The busy-ness of April finally caught up to me and I got sick for a few days. I kept moving my tasks to the following day, but ultimately gave up entirely and that surrender felt good. Here’s my bookshelf project as it is right now. I still have some shredding and sorting to do but it’s good for now.
The Hebrew Teacher: Three Novellas by Maya Arad – Just ok. Three Israeli women in America. My favorite was a grandmother who visits her family and is not exactly welcome.
Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End by Alia Arthur – Alua is a death doula and she shares beautiful stories of how she came to tihs work and how she helps people in their final days.
Normal Rules Don’t Apply: Stories by Kate Atkinson – Quite a strange collection of stories. I almost gave up on it, but I finished it.
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis – This is a beautiful story of a long-ago love affair, as told through one newly forming.
But You Don’t Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging by Hala Gorani – Real stories of her time in international journalism and how she never quite fit in. I listened to her read it on audio.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio – Could you imagine if you got a new spouse every time they went up into the attic? Cute concept, but got much too long. Hundreds of husbands is just too many.
We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein – a story of living inside the Warsaw Ghetto and interviewing people in order to preserve their stories. Vulnerable and beautiful.
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara – Excellent on audio and read by the author… I could hear his enthusiasm for taking care of people and making them feel valued.
The Women by Kristin Hannah – Nurses. Vietnam. But not Kristin Hannah’s finest.
How the World Sees You: Discover Your Highest Value Through the Science of Fascination by Sally Hogshead – how to find the essence of what makes you YOU and lean into that.
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro – I’ve been wanting to read this for several years, but when it was mentioned in our bioethics class last trimester, I put it at the top of the list. Recommend.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle – Interesting concept… if you knew exactly how long each relationship would last, would you be giving it a true chance?
Private Equity: A Memoir by Carrie Sun – Carrie is the assistant to a hedge fund’s founder and leader. Ultimately, she loses her identity due to her work stress.
Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles – Amazing. Brilliant.
Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women by Batya Ungar-Sargon – Highly recommend. Struggles and how the working class could better succeed. All the anecdotes were fascinating and very real.
Have YOU read anything great lately?
