What's on my shelf?
Real books, E-books, Audiobooks. So many ways to read, so little time. But I will say that so far for the year, I have made my way through quite a few books - in all formats. I have found myself drawn to audios, because I can listen to them as I am doing other things (cooking, driving, getting ready for work). And of course, ever looking out for lessons - I learned that I can’t listen to them before bed, because I fall asleep and lose my place. But I also spent the past few weeks working my way through a physical book, and next on my agenda I have another one, as well as an e-book and an audio.
But first - what have I just finished?
Circe - Madeline Miller. This is the latest book club pick, and one of my favourites so far for the year. I chose the audio at the recommendation of our book club leader, and I was not disappointed. Circe weaves my memories of first form Classics and Greek mythology with my adult love for falling headfirst into a beautifully written book. I was surprised at how much I remembered of the Greek Gods and their shenanigans. The author brought new life to these old stories, and the narrator made me feel as if I was soaring through the sky with Helios, or swimming the deeps with Circe herself. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to dive deep into a well crafted story, and lose themselves for a few days/weeks.
A man called Ove - Fredrik Backman. This was a Christmas gift, and a really enjoyable read by a Swedish author. It told the story of a grumpy old man who was a stickler for rules, and his neighbours who could not hate him, or leave him alone - despite his best efforts. I won’t say any more, but I also rate this heartwarming tale very highly.
The Middle Finger Project - Ash Ambirge. I wrote about this at length, and you can read about it here. But needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Ash’s life, and her journey into her business as she chose to bet on herself, and unleash her most dangerous ideas. She even inspired me to unleash a few of my own.
Rejection Proof - Jia Jiang. I also wrote about this book and you can read about it here. But this has been my most impactful read so far this year, encouraging me to face up to my fears of rejection, and take action in unimaginable ways.
And what is next?
Pussy - A reclamation - Regena Thomashauer. I am in the middle of this book, and I am not sure how I feel about it yet (although I am still making my way through it, so that says something). I am finding the concepts difficult. The best way I can describe it is that I understand what the author is saying, but yet I don’t. I feel as if I have no context for what she is saying. I can’t tell if she is talking about something physical or using metaphorical language. However, I am intrigued, and so I press on. I’ll let you know what I think when I am finished.
Upstream - Dan Heath. This was recommended to me by a friend of mine, and it is about the quest to solve problems before they happen. I have been searching for a way to pull together a series of ideas I have that focus on the very idea of solving problems upstream, and I am looking forward to seeing what Dan Heath has learned about it.
A more beautiful question - Warren Berger. I started this some time ago, and found it to be completely fascinating. However, it was through reading this book that I realized I was struggling with reading certain books in e-book format. For some reason, I would read them and feel as if I was not retaining anything. So I am going to take a slightly different approach to reading the e-version of this, and take notes as I go. I’ll keep you posted on this one as well!
Career of Evil - Robert Galbraith. This is another one that I started some time ago, but I lost momentum, and will be starting again. I read the other Cormoran Strike book(s) and enjoyed them, so perhaps now that I am on a reading streak I will take another stab at this one.
The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo. I read the night tiger for our book club recently and I LOVED it. What a beautiful story where reality, mythology and fantasy seemed a heartbeat away from one another; felt separated by a thin veil but yet could only touch in dreams. It was a great exploration of love, of family, of colonialism, and of culture, and I cannot wait to dive into this book.
There are so many more on my reading list, and even so, I love recommendations so go on! Tell me what is on your shelf!
And I send you big love from a small island.
Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash