Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Emergency Skin (4 stars): “Sometimes that’s all it takes to save a world, you see. A new vision. A new way of thinking, appearing at just the right time.”

This book is a super fast read and reasonably simple to follow. It’s one of the Forward series books based off of an idea Blake Crouch had where he then recruited writers to write their own versions. N. K. Jemisin’s story packs several ideas around sexism, socialism, racism and more into a simple, upbeat-feeling story. It’s so short that I’d recommend you just read the story instead of reading reviews about it.

Summer Frost (4 stars): “Because you saw Max for the first time in the form of a corporately mandated idea of what a perfect woman should be—beautiful and expendable.”

This was my second read from the Forward series. I have enjoyed every Blake Crouch book I’ve read and this was no exception. This short, simple story is full of complex ideas around good and evil, future of technology, identity, artificial intelligence and more. The pacing is super fast in the beginning and slows down a bit in the middle and then picks up again at the end. There are some twists. It’s fast, it’s interesting, it’s enjoyable and it blows your mind a bit. Signature Blake Crouch.

The Whisper Man (3.5 stars): This book gets very strong positive reviews from lots of people, so it had been on my list for some time. I don’t usually enjoy creepy novels but I decided to tackle this and in the end, for me, it was just so-so. I did like how character-driven the story was. It’s rare for mystery stories to be character driven and I enjoyed that a lot. I also enjoyed how flawed, complex and textured each of the male characters was (albeit the female ones were not quite as three-dimensional.) I did like the story but maybe because I listened to it on audio, the creepiness factor wasn’t there enough for me to make this book stand out in any particular way. I definitely appear to be the anomaly, however, so I’d ignore my review 🙂

Fleishman is in Trouble (4 stars): I have so many thoughts about this novel that I don’t even know where to begin. The novel starts with the story of a newly separated Fleishman and at first you think it’s going to be all about how he is trying to put himself out there again and get laid. There are a lot of sexual details that, for me, was the original reason I put this book down the first time I tried to read it. I felt that I didn’t really need to read a book about a man in his mid-life crisis. I’m not a big fan of that type of funny either. But, my friend Lauren really liked and recommended it, so I picked it up again and kept reading. 

And it got so much better. And sadder. 

I will say that the book goes on a bit longer than I think is necessary, I was a lot more engaged and interested when the story turned to their past and how the marriage unraveled. And maybe not surprisingly, it got so much stronger when we finally get to hear the wife’s perspective. It was such a profound shift that it’s almost like Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies where once you hear the story from the other character’s perspective, your whole experience changes. That’s how it felt to me. And there were enough things that hit so close to home that I couldn’t help but mourn. 

Even though at its core, it’s about marriage, this book is really about being a woman, a mother, a wife and tackles concepts around ambition, success, aging, and the complexity and impossibility of balancing/managing all of these while being a woman.

There’s so much here. I am glad I gave this book another chance. But, I think I also will be sad for a while thanks to the truths it tells.

Winners Take All (4 stars): There’s so much I can say about this book but honestly I am still forming my own thoughts. There’s so many layers of this book that touches my own history and my own present. I don’t think the book is perfect, I am not even sure it’s a fully formed hypothesis but I do think that it’s highlighting something important. I am glad I read it and I will be thinking about it for a long time. For me, that’s all that I ask of a non-fiction book. I already have and will continue to recommend this to many people I know.

There You Are (5 stars): “There’s no way for me to separate myself from my brother and no way to separate Francis from, I don’t know being Francis. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” Mina Said.
“I know it sounds crazy, but before I can even know what I, Octavian, want, I have to be sure that Francis is going to be alright first.:
“I understand,” she said.
“How?”
Mina took a deep breath. “Because that’s how I feel about you sometimes.”

I loved every bit of this book. There’s so much that’s special about it. It’s about Octavian and Mina who meet when they are 5 and become friends but then they go to separate schools and lose touch and then come together again as teenagers, both working in a record store. 

The novel follows their lives, going back and forth in time and jumping around to also show Octavian’s father’s perspective and the record store owner’s (Bones) who might have been one of my very favorite characters. In fact, the handful of chapters that are his backstory might be my favorite where I was so delighted, I laughed out loud.

The characters in this story are so well developed, so three dimensional, so layered and textured and real that it’s not possible to not get invested in all of them. The music store as a setting is absolutely perfect and such a great place for all these young people to come together and form relationships of a lifetime. 

