Lisa notes

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
– Frederick Douglass

Here are 7 nonfiction books and 2 novels I recommend from my recent reads. 

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. Do You Still Talk to Grandma?
When the Problematic People in Our Lives Are the Ones We Love
by Brit Barron

Brit Barron gets vulnerable in sharing how we can navigate hard conversations with people we love. She shares from her own life as well as from her professional experiences in how we can disagree, yet still stay connected, when possible, with family members and friends who have differing opinions.

2. Disability Visibility
First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
by Alice Wong

This book of compiled essays opened my eyes to the complexity and resiliency among the disabled community in ways I hadn’t considered before. Each essay is from a perspective different than my own as a nondisabled person. I want to continue to grow in awareness of the challenges others face, and be a better ally for disability justice in whatever ways I can. 

3. Aging as a Spiritual Practice
A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser
by Lewis Richmond

I first borrowed this book from the library, but after I finished reading it, I bought my own copy so I could read it again. It blends personal reflections and practical meditations with wisdom cleaned from Buddhist philosophy. As I age, I appreciate books like this that help me see aging as an opportunity for growth instead of as something to fear.

4. The Road to Wisdom
On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust
by Francis S. Collins

Francis Collins, a physician, a geneticist, and a previous Director of the National Institutes of Health for three Presidents, is also a man of integrity and faith. His book offers mature guidance for clearer navigation of the divisions in our country. I appreciate his advice to seek truth, build trust, and approach life’s dilemmas with humility.

5. The Violent Take It by Force
The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy
by Matthew D. Taylor

This is a deeply researched and eye-opening look at the rise of Christian nationalism and its impact on American politics and religion. While some sections felt a bit too detailed for me, the overall insights into the movement’s influence, especially its ties to far-right ideologies, were both solid and unsettling—definitely worth the read for anyone trying to understand what has been happening in America the past few years.

Read more about it here, “Don’t Let Your Beliefs Make You Violent.“

6. Star-Spangled Jesus
Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding A True Faith
by April Ajoy

I follow April Ajoy on Instagram because she has a gift for making me laugh while tackling serious issues in the Christian world. So I was pleased to find that her book is just as engaging. Unlike some of the more academic takes on Christian nationalism (such as the one above, The Violent Take It By Force), this personal memoir is funny and accessible, while still being thought-provoking.

7. Hope for Cynics
The Surprising Science of Human Goodness
by Jamil Zaki

Be skeptical, not cynical. I wanted to read this book because I don’t want to give in to cynicism—I want to remember that trust, in the right people and places, still matters. With a mix of science and storytelling, this book gives practical ways to stay grounded in hope without ignoring hard truths.

FICTION

8. Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult

Even though Nineteen Minutes is one of Picoult’s older novels, it’s just as heartbreakingly relevant today since we continue to face one mass shooting after another in America. The story centers on a small-town high school shooting and follows the lives of those affected, including Josie, a student who survived but struggles to understand what really happened, and her mother, the judge who could potentially preside over the case.

Nineteen Minutes is one of my favorite 7 novels that I read in 2024.

9. Perfectly Nice Neighbors
by Kia Abdullah

This novel follows Salma, a Bangladeshi woman who moves with her family to a suburban neighborhood, and immediately runs into trouble with her White neighbor, Tom, after he removes her son’s anti-racist banner. It’s a twisty thriller that shows how small conflicts can spiral out of control. The plot was frustrating to me at times as the characters kept ramping up their conflicts in unnecessary ways, but it also felt realistic because I know this can happen in real life, too.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• Tranquility by Tuesday
  9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters
  by Laura Vanderkam
• Advice for Future Corpses (And Those Who Love Them)
  A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying
  by Sallie Tisdale
• Nexus
  A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
  by Yuval Noah Harari
• Fierce Love
  A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the World
  by Jacqui Lewis
• The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy
  And the Path to a Shared American Future
  by Robert P. Jones

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What good book have you read lately? Please share in the comments.

sharing at these linkups

Here are my favorite 7 novels that I read in 2024. Some are by authors I already love; other authors are new to me this year.

1. The Women
by Kristin Hannah

Frankie, a young nursing student in the mid-1960s, joins the Army Nurse Corps during Vietnam, but her toughest fight comes after returning to a fractured America. This powerful novel sheds light on the often-overlooked experiences of female soldiers. It left a lasting emotional impact on me.

2. Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë

I decided to re-read Jane Eyre before I read Praying with Jane Eyre: Reflections on Reading as a Sacred Practice in 2025, and I loved it just as much—if not more—this time around. If you haven’t yet experienced Jane’s journey from orphaned child to independent woman, I highly recommend picking up a copy (they’re easy to find).

3. Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult

We’ve all been traumatized in some way by school shootings. This novel is about a school shooting in a small town, exposing how it affects friendships and families of both the victims and the shooter.

4. The House in the Cerulean Sea
by T.J. Klune

I absolutely love The House in the Cerulean Sea, a whimsical story about Linus Baker, a case worker sent to assess a very unusual orphanage for magical children. Its quirky characters and emotional themes reminded me a bit of Harry Potter. The sequel—Somewhere Beyond the Sea—was published last September; I hope to read it soon.

5. The Covenant of Water
by Abraham Verghese

The Covenant of Water is a beautifully written, multi-generational family saga set in India, weaving its story around a mysterious family curse involving water. Though it starts slowly (thankfully I had been advised to not give up too soon!), I found myself deeply attached to the characters—and by the end, I knew it was worth all the hype.

6. One Perfect Couple
by Ruth Ware

I always read Ruth Ware’s novels. This one follows ten reality TV contestants stranded on an abandoned island when a storm turns their competition into survival. As always, this one is a gripping mystery—intense but not too scary.

7. The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore

This is an unusual mystery about two siblings who vanish from the same summer camp years apart. It’s a longer read, but I was hooked from start to finish. I hope to read more from Liz Moore.

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What’s a favorite novel or two that you read in 2024? Share in the comments.

More book recommendations:

• The Power of Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction Books
  Reading fiction and nonfiction together offers a rich blend of learning, inspiration, and empathy.
• My Top 9 Nonfiction Books of 2024
  My favorite 9 books became more than just stories or information to me—they became transformative experiences.
• My Must-Read Nonfiction Recommendations: Books that Deepen Connections
  Here are my favorite 3 books on how to have better relationships and my favorite 3 memoirs of 2024.

Each year, I read books for enjoyment and entertainment, but also for personal growth and transformation. In 2024, these nine books met all those qualifications. Not only were they easy to read, they also sparked fresh ideas, inspired deeper reflections, and led to new life experiences.

Here are my top 9 books of 2024—more than just stories, they inspired real actions and tangible change.

1. Say Good Night to Insomnia
by Gregg D. Jacobs

– NEW THOUGHT:
In most cases, thoughts and behaviors, not just medical problems, can be the primary causes of insomnia, and those can be learned and unlearned.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“The goal of cognitive restructuring is to improve sleep by promoting positive sleep thoughts (PSTs) and minimizing negative sleep thoughts (NSTs).”

– ACTION TAKEN:
I sleep better! (Not every night, but more nights than before.) I practice better sleep hygiene—like avoiding falling asleep to podcasts—and, with help from this book, I now use positive sleep affirmations, such as reminding myself before I fall asleep that, “There’s nothing more you need to do today; enjoy this long break,” and “Even if you wake up early, your body will still get the core sleep it needs.”

~ ~ ~

2. Forgive for Love
The Missing Ingredient for a Healthy and Lasting Relationship
by Fred Luskin

– NEW THOUGHT:
It is our inability to let go of the daily relationship hassles that causes the most decay in our relationship, not the infrequent big disasters.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“The eyes of love reveal our partners to be wounded individuals who make mistakes, not terrible people trying to do harm.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Fred Luskin’s work inspires me to more frequently challenge my “unenforceable rules” instead of turning them into an expectation or demand, thus more fully opening me up to practice his framework for forgiving others, myself, and, well, just life.

~ ~ ~

3. Not the End of the World
How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet
by Hannah Ritchie

– NEW THOUGHT:
I don’t have to be hopeless about climate change: while our climate problems are big and pressing, we have the technology to solve them, if we decide to, and if we don’t wait much longer.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“We have the opportunity to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state than we found it.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
This book helped give me enough hope to participate in a local climate group, communicate with my lawmakers, have conversations with others about climate, and, when given the option, eat more chicken and less beef.

