          
I read a bunch this week, though several books weren’t super long. 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.
Rumi: Unseen Poems (4 stars): I grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. In middle school, I read several of Rumi’s poems. But at the time, it was annoying school work written in old Ottoman Turkish that was hard to decipher. Years after I moved to the United States, I rediscovered Rumi, this time in English.
His poems enchanted my soul.
So when I heard of this new book, I knew I wanted to read more Rumi. And this book doesn’t disappoint. There is a wide range of poems here, some very similar to what’s been translated before, and some closer to what I studied at school and some that are different than both.
Here are a few clippings from some of his poems that I loved:
My face is a hundred times brighter when I see your face.
My soul is a hundred times happier when your soul is near.
When the mirror of my life is polished by your love,
The mirror of the world is no longer dull and dark….
Look into the face of the beloved until his hues come alive.
As the hues reflect in your face, O pale one, come alive!
Every atom is whirling until they feel alive.
You, atom, don’t you wish to come alive?
You were like a stone. Touched by his life,
Sweet running steams from stones come alive.
In the mirror, I looked into a vision of transcendence.
I asked, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am light come alive.”
You are at peace when you don’t need more or less,
When you don’t need to be a king or a saint,
When you’re free from the sorrows of the world,
When you’re free from the tiniest atom of yourself.
I can go on and on. If you’re a fan of Rumi, this book will not disappoint.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Brand Identity Essentials (4 stars): This book outlines 100 principles for building your brand and each of the ideas are explained with wonderful, specific examples. It’s very comprehensive and detailed even though the description of each principle is short and to the point which makes it a perfect companion and a fantastic reference book.
I am not a designer but I thought it would be fun to read a book on the topic and this completely delivered. I loved this section:
If your brand was a person, what would they sound like? Are they loud and boisterous or quiet and shy? Are they funny? Educational? What do they say? It’s an easy way to personalize the brand voice, and whether or not you use a spokesperson, successful brands have a deliberate voice.
And here’s another bit:
Staking a claim is giving customers a meaningful reason to choose your brand. What is significant to a customer depends on their motives and what they value. As a brand builder, your job, is to make your case for the brans in a clear and compelling way.
and finally:
A brand identity is a valuable asset – the symbolic face of the company. Once an appropriate approach is established, the organization needs to commit to it. Change is inevitable. Business must evolve with their customers, but the most successful businesses evolve strategically.
All of these are conversations we are having at my workplace about our product. These are great questions to ask, perspectives to explore and wisdom to keep in mind. Even if you’re not brand designer, you can get a lot of value out of this book.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Realistic Portraits in Colored Pencil (4 stars): This book is really one of the most fantastic art books I’ve read in a long time. While I try to dabble in sketching and some portraits, the artwork here is the kind that makes you do a double-take each time because you can’t believe it’s not a photograph. From the layer of film on the iris to the spit in a crying kid’s mouth, there is so much detail in these portraits it’s incredible.
This book is broken into several sections. Like most art books, it starts with materials. I have read at least 20 of these in the last few years and yet, I learned some new things from this book. And then she moves on to show some colored pencil techniques with great examples of each and why you would use one over the other.
She then moves on to a section where she breaks down every facial feature. She has the obvious ones like eyes and nose and mouth, etc but then much more detail like freckles, wrinkles, pores, membranes, etc. She gives detailed explanations of what you do with each (but not step by steps. In fact there’s very little drawing instruction in this book at all, it’s very coloring focused.)
The last section is the most awe-inspiring section. She walks you through a few very detailed projects, step by step with every single color she used. There is a lot of detail here, way more than I’ve seen in other books, and yet there’s still, of course, but swathes of areas where she just does it and you have to practice a million times to resemble anything that looks like a human.
For those of you who are comfortable drawing portraits and have even colored some, I think this is a fantastic book. For beginners, this might be a bit intimidating, but I’d still recommend you add it to your arsenal even if just for the incredible inspiration it provides.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Creative Lettering and Beyond (4 stars): I am always amazed at other people’s beautiful calligraphy so I always seek books that teach it. If only one could learn by osmosis, I would be a master by now. Alas, what you need is practice.
This book has lots of valuable information about materials, different practice exercises, script styles and even ways to make your own ink. She walks you through a whole bunch of different alphabet styles from Roman to Copperplate to Italian and more.
But my favorite part was the last section where she has the step-by-step projects. I’ll admit that often step by steps skip so much of how-to that it drives me mad. This was a bit like that where she goes right to “pretty hard” and then jumps to “holy cow how did she do that!” but I loved the ideas so much and I especially loved all the embellished capitals that I am happy to stare at them for hours and try to figure out how to emulate them.
One of the things I learned from this book which in retrospect seems super obvious but I had never specifically read elsewhere is that each of your letters have to be slanted at the same angle for great lettering (also the spacing and size should be consistent, which I had known.) As I said it seems obvious but it was an a-ha moment for me.
The other little tidbit I loved is that the ampersand originates from the Latin “et” which means “and” so it originally contained both an e and a t. Apparently it’s no longer clearly visible but now that I know this, I am going to look for that e and t each time I see an ampersand.
Overall, this was a wonderful book if you’d like a general reference and idea book. Absolutely beautiful to look at and some lovely extra tidbits of information as a bonus!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Hughie Mittman’s Fear of Lawnmowers (3.5+ stars): I didn’t read the reviews of this book until after I’d requested it from netgalley and then I was worried that it wouldn’t be great. I kept dragging my feet and then finally sat down to read it today and I couldn’t disagree more with the ratings.
This story is the story of a boy named Hughie who has some terrible tragedies all at once and then has to grow up in the shadow of all that loss. Yes, it’s a coming of age story, but it’s much more a story about grief, in my opinion. And some of the language in this book will stay with me for a long, long time.
I realised that sometimes you need the presence of other people to allow you to understand just how alone you are.
It didn’t sound like my normal voice, but the sound did come from inside me somewhere. I knew I was crying, but I didn’t know if the tears were falling outside of my body or inside. For all I could tell, they might have been cascading along the inside of my cheeks and spilling down into my heart.
…went back to the cocoon of my inner world, which, I was beginning to believe, was the only place where I would ever be able to survive.
‘Sometimes there’s something inside people that makes them believe they’re not good enough. Not a good enough mother, not a good enough wife, not a good enough person even. There isn’t always a cure for that, no matter how we try to help.’
I didn’t know back then that people and places really only live and die in our hearts…..IT’s a little like knowing that the people you love continue to live on inside you, even after they have gone.
I can go on and on. I loved Hughie’s relationship with his friend Nyxi and with his grandmother. I even liked that the dad was so flawed though I would have liked that character a bit more developed since he is such a pivotal character.
There’s so much good in this story. Touching, charming, sweet, sad, and it will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Stretched Too Thin (3 stars): Depending on where you are on your journey and your background and how much you’ve read on this topic, this book has the potential to offer different paths for you. In some ways, I fall square into the demographic this book is catered to and in other ways I am very far from it.
I’ve read many different books over the years around this topic so this wasn’t my journey into exploring these topics. My philosophy with books like these is that it generally helps to have regular reminders around these topics and that I almost always learn something new either about myself or just a new idea/approach altogether.
Turner’s book was no exception. There is a lot of content here and not all of it might apply to you. In fact, if you feel the need to all the things in this book at once, it might overwhelm you. My recommendation would be to focus on the 1-2 areas that need most focus for you right now. It might be that you want to deepen your personal relationships with your female friends (or make some!) or it might be that you want to figure out how to prioritize time with your spouse. Or how to use your time better as a family. Ideas for all that, and many many more, are in this book.
And because there’s so much here, you can read the sections that you want to work on the most at the moment and then come back in a few months (or years) and read another 2-3 sections then. Of course, there are sections of this book that won’t apply to you. Books that are written for the masses will always contain sections that have nothing to do with your day to day. For me, the bar is whether i can find a handful of interesting new ideas to go ahead and try.
And this book is full of those. Full of ideas you can try, areas where you can experiment and it also comes with a lot of support and reminder that you are not alone in struggling. Always a good reminder.
Outer Order, Inner Calm (2 stars): I’m usually a big fan of Gretchen Rubin’s books. I’ve read and enjoyed many of her previous novels and found lasting ideas/approaches in them. This one, not so much.
Maybe because I wasn’t in a place to declutter at the moment. Or because I feel there’s already so much written about this topic. Or maybe because there was much repeated here from her other books. It just didn’t feel new enough, full enough, deep enough.
I’ve come to expect new or well-synthesized ways of thinking from Rubin and this just didn’t deliver on that account. There are a few tidbits but overall it didn’t deliver as much as her previous books have for me.
The Parade (4.5 stars): What a fantastic, fantastic novel. With the amount of books I read each year, it’s very rare for me to find a story that surprises me. I’ve read several of Dave Eggers’ novels and I always love his writing but have had mixed luck with his stories.
This story started our without much fanfare. I knew nothing about the plot, hadn’t read the synopsis so it took me a while to grasp what was going on. On the surface, this is about two men Four and Nine building a road in a country through towns that have been ravaged by civil way, to ensure residents can get from one end to the other.
There is so much conflict in this novel: personal, between the two main characters, between the two characters and the society around them. There’s a constant level of tension, sometimes low and sometimes much higher. I felt a bit on edge the whole time and kept waiting to see what would happen.
Up until the ending, this felt more like a character study. And then the ending is completely wild and shifted everything for me, making this whole novel extraordinary, for me. A great read.
Lot (3 stars): Sometimes I read a book at a time when my mind is busy and elsewhere and then I can’t tell if it’s the book that wasn’t solid enough to pull me in or if it’s just that I was at a place where that wasn’t possible. To top that off, I am not usually a fan of short stories. I like to get to know the characters of a book, sit with them long enough to have them become a part of my life and short stories rarely have the heft to make that happen. I was almost reluctant to pick this up because of that but it had fantastic reviews and the short stories here are interlinked so the same characters show up again and again. I thought it might do the trick for me.
Alas, this was mostly an okay read for me. I really enjoyed some of the stories and wasn’t a fan of a few others. What kept me the most from loving it however was the distance. There seemed to be a distance between the characters (their lives, their stories) and me. So the characters never got under my skin. I didn’t feel for them. I was always alongside them.
That, I think, is what kept me from loving these beautifully written stories.
One True Loves (3.5 stars): Yesterday I was in that place where every book I picked up felt wrong. I knew I needed something that would be like a warm blanket on my soul and when I saw this on my list, I knew it would be just the thing.
And in many ways, it was. It took me out of my reading slump, I read the whole thing in two sittings and I certainly enjoyed the experience.
I’ve read enough of TJR’s novels to know she is an amazing writer. Especially her last two, for me, were full of rich characters, long and interesting plot, beautiful weaving of emotion, which is a lot to expect out of a novel, but she delivers.
In my opinion, this novel fell short of much of that. I felt like none of the characters were developed enough to the depths that made them interesting to me, not even the main character. Everyone was a little too perfect for my taste. Even the imperfections were a little too perfect.
And while I appreciated her journey to figuring out her path, I just didn’t connect with the way she responded to what was happening to her. I didn’t like the way she showed up to the situation which made it hard for me to connect with her. Not to mention the super neatly tied ending.
Having said all that, I still enjoyed this story and it definitely warmed up my soul the way I knew she would.
ps: I can’t get over the grammatically annoying title. I don’t care if it’s a clever play, it’s driving me mad.1 like
The Salt Path (4 stars): This is an unusual memoir of a middle aged couple who have lost their home, find out that the husband has a rare degenerative brain disease. They decide to buy minimal supplies and walk England’s South West Coast Path from Minehead to Poole. They are backpackers but they are also homeless and penniless.
The story of their homelessness and personal lives is juxtaposed with the beautiful nature descriptions and the lively bits of people they run into along the way who both show unexpected kindness and unexpected cruelty.
It’s a reminder that there are a lot of homeless people and we don’t know their stories. It’s a reminder that most of us live lives that are more precarious than we think and that life can change in a moment. It’s a slow, lyrical story that I am glad I spent time with.
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.
     
This was an okay week, nothing too terrible and one really good book. 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 Opposite of Always (3 stars): I’ve been thinking about this book since I finished it. I was thinking about it even as I was listening to it because I felt annoyed almost immediately and I couldn’t put my finger on what was annoying me. I kept losing my focus and I knew the reviews were solid but I just couldn’t feel the story.
The gist of this story resides in Jack’s trips back to the beginning of their story so that he can live different permutations and figure out what he’s supposed to do and why he keeps getting sent back in time. Parts of it reminded me Lauren Oliver‘s Before I Fall which is one of my favorite YA novels and maybe that’s why I didn’t feel as interested in the plot this time because I felt like I’d already read a novel like this. (And that one resonated more with me for very different reasons.)
Having said all that, I liked the characters but wished they were developed more. I liked the diversity and that it was not the focal point. I liked the writing at parts. And I liked the friendship and the parents in some sections, too.