There is a lot about racism in this book but no new revelations or lesson, more about the role it plays in the characters’ lives in all sorts of ways that feel real and remind the reader about how far we have not come without being preachy at all. There’s a profound-to-me section where Octavian’s dad is still trying to be respectful and let his neighbor’s feelings matter more than his about a racially charged event and it just made me realize how much I still have to learn and how far we all still have to go. The story made me think and wince and highlighted how there’s still so much to do. It’s so beautifully woven into the story, feels so authentic to the characters. 

“…but as he wrapped her in his arms, he felt a gathering of pieces of himself that had scattered since the time when he hadn’t known pain so intimately. He pressed them together into his own box of memories and closed the lid.”

This book is not just about race, it’s about family, love, friendship, being young, belonging, and so much more. Race is a layer across all of it since it’s a big part of the character’s experiences as they move through life. The loyalty and responsibility Octavian feels to his brother. The love he and Mina have for each other and how love of that magnitude is often complicated.

“She wasn’t sure she had the energy to manage the life she had created.”

I will repeat that I loved every bit of this book. The characters, the setting, the writing, it was all beautifully done. Highly recommended.

With gratitude to netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing To See Here (4 stars): “How else would we protect ourselves?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. How did people protect themselves? How did anyone keep this world from ruining them? I wanted to know. I wanted to know so bad.

The blurb of this book is not typical and I am not sure what drew me to it but I am so glad I read it. Even though this book sounds like it’s about two kids who light on fire, the fire itself is such a small part of the overall story. It’s really about parenting, family, friendship, neglect, and belonging.

“She was holding it in her hands, cupped together. It looked like what love must look like, just barely there, so easy to extinguish.”

I am not usually a fan of dark humor but in this case, I think it was beautifully done and added a tiny bit of lightness into this story which at its core is actually a very sad story. If you’re looking for a funny, clever story about kids who spontaneously burst into flames, this is not your story. 

If you’re looking for a touching story about belonging and family with bits of dark humor sprinkled in about politics and wealth, this is your story.

I loved reading it.

With gratitude to netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Police (3.5 stars): One of the reasons I really enjoy reading Japanese fiction is that I find the stories are very different from what I usually read which I love. This was no exception. A really unusual story that emphasizes the importance of memories and how we forget things and move on easily. It has an Orwellian tone to it and it’s absurd in places but it’s laced with a quietness and love that kept drawing me to the story and if you, like me, really enjoy unusual stories, add this one to your list.

And there we go, a solid week of reading. Here’s to another great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Thanks to a lot of flights I read a lot this week. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

The Testaments (4 stars): I read The Handmaid’s Tale a handful of years ago. Long enough that I don’t remember the details of the plot, recent enough that I remember the impact it had on me. As a fan of Atwood, I couldn’t wait to see what she decided to do with a story as influential as this one. It’s hard to follow a book that has had so much of an impact on so many people. I was worried it would be didactic. I was worried it would be flimsy. I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I also was worried that since I never watched the TV series, there might be some plot line that I couldn’t follow.

As it worked out, I didn’t need to worry, for a multitude of reasons. This book, in my opinion, doesn’t even try to be influential. If you are reading it to see if it will be a similar experience as reading the first one, you will be sorely disappointed. It’s not didactic, mostly because it’s not really trying to make a point. It’s not flimsy, most especially because of Aunt Lydia’s perspective. As for the hype, well it’s unclear if it did live to the hype or not.

Atwood is a good writer so the book is written well. There are three perspectives. Aunt Lydia, a girl in Gilead, and one in Canada. There are some twists but not super shocking, in my opinion. And the two girls mostly serve as a way to move the plot forward and as a way to deliver much of the setting but not more than that. Their perspectives aren’t all that interesting. 

It will not be a book I’ll remember forever. It’s the kind of book a fan of the first novel would enjoy if you wished you knew more about how Gilead came to be. I am still glad I read it. I especially enjoyed Aunt Lydia’s perspective.

Talking to Strangers (4 stars): “We think we can easily see into the hearts of others based on the flimsiest of clues. We jump at the chance to judge strangers. We would never do that to ourselves, of course. We are nuanced and complex and enigmatic. But the stranger is easy. If I can convince you of one thing in this book, let it be this: Strangers are not easy.”

I have so many thoughts about this book. I’ve been a Gladwell fan since his first book and have read every single book he’s written. I like his anecdotal style of writing. I like that he likes to peak your curiosity and engages the reader quite easily and that he can take a complicated subject and make it simple enough for an ordinary person like me to digest. 

Alas, in this case, this is exactly what annoyed me. 

First of all, this book should come with many trigger warnings. It tackles difficult and complicated subjects like racism, police shootings, rape, child molestation, and Hitler. Any one of these topics, in my opinion, is too nuanced and textured, and complicated for a Gladwell-like book, and when all are in there, it’s enough for me to cringe and want to put the book down.

And so, maybe it makes no sense that I would rate this book as four stars. But alas, Gladwell’s book also does a lot of what he’s setting out to do: show you a big hole in our society and a glaring mistake in the way we read and communicate with other people. The way we assume things about them. How assuming only the best causes so much harm in some cases, and always assuming the worst is also no way to live. People are complicated and there always more than one thing going on. And that we often don’t know all the factors that culminate in a particular situation.

As always his story telling is great, his topic is fascinating, and he expands my thinking and makes me more curious about life. Any book that impacts my thinking this much, is a worthwhile book. I just wish his examples had been different. He makes wide generalizations so that his stories can fit under the “Talking to Strangers” category and there are many examples in the book where I don’t agree with him. But the overall point he’s making, I do agree with that. As with all of his books, it made me look at the world slightly differently. It made me ask more questions and notice more of my assumptions. And that is always a good thing.

The Art of Loneliness (4.5 stars): I loved this book. This is the story of three siblings who lose their parents at a tragic car accident at a young age and then live with the grief of that loss. They weave in and out of each others’ lives throughout the story but so much of their life is shaped by that loss. There’s a lot of grief but also a lot of hope. About how life moves on and you end up okay for the most part. There is a lot of introspection and this reads like a quiet story but it impacts the reader greatly. I really really enjoyed this character-driven story.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (4.5 stars): “Compare the people who write to me as lost, astray. In most cases, they have a map but just won’t look at it, or don’t know how to find their own location.”

What a delightful story. I have no idea how to review this story. Basically, three bandits find a run down convenience store as a hideaway. When a letter comes through the mail slot asking for advice, they realize this store’s owner used to give advice in the past when it was still running. So they decide to test it out. The story then twists and turns in each chapter coming all back together almost like a Mobius strip. You cant help but smile in the end.

There’s time travel, history, and some fun plot twists in this story. I found the translation to be a bit odd at times but since I didn’t read it in its original language I can’t tell if that was stylistic choice or just poor translation. It’s a reasonably simplistic story and not a giant amount of character development but some. 

The idea is so novel that I was delighted just on that alone. If unusual novels are your thing I think you will enjoy this one. I did.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Yen Press for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Dominicana (4 stars): I loved this book. This story is about fifteen year-old Ana who moves from the Dominic Republic to New York when she marries Juan. Her life in New York is very constrained and she’s in an abusive relationship. There’s a brief period where Juan returns back and she gets to live a life where she’s taking English lessons, selling things, and dancing and gets a glimpse of the life she could be having. Her yearning and pain both come across so acutely that the reader can almost feel it first hand. And then Juan comes back and she’s right back to where she was, having to choose between personal happiness and family obligations. It is a well-written, thoughtful both funny and sad. A real joy to read.

The Dearly Beloved (4.5 stars): I loved this book. It’s the story of two couples where the husbands are co-stewards to the historic Third Presbyterian Church during a turbulent time. The couples themselves are complex characters and in complex relationships and then their friendship with each other is also layered and textured and complex. And then they go through trials and tribulations as they expand their families that adds yet more layers of complexity. It’s such a wonderful representation of real life in its joys, sorrows, celebrations, angst, frustrations and deep deep losses. Four rich characters make this novel a delight to read, especially if, like me, you cherish character-driven novels. Love love love.

Family of Origin (3.5 stars): I started and finished this novel during an international flight from London to SFO. It was the perfect flight novel because it’s both complicated and simple. It’s both surprising and engaging. It’s about two half-siblings who travel to an island where their dad has drowned. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past, laying the narration of how the kids grew up and how their relationship broke with each other and with the parent. There are very funny moments and also some triggery content in this book. The author does a good job staying in character for both of the characters and bringing the story to a close without being preachy or unrealistic. It’s about destruction of relationships and rebuilding of them. It’s about seeking redemption and attention. It’s about human things. I will say the major plot surprise was not welcome for me and I couldn’t get past it even though I understand why the author chose it, so be warned.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World (4 stars): “Sometimes where you feel most safe is where you least belong”

Even though I am Turkish, this is the first Elif Shafak book I’ve read. I had read the blurb and knew it took place during the last 10 minutes as a whore lay dying. The premise seemed interesting but I had no idea what to expect. 

