Five Things to Tell You vol. 6

Another National Book Award winner, cookies, and more!

Hello readers! Yet again, I am sharing five things I simply had to tell you, and would love if you would respond either in the comments or via email with something you simply have to tell me in return ♡

my new yoga studio (aka finally clean kid bedroom)

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Before we begin, you must know that my heart is breaking for everyone who has been enduring the devastating fires in Los Angeles this week. If you live elsewhere and are financially able to donate, please consider sharing your privilege with those who are in need. I personally donated directly to The Mutual Aid L.A. Network, which (among other things) has created a Google Spreadsheet that is connecting helpers and those in need. GoFundMe has also created a specific Wildfire Relief Fund to assist victims. Money doesn’t solve everything, but in times like these, it can go a long way toward recovery.

I’m starting this week off with *quite* a bit to say about a recent nonfiction title I read over the course of the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. I love that two of my first finishes of this year were the 2024 National Book Award Winners, AND that they were both fantastic reading experiences.

Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De León is a book that takes work to read, and I'm happy that I just read a bit at a time over weeks. It is the work of an anthropologist, compiling seven years of time in the field with human smugglers in Mexico and Honduras, and it definitely reads as such.

This book is not concise, it is not a page-turner, and it is often repetitive and almost always more in-the-weeds that most casual readers would be looking for. I know why De León wrote this book in this fashion, though, and it's valid ~ he lived with these people and loved some of these people, and to truly know them, you have to read their actual dialog in transcript form and be immersed in their day to day life. The format is not strictly linear or topic-based - I was confused numerous times throughout the book, trying to figure out when in time this was happening, flipping back to previous sections to remember which smuggler this was and where they were.

The fact that Matthew Desmond blurbed it as, "Extraordinary." makes complete sense though - if my memory serves me correctly, this is somewhat how Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City read as well. When writers embed themselves with their subjects, it's harder to put topics and people into neat little boxes ~ it's all content, and it's all connected, and it all matters.

What Soldiers and Kings does best is humanize the people earning money to bring people north, show how dire the situation is in the global south, and just how diabolical American politicians are in their immigration policies. It opens readers’ eyes to the fact that Mexico is a place to flee to, even when it's just a stop on the way to America. This book isn't really about getting to America, though, it's about why so many people are trying to flee their home countries to anywhere better. The money is staggering, the humanity is raw and heartbreaking, and the future is bleak.

Read this book not for an easy story, but for an urgent call to action, perfectly summed up by this statement in regard to a scene of thousands of Haitians who have fled to Mexico:

Driving by, it feels like I am looking into a crystal ball. Masses of displaced people fleeing earthquakes, hurricanes, viruses, corruption, violence, and of course, poverty. No disrespect to my Mexican family and friends, but shit has to be pretty unbearable in one's home country if you're seeking refuge in Chiapas, the poorest state in Mexico. All this parking lot is missing is a neon sign that reads Welcome to our global future. (p. 301)

For more on this book:

• Podcast episode with

  Traci Thomas
  of
  Unstacked

• CNN interview (article)

• NBC interview (article)

Because it’s still January, we can still talk about resolutions in a earnest way ~ I love what

Anna Maltby

wrote about this in her recent piece The best goal-setting advice I’ve ever heard. Somewhat related, I am listening to

Holly Whitaker

‘s new audio-only book for Audible¹, and am thinking a lot about how we make lasting change in our behaviors. This book is a collection of short affirmations and commentary, meant to be listened to daily, ideally at the same time. While the title focuses on alcohol, that’s not why I picked it up ² ~ I just love Whitaker’s work and trusted her when she said that the affirmations can be applied to any behaviors / habits. Check out her newsletter

Recovering

as well.

While still figuring out how to be okay with the oldest being gone this time (and her room being really clean and pretty empty), I have been quite enjoying being able to use her bedroom floor for yoga when the house is busy.

I absolutely adore our house and property in the warmer seasons, when everyone can spread out and we are outside the majority of the time, but winter sometimes gives me a strong case of the stabbies, when EVERYONE IS WHERE I WANT TO BE AND I WANT TO BE BY NOBODY. Being able to have a space to spread out my mat with no humans near me is a treat.

In my search for increased reading novelty in 2025, I stumbled across a new-to-me book subscription service that only ships USED BOOKS! And your book is a surprise every month! I am trying out a subscription to Used Books Monthly, and was delighted by the first book I received, Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg.

This 1993 novel was completely new to me, and is the first in a trilogy ~ I am excited to experience the next two Katie Nash books someday. Durable Goods is a slim coming-of-age (but adult) story about a twelve-year-old girl in Texas in the 1960s who is living in an a very tense household with her father and sister.

This is a story about growing up, abuse, grief, a sister relationship, and getting away. I really appreciated the concise but impactful writing style and the whimsical tone. And while I usually shy away from even hints of abuse in my reading, I am glad I gave this a chance because it was written about so well.

It’s funny, because in my head, I love Elizabeth Berg’s books, but when I look at Goodreads, I only have one marked as read. Perhaps I read a lot of her work before I started tracking my reading on Goodreads, but I don’t believe so. I would love to hear if any of you have a favorite title of hers!

I had a craving for oatmeal cookies with chocolate (white and semisweet) chips last weekend, and hunted for a new recipe since mine never ends up with cookies quite as chewy as I want them to be. I found this recipe at Crazy for Crust and was really happy with how they turned out. I made a massive batch, rolled all the dough into balls and put them in the refrigerator and made a few batches at a time. They’re a hit!

Do you have a specific award list you try to read from every year? Subscribe to a book subscription service? Ever get the stabbies? Want me to try your cookie recipe? Got a book rec for me??? Please do share!

That’s all for this week ~ thanks for reading!

I love to hear from readers, so please do reach out to me with questions or feedback at mindfullibrarian@substack.com . If we aren’t already connected on Goodreads, I would love to see you there as well!

1. If you have an Audible subscription, this title is included in your subscription. Yes, I still have an Audible subscription, but am down to only one credit every two months.

2. I wrote about being 5 years alcohol-free a few weeks ago