Author: jordanccrook

The Whole Brain Child, by Daniel Seigel & Tina Payne Bryson

As you may know, I’m not particularly big on non-fiction (outside of memoir), and it has been a struggle to find many parenting books that really grab my attention. But The Whole-Brain Child was recommended to me several times, so I had to give it a shot.

The verdict? This is a fantastic book to help new parents better understand the way their child’s brain is developing in the early years, and how they can help foster that growth. In a word, invaluable.

As someone who hasn’t had any formal education around child psychology (or any psychology, really), I really appreciated how this book was able to break down complex functions of the brain so that I could grasp them. More importantly, it paired this learning with tactical, realistic ways that I could leverage that knowledge in my parenting to better help my child develop intellectually and emotionally. From little cartoon graphics to “Refrigerator sheets” for helping you put parenting techniques into practice, this book really goes the extra mile to make things realistic and accessible for parents.

I will say that a few times I felt like concepts were a little redundant, but I also think that slightly different approaches will work for different parents (and children), so I wasn’t too bothered by the overlap between sections of the book. I’ll definitely be flipping back through this one time and time again in the years to come.

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

I’m someone who really likes classics, even really long, slow ones, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith, is definitely both of those things. In that sense, I have to admit that this isn’t a classic that everyone will love, but for me it was extremely enjoyable.

Smith’s novel is a coming-of-age tale about Francie, a young girl growing up just after the turn of the century. I have to admit, I haven’t read many novels from this period (so much of the American cannon seems to have come out of the 20s and after), and so I really enjoyed Smith’s insight into the period – her perspectives on class lines, religious and ethnic divides, gender inequality, etc. I was captivated by these intriguing overarching themes, as well as the details about the era (paper collars?! singing waiters?).

If you’re a patient and close reader, I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this narrative. It certainly educated me on the realities of early 20th Century struggles and trends, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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Memorial, by Bryan Washington

I’ve been wanting to read Memorial all year, partly given it’s broad acclaim and partly out of a desire to support my fellow UNO alum, Bryan Washington. So naturally I started this one as soon as I got it (as a holiday gift from yet another UNO alum!). And, to summarize, I really enjoyed this book.

Firstly, I thought the plot was so convincing and intriguing. Brief synopsis: a couple is forced to reconsider their close relationships and life goals when one of them unexpectedly travels abroad and leaves his mother and partner to live together. This feels so probable and yet, so strange. I found myself eager to know what would happen to each of the three main characters.

Additionally, I was really interested in the intertextual nature of this novel – it relies on traditional prose, but also photographs and text messages to tell a broader narrative.

The only thing I struggled with a bit while reading Memorial was it’s occasional use of crude language and description when I felt that something more subtle would do. For me, it was a little as though crass language was leveraged for shock value at times.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the writing and voice of this book. It was easy to read, modern, and convincing. Give it a shot!

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The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I think I keep saying this but: I’ve been meaning to pull this book off my shelf for quite some time (and of course, to watch the film adaptation afterwards). Well, I finally got around to it, and I see why so many people have been captivated by this story: Stockett keeps the reader turning pages with a great plot, great writing, interesting characters, and so much tension.

This is a story about the struggle for equality, the courage it takes to stand up for what’s write in the face of inequality, and more than anything, it’s about elevating Black voices and Black stories. Of course, it’s a little hard to ignore that this is a story by a white writer, and that the hero protagonist is white, so in that sense the central theme of elevating Black voices seems a little… ironic. Even a bit problematic. Nevertheless, I think Stockett has written a great novel with a powerful message at it’s core.

I should probably add that, just after finishing the novel, I watched the film adaptation. As always, the book is better, and some things were left out or underdeveloped in the film, but overall I enjoyed it.

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A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

I’d heard this was a beautiful, sad story before I started it, and that was about all I knew. But both words – beautiful, sad – are woefully inadequate to describe this novel. This is a story about the power of friendship, but the characters in this novel overcome every kind of obstacle and injustice: addiction, sexual abuse, physical abuse, depression, self-doubt, poverty, grief, and more…. And yet, the story of friendship is really what wins out in the end, and I think that is such a testament to Yanagihara’s storytelling ability. She builds characters that are so convincing and engaging that the reader not only roots for them, but cares for them, and at a very minimum wants to know what happens to them. These are characters I will never forget – friendships I will never forget.

I recently listened to an interview with Hanya Yanagihara discussing this book and was surprised at the professional and somewhat distanced tone she used when speaking of this novel, which is so full of emotion that I was often brought to tears (and left utterly speechless when my husband asked what was wrong). That is the kind of writing I love, and yet, I could not wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. There is too much pain in this story, too much heartbreak, too many trigger warnings.

If you’ve read this one, I would love to hear from you. I could talk about it for days. If you haven’t read it, proceed with caution…it’s heavy. Worth it, but very heavy.

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The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood


I’ve been meaning to read this one for a very long time – in fact, I’ve been meaning to read anything by Margaret Atwood for a very long time, and I finally got around to The Handmaid’s Tale this month. So now, at long last, I understand what all the hype is about.

I had really high expectations coming into this one, and for the most part, Atwood lived up to them. She does an incredible job of building a dystopian society that is somehow both near and far from the one we live in today – a feat that is both impressive and terrifying. (If you’re wondering how that something can be both near and far, consider one huge theme of the book: women’s rights. It’s hard to imagine a near future in which women can’t own property or have autonomy over their own bodies, and yet look at a few of the recent news stories… Texas abortion law… Britney Spears…). Within this dystopia, Atwood explores so many complex themes in addition to woman’s rights: the nature of memory, the importance of language and text, the role of government in society, and so many more.