“Years later, she would come to think of this moment as the first time she realized that things were not always what they seemed. Just as the sour could hide beneath the sweet, or vide versa, within every sane mind, there was a trace of insanity, and within the depths of madness glimmered a sense of lucidity.”

As it worked out, this was an excellent story of the journey the main character, Leila, takes growing up in Van with a devout dad married to two women and her journey from there to Istanbul where she ends up having a terrible life (as she was trying to run away from another terrible one.)

“Everyone seemed a little lost, vulnerable and unsure of themselves, whether they were educated or not, modern or not, Eastern or not. grown up or a child. That’s what he reckoned, this boy. He, for one, always felt more comfortable next to people who weren’t perfect in any way.”

She makes some amazing friends along the way and the book also shares the background of each of these characters and the power of friendships to create tighter bonds than family. 

“‘It’s a serious thing to believe in someone,’ she said. …. ‘You can’t just say it like that, It’s a big commitment to believe.'”

There is a lot of history in this book that takes place mostly in the background and sometimes in the foreground. A lot of moments of grief and horror with some moments of joy. Throughout the book Leila continues to be an amazingly rich character to follow where you root for her even as you know she’s going to die. 

“We must do what we can to mend our lives, and we owe that to ourselves – but we need to be careful not to break others while achieving that.”

I loved every bit of this harrowing story and am really glad I read it. I look forward to reading more of her work.

With thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Art of Loneliness (4.5 stars): I loved this book. This is the story of three siblings who lose their parents at a tragic car accident at a young age and then live with the grief of that loss. They weave in and out of each others’ lives throughout the story but so much of their life is shaped by that loss. There’s a lot of grief but also a lot of hope. About how life moves on and you end up okay for the most part. There is a lot of introspection and this reads like a quiet story but it impacts the reader greatly. I really really enjoyed this character-driven story.

Read this if you want to be Great at Drawing People (4 stars): I have always had a lot of trouble drawing people. People are complex to draw on so many levels: proportions, perspective, expressions, depth, texture, movement. I can go on and on. It’s very easy for someone to look at a drawing of a person and tell when it’s off. Intuitively we have a sense for how it should look even if we don’t know how to draw. 

So I was really looking forward to what I could learn from this book and it did not disappoint. It has multiple sections including:
– Starting Out
– Accuracy
– Composition
– Tone
– Lighting 
– Individuality 
– Approach

Each section has about 6-8 examples of how to approach that topic. I especially liked the Starting Out section because it has tangible exercises for me to try in short bursts of time. The whole book is broken down in very easy ways that feel very doable. There is a wide array of examples so you don’t have one right answer on how to draw people. You can pick one that resonates with you the most and give it a try.

Like all art books, there’s no magic the book can provide that suddenly makes you great at drawing people. Only practice can do that. But this book gives you several approaches so that you can find a way to start tackling it and enjoy practicing.

thank you to netgalley and Laurence King Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

And there we go, a great week of reading. Here’s to another great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

We Are All Good People Here (3 stars): So much happens in this book. It is the story of two women who meet in college in the early 1960s. It follows their lives all the way to when they have kids of their own, and the kids’ lives, too. There are a lot of issues the book addresses including racism, anti-semitism, anti-war (Vietnam) and feminism. The women weave in an out of each others’ lives for a while but then end up back together like when they were young, though not close in the same way. I enjoyed the wide range of historical times covered in this book and liked the characters but didn’t connect with it as much as I usually do with stories that go over such a long period of time like this one did. Liked it but didn’t love it.

Say Say Say (3 stars): Say Say Say is the story of a caregiver named Ella. While the book has many musings about relationships and grief and loss. Overall, I didn’t feel like the novel was long or deep enough for me to connect with it the way I usually like to. But I really loved the parts that revolved around her caregiving. The small bits of deeply intimate life you glimpse into as a caregiver, the ways in which you care and also struggle with how/when to care all felt really realistic and touching to me.

Because You’re Mine (3.5 stars): I don’t usually like twists in my mystery novels. They often feel like the author assumed the reader was stupid and came up with a completely implausible twist. Or it was so easy to tell that I could guess the twist. Or the characters are so dislikable that I don’t even care about the twist. This book, however, did none of those for me. The characters were each flawed but also likable in their own ways. The twists (and there were several) were not easy to guess, for me, and yet reasonably believable. I didn’t care for any of these characters all that much but I really enjoyed the story. If mystery and twists are your thing, you will like this one.

