100 Side Hustles (& More March Reads)
I finished reading seven books in the month of March: 100 Side Hustles, plus six others. Read on for my impression of each title.
9 Books I Read in March
Hannah’s Children by Catherine Ruth Pakaluk
Hannah’s Children by Catherine Ruth Pakaluk was much deeper and more theoretical than I expected.
The author examines plummeting birth rates and the failure of even aggressive pro-natalist policies to reverse the trend by traveling across the US and interviewing outliers.
She interviewed 55 women who’ve intentionally had anywhere from five to fifteen children. In this fascinating account, she shares their reasons for wanting a large family, what kind of personal sacrifice was required to achieve it, and how they felt about the results.
As a mother of 12, I found myself resonating with many of the testimonies shared. Some of their stories even brought tears to my eyes.
How to Be Better at Almost Everything by Pat Flynn
In How to be Better at (Almost) Everything, author Pat Flynn advocates adopting the mindset of a generalist by learning something about a broad range of topics that interest you, then stacking knowledge and experience you gain through such an approach into a unique and marketable skillset.
He convincingly argues that this is the way to succeed in today’s global economy, rather than dedicating an entire lifetime to mastering one specific skill (although, if I ever need brain aneurysm clipped, I’m going to want a highly-specialized neurosurgeon to do the procedure rather than a generalist, no matter how broad his base of knowledge).
100 Side Hustles by Chris Guillebeau
I received a question from a reader awhile back asking if I knew of a way she could earn money from home while homeschooling her kids. I could think of a couple suggestions, but knew there had to be resources out there with a lot more ideas that might be a better fit for her circumstances.
So, when I saw Chris Guillebeau’s 100 Side Hustles, I snagged a copy ASAP. Sure enough, the book is cram-packed with all sorts of creative, think-outside-the-box strategies that have worked beautifully for the case studies he shares. And reading through these 100 bright ideas may trigger even more he didn’t mention.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
My husband read Sunrise on the Reaping aloud to the family over the course of a week, and it kept us on the edge of our seats from the opening chapter to the epilogue.
This Hunger Games installment not only describes Haymitch’s turn in the arena as a tribute for District 12 in the second Quarter Quell, but it also provides a backstory for several other characters we grew to know and love from the later books.
Catching Fire is my favorite of Collins’ original series of three books because of the spirit of cooperation that exists between several key characters, and I love this newest addition for the same reason.
Radical Remission by Kelly Turner
Dr. Kelly Turner interviewed more than 100 cancer patients who not only survived but also thrived against all odds. Her book, Radical Remission, details what she learned, using the survivors’ own words about what they believe caused their cancer, and what cured it.
A few of these stories resonated with me much more than others. As a Christian, I could relate to those who credited God, faith, and prayer for their healing much more readily than I could to those who cited Chinese medicine or New Age practices or shamanistic healers as the source of their remission.
Interestingly, nearly all the patients interviewed with radical remission shared a handful of things in common, including making radical changes to their diet, exercising more faithfully, fasting, letting go of bitterness and resentment, and reducing stress, to mention just a few.
Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My daughter and I together listened to Cherry Jones read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little Town on the Prairie this month. It details the Ingalls’ lives after moving to DeSmet — one of the homesteads our family visited last year on our 3-week roadtrip.
My favorite part of the story, besides Almonzo Wilder’s new and growing interest in Laura, is hearing how the entire town worked together to provide fun and creative entertainment for their families with the establishment of a literary society.
I love the idea of having spelling bees and recitations and music and “wax work” plays. The people took such joy in simple pleasures, with parents participating right alongside their children — an example modern families would do well to emulate.
Because He Lives by Jennifer Flanders
I re-read my devotional journal, Because He Lives, every year before Easter and complete a dozen or more pages in the journal: doing the word studies, using the journaling prompts to jot down my thoughts, looking up Scripture verses, painting page borders, and using my Prismacolor pencils on the beautiful vintage artwork.
I color in it while I listen to my husband read aloud before bedtime in the evening or as part of my quiet time in the early morning. Although I designed this journal for Easter, it can be enjoyed all year long, as one reviewer rightly noted. It covers prophesies pertaining to Jesus’s birth, death & resurrection, miracles He performed during His earthly ministry, events of the passion week, and His faithful promises.
Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles onto this page, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link .
PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any of those links, we may receive a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Such fees help defray the cost of running this website. This, in turn, allows us to continue offering our readers a wealth of FREE printable resources. So thank you for your support!
