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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very few books this week. It was a long, long 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 Practicing Mind (4 stars): “Habits are learned. Choose them wisely.” 

I’ve highlighted so much of this book. I picked this book up because someone at work recommended it to me and even though it’s a tiny book, it took me a while to read it because I knew pretty much right away that this is one of those books that I need to read slowly to keep reminding myself of what I know to be true but can’t seem to remember when it matters.

“….life itself is nothing more than one long practice session, an endless effort to refine the motions, both physical and mental, that compose our days.”

isn’t that a wonderful perspective? If life were a practice session and there was no end goal, we could focus on the present moment so much more.

“… the practicing mind is quiet. It lives in the present and has laser-like, pinpoint focus and accuracy. It obeys our precise directions, and all our energy moves through it. Because of this, we are calm and completely free of anxiety. We are where we should be at that moment, doing what we should be doing and completely aware of what we are experiencing. There is no wasted motion, physically or mentally.”

I have experienced this before and it’s magical. Being in the present moment, and focusing on what matters most right now is an incredible feeling. 

“You cannot control what you are not aware of. Awareness must come first.”

This is the biggest truth for me. There’s a whole section in the book about observing yourself. Seeing what you do/think and correcting it. If you don’t pay attention, if you’re not aware, nothing else matters because you’ve missed step 1.

“When you focus your mind on the present moment, on the process of what you are doing right now, you are always where you want to be and where you should be. All your energy goes into what you are doing. However, when you focus your mind on where you want to end up, you are never where you are, and you exhaust your energy with unrelated thoughts instead of putting it into what you are doing. In order to focus on the present, we must give up, at least temporarily, our attachment to our desired goal. If we don’t give up our attachment to the goal, we cannot be in the present because we are thinking about something that hasn’t occurred yet: the goal.”

I love this. I wish I could do this more and better. Let’s say I am still practicing getting better at this.

“The problem with patience and discipline is that developing each of them requires both of them.”

Ain’t that the truth. 

“Regardless of the stage of growth and evolution you are in, in every moment you are perfect at being who you are.”

And this is the best part for me. Because it’s also the truth. We are each constantly evolving and growing and changing. And we are also each perfect at being who we are. I love the idea of adopting the practicing mind and being better at observing and correcting myself so I can continue to focus on the practice and not the goal. 

It’s going to require daily practice and discipline.

The Turn of the Key (3 stars): This was a perfectly satisfactory thriller. I have read several books by Ware and haven’t always loved them so I wasn’t jumping to read this one but I was in the mood for a thriller and this was next up in my queue. I ended up really enjoying it. The “haunted” parts of the book were actually more interesting and chilling than the mystery itself and by the time the reveal happened I had guessed a bunch of the book. (Though I hadn’t guessed the killer, even though it was pretty obvious in retrospect.) There also were bits of the story that didn’t wrap up that I wished had. But overall it was a satisfying and quick read.

A Bend in the Stars (4 stars): I usually try not to read novels set around WWII but this particular story takes place during WWI-era Russia and the ratings were so high that I decided I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did. It was a great story mixing history with science and feminism and romance and highlights the complexities around being a woman (especially in science) and being Jewish and highlights all the complexity and hatred during this time. It was a beautiful, at times harrowing, at times uplifting story to read. I also really loved that it centered around a real solar eclipse in 1914. I really enjoyed reading this one and recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

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.