No Happy Endings (3 stars): This author was new to me. I haven’t read her previous books, i don’t follow her on instagram, nor have i listened to her podcast. I wasn’t sure how to rate this book. I felt like while there were several touching parts to it, and some gold as well, but overall I didn’t come away with that much. She has endured unspeakable grief between losing a baby and her husband weeks away from each other. The book did a great job of showing both the deep grief and the incredible joy life can bring. Life is complicated, you should make sure to make the most of your days, we don’t get happy endings but complicated, beautiful and textured lives. I admire the courage of the author and her honesty and I am truly happy for her. Maybe I just read this book at the wrong time and didn’t connect with it as much as I could have. If you’re a fan of her work, I am sure you will love this book.

All the Water in the World (2.5 stars): I should have DNF’ed this book. I could tell at around 10% in that I wasn’t connecting with the book and neither of the characters were resonating with me. And yet I kept reading to see if something would make me change my mind. Alas, it wasn’t so. Sometimes it’s the wrong time for a book and I can’t tell if this was one of those. Either way, this book didn’t really work for me unfortunately. If you’ve read it and liked it, I’d love to hear what made you love it that maybe I just missed.

And there we go, an ok week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Never Have I Ever (3.5 stars): 3.5 stars mostly because I was surprised more often than i usually am

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I was going to. I appreciated a mystery without the unreliable character trope or even the dislikable character one. The main character had secrets to hide and she was flawed but she also was real and reasonably realistic in my opinion. Roux was a bit more complicated in that I had to buy into some of her past and present and motivations. Some seemed plausible but others were a bit harder for me to believe. There were several times I was surprised in the story mostly because it went in a direction I just hadn’t really thought of for this type of story. The fact that it wasn’t like all the other mysteries I’ve read in the last two years helped in this case. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially if domestic mysteries are your thing.

Pretty Guilty Women (3 stars): There have already been quite a few comparisons between Pretty Guilty Women and Big Little Lies and there are indeed many parallels. This story takes place over a wedding weekend in a resort spa. One of four old friends is getting married and none are really that close anymore. There’s also an older woman whose husband is related to the wedding party. These four women (excluding the bride) are involved in a crime, and the book goes from one character to another telling bits of their back story and then telling bits of what happened over the weekend to culminate in the crime. Each chapter opens or closes with short police interrogation. Each woman has her secret or personal drama so each of those also unravels throughout the story. So the structure and the plot are quite similar and some of the subplots are, too.

But I still enjoyed reading it. It was a fast-paced read that kept me up late at night waiting to find out what happened and who died and how each character’s back story unfolds. If you enjoyed Big Little Lies, and are looking for something similar, you will enjoy this.

Thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an early copy in exchange for an honest review

The Great Unexpected (3 stars): I think I was an outlier for this book. All the reviews are glowing and yet I really struggled with it. This was a bit like Ove for me where a disgruntled, old man finds friendship and then changes over time. It’s about the value of friendship and how life changing that can be. There are some really heavy themes in this one around abuse, suicidal ideation, etc. But it just never really landed with me, I didn’t feel connected to the main character and didn’t find myself rooting for him. I did love the secondary characters but in the end, it was reasonably predictable so that mixed with my lack of connection meant this wasn’t a standout for me.

Lanny (3.5 stars): 3.5 stars on uniqueness alone. I started this book months ago and then had to put it on hold because I was having such a hard time following it. I finally came back to it, and it was still hard but I decided to stick with it and I am glad I did. It is an incredibly unusual book. I can’t even say I loved it but I loved its uniqueness and it will stay with me for quite a while. I love books that do that. This book is about so much but most of all it’s about society, connection, mankind. Loss, too. I don’t want to give too much away. It’s a short book. It was an interesting audio experience and I have no idea how it is in print. If you’re adventurous I’d recommend trying it and seeing if it resonates with you.

And there we go, an ok week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Thanks to travel, some awesome reading this week. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

The Most Fun We Ever Had (4.5 stars): This is exactly the kind of book I love. It’s a long multi-generational family story so you get completely immersed in each of these characters. I loved each character and I also loved that the story goes back and forth in time so that their stories unveil piece by piece and there are moments the reader knows more than a particular character and other moments where you’re confused and wondering what happened in the past that made this characters be where they are in this present. As all the pieces came together, I had already fallen in love with each character and didn’t want the story to end. I loved this one. It’s the perfect book to immerse yourself in during a long day.

The Dutch House (4.5 stars): “Disappointment comes from expectation, and in those days I had no expectation that Andrea would get and thing less than what she wanted.”