The only place where I was just a little bit let down was that I felt like the final chapter, which is formatted as a dissertation of sorts on the society that the book depicts, seems to be used as a sort of way to explain questions that are unclear throughout the book. I was a little disappointed that they couldn’t be explained earlier or as part of the narrative, but that’s me getting picky…

Overall, I would recommend this to a lot of folks I know, and you can bet I’ll be listening to a lot of podcasts and book talks about this one. And of course, there is a Netflix series and a sequel (The Testaments) that I’ll be diving into soon as well!

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Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

I haven’t been so captivated by a book since before my daughter was born (and that was over 4 months ago!). I simply couldn’t put Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke, down. Firstly, it’s incredibly unique: it blends our complex, busy, present world with a fantastical, simple, barren one. But if “Fantasy” is a no-go for you, this one is still worth a go – trust me on that. In my opinion, this book could just as easily be categorized as a psychological thriller, mystery, literary fiction, or sci-fi. It really has a little of everything.

Most importantly, though there are just two characters for much of the book, Clarke is somehow able to keep Piranesi’s voice interesting and the novel’s action moving quickly, even in a world where nothing much happens beyond the tides coming and going. It’s truly remarkable.

But beyond just the gripping plot and entrancing voice, there is so much happening in this novel on a thematic level. It asks huge questions of the reader: what happens when we’re left alone? What does it mean to be in touch with one’s surroundings? These questions (and so many others) are, perhaps, even more intriguing and insightful given our recent experiences during a global pandemic – sometimes Piranesi’s experiences hit really close to home.

With so many ethical, philosophical, and thematic overtones, I found it especially helpful after finishing this one to listen in on a few podcasts with the author. In particular, I’d recommend this discussion with Susanna Clarke, from Vox FM (I listened on Spotify, so you can find it there as well!).

10 for 10 I recommend this one to just about anyone.

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The Great Offshore Grounds, by Vanessa Veselka

The Great Offshore Grounds, by Vanessa Veselka, follows four members of an unlikely family through tragedy, triumph, and self-discovery. From the outset, this story pulls you in with it’s sass. It’s central characters are two sisters, Cheyenne and Livy, both with strong personalities but not much else – no money, no promising careers, and no close relationships. I was intrigued by both from the start.

Admittedly, I was a little skeptical as I started reading this novel. Cheyenne and Livy set out across the country to find the woman that birthed just one of them – and this is where things felt a little shaky for me (there’s quite a few unanswered questions I have about this point in the plot). From there, the narrative follows these two sisters as they butt heads, make mistakes, travel the country, and figure out their own values. It’s a fun ride, with a lot of misadventure, tragedy, and joy along the way, and gradually the two women come to value their relationship with eachother, their mother and loved ones.

Another thing I couldn’t help but love was the setting in this novel – it’s mostly set in the Pacific Northwest and Veselka does an incredible job of capturing the landscape, beauty, and vibes of my hometown. Woot! Woot!

Get the book HERE!

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Win Me Something, by Kyle Lucia Wu

This forthcoming, debut novel from Kyle Lucia Wu recounts the experience of a young woman who becomes a live-in nanny for a wealthy New York family. For me, the protagonist of Win Me Something, Willa Chen, feels like a familiar character – someone we’ve all known. After graduating college she’s left without a clear direction in either her professional or personal life. She ends up a nanny by chance, and her relationships develop throughout the narrative more out of convenience versus intention. She reflects at length about her childhood and family relations, but her reflections don’t seem to have a significant impact on her decisions or progress – she struggles to find her place with her “hired” family as much as she did with her own.

While I found the story and characters familiar and even relatable at times, I was also a little bit disappointed in them. There wasn’t anything especially surprising or gripping about their development – it felt hard to root for the protagonist because she barely rooted for herself. And while there are some meaningful comments on class and race throughout this debut, they didn’t take up quite as much space as I would have liked.

This is an easy, modern read with a familiar caste of characters and relatable struggle, but all told it left me somewhat underwhelmed.

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The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story

I’ve had this collection on my shelf for several years and finally picked it up in September. Like most of the Irish literature I’ve read, these stories were dense, subtle, and often very contextual. More than once, I had to look up some local slang that I hadn’t come across before, research a little bit of Irish politics or history, or even search for an analysis of a story whose message was so subtle. On one hand, this makes for a little bit of a tedious read, but, if you’re willing to do the work, it’s very rewarding. I say “very rewarding” for two reasons.

First, I think these are the kind of stories that can make you a better reader. You have to pay close attention and work toward understanding. You have to value the craft of setting, tone, plot, and dialogue to truly appreciate how skilled some of these writers are.

Secondly, doing the work to read these stories is rewarding because, well, they’re good stories! Most are gloomy, eerie, or even sad. But several of them have stuck with me, even just for an image or ambiance that they captured particularly well. I’ve found myself constantly thinking back to them when something (anything! the weather, a fence post, a bicycle) reminds me of a scene from one of these stories.

I’m sad to say that this collection is pretty hard to come by now, so I can’t link to it in my Bookshop page, but it’s still available in select locations and on Amazon.

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