In the end I would have liked a story that was a bit deeper, I felt like there was a lot there and the author could have gone one click deeper and made the characters and this story much richer. I still enjoyed it and felt both happy and satisfied when I finished it.
The Wildlands (3.5 stars): I loved the beginning and the ending of this book. I know you can always read the blurbs so I am loath to regurgitate the plot here, but in just a few words this book is about 4 siblings who survive but are orphaned after a category 5 tornado. (Their mom had already passed away at childbirth.) Three girls and a boy. The brother soon disappears and comes back after an eco-terrorism bombing. He comes back to take the youngest sibling and the story splits between the two on the run and the two that stay behind.
I loved both Darlene and Cora who are definitely the most developed characters in the story. I struggled a bit more with Vincent and I feel Jane was quite under-devopled though I liked the little bits of her we got.
I love the way the story wrapped up. I loved that it was real and not a Hollywood version of life. I also loved the writing, it was so visual, so poetic. A joy to read.
I’ll be honest, I checked this book out in the past but didn’t feel like reading it. I work in Silicon Valley, use Apple products and have worked with Apple before, so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read a book about Apple in my spare time, but someone at work told me this is one of his favorite books and when people tell me that, I usually read the book.
This book is a very fast read. I started and finished it today. It’s about the design process, like the title says, but the two areas the writer has worked the most in is browsers (which I’ve worked on as well so it was fascinating to me) and the keyboard for the iphone and later ipad. The storytelling is excellent and keeps you engaged the entire time.
If these types of stories fascinate you, I am confident you will enjoy this book.
On Being Human (4 stars): There’s so much I want to say about this book that I don’t really know where to begin. I had never heard of Jen Pastiloff before I picked up this book. I picked it because the title (and the cover) spoke to me.
This book is mostly a memoir of the author as she goes through her life’s journey and then there are many sections that could be qualified as self-help through the realizations she’s sharing along the way. But the whole time it’s about her and it’s not lecturing you as if she knows what’s right for you. So in that way, it’s not really self-help 🙂
The book starts when the author is really young and loses her dad at a young age which has a profound impact on her life. The family then moves back an forth from California to New Jersey a few times and then she moves to the Los Angeles area and is a waitress there for a long long time before she finds yoga and love and herself and starts running retreats all over the world.
The writing is honest, raw, introspective, unvarnished in the most beautiful way. At times it pained me to read how she was self-destructing so much and to read her pain. But then I was also cheering for her and I took so much of the journey along with her because the writing is so real and you come to care for her so much.
There was much I underlined here, here are just a few:
The idea was this: I can give this away, this love, I do not have to keep it here in the dark, I can give it away and create more, even if I don’t remember what it feels like to be loved. I can create it.
I loved this. The giving it away and creating more.
This was a moment my sister lived with me where we were truly happy so I tacked it on the wall above my desk to remind me that nothing is ever one thing, that although there were moments where we hated each other and couldn’t stand living together, there were also times like this.
This is so true. I feel this so much of the time, especially with people I love.
Depression is a response to past loss, and anxiety is a response to future loss.
For some reason, I had never thought of this, in this way, before. This helps reframe somethings for me.
We can only be where we are.
Obvious maybe but hard to keep remembering this.
I’m worthy to receive.
I loved this because it’s not just about being worthy but about being worthy to receive. Loved this sentiment.
There will always be the one who doesn’t like you, the one who says, No, you should not do this, Yes, you suck. And we always always have two choices: keep going or shut down.
Ain’t that the truth. Who’s going to win? The one?
I have no idea who she is or was or what she’s ever done or might do, but my point is, life’s pretty filled up with all of us walking around telling stories about each other and to each other and about ourselves.
This also made me stop and think. It’s so true that we have our own stories about ourselves, about others, the stories we share. On and on. There’s so much noise. Who knows what the truth is.
Instead of getting caught up in who doesn’t like you, get caught up in who does. It’s much more interesting.
i loved this idea. hard as it may be to implement.
“No one is going to give me a fucking medal,” I yelled into the phone as if she were the deaf one. “I have to give myself one.” There is was. My whole life I had been waiting for permission, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be acknowledged, chosen, given permission to take up space. All of my life I had been waiting for someone to tell me I was enough. The lady who left my retreat gave me a gift. She gifted me with the revelation that you have to do all the ard work of loving yourself yourself. In that moment in the kitchen with those ladies and the wine and the chocolate ganache, I finally realized that no one was ever going to save me. No one was ever going to give me permission to be me. I had to do it.
And this. So much this. Not waiting. Giving permission. I have to do it.
If any of this resonates with you, I highly recommend this book, it will stay with me quite a while. I’m grateful for people who share their stories honestly. Even though this author and I have so little in common in our lives/histories, there is still so much I share with her and so much I’ve learned from her journey and her openness.
Thank you to netgalley and duttonbooks for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Golden State (3.5 stars): I’m still thinking about how I feel about this book. I originally picked this book up right when it released. The premise seemed interesting and I thought it would be the kind of book I like. When I first started it, I couldn’t get past the first scene. I couldn’t understand what was going on, the narration was off aggressive, loud and felt invasive and I just decided to put it down.
When I finally picked it back up this week, I just willed myself past that scene and I am super-glad I did. The book got much better for me as soon as I moved past that scene. It was fast paced, enough ambiguity mixed with consistent pace of revelations and good character development.
For me, it fizzled at the end, which is why i eded up with 3.5 stars and not more. I felt like it shifted too drastically and the story wasn’t as interesting, for me. Overall, I am still glad I went back to this one.
If Cats Disappeared from the World (3 stars): I enjoyed this story especially because it was such a different one. I’ve spent some time reading Japanese authors in the last few years and I enjoy the different rhythm and dialogue and perspective they tend to have.
In this case, some of those elements were there. The plot is unusual and interesting. The characters and some of the dialogue drew me in, especially the parts that had the ex-girlfriend and the cat. I enjoyed reading the backstory of his parents and all of it had the familiar yet unfamiliar sense I get from reading novels that are set in different cultural backgrounds than mine.
At yet, I don’t know if it’s the translation or not but the sentence structure and the word choice left much of this novel stilted for me. It was hard for me to connect to the dying man and the rhythm just felt off. I can’t even really put my finger on what exactly made it hard to really love this novel. This is the kind of story I would usually love. But alas, it fell a bit short in this case.
I wish I could read the original.
The Night Tiger (3.5 stars): I know I must be in the minority for this book. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it but then I got it in my library queue and it was Reese’s pick at Audible and I felt like the universe was telling me I should read it.
It took me a while to get into it. The beginning was slow and a bit discombobulated, for me. But then the middle was pretty great. I liked the characters and grew to really care about them, especially Ren. I didn’t like much of the dream sequences but even that didn’t deter me too much.
I felt like by about 3/4ths in, I was ready for it to end. My interest and excitement had waned and it went on much longer than I though necessary. In the end, I am still glad I read it. The characters, the plot, the setting were all unusual, for me, and I appreciate how much I learn from books like that. It just wasn’t as magical as I’d hoped it would be.
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.
        
Some fantastic reads 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 Self-Love Experiment (2 stars): I started this book because it was recommended in a list I had read over the summer. Pretty soon after, I thought I should stop. I don’t shy away from self-help, not even the woo woo kind, but this book was getting under my skin pretty much right away and that’s generally not a good sign.
The author is telling her own story and applying the learnings she talks about to her own life situation, which in her case is dealing with her body/weight issues so a lot of the examples she gives are around that which normally I’d be interested in except at some point she says she cleaned out her car and then dropped 10 pounds. At which point I stopped the audio book. (If i were reading a book, I might have thrown it out the window.) I understand she was trying to make a point but no, just no.
So I stopped.
And then, I decided to tackle it again (honestly, not sure why.) And here’s what I will say: I wish the author hadn’t narrated this book. I think that was one of the things that didn’t connect with me. The narration experience is a big deal on audio. I also wish she would have brought a few other examples from other people because here’s the thing, even though this is totally the author’s journey, there’s very little sharing around the actual journey. There’s a lot of here’s where i was and here’s where i am now, isn’t that awesome!? And here’s what I now believe. But none of “here’s what helped me get there.” She even says that she can’t tell us get there but man once we do, it’s awesome.
Ugh.
She didn’t even really help me figure out how to design my own self-love experiment. She didn’t highlight all the things she tried. The journey itself felt like it was completely missing from the book, for me. So then it became just her examples of her negative thinking and then her awesome accomplishments. Which fell flat without the growth curve in the middle.
I did like some of her principles and i also liked her letter about what she learned. I think this book had potential and I know every book is a labor of love and it’s hard work, I don’t want to discount that hard work. It might be a super-useful, life-changing book for someone else. It just wasn’t for me.
Creative Selection (4 stars): What a fantastic, fascinating read.
I’ll be honest, I checked this book out in the past but didn’t feel like reading it. I work in Silicon Valley, use Apple products and have worked with Apple before, so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read a book about Apple in my spare time, but someone at work told me this is one of his favorite books and when people tell me that, I usually read the book.
This book is a very fast read. I started and finished it today. It’s about the design process, like the title says, but the two areas the writer has worked the most in is browsers (which I’ve worked on as well so it was fascinating to me) and the keyboard for the iphone and later ipad. The storytelling is excellent and keeps you engaged the entire time.
If these types of stories fascinate you, I am confident you will enjoy this book.
American Kingpin (4 stars): This is not the kind of book I would have ever picked up on my own. I usually don’t read nonfiction (at least not as often as I read fiction.) and I hadn’t heard of The Silk Road, and this is not a topic that would have fascinated me enough for me to pick it up naturally. (Even the cover didn’t call to me.)
But.
A colleague at work recommended it as a book he loved so I checked it out of the library and once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. It was compulsively readable and an absolutely fascinating story. Even more fascinating that he had no computer background and didn’t really scale his life up at all as he accumulated piles of money. Quite a character.
I am glad I read it and will be thinking about this story for a while.
PS: This is why I ask everyone their favorite books. I’ve found so many gems this way. If you read this, I’d love to know your favorite book, too!
The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color (4 stars): I have read and enjoyed several Urban Sketching books in the past and this one was no exception. This book sits at the intersection of useful and inspiring. There are two major sections. The first one covers key areas around color like pigments & mixing, color & value, color relationships, etc. And then the “galleries” section covers things like mood & atmosphere, light & shadow, etc.
The author does a fantastic job of covering the basics without dragging it out. If you know absolutely nothing at all about color, this book doesn’t really do a step-by-step. It’s more structured as: introduce a concept, give an example on how it’s used, and then encourage practice with an idea or challenge. It’s intended to be practical and not super instructional.
For me, it was the perfect mix of enough instruction and inspiration. I especially liked learning some new-to-me things like what a local color is and then the specific examples the author showed when she used several techniques in one drawing. Once I saw her break it down, it helped clarify the concepts for me. I immediately used some of her ideas in my next sketch (especially the ones on how to paint a sky.)
And finally, the variety of sketches, both by the author and by other sketchers, is the best part of this book. There’s a huge range and you are guaranteed to find something that inspires you.
Overall, this is another winner from The Urban Sketching series.
With gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The Penguin Lessons (3.5 stars): I really enjoyed this little book about a rescued penguin. There isn’t too much depth in this story but there are some lovely anecdotes and some beautiful scenes and if you’re a penguin fan like I am, you won’t be sorry you read it. Doesn’t everyone wish they had a pet penguin (safely of course)?
Before She Knew Him (3 stars): Messed up is likely the best way to describe this thriller. There were parts where I seriously considered putting it down but it went so fast that I couldn’t really get myself to stop. I apparently wasn’t listening closely enough to figure out the twist, either. In the end, i liked it ok but these thrillers that are so super plot focused just never leave me satisfied.
You Do You (3 stars): This book was due at the library in 24 hours so I decided it was now or never. I had tried to read Knight’s previous books and had not been successful so I am not even sure what made me want to tackle this little book.
This book, as the title might suggest, focuses on being who you are. Celebrating what makes you, you and leaning into it instead of shying away from it/covering it up, etc. It’s fully aligned with one of my areas of focus this year so it was right up my alley.
There’s profanity in this book, which doesn’t bother me one bit but I know it can trigger some. She’s straight and speaks with confidence. Her message is not one I disagree with but like so many of these books what she doesn’t really outline is how to get there from here. In some of these cases where I might be hesitant to make my move, what holds me back isn’t that I don’t know these things, it’s that I can’t myself to do them 🙂 so the lecture doesn’t help me.
Anyhow, these books consumed occasionally aren’t bad in my opinion. But, of course, action is what really moves life forward in the end.
Dare to Disappoint (3.5 stars): My son’s English teacher sent this book to me when she found out that I grew up in Turkey. I immediately fell in love with this little book mostly because there’s so much of my childhood in there.
The author/artist grew up around the same time I did so a lot of the history she covers overlaps with mine and it was such a walk down memory lane for me. There were many parts where I chuckled out loud remembering so many little bits of my own story.
