What Do You Say by William Stixrud, PhD, and Ned Johnson

 

Oh, teenagers. They're tricky, aren't they? They're almost adults, but not quite yet, but will be soon so better get them ready! It's a lot of pressure. When I heard about What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home by William Stixrud, PhD, and Ned Johnson, I was on board. A clinical psychologist (Stixrud) and a test prep teen coach (Johnson) have studied what teens need to be successful and how parents can help and then get out of their way. They promote a "parent as consultant" philosophy which focuses on helping kids learn to run their own lives.

Here are a few fantastic quotes from the book:

Kids maximize [their] potential by creating a life they want. We want to make sure that any pressure put on our kid isn't actually about us, and the communities we've become invested in.

Your job is not to control your kids, but to help them learn to control themselves.

A strong connection with a parent is the closest thing to a silver bullet for preventing mental health problems in kids.

This all sounds like excellent advice to me. I have one child that will be leaving for college in less than a year and one only a few years behind. I want them to be able to make good choices for themselves and I'm doing what I can now to help with that. I really enjoyed this book and I hope it will be useful.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid features Evelyn, an old-Hollywood movie star who is finally ready to tell her life's story. She summons Monique, an unknown reporter from a local magazine, to her lavish New York apartment and offers up all of her juiciest secrets with the understanding that they will only be published after her death. With seven husbands, there are plenty of stories to tell and Monique can't believe her luck. Once Ms. Hugo begins, she won't stop until it is all told.

This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Reid is a masterful storyteller with fantastic pacing and excellent character development. Just like everyone else in Evelyn's life, I quickly fell in love with her spirit, her drive, and her love for the family she created for herself. Seven husbands is certainly a lot, and not all of them were good, but there was a lot of love and affection in her life.

This book wasn't at all what I expected, but it was so much better than I could have hoped. I have heard that the audio version is fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Long library waits usually mean good things!

 

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell is a mystery told from three persepectives: Saffyre, a teenage girl trying to heal from a childhood trauma; Cate, the wife of Saffyre's therapist; and Owen, the very strange, anti-social single man who lives across the street with his aunt. When Saffyre goes missing, there is a lot of speculation of who could be responsible. There have been street attacks on young women in the neighborhood and Cate's daughter is quick to cast suspicion on Owen. He certainly does look guilty, but only time will tell.

I enjoy books written from multiple perspectives, especially with such different characters, because it gives the reader the opportunity to view the contrasting sides of the story. It goes back to the idea that no one is a 'bad guy' in their own mind. The individual motivations make all the difference. Jewell handles this well with distinctive voice and well-fleshed characters.

I liked this book, but not a lot. The characters weren't particularly likable and it felt slow to me. I wasn't overly motivated to pick it up. I had high hopes for it at the beginning, but somehow it fell flat. Other members of the book club enjoyed it more than I did, so maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace for this one.