So Sallie Says

Here are all the books I read in the Q1 2025 and my stream of consciousness review.

The Wedding People by Allison Enspach

If this book were a movie I’d definitely watch it on an airplane: it’s a nice, easy read that is mostly forgettable. Dislikes: the main character, Phoebe, was missing something that made her truly relatable or even likable, and the little details that were meant to bring supporting characters to life felt too random to ring true (like the nickname Juice or the monologue about pandas). Likes: a well-paced plot and a whimsical New England seaside setting. 

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel

This is a book that should have been an article but someone wanted to make more money. I know that because I read the companion book “No Drama Discipline” a year prior and completely forgot until I was 60% of the way through this one and realized it felt very familiar. Neither of them are remarkable enough to remember, and neither of them are different enough to warrant separate ISBNs.

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

We would all do well to remember that just because someone speaks confidently into a front-facing camera on TikTok doesn’t make their opinions true or good, and I’m talking about you, BookTok girls. They told me that this is a book for girls who liked the “Dear America” series in the 4th grade or had the Felicity American Girl Doll so imagine my fervor when it came available at the library. Then imagine my dweeby little disappointment when I realized it was written as if someone in 2023 was cosplaying as a 1780s midwife. It would have been an excellent story but it just felt so LARPy.

1-2-3 Magic: Gentle 3-Step Child & Toddler Discipline for Calm, Effective, and Happy Parenting by Thomas W. Phelan

Yes, I read 2 parenting books in the span of a month and that’s because I have a 2.5 year old, IYKYK. I gave this one a go because “The Whole-Brained Child” did not miraculously cure my toddler’s temper tantrums overnight. This one was recommended to me by my brother so I had seen the method in action. The writing itself is a little dopey and you can tell it is several decades old, but it’s a quick flip-through and I’ve found the advice to indeed be magical.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

I started reading this book before knowing any of the controversy surrounding it, which is basically that the story of a mother and son escaping a cartel and immigrating thousands of miles through Mexico and the American southwest is not one that should be told by a white woman (valid). I found the story to be riveting, harrowing, and melodramatic, and the stereotypes and translations lazy and tone-deaf. Many things can be true at once. My ultimate take is that if this book provides an opening for the average person to understand the migrant journey, that is good. If it inspires them to then go read stories by Mexican and/or immigrant authors, even better.

1984 by George Orwell

It just felt like it was time for a re-read, you know?

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

I wasn’t even done with this book before I knew I would be re-reading it in the future. I wish I could curl up and live inside the words, especially the ones describing making art as a lifeline, and not one you necessarily like: “Painting saved me, but I can’t say I loved painting. I painted because I needed to. What I really loved, what I love, is having-painted.”