Ann Patchett’s novels are always a journey and this one is no exception. This story starts with two siblings Maeve and Danny who live in a giant house with their family and some help. The mother leaves and the dad ends up marrying another woman who has two younger daughters of her own. Everything in the story winds backwards and forwards in time from there. 

This story told from the little boy, Danny’s, perspective takes the characters from their child years all the way to old age. There is so much here to talk about, but there were three most resonant themes for me. One is about the strong bond between the two siblings. The way their lives were completely intertwined with each other. The way they would drop anything at the drop of a hat and be there for each other. The way their love and support for each other was 100% unwavering and unconditional. It was palpable in the whole story.

“Mothers were the measure of safety, which meant that I was safer than Maeve. After our mother left, Maeve took up the job on my behalf but no one did the same for her.”

The second theme was of sacrifice. The theme of saints. Is a parent leaving her kids but then out there saving the world a good parent or a bad parent? What does it mean if she is helping those who need help but abandoning her kids in the process? So many questions that are hard to answer here.

“In the city of constant stimulation, we had failed to give them the opportunity to develop strong inner lives for those occasions when they would find themselves sitting through the second act of The Nutcracker“

And finally, the theme that was most resonant for me: living your life in a particular way just out of spite. There’s so much in this book done out of spite. Done out of resentment and anger. When we carry all this with us, it shapes our whole life and then these terrible things people did to us end up continuing long after they are not in our life. And this book has such strong examples of what it looks like to live with all that.

Every character in this book is 3-dimensional and you can feel them moving in the story. The house itself is definitely another character and looms over the story just like many of the paintings mentioned. It shapes everything. I loved every page of this book even if the ending wasn’t all I wished it were. 

Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Notes to Self (3.5 stars): These essays were raw and honest. Even though the author and I have very little in common in the paths we’ve taken, choices we’ve made, and misfortunes we’ve encountered, what I appreciate the most here is that she’s willing to write openly about subjects we usually are not “supposed to” talk about. She is willing to be vulnerable and real about some of the toughest moments of our lives. There are things that happen to us and things that we chose to do and in both of these categories, our worthiness gets revisited again and again. This collection is a reminder to me that one of the ways we heal is by choosing to talk about such things. We make it less of a mystery, we release the shame associated with it, and most importantly, we feel less alone. Any book that makes me feel less alone in the world is a gift.

Has Anyone Seen the President? (3 stars): This is a super-super short read. It’s a tiny glimpse into one day in Lewis’ life where he gets to go to Washington and spends the day with Bannon. Nothing new here at this point. I have his longer book, too, which I assume will not be very different but might at least have a bit more depth. I always enjoy a Michael Lewis article so it was still a worthwhile read.

Searching for Sylvie Lee (3 stars): While I read this whole book in one breath and enjoyed it very much, I didn’t end up connecting with any of the characters and I also didn’t feel like I had enough context, depth, or development of character for the resolution of the story to feel satisfying. Having said that, I really loved the juxtaposition of all the different cultures in this story and I enjoyed the fact that it alternated between the two sisters. I loved many of the details that highlighted the cultural choices the characters were making. It’s a story about family, betrayal, and love but I think above all, it’s a story about how things are not how they seem and how we don’t know much about even the people we’re closest to in our lives. And how secrets can be so damaging to our relationships, our lives, and our perspective.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (3.5 stars): The language in this novel was wonderful. Lyrical and visual. The story was also an amazing read but it was so sad and so tough that I had a hard time reading it. I had to put it down several times. This book covers many issues from immigration, race, gender, identity, language and grief. It has parts that are graphic and some really heart-wrenching scenes. I am glad I read it but it was a hard read and I didn’t find myself connecting to it. Still really glad I read it.

Limitless Mind (5 stars): “In every moment of our lives our brains have opportunities to make connections, to strengthen pathways, and form new pathways.”

I’ve highlighted almost every page of this book. None of the concepts around growth mindset were new to me. I took a course by the amazing teachers at Stanford almost 5 years ago when my son was in elementary school and the concepts resonated with me then. I believed in it and wanted to encourage my kids to think this way.

“This approach illustrates a key takeaway – when you hit a barrier, it is advantageous to develop a new approach and come at the problem from a new perspective.”

But none of it brought it home the way this book did, for me. Even though parts of it were repetitive, I needed that repetition, I needed to hear the ideas again and again so I could internalize them in the right way. I’ve been taught the opposite messages my whole life, it’s going to take a long time to unlearn and repetitive exposure to these ideas and examples is a start.