Her story is very different than mine for a multitude of reasons, I grew up in Istanbul (to her Izmir) and have very different parents and I also am not Muslim. I went to different schools and left the country to attend college in the US. But even with all that, there was so much here that reminded me of my own upbringing, of the truths we held to be true at the time, of the way my country developed and shifted and changed shape in those years and how we shaped who we were under that umbrella.
There are some terrible moments in this book but most of them are mentioned without too much depth. I couldn’t decide if that bothered me or not. Likely, I was too busy having my own walk down memory lane and if this weren’t a story that hit so close to home, I would have wanted more depth. My biggest beef with this story ended up being the ending. I felt like there was so much detail in her story and then when the ending came, it all fell flat for me. I wanted to see how her story evolved as she shifted and evolved. Even if it were some sort of epilogue. I was so invested in her by this point (which says a lot about the graphic novel) that I felt let down.
Overall, this story had a personal impact on me so it’s very hard for me to gauge if others will love it. But since the original recommendation came from an American, I think others will like it as well.
When All is Said (4.5 stars): I loved this book.
When I originally started listening to it (in the first 5 minutes to be fair) I wasn’t sure if I would like it. So I put it down. A few weeks later, I decided it was time to tackle it again and I am so glad I did. This book had a similar feeling to John Boyne‘s The Heart’s Invisible Furies which was one of my favorite novels of the last five years. But it was lighter and a faster read.
This is the story of Maurice Hannigan who is now old and sitting at the bar of a hotel and telling the story of his life through five specific toasts he makes. He recounts some of his saddest moments and some of his happiest and the people whose lives had a profound impact on the choices he’s made in his life and the impact his choices have had on others’ lives.
There is so much gold in this book. So much introspection. So much perspective. It’s kind, deep, honest and true. It shows how all humans suffer and how all humans are flawed and how the experiences we have impact so many of the choices we make in life. It made me think a lot about the consequences of the reactive decisions we make in life. It made me think about my own life and all the places where I made choices which were to “get back at” or respond to a life event at the time of my childhood. All the stories I am still holding inside myself. It made me realize that others’ likely have their own stories of those same moments and what life was like for them.
It made me think deep and wide and revisit so much of my own life. And if that’s not a fantastic book, I don’t know what is.
And there we go, a good week of reading. Here’s to another good 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.
        
If it weren’t for two super great reads, I would have said this is an average/not great week. But two super good reads in a week is pretty excellent. 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.
Tangle’s Game (2.5 stars): As someone who has a history in both finance and tech, I was excited to read this book. I wasn’t exactly sure what the plot would be but I thought it had potential.
I am loath to say anything bad about a book because I know a ton of effort goes into writing a book and it’s a huge accomplishment. This book has an interesting story line and I liked the last 15% more than the rest of the book. For someone who’s looking for an interesting, plot-driven story, it might just be the thing.
For me, there were several things that made the book less than ideal. The beginning of the book dragged quite a bit longer than I would have liked. It took a long time for the reader to find what was in the drive and what this whole thing was about. This would have been interesting in a character-driven story but in a story that was mostly about the plot, it made me impatient and frustrated. Some of the details of this future world were interesting to me but I felt the author didn’t give me the depth I would have liked. The characters were reasonably under-developed with possibly the exception of the main character. Even Ichi did a lot of telling of her backstory as opposed to feeling like a 3-dimensional character for me. Most of them didn’t change or grow much (except Amanda) so it just fell flat for me.
What ended up being the most frustrating part for me was the lectures the women gave each other (and the men) about how hard it was being a woman (or being biracial). It felt super didactic and super condescending. As a woman, I felt offended and annoyed. As a reader, I felt like the characters were taking a pause in the middle of the plot to lecture each other. It just really didn’t fit at all. There were several other political commentary sections that felt the same way. Like the author was lecturing through the characters. It bothered me enough that I almost put the book down.
I don’t want to give away the interesting parts of the plot but I did enjoy Tatsu and found the plot around Tatsu to be interesting and enjoyable. I think this story would have been more enjoyable without some of the extra commentary, especially if you enjoy plot-driven stories.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The Secret of Clouds (3 stars): I saw this book in my library and the cover looked so beautiful that I wanted to read it. I knew nothing about the book and had never heard of the author.
This book is about a teacher who is tutoring a sick boy and through her relationship with him, her perspective (and then life) changes. It’s a good book but it’s not a book that will stay with me. It’s more in the sweet, little story category. It felt more plot, less character development and those books are usually not my favorite.
If you want a sweet, easy-to-read book that’s touching, this is not a bad pick.
Be Angry (3 stars): I’ve never read a book that contained the wisdom of the Dalai Lama that didn’t teach me something important. This was no exception. This book was a bit disjointed and that made it hard to keep up with but the wisdom, the teachings, the thought-provoking perspective is all there.
Being Creative (3 stars): I like the message this book is imparting. That creative is something you are. It’s inside you. The book is broken into 5 sections, each with 4 ideas around how to get you more and more into the creative mindset and to unlock the creativity within you.
The first section really resonated with me, the idea of beginner’s mind, starting small and reducing the size, and even consistency. I have done all of these in my own work and they do work like magic. I love the sentiment that “we don’t push the difficulty away. we don’t put it off until tomorrow. We stay with it now – with all the terror it induces.”
I also liked some of the new-to-me ideas like “internal camera” and “prepared piano.” There are other ideas that I don’t use regularly but make sense tome like making small changes daily, like your first thought being your best one, like not theorizing.
I also loved this: “Remind yourself each day that you have some responsibility for your creativity. You can change things.”
At its core, this book comes with this message: “Abandon the illusion of creativity. Instead, address what’s there….Be free of the mess.”
I love the ideas in this book.
Here’s where it fell a bit short for me: The format of the book was hard for me to get into, I felt like there was a lot of repetition, the chapters were too short, not enough details for the ideas and not enough solid examples. It was a bit too abstract at parts where I wasn’t sure I understood what he was saying fully. I could have used a bit more depth.
At the end of each section, there’s a “further learning” section which is full of things to read, listen, study and visit. They are delightful and wide-ranging and add so much depth to this book. I loved reading each of them and I can’t wait to dive into many of them.
On the whole, I am glad I read this book and I feel energized to keep creating and to heed the reminder to “stay with yourself as the only source of creativity – it’s not out there but inside you. You are the receptacle of all things creative.”
How can one not be inspired by that?
i received an advanced copy of this in return for an honest review. thank you to netgalley and the publisher.
Shout (4.5 stars): I wanted to read this from the moment I heard it was coming out. If you’ve read any of her previous novels, you know Laurie Halse Anderson is a powerful writer and this memoir in verse is no exception. It’s powerful writing at its best.
too many grown-ups tell kids to follow
their dreams
like that’s going to get them somewhere
Auntie Laurie says follow your nightmares instead
cuz when you figure out what’s eating you
you can slay it
if you have never read LHE, there are a lot of trigger warnings to be had with this book, so please be careful before you pick it up. I am grateful for people who tell their story and for people who tell their truth. We need so many more books like these.
Beautiful, deep, heart-wrenching, and truth telling. Thank you, Laurie Halse Anderson.
A Woman is No Man (4.5 stars): I have so many thoughts about this book. I was very much looking forward to reading this book even though I didn’t know too much about it. The most consistent thing I’d heard about it was that it was harrowing. So I braced myself as I started reading it and I will say that I think knowing there was going to be devastating parts of the book really helped me so I wanted to make sure to pass this on in case in helps other readers too.
This book is about three generations of Palestinian women living in America (Brooklyn, NY.) The mother-in-law, the bride, and the daughter of the bride is how I think of it in my head. Each of their stories is raw, honest, and has heartbreaking parts. Each, in their own way, highlights the difficulties of growing up as a woman in this very patriarchal society/community.
There is a lot that happens in this book, and since I grew up in Turkey so much of this rang close to home for me. I heard so many of the same messages around a woman’s worth when I grew up (even though I am not Muslim.)
Each of these women’s stories makes you feel deep sadness. How they had to sacrifice their soul and identity to exist. How they had to endure. And how they just passed this on from generation to generation (that’s the part that made me both angriest and saddest. that it’s not just the men who do this but the women do it to each other.)
This novel doesn’t hold back. It’s not sensationalist, it’s not trying to be loud, it’s not trying to preach, it’s not trying to do anything but tell the truth. A terrible, sad truth.
I will also say this novel is compulsively readable. It’s well written, the characters are deeply developed and you feel for each character, even the ones doing horrible things. You can feel each person’s brokenness. The author did a terrific job.
We need more books like this. We need to tell our stories. We need to speak our truths. To me, it’s one of the best gifts of books, that I get to learn about others’ truths. I get to relate. I get to feel empathy. I get to care. It helps connect us and make each of us feel less alone. I am grateful for those who choose to be brave and who choose to tell their stories.
Riots I Have Known (2.5 stars): I wasn’t even sure how to rate this book. I requested this book because it sounded intriguing and it sounded like it would be funny but also thought provoking. “Smart, wry, and laugh-out-loud funny” said the reviews. In retrospect, I should have known better than to attempt a book on satire. Satire, sarcasm, and dark humor are not my thing. I like heavy/serious books, I like light/funny books, I like a very wide range of novels but I have historically never been a fan of satire. It feels off to me. If you have a point to make, make it. Don’t make it in a way that’s belittling and underhanded.
I know this is a point of view and completely my opinion. I also know that it’s hard work to write a novel so I am going to do my best to make sure this review is not colored by my anti-satire bias as much as possible.
This is an interesting story by a Sri Lankan prison mate during a riot. He is locked in the media room in the jail and narrating the events of his life. It’s mostly written in a stream of consciousness style and it weaves in and out of present day and is set against the backdrop of this big riot so there’s a lot of rhythm to the story. For me, this style made the story hard to follow and I kept losing my focus. But it also added a layer of both urgency and a bit of deliriousness into the story which I felt viscerally.
Despite my dislike of satire, there were parts of this book that were just laugh out loud funny, even for me. I couldn’t help myself. I shared some of them with my 14-year-old who also thought it was hilarious. There are many, many mentions of our daily lives and twitter, and kickstarter and things that are both obnoxious and so true. And while it’s exaggerated of course, it never veers so of course to be unbelievable. Sadly, for our society, most of this crazy was still in the plausible range which is what made it so much more funny.
If satire is your thing, and you do not shy away from stream of consciousness novels, I am confident this will be a winner for you. It might even be one of your favorite novels of 2019.
I received an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
The Perfect Liar (3 stars): I was tired yesterday and in a mood where no book felt appealing. All the books I was looking forward to reading felt heavy, complicated, too much. I don’t know if I am the only one who has days like that. Anyhow, when I saw this on my list I decided it would be just the thing.
And it was.
It’s a simple mystery novel. Not trying to be all twisty and turny and shock the reader though it has some twists and turns but none of them are super unpredictable in my opinion and, for me, this kept the book more fun and enjoyable.
By Invitation Only (3 stars): I was feeling in a slump and wanted to read something light and fun and this book was due back at the library in 3 days so I decided it was time to tackle it. Just as I had hoped, it was totally able to take me out of my slump. It’s light, sweet, and funny in parts. I don’t think much of it will stay with me but I still enjoyed it while I read it. Sometimes that’s all I need from a book and I am grateful to be able to be sure I will find it.
And there we go, a good week of reading. Here’s to another good 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.
        
Another solid reading week this week and quite a variety. 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 Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (3.5 stars): This sweet book is about an older man who discovers a charm bracelet that his deceased wife owned (that he knew nothing about.) This discovery starts a journey for him to find out the story of each charm and through those, bits and pieces of his wife’s life before him, and through that journey him examining the bits and pieces of who he is and reconnecting with the people around him.
It’s a lovely story with touching bits, real-life bits, and covers some serious topics alongside some very funny moments. It was the perfect read for a long and arduous week.
Wingspan (3 stars): This is a very short play that takes place during a transatlantic flight to London. There are two flight attendants, one veteran and one for whom this is the first transatlantic flight. The latter is also afraid of flying. We get to hear their conversation as the plane takes off and endures several bouts of turbulence.
I don’t want to describe much of the plot because it’s so short that there’s no way to tell it without really giving it away. I will say I was surprised at the content compared to what the blurb says and if you’re easily triggered, it might be sensitive. There isn’t much detail and the conversation stays reasonably on the surface, which I found to be so unlike Chris Bohjalian’s usual style. What I usually like about his books is how deep they are willing to go into emotional impacts of the consequences of his characters’ choices/lives.
I’m still thinking about it, pondering what the author was trying to tell with this particular story. And a story that stays with you is always a good story for me.
[i received an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.]
The Unhoneymooners (4 stars): I have read several of Christina Lauren‘s standalone books in the last few years (as a side note, was i the last person on earth who didn’t know this is two people and not one?! How super awesome is that?!) Ok back to the book, I’ve read and enjoyed several of their books so I was looking forward to digging into this one.
