. Each of these reads touched my heart and mind in different ways. If I'd waited a month or so to read them, would they have had the same impact? I'm thankful for whatever influences allow us to select the right books for us in the exact moments we need them.

-J