“The difference between positive and negative interactions frequently depends on three aspects of being unlocked: having an open mind, asking analytical questions, and embracing uncertainty.”

There are parts of a growth mindset that I think I already do naturally. I am not afraid to ask questions, try new approaches, and I will often work on having an open mind. But uncertainty is almost never my friend. And yet, even there, I have many examples in my life when I’ve taken a big uncertain risk and have learned more in the process.

“If you settle into routines and do the same thing everyday, it is unlikely that your brain will grow new pathways and connections.”

This one was hard on me, I am a person of routine. I do so much of the same thing every day. So it’s a reminder for me to try one new thing every day. However small or big, it means I am growing and creating new connections in my brain. 

“So my final advice for you is to embrace struggle and failure, take risks, and don’t let people obstruct your pathways. If a barrier or roadblock is put in your way, find a way around it, take a different approach…Do not accept a life with limits. Instead of looking back on things that have gone badly, look forward and be positive about opportunities for learning and improvement. See others as collaborators, with whom you can grow and learn. Share uncertainty with them and be open to different ways of thinking.”

I am going to print this quote and frame it both at home and at my desk at work. I don’t want a life with limits. I want to grow and learn and thrive every single day of my life in every area of my life. I am eternally grateful to Jo Boaler for the reminder of the mindset I need to practice to ensure my life can be limitless.

with gratitude to netgalley and harper collins for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Do the Work: Unf*ck Yourself Workbook (4 stars): “When you’re in a constant conversation about why you’re stuck, you’ll embolden and embellish it. It will become the altar at which you’ll sacrifice your entire life experience.”

Gary Bishop’s no nonsense approach works for me. There’s nothing he says that I don’t know deep down or haven’t heard before. But he cuts to the chase and gives it to you straight. I don’t mind the cursing, in fact, it helps me get to the point faster.

“You have to hold yourself to account for your own purpose; no one is coming to save you or lift you up or inspire you. That’s your fucking job.”

No one. I do the work, or it doesn’t get done. I keep having to learn this again and again.

“You are a space for life to happen, a wild and wondrous environment for miracles and hardships and everything in between. You are a moment, a loud bang in a burst of time that trails to a whisper and then disappears into the abyss.”

In the end, this is the truth that matters most. No one is coming to save me and I can’t save anyone else. I owe it to me to live my best life because I only get one. And I am here for a moment, I want to make that moment as magical as it can be. I don’t want to waste it with anxiety or worrying about how I look to others or all the other noise in my head. I want to feel alive and I want to breathe every one of those moments I get.

“Do the work.”

And here I go. Off to do the work.

Thank you, Gary, thank you edelweiss and HarperOne for the advanced copy.

And there we go, a good week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

Solid reading this week. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.

The Huntress (4 stars): I usually stay clear of historical fiction, especially ww2 fiction and this book was over 18 hours on audio so I kept trying to convince myself not to read it. But the ratings were so high and the reviews were so raving that I kept coming back to it. Finally this week I decided it was time to tackle it.

And I am glad I did.

Like many others, I had never heard of the Night Witches and learning more about them was one of my favorite parts of the story. In fact Nina’s portions of the story were the very best in my opinion. The story is told from the perspective of three different characters: Nina, Ian, and Jordan and they all come together in the end. Nina’s chapters start way in the past and build up to today so we learn the most about her backstory. Ian’s chapters are about moving the plot forward so not a ton of character development in those sections, they are more plot driven. And Jordan’s sections are really more about the Huntress. I wanted to know more about the huntress too, and how she ended up being who she was. I felt she was the least layered character in the story. 

Regardless, this was a fantastic story and I am really glad I read it.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (3 stars): This book was really sweet and I enjoyed reading it, but like many others in this genre, I am not sure it will stay with me past this year. I have read many books like this where I find I am enjoying it in real time but then it won’t really stick with me. If you’re looking for something sweet and fun, this one will do the trick.

The Expectations (3.5 stars): “Price turned toward Ben now as they walked. ‘Your opponent is always going to want to avoid pain, but you run toward it, you go looking for that pain. Then you’re not afraid, and you win.’ He turned to look ahead again.”

This story takes place in a Prep School on the East Coast and it has some of the themes of “Prep” and “Old School” and other similar novels around the quiet richness, the entitlement, the “properness.” But at its core this novel is about growing up and finding your own identity, your ability to navigate peer pressure, struggling between fitting in and standing out. It’s about what’s said and what’s not said. It’s about the lives of quiet desperation many live. It’s about the things we don’t share especially during teenage years. 