And it charmed me from page two. The characters, the dialogue, the scenes in this book are funny, touching, vivid and joyful. It’s the kind of book that effortlessly transports you into a little world the authors have created and keeps you in this lovely cocoon that you don’t want to leave.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book and laughed out loud quite a few times. I loved that some parts were predictable and others not as much. This book delivered what I’ve come to expect from the authors and what I’ve come to love about them, too. For me, these are the best kind of romance books because they don’t feel fluffy and cookie-cutter. I grow to care for the characters, they are not two dimensional or thrown in there for the sake of plot. Maybe Dane is the only one where I would have liked to see a bit more balance because most of us are many layers but in this case it didn’t bother me.
I expected this book to be a lot of fun and it delivered on that 100%.
Thank you to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Brave Love (4 stars): I read this book without stopping. I’ve known Lisa Leonard and her jewelry for quite some time. Back in 2008, she designed a beautiful piece of jewelry for a creative site I used to host. I only talked to her online briefly and she was very kind and generous. I’ve also bought quite a few of her necklaces. But it had been almost ten years since I’ve followed her career since then. Kids, life, work got in the way.
When I saw she had a book out, I was excited to read because I knew it would likely be touching and true as most of her jewelry feels to me. It was all that and more. The book starts honest and real but gets deeper and more raw and more truth telling with her kind and gentle and loving tone.
Lisa is excellent at putting words around the struggles of finding oneself after we’ve regularly made the choice to give up who we are to serve others around us. So much of her book, her thoughts, her struggles resonated with me. So much of what she wrote are reminders I will have to repeat daily so I can remove some of the tapes in my own head so I can take up space and have my very own red bowl.
Thank you Lisa, for your honesty and reminder that we all deserve love. May we all love bravely.
Girl, Stop Apologizing (3 stars): I have lots of mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, parts of this book speak to me and the part of me that likes to get things done. I am inspired by Rachel Hollis’s determination and bottomless drive and energy to reach her goals. She worked hard, she had big goals, and she achieved many of them. I don’t think that’s deniable. I think if this book was a memoir, I could read all of it as a path that worked for her and a path that is inspiring for others, too.
But where it gets a bit stickier for me is that this is a book to help others how to achieve their goals. And it’s supposed to be shame-free and yet, there are some very specific recommendations she makes. Not to figure out what works for you but to do what she tells you to do. Every single story is about her life experience. The path she walked. The choices that worked for her. So if you’ve done this and it doesn’t work for you, or if, for whatever reason you can’t/won’t do it, then what? There isn’t enough variety or research here that can help adapt some of these ideas.
I also know it can be a lose-lose situation where if she doesn’t make specific recommendations, the readers will say “there’s nothing tangible here” but then when she recommends something, there’s the potential that her recommendation only works for a segment of people.
So I did what I always do with these books: I took what works for me, and left the rest. There are parts of her story I don’t connect with at all and parts of it that resonate with me. Some of her ideas inspired me. Some of her story made me want to get up and write my own story. I took those parts and let them really excite me. (And I ignored the rest.)
There’s no one advice book out there that works for me. This book has lots of ideas from people I’ve already read and sometimes hearing it again helped and at other times it felt repetitive. That’s ok, I am not looking for a 100% here. I am looking for something small, something that inspires me even if just a little bit.
On that note, for me, this book delivered.
Daisy Jones and the Six (4.5 stars): This book had so much marketing that I approached it with a lot of trepidation. I am a firm believer that expectations built around a book impacts your experience with it. While I had read and liked Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s previous book, I didn’t understand why there was so much hype around this new one. Her writing is good, her story telling is strong and her characters are generally interesting and well developed but I still wasn’t sure if a book could live up to the amount of hype that seemed to surround this one.
I listened to this on audio and almost immediately felt captivated by the story. I will say that I am not one of those people who is into bands. I didn’t have any posters on my walls as a kid. I like music but I don’t spend too much time thinking about the musicians themselves. So I wasn’t even sure if this story would be appealing.
But it was. Because while this book is about music and musicians, it’s about so much more. It’s about connection, love, striving, addiction, family, what it means to give second (and third and fourth) chances, what it means to let people down. It’s about dreams and having them come true and feeling empty anyway. Just like her previous book, it’s about the journey the characters are taking and the thing that’s wonderful about her books is that the characters grow, learn, do better. They also fail, falter and are just imperfect.
I did end up loving this book. It was different, well-told, interesting and I felt connected to many of the characters even if I shared values with almost none of them. When you have characters so different from me and yet I can care about them so much, I feel like you’ve done a fantastic job as an author.
I will say that I still don’t know if all the hype is deserved. This is a good book. It’s not the best book I’ve read. Not even the best book I’ve read this year. But it’s a really good book. And I am really glad I read it.
Factfulness (4 stars): This book is a fascinating read.
At a high level, it’s very accessible and easy to read. When I first started reading the book, it quickly shifted my perspective of my understanding of the world and helped me realize how off I was (which is pretty much the point of the book since he spends much of the book repeating how most people, just like me, have an incorrect view of the world.)
The rest of the book is highlighting the different ways in which we make assumptions/mistakes that cause this disparity between truth and our knowledge.
There are a lot of interesting and valuable insights and anecdotes in this book. There’s a section where he highlights how the sizes of monuments in Vietnam put things in proportion. Wars with China lasted on and off for 2000 years vs the French occupation which was 200 years vs Vietnam War (which they call “resistance war against america”) lasted 20. This reminded me how we each hold such engrained perspectives that we often don’t even realize it’s a perspective and assume it’s the “truth.” There’s also a story around a company that was able to charge a low price for a bid (lower than raw materials) because they (instead of being a scam) actually came up with an innovative approach. That story really stuck with me as well (in this case it was about generalizing due to the innovative company being “pharma”.)
I don’t think this is the perfect book, there are details it’s defining and there are cases of repetition that makes you roll your eyes. But, what it does accomplish is make you take a big step back and revisit your perspective of the world. It helps remind you that things are moving in a positive direction. It helps remind you that you should seek data from its source. That you should not assume things. It gives specific examples of pitfalls to avoid.
All of this is tangibly helpful. It spurred a lot of discussion in my household and helped me revisit a lot of my thinking. Any book that does that is a win.
The Cassandra (2 stars): I was so looking forward to reading this book. I will openly admit to not knowing very much about the Cassandra myth except for the very basics about her having visions and about people not believing her. I didn’t even know the myth has a brutal rape in it, if I did I might have not chosen to read the book.
Nonetheless, taking that concept to working in a Research Center in the 1940s in what ends up being the atom bomb sounded very interesting.
And yet.
I feel the author did not much with it. The beginning was compulsively readable but each of the characters were pretty much 2 dimensional and there to serve a purpose. They never grew/learned/changed. The story got darker and darker and the main character became harder and harder to connect with (for me.)
By the end, I didn’t much care and couldn’t get myself to invest in the ending. What a missed opportunity.
The River (4 stars): I am a big fan of Peter Heller. I’ve read The Dog Stars, The Painter, Celine and have loved all of them. There’s a big range and variety in subject matter amongst his books but at the core of each of these, for me, is his ability to write beautiful descriptions and the depth of his characters.
This book is no exception. The descriptions of nature, especially in the first part are beautiful. Even later with the fire, he is so good at putting words into details and the feeling those details inspire.
But the best part of any novel, for me, is always the characters. I love 3-dimensional, deep, complicated characters with back stories and Peter Heller never disappoints when it comes to that. The two main characters at the heart of this novel are unique, well-developed and characters I’m thinking about long after I am done.
I am really glad I discovered this author and I am looking forward to reading more of his beautiful novels.
And there we go, a week of reading. Here’s to another good 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.
       
Big reading week this week and quite a variety in both genres and author diversity. 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 Island of Sea Women (4 stars): I’ve read many Lisa See books over the years and she never disappoints. This wonderful novel is no exception.
At its core many of See’s novels have the same theme: female friendship. They are often overlaid against a historical background and the history is of course inextricably linked to the experiences the women are having and how their friendship evolves (gets impacted) by everything in their lives.
This book in its most basic has the same premise. It’s about two women who meet as girls and are as close as siblings from a young age. They are on the Korean island of Jeju and they are part of an all-female diving collective. This culture is characterized as matrifocal, which is, focused on females. The women do all the hard, dangerous work, earn the keep and the men cook and take care of the babies, etc.
The story takes place over a long tumultuous period, including Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the Korean War and what follows, and then ends up in current day era, a few generations later. There are some horrible horrible things that happen in the book. I am sure much of it is historically accurate and it was tough to read.
The overarching story, as always, is the friendship between the two women. What we keep from each other, even in our most trusted friendships. How we can destroy each other even as we’re trying to protect each other. How we can hold on to hatred and resentment for much longer than it serves us. And, of course, regret.
I am grateful for the time I spent with this book, to Lisa See for both teaching me about a time and place in history I knew little about and weaving a deep, touching and thought-provoking story into this time period to make it come even more alive for her readers.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
An Anonymous Girl (2.5 stars): This was your run-of-the-mill psychological thriller, something reasonably rare in these days when all the books have to be filled with twists and turns and unreliable narrators. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t dislike it. I don’t think the characters were developed enough for me to care about them in any deep way. The plot moved fast enough that I kept listening to it without wanting to take a break, so that’s likely the best thing I can say about it.
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) (4 stars): I have never heard of these authors, nor have I listened to their podcast but I always love the idea of grace-filled conversations in any area, let alone politics. I had a few friends mention this so I thought it would be a good read.
And it was. There are some thought provoking recommendations here specific to politics but the premise of adding nuance and not being extremist and not completely ruling out a person based on categories we put them into, being comfortable with the uncomfortable, exiting the echo chamber and getting curious are applicable in every area of being human. So we can all learn something from this book.
For those of you, like me, who have not listened to these authors before, I want to mention that there are references to religion and scripture in the book. I am not religious (and have a different religion than the authors) and this didn’t bother me or take away from the book in the least but I always think it’s important to mention so people are aware and don’t write off the whole book on account of that.
It’s a well-organized, thought-provoking book and a very worthwhile read.
The Art of Visual Notetaking (5 stars): This book is fantastic!
I am always fascinated by the videos and pictures of people taking visual notes as they listen to a lecture. I wish I were that talented and able to not only listen to, process but distill and visualize information so quickly and well.
This book breaks down the process for you step by step and highlights all the important factors in creating a visual representation. Emily makes sure to mention all the “basics” that are really the crucial aspects of where to sit, how to listen, how to prioritize and how to plan.
Then she talks about handwriting which she breaks down to simple steps and shows you exactly what you need to practice to get to a place that you like for yourself.
And then comes the part that I consider the hardest: the visuals. Here, too, Emily is fantastic at breaking it down and introducing a concept I’d never heard before called leveling it up where you start with the basics and keep adding to them in little bits to make it better and better.
Emily also talks about adding color, creating a visual library, headers, containers, correcting mistakes, using metaphors and other parts of your visual notetaking journey. Like with all the other chapters, she builds it up in a very consumable, practical way that makes it look achievable.
Like everything else, the only way to really get good at this is by lots and lots of practice which she makes a point of mentioning and giving lots of examples of her progression so you know what pace to expect and she also has exercises at the end of each chapter so you can practice what you just learned.
I know she makes it look much easier than it is and it will take a lot lot lot of practice but this book is inspiring and informative and encouraging in all the right ways. If you’re even remotely interested in this area I cannot recommend it enough.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Happiness Diary (4 stars): I’m a big fan of living with intention. To me, this means being clear about many different areas of my life and aware of the choices I am making and paying attention to the way those choices impact me both day to day and cumulatively.
Being happy is something that doesn’t come as naturally to me as it might to others. My natural state is lower than average and I have a tendency to remember the negative more strongly than the positive. So this is an area where I make a lot of extra effort to be even more intentional.
This book is the perfect tool to do that with. This is not a “reading” book, it is a “working” book. You have to work with it, live with it, think and take the time to really be intentional. It has eight different sections from definition to focusing on present moment to changing your brain to capturing the small things, etc. There are future looking exercises, ones that encourage repetition, ones that you revisit in intervals of time, etc.
Some of the exercises encourage introspection and you can do them in one sitting. There are others that are about making future commitments. And then there are ones that are about remembering the past or the present. Ones that encourage practicing new behavior and ones that encourage practicing new ways of thinking.
There is a wide variety in this book and while my digital copy didn’t allow me to take advantage of the beautiful way this book is laid out for writing, the prompts and exercises are all easily transferable into your own journal. It’s not about the looks (though it’s so pretty too) it’s about the content.
