I started this week with New Boy. It’s a retelling of Othello and it’s one of the few Shakespeare books I haven’t read. This is one of the series of retellings like the Anne Tyler one that came out last year. This particular story takes place in middle school and is about racism. It was a short, powerful read.
I then moved on to One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter because I was looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve read a few books like this, this year, and I’ve liked all of them.
I moved on to Loving What Is. I’ve read Byron Katie before and I knew what to expect but it was still worth it. This is the kind of book I need to read once a year. I need to think, journal, process, learn, and relearn all of this. I find her work to be one of the easiest and most powerful.
I was conflicted about reading House of Names which is a retelling of the story of Clytemnestra (which I didn’t know.) I kept wanting to stop reading it but I didn’t. It was about revenge. About how things go so wrong. It was a tough read, for me.
I then moved on to Woman No. 17 which I also wasn’t sure about reading. But it was much easier to read than The House of Names. Though I didn’t love it. It had a few interesting bits but overall I am so done reading these stories about these women. Characters I can’t connect with, stories I can’t relate to, people I don’t like.
Then I grabbed Startup thinking it would be light and fun. It wasn’t. It was a mess. It was too cartoonish. I wish someone would write a smart novel about the current Silicon Valley culture. Not something sensationalist but something interesting, thought-provoking and worthwhile. But alas, maybe that won’t happen.
I kept picking up One of the Boys and putting it down. I knew I was going to be so sad. And I was. it was so sad. I am not glad I read it.
My library just got in Giant Steps even though it’s an old old book. I didn’t realize it was a 365-day book and it was weird on audio but it was great. So great that I put the actual book on hold at the library so I can read it again. It was thought provoking and promises some amazing journaling questions, I think.
And my last book was Ferris’ short story collection: The Dinner Party. There was one story I really liked called The Breeze, I enjoyed several others but short stories are always tough for me. I am glad I stuck with this one.
I guess this was another week of okay books but not many great books. Here’s to hoping next week is better.
Books I Read this Week 2017 is a year-long project for 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
Rats — I just added Startup to my BOMC box this morning. Maybe someday *you* will write a good book about Silicon Valley culture! 🙂 I’ve been interested in startup culture since my younger sister worked in CA during the dotcom boom.
In fairness to the author i never worked at an actual startup since google wouldn’t count by the time I joined and i was definitely not in my 20s when I moved here. So maybe for 20-somethings this isn’t that off the mark. for me, it was just not what i connected with and I still look for the thought-provoking non-sensationalist and non-stereotypical read that is likely not coming 😉
I just finished reading Startup and I understand your take on it. It felt very much like the author was trying to capture the zeitgeist of the NYC tech scene, but all the mentions of Twitter and Snapchat will likely not age well. Many of the characters were shallow and there were plot details I could have lived without. It’s a bit depressing to think of a world where people in their thirties are old, since I’m clinging to the last months of my forties. 🙂 I think it did raise some important questions about men and women in the workplace, representation, etc.
I recently finished This Is How It Always Is and The Peculiar Charms of Arthur Pepper. The second is lighter than the first. I enjoyed both.