‘”When I was thinking about people to photograph, I just thought that you seem pretty self-conscious a lot of the time, as though you aren’t sure” – snap – “how you come off to other people, and that difference between how you suspect you might come off” – snap – “and how you actually come off is interesting. It gives you” – snap – “a sort of vivid look, and I wondered f I could get that” – snap – “on film.” Snap.’

What I loved most about this story is that nothing gets resolved. There are many threads in the story and the author could have easily been tempted to follow them. But many of them are left unsaid. We don’t know what will happen and that makes this book so much more real to me. I usually like my plot lined buttoned up but I loved that it wasn’t so here.

The urge to belong, the yearning to understand, the struggle to be cool vs being kind, and the angst of having some freedom and yet not quite being an adult are all portrayed beautifully in this story.

Thank you to netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for an early copy in return for an honest review.

What I Wish I Knew When I was 20 (4 stars): I had heard about this book a long time ago and had intended to read it. More than ten years later, I am finally able to finish it and I am so glad I did. It was a fantastic read with lots of great stories, tangible/practical advice, great shift in mentality and perspective. It’s great for a teen going to college, but it’s also great for those of us who are older and could use an injection of new perspective and energy. Well worth the read.

The Players Ball (2.5 stars): I read this because there were parallels to Billion Dollar Whale and Bad Blood and I was in my twenties for much of this story so I thought it would be interesting to read about all the craziness during the birth of the internet and domain registration craze. As it turned out, I think this book didn’t end up being nearly as interesting as the other two. Maybe the author thought the salacious nature of the topic would be enough to carry the book, or the quirkiness of the main characters. But, for me, neither did the trick. I felt like the nuance, the richness of layers of research, and the depth was missing. It didn’t turn out to be as interesting nor as insightful as I would have hoped.

I Am Her Tribe (4 stars): “my hope for you is that you greet your reflection with kind eyes. that you never look to someone else for your belonging.”

i have highlighted so much of this book. Danielle knows how to put vulnerable feelings into words so well. Her simple poems are deep and profound.

“do not fast forward into something you’re not ready for or allow yourself to shrink back into what’s comfortable growth lives in the uneasiness the in-between the unfinished sentence you are a season of becoming”

some pieces resonated more with me than others, of course, but those that did jumped off the page and made me feel less alone.

“give yourself permission to be where you are and to still be loved for it”

these are words i will carry with me and pass on to my kids and remind myself of when i am in those dark moments.

“how you choose to show up magnetizes what shows up for you”

and they are words i will hold near my heart to remind myself to stay open and show up as my full self in the world. so i can make room for others to do the same.

“my heart serves as an invitation for others to show up + share their brightest, most authentic light what a gift i give to this world when i choose to remain open”

they are words that remind me of who i want to be. who i long to be. and what i yearn for.

“there is no greater love story than you in all that you are.”

i loved every moment of this book.

The Nickel Boys (4 stars): Another masterpiece from Colson Whitehead. This story based on Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys is heart wrenching and eye opening. It breaks your faith in humanity and doesn’t sugar coat the truth. It’s a brutal story and it’s beautifully written. Not having grown up in the United States, I know very little of all this horrible history and feel the need to educate myself. Elwood’s internal hope and the hopelessness of his real life are beautifully intertwined in this novel but in the end you are still left broken and angry and sad for his horrible and unjust life.

State of the Union (4 stars): “The trouble is, marriage is like a computer. You can take it apart to see what’s in there, but then you’re left with a million pieces.”

I don’t think it’s possible for me not to like a Nick Hornby book. There are so many reasons why from his sarcastic/bitter/clever humor to his witty dialogue. But what makes him stand out, for me, is the humanity his characters have. They are always flawed, always full of quirkiness, and always so very real.

This book is very short. It’s about a couple and we get to experience their dialogue as they meet at the bar across from the marriage therapist’s office ten times. It’s almost totally dialogue and neither of them are super likable. 

But they are both human. And I think like many of his other books, Hornby has some acute observations about marriage and people in this short short book. 

“…I think we should acknowledge that we have a flawed marriage. We live on a fault line, and the house might collapse at any moment.”

I laughed, I winced, and I had to pause and think. I loved every moment of getting to experience some Nick Hornby again.

And there we go, an okay week of reading. Here’s to a great week next week.

Books I Read this Week 2019 is a year-long project for 2019. You can read more about my projects for 2019 here. I am also tracking my books in real time on Good Reads here. If you’re on Good Reads add me so I can follow you, too! I’ve also started an instagram account where I join my love of reading with my love of art.