This book will be my close companion all throughout 2019 encouraging me to be intentional and thoughtful about my life so I can welcome more happiness (or be more aware of the happiness that’s already there.)
with gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Where Reasons End (4 stars): What an unusual book. This short book is an imaginary dialogue between a mom and her son who committed suicide. They talk about ordinary things: her writing, the world, poetry, etc. So I know some of the negative rates think there’s no emotion in this book when it’s clearly such a horrible emotional tragedy but I actually felt like there was a lot of emotion there. It was subtle and more acute in small moments but it still felt really sad to me. (Maybe because I listened to it on audio.)
I’m still not fully sure how I feel about the book but I am glad I read it.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls (4.5 stars): This is one of the few cases where I felt like the blurbs that quoted The Mothers and An American Marriage did a little bit of justice to what this book feels like as opposed to just throwing titles on there to encourage readers to buy and then sorely disappoint them because of the lack of actual resemblance. Even though I’d say The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls is not like either of them, it does have the same feel as both of them in some ways.
This book is about a couple who go to jail for embezzling from their charity and the siblings of the mom, as well as their two teenage kids. The chapters shift perspective mostly among the three adult siblings but there are a few chapters with the dad, too, but not as many. While much of the book is the impact of the incarceration on the kids (and the adult siblings), it gets intermixed with the history of each sibling going back in the past and revisiting abuse in their own childhood, dealing with the scars of that and in some cases working hard to make peace with things. In fact, I’d say each character is on his/her own path to peace in this book. And there are varying levels of getting to it, just like in the real world.
This book was very well written, the characters are deeply developed and there is a wide range of issues raised that are so real and told with such honesty that it’s hard not to connect with the characters.
This is definitely up there as one of my favorite reads of 2019 so far.
Territory of Light (3.5 stars): This small, quiet novel takes place during the year after the narrator separates from her husband and lives with her young daughter in an apartment. What I liked so much about this novel is that it’s told in little vignettes and moments from their lives.
There is the sorrow, loneliness, and journey of the mom overlaid with the wonder, joy, and sometimes agony of the little girl. There is a lot of detail of simple every day things, the small pleasures, the small things that cause us deep sadness.
One of my favorite scenes happens pretty early on in the story when the water tank in the building has a leak and water floods everywhere and the two of them sneak out at night and go play in the water. There are so many little scenes like that.
I am really enjoying reading novels that are different in the rhythms and language they use and this was one of the ones I am really glad to have read.
And there we go, a small week of reading. Here’s to another good 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.
   
After all that wonderful reading last week, I only got to read four books this week. It was a long work 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 Valedictorian of Being Dead (4.5stars): This is a powerful book. Despite a few jokes here and there, it’s not a funny book. It’s not your typical dooce stories. It’s an honest and raw book on the profound toll depression can take on your life and the lengths to which one might be willing to go to release themselves from the grip of it.
Back when my kids were in their toddler years, I used to read dooce and while I didn’t relate to many of her stories, her blog was compulsively readable. It was honest (maybe honest is not the right word since everyone writing online is presenting a version of themselves) and funny and it gave me something to do during those endless nights with little babies. I stopped reading it over the years and have maybe checked in on her site twice in the last ten years.
Nonetheless, when I saw this ARC, I knew I wanted to read it. I have my own stories with depression and knowing how raw she can be, I wanted to read what she wrote. I knew it would be well written in her compulsively readable style.
This book was probably one of the rawest descriptions of depression I’ve ever read. The feelings and thoughts were articulated with such honesty that it hurt to read them. It was hard to get through much of this book, especially if you can connect with any of the feelings/thoughts. I found myself connecting with her mother and feeling such an overwhelming sadness of watching your kid go through all that and also such awe at her showing up for her daughter again and again.
It’s so easy to believe that the pieces of ourselves we share online (or even offline for that matter) are who we are. But they are far from it. The truth is always far from what we see. It’s layers and layers of complicated truths. And of course even with this book we won’t ever know the full story but I am still grateful Heather chose to write this story, chose to articulate what depression can feel like. We need more stories of the not-so-pretty but honest parts of life so all of us can feel less alone in our mess. So all of us can be more compassionate towards each other.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The Unwinding of the Miracle (4 stars): Reading two really sad books back to back was maybe not the best idea. Two books about death that both also have bits that are really hopeful and both remind you to live life.
Like The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying and When Breath Becomes Air, this is a book about dying. The main character starts by telling you that they are dead by the time you read this.
Much of the book comes out of the blog Julie had while she lived with colon cancer. It’s heart wrenching in bits, inspiring in others, and beautiful in yet others. What I really appreciated was the honesty she shares in its raw form in many, many parts of this book. The anger, the resentment, the frustration and the total unfairness of it all.
The whole time I was reading this book I was thinking that I need to be more grateful for my life. I am not that far from the age Julie died. Life is unpredictable and it’s short and it can change on a dime. It’s hard but important for me to remember.
The Last Romantics (4 stars): I really enjoy stories about families and this one has all the bits I love. It’s about siblings who are deeply affected by their dad’s passing and the impact that has on their mom. Their journey over the years as they are close, get upset with each other, keep things from each other, support each other and all the other things siblings do.
Early Riser (2 stars): It’s clear I’m going to be the outlier here. As someone who has never read Jasper Fforde before, I am not exactly sure what compelled me to pick up this book in the first place. I do read a bunch of science fiction and I’ve read many dystopian novels and I can be a big fan of the absurd, clever humor. I’ve devoured and loved every book by Douglas Adams so I thought this might be fun.
But then I got lost almost immediately. One review I read said it might be fun to read this on audio but I am wondering if that’s what went wrong for me. If I should have just read it on paper instead. Or if I should have read it more in one long sitting, etc. I just kept getting disconnected from the story and never had any attachment to any of the characters.
I thought of putting it down many many times throughout and in retrospect that’s exactly what I should have done. Midway through this would have been a 3-star read but by the end I was so tired and frustrated that I could not possibly give it that.
There are many, many fans of the author and maybe one day I can pick up a different book and give it a shot but for now, I’ll move on.
And there we go, a small week of reading. Here’s to a better 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.
             
A lot of reading this week because we were on vacation and there was a lot of driving. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too!
Freefall (3.5stars): I read The Silent Patient last week. I had heard it was a page turner, but, for me, it didn’t turn out to be. Whereas Freefallwas in fact just the right pace for me and I kept wanting to read it even after I’d figured out the whole plot.
There’s a twist or two. Most of them I saw coming but it didn’t bother me. I still enjoyed reading this fast-paced story. I won’t remember much of it in a few weeks, I’m sure, but that’s ok. Sometimes it’s just about enjoying a book in the moment.
And this was one of those
The Test (4 stars): This is short story was a super-fast read and I really really loved it. I have read Themis Files and loved it so I was looking forward to Sylvain Neuvel‘s new book and figured I would like it.
It didn’t disappoint. This is a quick but really engaging read. The story is told in a way that allows you to experience it along with the main character. It’s high anxiety, stressful and devastating all at once. As with Neuvel’s other novels, the sci-fi setting is a way to deliver a thought-provoking story that creates dialogue around our society.
It also has the added layers of topics like the ramifications of choices we make, the value of human life, and of course immigration. A lot to think about packed into this one short story.
Becoming (5 stars): I’m not a huge memoir person. Even though I’ve always admired Michelle Obama, I didn’t feel a pull to read this particular book. I still knew I was going to want to read it at some point so I added it to my audible account, especially because I knew she had narrated it.
Once I started reading this, I didn’t want to stop. There so many profound one-liners in it.
Bullies were scared people hiding inside scary people.
what an eloquent and simple way to explain something that i often try to talk to my kids about.
Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It’s vulnerability that breeds with self-doubt and then is escalated, often deliberately, by fear.
this one struck me so hard that I had to stop and write it down.
This may be the fundamental problem with caring a lot about what others think: It can put you on the established path—the my-isn’t-that-impressive path—and keep you there for a long time.
This is a lesson so many of us have to learn. Something I learned when I was in my twenties and I find myself having to learn it over and over again as the voices in my head are so ingrained.
I now tried out a new hypothesis: It was possible that I was more in charge of my happiness than I was allowing myself to be.
This is a great reminder. Something I need to remember more and more.
There was so much wisdom, so much hope, and so much truth in this wonderful book. I am so glad I finally took the time to hear her story.
The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom (2.5 stars): The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom is about Aliza who was raised as an Orthodox Jew and decides to take a different path at a crucial moment in her life. Her teen daughter finds out about her history and is having a hard time. The book is told in alternating chapters between then and now (about 16 years or so apart.)
There are a lot of layers to this book. As a Jew who grew up around Orthodox Jews, many of the parts of the book weren’t surprising to me but I know they might be to some readers and it’s an important part of the story that somehow doesn’t seem to be mentioned in the blurbs.
At its core, this is a book is about choice and loss and the complexity of relationships and understanding who you are, what your place is, how you’ve been raised and what that means about who you get to be. There were parts of the book that made me think deeply about choice and how each time we choose to “stray” no matter how far, we give up a little bit of our belonging and how hard that can be.
I think this book had the potential to be deep and complex but it seemed to want to stay lighter and maybe this is why it didn’t impact me as deeply as it could have. Aliza makes deep changes in her life in this book and while some of the confusion that could cause is explored, it all stays mostly on the surface. She makes major changes and it’s as if they are not that impactful. Some parts of the story have levity that just didn’t resonate with me. And her relationship with Alex was just off. Maybe because we don’t really get to know much of Alex except for a conversation towards the very end of the book. He stays reasonably 2-dimensional. Of course, we find out so much more about Aliza since she’s narrating the book so that might also account for the lack of balance between the development of the two characters.
But there’s still much to love about this book. Especially her relationship with her grandfather, her relationship with her brother and her best friend. There are some profound conversations (there were parts where the dialogue just felt stilted and off to me but then parts where it was spot on.) and the author is not afraid to tackle deep, scary topics like infertility, domestic abuse, adultery, and more.
Maybe that’s why it was a hard novel to read because there were so many real bits to this book that were serious and hard and some parts where it felt like the monumental impact of all that wasn’t handled as seriously as it could have been. But then again I still enjoyed reading it and I got attached to Aliza/Eliza even as I was rooting for her at times and scolding her at other times. This Jewish mom couldn’t help herself 🙂
with gratitude to netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
After (2.5 stars): Ok so I knew going into this one that it would not be good. I had already read that the writing would be bad, the relationship was toxic, and it was just going to be bad, bad, bad.
So maybe that lowered my expectations enough. I knew I likely might want to see the movie and I also knew that I don’t watch movies unless I read the book. I’ve heard people rant about Twilightfor the same type of reasons and I liked those books and I also heard people rant about Fifty Shades of Greyand I couldn’t read that book to save my life.
The book this reminds me the most is actually is Beautiful Disaster which has a similar toxic relationship with angry boy/sweet innocent girl at its core. I listened to this on audio at 3x and basically listened to it all the way through.
Maybe knowing what to expect and listening instead of reading made me more generous towards the writer.
99 Percent Mine (4 stars): Meh I think Sally Thorne is just not for me. I wasn’t able to read The Hating Game despite trying a few times. So I am not sure what made me want to read this today. I figured after finishing After the bar was pretty low. But alas, this book just wasn’t all that interesting to me. The characters weren’t interesting and nor was the plot.
I know many people said The Hating Game is much better so maybe I should go back and try that. But I think it’s time for a break from Romance for now.
Digital Minimalism (3 stars): I’ve been a fan of Cal Newport for quite some time. So, even though I wasn’t sure there was anything major this book would offer me, I wanted to read it because he’s smart and thoughtful and I knew there’d be some ideas I might be able to incorporate.
I wasn’t mistaken.
This book is a good read if you’re spending a lot of time on social media and are ready to do something about it. It’s not radical or extremist. I has some good ideas on how to move slowly away from using it too much.
I already do some of the ideas in this book. I keep my phone on “do not disturb” pretty much the whole time. I use Facebook only on my desktop and only on one of them so I check it about once a week at best and generally for about 15 minutes. I don’t use Twitter at all. I rarely spend time on Netflix anymore. My one “social network” is instagram and even that is mostly filled with bookstagrammers. Even there, I rarely spend more than 4-5 mins before I am disengaged.
All of this sounds/looks good on the surface except for the fact that I read or listen to books all the time. I rarely have absolutely silent time in my life. And Newport talks a lot about the value of silence and solitude. This one, I will have to think about for a while.
Liquid Rules (4 stars): If you’re into science, this book is a gem.
It’s written by a material scientist and the story is told on a flight from London to San Francisco, ostensibly focusing on all the liquids on board but it’s really just a premise to tell the stories he wants to tell. The fact that he was on board a flight was cute but seemed contrived a bit at parts. But I didn’t really care because the science and stories were super interesting to me.
This book has 12 chapters, each chapter focusing on a different substance like glue, ink, etc. I loved the bits about how candles work and how the wick pulls water up against the force of gravity. I learned about how the World Trade Centers buckled due to the strength of the steel decreasing under such high heat and then putting pressure on the lower floors, etc. And how flavor is a multi-sensory experience (and how we assume and ‘can taste’ flavors related to the color.) I also loved reading how icarus story wouldn’t be possible because it gets colder when you fly higher 🙂 I loved learning about ballpoint pens and how they work (and how amazing they are!!) and about tar and all the interesting new innovations they are making to help the roads last longer.
