Books!

Hey friends!

I've been on a reading spree this past year, so I thought I would share with you what I've read and what I've thought about these books. If you have any suggestions for me, I'd be glad to hear them =)

It’s What I Do- Lynsay Addario- Fabulous book about a woman’s passion for photography and furthering her career, while also balancing the realities of being a war/conflict photojournalist and wanting to have a family.

The Emotional Life of Your Brain- Richard J. Davidson Very informative, but fairly dry and intellectual. He talks about different emotions, how they relate to and are shaped by our brains, and vice versa.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel- Milan Kundera I was more than disappointed by this book. While the story had a few gems of literary moments, it largely follows the path of a Czech couple and their extramarital couplings, as well as the accompanying sadness of such a life. 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams I wish I had come across this when I was younger. It was still fabulously satirical of the earth and the human race. 

The New Jim Crow- Michelle Alexander This book is heavy, but I think it’s a must read for anyone passionate about civil rights in America. Goes through the history of Jim Crow. Makes some assumptions about motivation of politicians, but generally provides an account of civil rights issues that goes against the grain, made me question a lot of systems, and lit a fire to make changes. 

Confessions of a Sociopath- A life spent hiding in plain sight- M.E. Thomas- I didn't quite get through this one.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers- Katherine Boo A book immersed in a specific place so completely, I could picture each of the individuals and their daily struggles. A beautiful book about the underbelly of society, the truths we ignore, and universal emotions.

Why does the world exist?- Jim Holt Addresses a fundamental question, but takes perspective of different scientific theories and philosophies. Incredibly thought-provoking, but a dense read. I needed Google and dictionary.com on hand to handle some of the ideas in here. Nevertheless, I came away with a few semi-answers, lots of questions, and some cool ideas about the world. 

Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris David Sedaris makes me laugh! I literally snorted into my hot chocolate as I read this on a flight a few months ago. 

Sybil- Flora Rheta Schrieber- Incredible book; strong psychodynamic and psychoanalytic bent, of course. But very appropriate and enlightening as to the nature of trauma, the understanding and treatment of multiple personalities, and the value of psychoanalysis. 

A Clockwork Orange- Anthony Burgess- Strange and wonderful. Delves into the question of where goodness comes from, what can be taught, and what is innate. 

The Goldfinch- Donna Tartt- A beautiful book, but long and convoluted. 

Tenth of December: Stories- George Saunders- Hard to follow. Stories were inventive, but not terribly interesting nor edifying.

Mindset- Carol Dweck- a fantastic book for educators and really any individual who is looking to understand what part of our attitude toward life determines our success. Mindset is a thing that can be changed and taught, as long as you believe it is. 

This is How You Lose Her- Junot Diaz Meh... It's well written for sure. I love the structure and cadence of Diaz's writing, but I'm not sure what he is trying to say.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove- Karen Russell - Strange and beautiful. I love Russell’s fantastical writing written as biographies. 

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children- Ransom Riggs Imaginative and fun with weird pictures to accompany the stories. 

Hallucinations- Oliver Sacks A fascinating read! Hallucinations chronicles various types of perceptual hallucinations in a systematic and scientific manner, though Oliver Sacks documents them with compassion rarely seen in clinical writing. 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Safron Foer A beautiful, insightful book into the specific feelings of grief and guilt associated with loss of a loved one. With 9/11 set in the contextual history of the book, I found myself rooting for Oskar Schell and hoping he would find answers regarding his father, and perhaps some peace. 

Home- Toni Morrison- What are the real costs of war? What are the real costs of our “post racial” society? Toni Morrison helps us to explore these questions as only she could by following the story of a young Black veteran returning to his segregated homeland after fighting an integrated war. 

Flight Behavior- Barbara Kingsolver I will read anything by Kingsolver, as The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams were some of my earliest literary favorites. Flight Behavior is quiet it its scope, as are most of Kingsolver's books, and documents the struggle of a young housewife and mother in Tennessee. This woman discovers a strange migration pattern of Monarch butterflies and her life is thrown into sharp relief as her home becomes the center of scientific study. 

Cutting for Stone- Abraham Varghese- Love this book! Set in Ethiopia and then America, it follows the lives of two twin boys born and raised among the same set of doctors and nurses. This story is epic, spanning years of life, documenting the trials of growing up and the difficult deed of forgiveness. 

The Virgin Suicides- Jeffrey Eugenides Beautiful, tragic, raw and slightly surreal. Teenage angst spelled out. An illustration of a deep, dark place. 

Swamplandia!- Karen Russell I love Karen Russell's writing. It is strange and wonderful at the same time. This fictional story takes a magical realism bent that is simultaneously funny and poignant.

Many Lives Many Masters- Brian L. Weiss This book changed so many things for me. It's the factual (according to the author) story of a psychiatrist who worked with a woman suffering from many afflictions. Though the use of regression therapy, the therapist and client end up exploring the residual effects of lifetimes of pain and suffering. The psychiatrist's perspective is thorough and constantly self- questioning, so that I followed his train of thought the entire time. If you have any inclination to believe in reincarnation and rebirth, read this. It gave me chills (the good kind). 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon Fantastic book told from the perspective of a boy with Autism. It was moving, and I love stories told from a voice that we usually don't hear.

The Reason I Jump- Naoki Higashida- Simply written, but provides wonderful insight into those mysterious minds we spend so much time trying to understand. 

Instinct- T.D. Jakes- I like the idea of instinct being used as a compass to figure out and move toward our purpose. I think T.D. Jakes could have taken this idea further and deeper. He stays fairly superficial and the book reads like a sermon.

The Red Tent- Anita Diamant- Epic. This beautiful book spans generations of biblical women, their joys and struggles interweaved with history. And most importantly, the obstacle and relief of the red tent, a symbol for their femininity. A reason to celebrate my gender. 

How to Win Friends and Influence People- Dale Carnegie A classic book! I can't believe I hadn't read this until recently. I took notes along the way, and it's a book I need to review soon. Some of Dale Carnegie's tips might seem intuitive, but putting them into practice systematically takes some time and understanding. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot Such an important book! I learned an incredible amount about the arc of medical developments, the history of medicine as it relates to race, and the way the system continues to underserve needful populations.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down- Anne Fadiman This book is a must read for anyone working with families of different cultures. It is an incredible and carefully told story about a Hmong family's encounters with the American medical system and how confusion and misunderstanding on both sides led to a tragic outcome for the little girl caught up in the middle. A valid reason for the study of cultural anthropology by its own right. 

David & Goliath- Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell takes us on a lovely journey of the underdog and why the very situation of being an underdog sometimes sets us up for success. 

Yes Please- Amy Poehler- Very good.  A little more disjointed than Tina Fey’s Bossypants, but still well-written, humorous, and a good relaxing read. 

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn Fantastically twisted. Better than the movie. Loved the structure of the book: going back and forth between past and present, alternating perspectives and motives. Flynn's mind is wonderfully f-d up.

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn Twisted, but so good.

Not That Kind of Girl- Lena Dunham Lena Dunham's voice is bold. She mixes ironic humor with her quirky perspective on the world and interjects some wisdom along the way. 

Being Mortal- Atul Gawande An incredible book about the end of our lives, the dignity we all desire, and how we can better address these issues. An essential read.  

The Moors Account- Laila Lalami This book is an incredible tale of someone who’s tale “doesn’t matter” to history. Well written historical fiction, poignant, and thought-provoking.