Sunday, October 21, 2018

august: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 & 32

in august i read:

erotic stories for punjabi widows, by bali kaur jaswal (this was a pick for my book club, and it was pretty, um, erotic.  it was also a super light read (i actually listened to the audiobook, with a great narrator) and would make a great vacation read!)

americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie (i loved this book.  i love adichie.  in this book we follow a boy and girl as they both leave nigeria - one for the us and one for the uk.  we see life in nigeria, the us, and the uk, and it's a great commentary on race in each of those locations as well as the complications inherent in relationships.  it's a long one but VERY worth it.  if you haven't read any adichie you should correct that ASAP.)

the line becomes a river, by francisco cantu (this is a memoir of a guy who graduated from college with an interest in immigration issues and became a border patrol agent who worked the us-mexico border for several years.  fascinating read and well worth your time, as someone living in america today!)

lean in, by sheryl sandberg (finally read this one.  nothing mind blowing (probably because we've come a long way with the conversations around gender in the work place since this book came out, probably thanks to this book, honestly), but i appreciated her incorporation of the social science research and i was glad to have read it.)

will grayson, will grayson, by john green and david levithan (the only john green book i hadn't read - two boys named will grayson, and the two authors alternated writing the chapters.  if you like YA books, add this to your list!)

an american marriage, by tayari jones (everyone is talking about this book, and i was glad to have read it.  a man is falsely accused of rape and imprisoned.  it follows him, his parents, his wife, her best friend in the years that follow.  the press it is getting is well-deserved!  parts of it were pretty depressing - by design - but she's a beautiful writer and i was glad to have read it.)

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

july: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 & 26

as always (ugh), a very belated post!  i read a lot this summer!  bring back summer.

circe, by madeline miller (this was a book club pick, a telling of greek mythology from the point of view of circe.  it took me a while to get into it, but once i did i really liked it.  and i'm not even a person who knows a lot about or is necessarily into mythology.  i have heard from friends that her book song of achilles is also fantastic!)

the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house, by audre lorde (aww yeah, i'm doing some feminist reading whenever i can.  had never read any audre lorde, so i corrected that.)

simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda, by becky albertalli (pretty decent YA fiction - not life changing, but definitely worth reading if you're into YA)

anne of green gables, by l.m. montgomery (i re-read this childhood classic for my book club and i...didn't like it as much as when i was a kid.  which is perhaps to be expected?  some things stand the test of time, and this felt so simple and escapist - especially in contrast with, like, audre lorde - and it just didn't hold up for me.  but i LOVED these books as a kid and read many of them and would want young girls now to do the same.  it's just not for 35 year old ladies.)

girl in snow, by danya kukafka (this book was pitched as gillian flynn-like, and it was not that good or thrilling.  but perhaps it was just over-hyped for me?  it's an engaging story told by three narrators about a girl who is found dead in a playground as you try to figure out who did it.  it would be a perfect book to read curled up on a cold day!)

being peace, by thich nhat hanh (this was a book my mindfulness friend/teacher at school recommended to me, and i'm glad i read it, as i try to practice mindfulness and gratitude in my daily life.)

calypso, by david sedaris (always funny - over too quickly!)