There is just so much fascinating science in this book. Highly enjoyable.
thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
When You Read This (3.5 stars): This cute novel is told in emails/texts/blog posts etc. It goes back and forth in time so if that’s something that will frustrate you, beware. I really enjoyed this sweet little novel. I liked the characters, and the way the story was told.
Having said that, I am not sure how much of it will stay with me over time. But sometimes, that’s ok.
Organic Painter (4 stars): This book is one of the most unusual art books I’ve read and considering my 80+ collection of art books, that’s a lot to say. I’ve even taken classes using unusual materials before and have used tea in my art before, too.
But this artist has such an unusual style of painting that I couldn’t help but be awed with the result. I tried to recreate some of the amazing art in this book and it was quickly apparent to me that I will need a lot more practice. But I am super intrigued and am looking forward to experimenting more.
My favorite section was the combining of embroidery floss with the art. I’d seen some of that before but the artist put the floss on the page, painted around it, then removed it to create whitespace, and then added floss to another section.
The art in these pages is layered, flowing, organic and detailed and complex. You can see something different from afar vs up close. You can look for a long time and find some small new interesting bit each time.
If you want a challenge and a way to really shake up the way you do art, this is a great find.
Happy Money (4 stars): I’ve had an interesting relationship with money. Even though I’ve been lucky enough to have enough of it all my life, I still have a lot of anxiety around it, especially around providing for my family. I think the anxiety is not serving me but I haven’t really figured out a way to resolve it. So when I saw this book, I was excited to see what it could teach me.
I’ve highlighted many, many sections of this book and of course I am not “healed” but it has given me a lot of food for thought. It focuses a lot on what the author calls your money EQ. I will say that if you’re looking for how to invest your money or if you have serious money problems, I would not start with this book. It focuses very much on your emotional relationship with money.
There are several sections around how our approach to money and our feelings about it have a lot to do with how we were raised and how our parents approached it which gave me a lot of pause. On the surface, I don’t remember any tension around money in my house hold. But as I dig deeper, there’s a lot there that I still have to really excavate my way through.
By checking whatever feeling you project onto money, you can recognize your own emotional baggage. If you can do that, you can see money clearly.
And that’s always the crux of everything, isn’t it. Food, money, so many of the essentials of life and how we treat them and how we think of them is intertwined with our emotional baggage.
I’m a big saver, so this quote really resonated with me:
In other words, we want to have something to show for our life’s work. We want it to mean something.
certainly true for me.
There is a whole section around gratitude and thanking the money for coming and thanking the money when spending it. I love this idea and have to do it more. The cultivation of gratitude and abundance and the feeling of having enough.
There are also things I’ve read before: spending money on experiences, doing something i love and am good at to make more money, being willing to receive chances/opportunities given to me, make friends, don’t compare with others, make your own rules, etc.
There is the reaffirmation that no matter how much I save, it will not erase the unease I feel. (not what I want to hear, even though i know it to be true, and yet another parallel to body issues.) The fear is not related to money, it’s about life in general.
There’s a wonderful story about a candy factory where there’s a song playing with kids who say thank you so the people who work there remember what they are doing it for. I loved this idea of remembering what it’s for. It’s something I can do more at my work: remembering the users we make happy each day.
I loved this too:
What would someone watching you say is important to you based on the way you act in your daily life?
I try to live by this so often. I spend time with my kids, my husband, etc. But I also fail more than I’d like. Often not on behalf of money but books, art, doing the things I want to do.
There’s also a reminder that fear and anxiety is often about fear of the future and what we fear usually doesn’t become reality and yet we waste so much energy on worrying. I certainly do.
At the last chapter, he lists all five steps to happy money: shift out of the scarcity mindset, forgive and heal your money wounds, discover your gifts and get into the flow of happy money, trust life, say arigato all the time. My favorite is “trust life.”
We know that everything that happens, positive or negative, will end up working out to support our lives in its own unique way. This is what frees us from the paralyzing anxiety of judging things in ur lives as “good” and “bad.” This is why trusting people are more passionate and successful. When we trust, we are able to become our authentic selves.
I need to remember this again and again. Trust life.
Trust life. And say thank you.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Look Closer, Draw Better (4 stars): If there’s one thing I could snap my fingers and become, it’s a person who can see like an artist. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to become better at drawing but my ability to slow down and really see isn’t really all that great. I do everything fast and drawing is no exception.
If you have a ton of art books at home, like I do, this book doesn’t really contain anything shockingly new. But there are two takeaways from my time with this lovely book.
1. Start practicing again. I used to draw daily but I gave it up. Getting better is about practice. She recommends having a 15-minutes a day practice. She recommends all the things I hate doing: blind contour, contour, etc but alas there’s a reason those are recommended again and again. It’s about training your hands, training your eyes. It’s about getting out of your head (where I live so much of the time and it doesn’t really serve me when drawing.) so 15 minutes a day it is. Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?
2. Slow down. Go in layers, start with the light and build up. Slow down. Look. I feel the need to say it again: slow down.
Much of this book is graphite and charcoal and ink. I wanted to see the watercolor projects and they didn’t disappoint. I found the steps more broken down than usual in most of the books I have on hand and I really appreciated that.
If you want some inspiration to take you back to the basics and remind you the core elements of how to create solid drawings, this is the book for you.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World (5 stars): I’ve been a Fredrik Backman fan for quite some time. I didn’t start with A Man Called Ove like many others did. I read that book and thought it was okay. I didn’t dislike it but I also wasn’t blown away like many seemed to be. And I thought that was going to be it between me and Fredrik Backman. I figured I’d given him a chance and it was okay but nothing to write home about.
Then, a few years ago, my friend K told me I had to read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and I said “Oh, I’ve read that author before, I’m not a huge fan.” But she insisted that this book was different and I was going to love it. I rarely turn down book recommendations and I really like my friend K so I decided to give it a shot.
I didn’t get up from the chair the whole time I read that book. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t believe someone could write like that.
Thus began my journey to read everything Fredrik Backmanhas written since. His ability to weave wisdom and depth into his characters and his stories is unparalleled. His stories touch my soul and connect with me in the best ways a book can.
This book is written for his son and it’s full of short stories and really short stories about lessons he imparts and really funny anecdotes from when his son was a newborn. It’s personal and nonfiction but yet it’s full of his magical stories, his sense of humor and his deep, magical way of connecting with his readers on things that matter.
My favorite part, of course, was the Money Island 3 solution. As a fan of Lucasfilms games, that made me laugh out loud. There are so many bits of my childhood in this book. So many ways in which I could relate to the author as a person. I am delighted to find that this author whose books I love also seems to be a wonderful person. (Not that I am all that surprised.)
Many bits of this book reminded me of Nick Hornby whom I also love. If you haven’t read Backman before, I would have to recommend you start with My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and then I am pretty confident that you will feel compelled to make your way through everything he’s ever written. Then you’ll finally end up on this one and you’ll have a giant smile when you find out the person behind all those books is as hilarious and magical as you hoped he would be.
big thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review
And there we go, a really solid week of reading. Here’s to another fantastic 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!
    
An okay week of reading this week. Some great, some less great. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too!
The Lost Man (4 stars): Mystery doesn’t tend to be my favorite genre. Usually novels with a major mystery in their core tend to be very plot driven and don’t spend much time on character development, especially on side characters. I prefer stories with rich, deep character development.
Over the years, I’ve found a handful of exceptions to this rule. Mystic River was one of the first books I read where the character development was deep and rich. I’ve read several other Dennis Lehane novels and he seems to be reasonably consistent with taking the time to develop his characters and such deepen his novels.
Jane Harper is the same way and then more. Her novels are full of rich, 3-dimensional characters, atmospheric plot that is almost another character itself, and beautiful dialogue. There is a mystery at the heart of each of her novels, too, but that’s just the icing on the cake instead of being the cake itself.
Harper’s novels are a joy to read. The audio is often hard for me to follow because the narrator is Australian but that makes it even more authentic, of course.
Looking forward to many more novels from this wonderful author.
The Silent Patient (3 stars): This book was a super fast read. I know others got into it really quickly whereas I found myself being relatively apathetic the whole time until the twist came together. Having just finished Jane Harper’s new novel, I think I had even less patience for a novel like this than usual.
If fast-paced, thrillers with a twist is your thing, you will enjoy this book. If you’re in a slump and can’t find a next novel to get you out of it, this might be a good one to go with.
More than Words (3 stars): If you’ve read The Light We Lost, you’re likely already familiar with Jill Santopolo’s novels. More than Words is in the same vein.
It’s about people finding themselves, learning truths about the people they love, facing the truths about their own lives and triggered by events, choosing to finally step into the life they want to have. It’s not a badly written book, it’s just not a book I will remember for a long time.
The characters are fine, just not deeply 3-dimensional. They won’t last with me. But I still enjoyed reading this little book.
The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green (4.5 stars): What an absolute gem of a book. This story took me a while to get into, I kept reading a few pages at a time and not really connecting with it but I finally sat down today to give it a full hour and I was sucked right into the story.
This is one of my favorite kind of novels. There’s some plot but really what carries the novel is the rich, layered, 3-dimensional characters. The story is told in rotating chapters from three different characters’ points of view. And they all felt real, complicated, and wonderful to me.
There are so many sweet, quiet moments in this book. Moments of everyday life. Beautiful descriptions:
Nesssa was always like her father, all emotion and action bundled together by translucent skin. She’s a cluster of raw nerves shooting pain and joy alike straight to her heart, and it was my job to sheathe them all, to shield her.
It was long and wordy in places but by that time, I didn’t mind at all because I had grown to love these characters and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. All the interesting crop circle plotline was icing on this beautiful cake.
Absolutely loved this one.
huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.gratitudes to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Plotters (3 stars): This was an unusual novel.
I have been exploring reading a wider variety of authors and I thought the plot of this Korean novel sounded really interesting so I was curious to read it.
While I didn’t really find myself getting into the story as much as I would have liked to, there were a handful of really interesting characters. One thing I’ve noticed is that this novel had a different rhythm. It was quieter, less explosive, especially for a novel about hired killers. It felt very matter of fact. Not too much dwelling on emotions/drama etc.
I enjoyed reading it especially because it was different for me.
And there we go, not as many as usual but next week’s vacation so hopefully it will pick up. Here’s to a fantastic 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!
      
Another solid week of reading. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too!
Recursion (4.5stars): It’s always challenging to explain a Blake Crouch novel and this one is no exception. If you’ve read Dark Matter, you have some idea what you’re expecting in this book. His books are fast-paced, “keep you on your toes and wildly confuse yourself as you try to keep track of things that are happening” books.
Recursion is about physics, the science of the human mind, memory generation, politics, and so much more. It’s also about grief, our desire to set things right, connection, greed, and so much more. And most of all, it has character development that’s rich which is rare in books with the kind of plot and pacing his books have.
I’ve read a bunch on quantum physics and I studied a bunch of computer science and have even taken classes on the human brain but I can’t really tell you which of his ideas in the book are possible and which are pushed well outside the realm of possibility and which are just completely made up. Partly because they are a bit mixed up together but mostly because I don’t really care. If you’re a complete stickler for accurate science, this book might frustrate you, but if you take it for what it is, a fast-paced, very entertaining, though-provoking book that uses science as its story source, then you will enjoy it thoroughly and find that not only is your mind blown during reading it but that you think about it well after you’re done. And if that’s not the sign of a good book, I don’t know what is.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Elsey Come Home (3.5 stars): This quick little book started out not being able to hold my attention too much but by the time I was more than halfway through I was really invested in Elsey. There is so much suffering and so much realness and so much tenderness in this book. Marriage is hard. Being a human is hard. And while I don’t drink, I could still connect to her feeling of wanting to escape and her feelings around choosing between being a mother and being a thing you want to be (painter in this case) and being a wife. Her internal conflict is so real in this book and so easy to connect to that I couldn’t help but root for her.
I’m glad I persevered with this one.
The Body is not an Apology (4 stars): For the last few years, I’ve been on a journey towards trying to make peace with who I am both inside and out. As part of my word for 2019, I’ve decided to dive deeper into this journey and that means reading books that teach me to unlearn many of the messages I’ve been given (or I chose to distort) throughout my life. This spreads over many areas but none more than my body.
So even though I had not heard of Sonya Renee Taylor before picking up this novel, I knew it would be good for me. It would help change some of the messages in my head.
And it was.
The messages I have in my head will not disappear with one good book. Years and years of conditioning and messaging doesn’t get erased in a few hundred pages. But like most journeys, it all begins with one step forward. And this was a solid step in the right direction.