~ ~ ~

4. The Anxious Generation
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness
by Jonathan Haidt

– NEW THOUGHT:
Two trends—overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons why Haidt thinks children born after 1995 have become the anxious generation.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“A play-based childhood strengthens friendship and social relationships, while a phone-based childhood weakens them.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Haidt’s research motivates me to put down my phone more often during the day, keep it out of reach at bedtime, and more intentionally engage with the world around me through experiences instead of just reading about it. [Read more here: A Wake-Up Call We Better Not Ignore]

~ ~ ~

5. Executing Grace
How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us
by Shane Claiborne

– NEW THOUGHT:
The roots of the death penalty are sunk deep in the legacy of lynching; as lynchings decreased, legal executions increased.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Even if we believe that these men are guilty of the things they are being executed for, it is hard to miss the sickening reality that what’s being done to them is the very thing we are trying to rid the world of. Once again, the cure is as bad as the disease.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Thanks to this book—and following the good work of Shane Claiborne—I have attended two online vigils on execution nights of two men on Alabama’s death row. I now follow state and national organizations that oppose the death penalty to stay informed about how to take action. I also read Ghosts Over the Boiler, a jolting book I won’t forget, written by men on Alabama’s death row.

~ ~ ~

6. No Bad Parts
Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
by Richard C. Schwartz

– NEW THOUGHT:
How we relate to the parts in our inner world is often how we relate to other people in our outer world.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Love is the answer in the inner world, just as it is in the outer world. Listening to, embracing, and loving parts allows them to heal and transform as much as it does for people.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Schwartz has me paying more attention to and dialoguing with my inner parts (including thoughts and emotions), often journaling more to hear the important messages they have to tell me.

~ ~ ~

7. Children Under Fire
An American Crisis
by John Woodrow Cox

– NEW THOUGHT:
Children who witness an attack involving a gun or knife (or are in close proximity to it) can be just as psychologically damaged as children who have themselves been shot or stabbed.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Every moment of every day, gunfire reshapes our kids’ lives, because of whom it takes away or what it makes them witness or how it forever changes their view of the world.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Books like this one keep me closely involved with Moms Demand Action to find ways to protect our children (and adults) from unnecessary gun violence. Collectively we campaign for stronger background checks, Red Flag laws, and responsible gun ownership. We lobby our state and national legislators and show up for advocacy days. We also work with community partners to support survivors of gun violence.

~ ~ ~

8. Aging as a Spiritual Practice
A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser
by Lewis Richmond

– NEW THOUGHT:
Letting go of what is already slipping away is how we actually enjoy our life. (But really? I still haven’t totally grasped it.)

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Love is the highest form of connectedness.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
This book includes a fabulous section on how to take “A Day Away,” which I did last week. It’s a spiritual mini-retreat designed to help you embrace gifts that may not have been accessible in your younger years. It is a powerful way to appreciate and consolidate the wisdom that comes with age. I’d love to make it a yearly date with myself.

~ ~ ~

9. Do Walk
Navigate Earth, Mind, and Body. Step by Step.
by Libby DeLana

– NEW THOUGHT:
Although this book wasn’t particularly profound through its words per se, just reading about how the author’s simple daily walks transformed her life was inspiring.

– FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Go gently, slow down, look up, and humbly learn.”

– ACTION TAKEN:
Because of reading DeLana’s book, I find myself taking more daily walks than ever before (I often turn them into Curiosity Walks; instructions here). It’s become a form of meditation, helping clear my mind and ground my body. I’m not as committed as DeLana—I won’t walk in the rain, for example—but on more days than not, I’m on my neighborhood streets noticing more than I ever have.

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Did you have a favorite book from 2024? Did it prompt a new experience for you? Share in the comments.

Read more:

• Can a Book Make You Do Something?
  It’s easy to read and forget. But instead, what if we read and do? Can a book make you do something?
• Instructions for “My Curiosity Walk”
  I couldn’t follow exactly the instructions for my curiosity walk. But each indulgent step brought its own successful reward, despite my failure to comply.
• 5 Ways to Get More From Reading Nonfiction Books
  Don’t just read a book. Do the book. Here are 5 ways to get more from reading nonfiction books.