I don’t think there is anyone who couldn’t benefit in some way or another from this book. It’s not about fixing your body issues, it’s not about fixing anything, in fact. It’s about learning to love yourself (I was going to write radically but that word doesn’t sit well with me and if you’re like me, I don’t want you to not read this book just because of that word.) There is so much goodness in this book. I had heard of the concept of how you’re not your thoughts from many many other books but this one brought it home for me. I get it so much more now.
If there’s an inkling of interest when you read the title of this book, then I’d say grab it, you will not be disappointed.
The Shape of a Life (4.5 stars): I don’t usually read biographies, let alone biographies of mathematicians. But this particular book caught my attention with its description and it’s similar timeline to when my father-in-law got his PhD in Math (his PhD adviser is in fact one of the names mentioned) so, on a whim, I decided I would read it.
I am so glad I spent some time with this book. There were layers and layers of interesting stories and learnings for me. Even though there is a lot of math in the book, much of which I didn’t understand, I still deeply enjoyed reading Yau’s journey. I had never heard of this mathematician before and now I feel like I have had a window into math, or a type of math, at a certain time in history. Of course, this is all written from one person’s perspective, with one person’s biases but it was still interesting.
In my experience, solving hard math problems takes hard work, and there’s no way around it, unless the problem is rather trivial.
I loved this because I think it encourages hard work and discourages the belief that we are born “geniuses” at math.
Yau’s childhood and youth are a heart-wrenching read and very eye opening to me. It was incredible to see his success despite all of the hardships he (and his family) had to endure.
There were so many opportunistic coincidences in Yau’s early life that culminated in his ability to end up in the United States (and his ability to study math vigorously) and it made me realize that we all have a lot of random coincidences in our lives and what might look like a disaster (not getting into the any schools for example) might turn out to be the thing that sets the course of your life positively (as it did for Yang.) and also that a single person can completely change the course of someone’s life. There are many who played a major role in getting Yau to where he could really thrive. Like Salaff who worked extraordinarily hard to get him into Berkeley.
“I have spent a whole day without eating and a whole night without sleeping in order to think, but it was of no use, I got nothing out of it. Thinking cannot compare with studying.”
It was quite depressing to me how incredibly political academia is. I knew this of course but as someone who has spent all her life in corporate America, with a brief stint in non profit land, it was depressing to see how academia can put all of the greed and political shenanigans to shame. All that bickering and blocking each other’s paths. What a waste of incredible mental talent. (I know there’s a lot of cooperation, too, which is also clear in the book.)
This was a really enjoyable read for me, despite (or maybe because of) being very different than my usual fare.
gratitudes to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Golden Child (3 stars): This was a challenging book for me to read. I don’t want to write too much about it because it will be easy to give away the plot. But as a mother, it made me think a lot about sacrifices parents think they should make, how much parents alter the course of their kids lives, how words have power (and of course actions too.) and how some decisions are ones i will never agree with or understand. Maybe if I had read this book at another time, I might have been able to separate myself from the story enough to have some sort of literary criticism on this story. But I am not able to do that at the moment. Some books just come at the wrong time (for a reader) and this was one of those cases for me.
Lie With Me (4 stars): This quiet, small, and beautiful novel takes place over decades of two characters’ lives. The story is told from the perspective of one of them when they were teenagers and then again a few decades later and then again about ten years after that. This not a plot-rich story. It’s not about what happens but it’s about youth, identity, and love.
It’s about connection and how brief but powerful connections can (and do) have lasting impact on our lives. I originally wanted to read this book because I thought it might be like Call Me By Your Name which I loved. And parts of this story might have similarities to that story but to me the two felt very different.
The prose in this novel is very sparse, very clean. It’s so stark that the emotions come to the surface that much more. I have never read Besson before and it sounds like he is a famous writer and this might be his style. At first, I found it jarring but, over time, I really appreciated the space it provided for me.
This is not a happy story. In fact, I would say it’s a really sad story but it’s not presented in a way that makes you feel the sadness on the surface like some melodramatic books do. It’s subtle and quiet and so the sadness I felt was deeper and quieter.
Overall, it was a really beautiful story and I am excited to have discovered a new-to-me author. I am looking forward to reading more of his books.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Here and Now and Then (3 stars): This book took me a while to get into. I listened to it on audio and decided that the narration wasn’t good. I also felt like I couldn’t get interested in any of the characters. There wasn’t enough character development or depth to make it so I cared about any of them. I felt like each character had 1-2 token things about them sprinkled in to make them “interesting” but there was no real depth. Which meant I didn’t end up caring about them enough.
The plot is very unusual and maybe for a lot of people that’s enough but that usually isn’t enough for me and this book was no exception. By the end, I was a bit more interested and I am not sorry I read it but I feel there was more opportunity here for the author to develop the characters further and make this story deeper.
And there we go, a really solid week of reading. Here’s to another fantastic 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!
       
Another solid week of reading. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too!
The 4 Habit of Joy-Filled Marriages (3.5stars): I’m a firm believer that it’s easier to work on your marriage when it’s working than when it’s in trouble. It’s easier to do things to strengthen a solid base than to patch up one that’s teetering. I make a point to read these kinds of books when I am feeling like we are in a good place and feeling a lot of love towards my spouse. This way it doesn’t feel like the exercises explained in this book are coming from a place of despair but a place of love and connection.
When I saw the title of this book, it sounded like the exact thing that might be a wonderful addition to my life. I definitely have 15 minutes a day and I love the idea of a joy-filled marriage.
This is a really quick read. I finished it in one sitting. But, of course, most of the value of this book is not in the reading of it but in doing the exercises suggested in the book. Much of the science in the book wasn’t new to me and was explained in a way that felt too simplistic (though I can totally understand why the authors would choose that path, this is not a science book.) But I really liked a lot of the suggestions in the book and the perspective they added.
Joy isn’t simply a choice you make. Trying to choose joy can feel like trying to fall asleep when you have insomnia. Joy is a feeling you get when you’re happy to be with someone who’s happy to be with you.
I don’t know that I agree with all of that (I think it’s possible to experience joy when you’re alone, too.) but the idea that joy isn’t the choice but the outcome resonated with me and I’ve been noodling on it since.
Brenda was modeling for me what it looked like to keep the relationship bigger than the problem. Since then, we have tried to make that our “go-to phrase” when we get upset. It is not uncommon for one of us to say, “Let’s keep the relationship bigger than the problem.”
I really liked this idea. While it’s terribly hard to do this in the moment of a major disagreement, this idea is a great one to keep reinforcing and baking into the fabric of our marriage.
I also really liked their clear definitions around the negative emotions you feel so that you can recognize your own emotions. Naming the difference between sad, anxious, despair, shame, anger and disgust can be subtle and difficult at times and it’s not possible to address your (or others’) feelings unless you can connect with them and tell the difference.
I have learned that there is a big difference between saying “thank you” and feeling appreciation.
This, too, was a poignant sentence for me. Often times, even in a gratitude practice i do alone, it can be easy to list things from the day which isn’t always impactful. Whereas, if i sit down and close my eyes and really conjure the feeling of that moment I am listing, I can feel the contentment and joy. Appreciation is about feeling the joy, and sharing the joy.
Many of the exercises in this book are about being together, holding hands, sharing stories about your day, your past, your marriage. The exercises are simple on paper. They encourage connection both physically and emotionally (and psychologically.) and I can totally see how it completely strengthens (and adds joy) to your marriage when you do them regularly.
I will mention that this book has Christian-based religious references which wasn’t clear from the blurbs. It’s not the core of the book but there are many examples. Had I looked up previous books of the authors, I probably would have been able to guess that. I focused on the examples that resonated with me and the concepts they were highlighting.
Overall, this book is a great way to strengthen your already strong marriage. It’s also a wonderful way to start a new marriage.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Editor (3.5 stars): I read and really loved Rowley’s previous book, Lily and the Octopus, so I was looking forward to reading this. I know some people are big fans of Jackie Onassis but I knew very little about her and wasn’t sure this book would be interesting enough. In fact, I had no idea she’s been an editor for many years, so I wasn’t sure if the author had made up that premise. Apparently, he did not.
While some of the color added by the Jackie bits were fun, to me, what made the book enjoyable was the story under the story (always) and in this case it’s about the relationship between the main character and his mom. It’s about family, connection, belonging.
“But I struggled my whole life with identity. To know who I really was. Why I didn’t feel connected. Why I never truly fit in, And all this time you had the answer! You could have saved me when I was spiraling and you didn’t.”
My mother nods, and it’s a long time before she speaks. “It breaks my heart to hear you say that. From the day you were born, you’ve always been more yourself than anyone I’ve ever met. I guess I felt deep down you didn’t need to know anyone else in order to know who you are.”
So much of this resonated with me. Both the feeling of lack of belonging and lack of identity and the feeling of being so much myself. I feel like both of those things can be true at the same time.
This book is quiet. It’s slow. There are a few big things that happen but it’s really not even about those things in the end. This is not a “let me read and see what happens” book. It’s a book where if you connect with the characters, you like it and if not, you might not.
I really liked it.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a preview copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Journey into Yourself (3.5 stars): It seems a bit weird to be giving Eckhart Tolle anything but five stars. I like to make sure to listen to these at least a few times a year. I think the reason it’s not a five-star for me is because I’ve heard these types of thoughts/teachings several times and there wasn’t much new here for me.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t life changing the first time around and it also doesn’t mean I don’t get value out of it every single time. I read that someone said his calming voice is soothing and wonderful for them but for me, it has a bit of the opposite effect. I tend to prefer Tara Brach or Sharon Salzberg because I connect with their voices right away. Also Karen Maezen Miller. But this might be the one better suited for you. I think when you’re doing this type of work, it matters most to connect with the person so you can be more open to hearing the teachings.
I am grateful I took the time to listen to this. I am grateful for the learnings. I am grateful for the reminder that my stories are just that, my stories.
Beneath the Sugar Sky (4.5 stars): Another gem from Seanan McGuire. I can’t believe no one recommended these books to me in the last few years. They are absolutely amazing. The detail and creativity in each book is only overshadowed by the variety in her characters who are all so unique and so layered and delightful. And the dialogue is exceptional and observant. These tiny books pack so much.
I have only one more to go which is due at the library in a week and I am almost sad to start it because then I will not get to fall into one of McGuire’s worlds until the next one is out.
This story, like the second one, does not require you to have read the first in the series. More than a series I’d say these are companion books. They can be completely stand alone but if you’ve read the first one, there are a few repeat characters, making the experience deeper and more delightful.
It’s such a joy to find books like these.
So Lucky (3.5 stars): (I don’t why 1-5 never seems enough for me that I have to give half points!)
This was a very interesting read. It reads like a memoir when it’s fiction. Even after reading it, I am not sure if parts of it are true vs made up. I guess it doesn’t matter. It reads like a raw memoir of a woman recently diagnosed by MS.
I have an ex-boyfriend who has MS so I was curious to see what the author wrote about it. While there are some bits about MS itself, the book, was so much more. It was about helplessness, anger, frustration and all the feelings you feel when your life starts on a negative spiral and doesn’t seem to let up. There are so many simultaneous horrible things in this character’s life. I don’t want to ruin any of the plot but it’s just one bad news after another. And then she tries to fight it all and that ends up backfiring on her.
And she can’t rely on anyone really. Not her loved ones, not people who are supposed to protect us. Not her own body (or mind.)
I love that the emotion in this book is real. It’s not sugar-coated. It’s not fake. It does choose your empathy over the character’s realness. It gives it all to you raw and in abundance. It’s hard to read because you’re so uncomfortable with it all. But that’s the point. (or so i assume.)
I’m glad it was a short novel, I am not sure I could have taken it if it were twice as long. But I am also glad I read it.
Our Life in a Day (4 stars): I don’t know why I thought this was going to be a cute story with cute little bits. It wasn’t. Maybe the “game” concept threw me off from the beginning and I had expectations that it would be light and sweet.
So I think it’s important to make it clear that this is not a light book. In fact, I’d say the opposite, there are several heavy subject matter in these pages. I want to give trigger warnings but I can’t really do it without giving away some of the plot so I will refrain. Just make sure you’re going in with the expectation that there is serious, heavy, difficult topics discussed in this story.
Now that that’s out of the way, this book wasn’t a quick/easy read for me despite the fact that it’s a small book. Maybe it was partly the subject matter, and the jumping back and forth in time due to the nature of the “game”, but I think it also was that I didn’t feel invested in the characters and their relationship.
Ordinarily, I love character novels. I don’t need a plot to make me happy, but I do need rich, layered characters and we had some of that here. The characters were real and flawed but since most of the stories are from Tom’s perspective, we get a lot more of the depth of his feelings than Esme’s. And even though we do learn a bunch about her (and she’s definitely not 2-dimensional) she’s not as rich as I would have liked.
I loved the honesty of the story. The mental health issues weren’t glossed over (for the most part, some of Esme’s pain is definitely not dealt with in as much detail since these are Tom’s stories.)
‘Me too,’ she said, shifting slightly closer to him, ‘But you’ve got to remember that it’s not just about today. It’s the whole year we’re celebrating. It’s always dangerous to plan these things too carefully.
I loved this part. I’ve been guilty of focusing too hard on an anniversary, a new year’s eve, a moment in time and then having so much ride on that moment. It’s so important to have all that in context.
He knew as he was doing it that he was making up a different version of his life. The one he wanted people to see when they looked at him and Esme. Not the actual one they were living. Complete with all its unhappiness, secrecy, and heartbreak.
This made my heart break. Don’t we all know how this feels sometimes? The way things look. The way we try to make things look. It’s important to remember this when looking at others too. How they are also trying to do this.
Most of this book felt raw, real, true. It didn’t shy away from the hard things. It didn’t sugarcoat how hard it is to live with mental health issues, how hard it is to be in a relationship, how flawed we humans are. It’s rare to see a book like this. I almost wish the “gimmick” wasn’t there because, for me, it took away from the depth of this story a bit.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest review.
In An Absent Dream (4 stars): I don’t think I’ve ever read a series quite like this before. This is not exactly a series. Book one gives an overview of a place and an overarching idea and then each of the books go down deeper into the characters/worlds that book one implies. This could theoretically go on forever (I hope it does!)
This particular book is Lundy’s story. As a book reader, it was one of my favorites. I loved her, I loved the deep dive into fair value. There is so much ache in this story. There’s so much depth. That’s what’s so unique about these books: there’s so much depth in both the imagination and the ideation. The philosophy behind each place and the richness of description, the depth of character building. Each of these are exquisite and well-crafted.
I have loved every single one of these books and I cannot wait to read more. I hope the author keeps giving us more and more of these wonderful children and their worlds.
I Owe You One (4.5 stars): Loved this book! I haven’t always been a Sophie Kinsella reader but I’ve read her on and off for the last five years or so and I like her quirky but real characters. It’s important for you to know what you’re signing up for when you read her books. These are fun, sweet books and if you go in with a different expectation, they will disappoint or frustrate you. I find that there are moments where her books are just right for me.
I like the windy plots that you know are going to end well. I like that she drives you mad with “why is the character doing that?!” but deep down you know the character is just being human and it’s hard to be a human.
Her characters grow as you read the book and you fall in love with them piece by piece and root for them even as they drive you mad. And then when the book is finished, you feel sad knowing you will not get more of those characters.
I think this book was exactly what I needed right now. It’s light, it’s sweet, it’s like a nice, warm hug that made me smile.
And there we go, a really solid week of reading. Here’s to another fantastic 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!
        
Another solid week of reading. The 3-day weekend gave me a bit extra room to read. Here are my goodreads reviews. If you’re on goodreads, add me as a friend so I can see your books too!
The Dreamers (4 stars): I really enjoyed making my way through this story. It teetered between a 3 and a 4-star book for me while I read it depending on how much of it I was reading at a time. The more I read, the more engulfed I was in the story and the more I enjoyed the sweet softness of it.
Even though this sounds like a disaster, mysterious illness story, it’s not about that. It’s really about people and their connection to each other and there’s this added layer of an inexplicable sickness that’s spreading across the town that may or may not overtake you at any moment for no reason. The anxiety this causes is palpable in the novel.
The book tells the story through the experiences of different sets of people. A couple with a newborn baby, two young girls and their dad, the college students where the whole things begins, etc. Each story is touching and interesting and thoughtful from its own perspective. There are also small but poignant bits about immigrants, marriage, parenthood and more.
If you pickup this book because you want to know what happened and the mystery behind the illness, etc. you will be sorely disappointed. This is a quiet novel with slow, soft moving progress. It asks more questions than it answers. But it’s very beautiful and I really enjoyed my time with it.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones (4.5 stars): Another 4.5 stars. Almost 5 even in this case.
This tiny novel that I couldn’t stop once I started is a sequel to Every Heart a Doorway but it’s really more of the backstory of Jack and Jill from the first book. The story both sad and eerie and, as with the first one, so touching. I had never heard of this author up until a few weeks ago and I am really surprised because these books are fantastic. Little gems and so, so unusual, creative, well-written and just such a pleasure to read.
I know there are two more books out in the series and part of me wants to swallow them whole and another part of me wants to savor this new-to-me and amazing author by reading one a week or so. Let’s see if I can manage to be patient.
O’s Little Guide to Finding Your True Purpose (3 stars): A super quick little read. These are articles written by different people. Some may speak to you and others might fall flat. Finding your purpose is such an overloaded term, in my opinion. So I wasn’t expecting all that much from this tiny book. I just figured small pieces of gold might lie here and there. The variety was nice in my opinion and most of the articles came with a small nugget that I will be thinking about.
Talk To Me (2 stars): I read this book quickly. It was fast-paced and even though I knew what was coming, I kept wanting to read it. I am not the kind of person who slows down to watch a car wreck. I don’t usually feel fascinated, instead I feel sad and worried for the people. I don’t like watching human drama unfold. And this book felt just like that. So maybe I should have just abandoned it.
The premise almost felt didactic to me and I was worried the author was going to use this book to focus so much on the social commentary that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. While there are definitely pieces of that, I didn’t feel the direct commentary part was over the top. However, the story was completely predictable all the way to the end.
One of the main points of this book is how we live in a society that is largely ruled by the commenters now and how media is not run by the professionals, etc. While there are bits there I totally agree and sympathize with, I also feel like when you make a point like this, it’s important to show the other side, too.
There are stories that would have never come to the surface if it weren’t for the amateurs. For as many corrupt, click-baity journalists, there are also real ones who care about people and unearthing the truth. For as many self-absorbed-but-not-harmful people who do something stupid, there are ones who actually are out to cause harm knowing they won’t get caught (they’ll be protected) that this system fights.
These issues are complicated and layered and while this book was one story of one person at one point in time (fictional too of course) I still feel uncomfortable with the fact that several of the characters were cartoonish in their one-dimensionality. People are often much more complicated than that and if you’re going to develop the main character, you owe it to the reader to spend time developing the major opposing characters, too.
I guess I had a lot more to say about this than I thought I did and while I had rated this 3 stars when I started, writing this all down made me realize it’s actually not even that.
If, Then (3 stars): Hmmmm, a lot of thoughts for this book….
First of all, it’s a bit of a mixed genre. What would otherwise be a pretty straightforward general fiction novel has elements of science fiction sprinkled into the plot to make it a notch different than other novels in the genre. Which, for me, as someone who reads across both genres, is not a dealbreaker.
The characters start slow and it took me a while to get into the story, to care about the characters enough to want to know what was going on. But after a while, I was definitely on board. I cared about each of them (a little less about Mark for some reason) and wanted to know how their stories were going to turn out.
I like that the ending was a mixed bag with some going one way and others remaining the same (i don’t want to give away anything so I will leave this vague.)
In the end though, I felt like the story didn’t take me anywhere. I didn’t learn something new. I didn’t think differently. I didn’t gain some insight. And I think that’s because the novel stayed pretty shallow throughout. The author didn’t give me enough depth into any of the characters for me to “feel” their struggles. I didn’t connect to their humanity in a way these kinds of books can accomplish. Maybe the plot device of using the scifi angle detracted the novel from having to be better.
But I wanted more.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced proof in return for an honest review.
Professor Chandra Follows his Bliss (4 stars): This book is not what it looks like on the surface. At least not what it looked like to me. It’s not a light beach read. It’s also not a “quirky character” read like quite a few that came out last year. I like both of those genres just fine but I wanted to make sure to say what it’s not because I find that the expectations we have for a book before we read it end up coloring our feelings about the book (at least it does for me.)
Anyhow. This book is about a father, (and his family), whose life is not turning out the way he thought/wanted/worked for and at almost seventy, he is reflecting and taking steps to understand what life is about and to reconnect with his children.
There are several lovely passages in the book. Here’s one I liked:
“….Even my wife, my former wife, I mean. I used to know her, but now I only think I knew her. She left me for someone else. His name’s Steve. I think he understands her. I don’t think I ever did.”
“It’s a bit cliched, isn’t it?” said Bryan, whose grin seemed to have prevailed for three hours now. “The aging male whole wife left him all alone and now women are this giant cosmic mystery….”
“So now I am lonely and a cliche?”
“I don’t think it’s about understanding women. You’re just up against a universal conundrum. Look, I have a partner, right? I like him. I love him. But I don’t understand him. Sometimes I think I don’t even know him. And that’s not because he’s an atheist or Hispanic or an only child. It’s because he’s another human being. Humans don’t understand each other. Punto. That’s the way it is. But start saying you don’t understand women and you’re making yourself the problem. Let is go. You’re just a human like anyone else.”
There are a few bits of wisdom here and there that really spoke to me. I also loved that it didn’t tie up into a big, pretty bow in the end. There are moments of realization, moments of progress but there are also moments of sliding back. These characters are human. They are flawed. They are real. Even the ones you don’t know much about, you can connect with.
I really enjoyed this gem and thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
White Fragility (4 stars): I want to say a lot but I think in this case, I will say less. I think reading this book was eye opening. I think it was, by far, not enough. This is an area where I need a lot more education and a lot more perspective. I’ve been trying to read more but I, especially lately, feel it’s not enough. I am thinking about what that means for me and what I can do more and how I can grow and be and do better.
If you have books to recommend, I would love recommendations. For now, this is all I will say. Maybe after a while, I can say and do more.
Have you Seen Luis Velez? (4.5 stars): I’ve read Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novels before and I knew this was going to be good. She did not disappoint. This book is about the friendship that develops between a 92-year-old blind woman and a 17-year-old boy. That sounds like an interesting enough premise but there’s so much more to this story. By the end of the novel, the author has covered issues around ageism, belonging , racism, asexuality, family, friendship, divorce, justice system, and even quantum physics. All of these, plus much more shows up in this book. It’s layered, interesting, touching and and deeply profound in places. Even though the dialogue feels didactic and stilted in a few places, to me, the overall book was so wonderful that I didn’t care.
I highlighted many sections but here area few that really resonated with me:
I think you’re the first person I’ve ever known…I might not say it right. We’ll see…who really sees me. And I mean the whole thing of me, not just the part that fits with how they want to see me. And it seems weird to me, because the first person I met who really sees me for all of who I am …you know.. can’t see.”
“When it comes to seeing what’s important about a person,” she said “I think it’s possible that what our eyes tell us is only a distraction….”
I’ve heard sentiments like this before, but I really liked the distraction phrasing.
Life gives us nothing outright. It only lends. Nothing is ours to keep. Absolutely nothing. Not even our bodies, or brains. This ‘self’ that we think we know so well, that we think of as us. It’s only on loan. If a person comes into our life, they will go again. In a parting of ways, or because everyone dies. They will die or you will die. Nothing we receive in this life are we allowed to keep. I am not some spoiled child who . will take my toys and go home because I do not wish to accept that this is the way things work.”
A very interesting perspective (for me) on (not) giving up. I’m still thinking about this one…
“The world will still be a place where people do terrible things. But here’s the thing about despair. We fall into despair when the terrible gangs upon us and we forget the world can also be wonderful. We just see terrible everywhere we look. So what you do . for your friend is you bring up the wonderful, so both are side by side. The world is terrible and wonderful at the same time. One doesn’t negate the other but the wonderful keeps us in the game. It keeps us moving forward. And, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Raymond, but that’s as good as the world’s going to get.”
I loved every bit of this.
The thing that’s magical about Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novels is how they manage to feel light and profound at the same time. I’d say this is not a “hard to read” book but it’s full, it’s not lightweight, it’s layered, and textured and manages to be sad without depressing and manages to be profound without leaving you broken. In fact, it leaves you hopeful about humanity for the most part. Or manages to really show you how the the world is terrible and wonderful at the same time.
What a joy to read. Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Inheritance (4 stars): I’ve read a few of Dani Shapiro’s books and she has a similar tone and approach to them that felt familiar in this book. The story behind this book was really interesting to me and I could tell how life changing it could be to uncover information that fundamentally shifts your perspective on life.
I’ve had experiences before where I find out something reasonably important which then causes me to pause and go back through all of my history and try to pinpoint times when that information was true but I didn’t know about it and I comb through all of those experiences and relive them with my new lens. It’s an effort to rewrite the past with this new information you know now (which was also true then but you didn’t know.) and that’s just not possible. Life doesn’t work that way. We only get to live forward and new information can fork the future paths we have but it can’t alter our lived past.
And so much of this book is the author trying to come to terms with her new reality. To try to go back and find clues as to whether her parents knew and whether words/phrases uttered at different times in her life had deeper meaning behind them or not.
The story felt raw and real to me and I was able to feel for the author. I was able to experience her pain, confusion and the feeling of being unmoored by the news. There is no resolution in this book (well there is some but not fully since her parents are deceased and so many of her questions can’t be answered.) and that’s part of what makes it so real and so raw and so much like life. Real life.
And there we go, a really solid week of reading. Here’s to another fantastic 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!
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projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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