Category Archives: books

There There by Tommy Orange

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There There by Tommy Orange has been on my tbr pile since shortly after it was published in 2019. The timing was right when I finally got around to reading it, as, interestingly, I have been reading more indigenous work for my scholarship this winter, learning more about my family’s history, and this book has helped inform all of that thinking.

It’s a good book. It is another one that I’ve read recently that has a very cinematic quality, and I could easily see it being made into a movie at some point. The book has an intentional and unique plot and timeline, with characters unknown to each other moving apart and together in each other’s lives.

I’m not sure what to say about the theory, exactly. Orange’s characters are urban Indians. Orange has them defying societal expectations and also interacting with stereotypes.

I think most readers have a lot of learn from a book like this, both in terms of good literary prose and the commentary about contemporary, urban indigenous lives.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

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I can admit when a book is perfect, and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a perfect book. While maybe I do not love this book, and while maybe this book will never be one that I recall with fondness, and while this is not typically my genre, it is one that is wholly unique and one that will stick with me forever. 

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

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On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan is a painstaking, painstaking novella. It’s beautifully written, no doubt. McEwan captures human nature and places it in a time of properness, confusion, ignorance. The book offers some wisdom about coupling, big picture, that would likely be lost on most readers who have not yet been in a relationship with a partner or spouse. McEwan uses a very detailed account of a sexual encounter to make some smart, larger commentary about human coupling. It’s good, but it is painful.

My Mother Gets Married by Moa Martinson

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This book has been on my tbr list for over a year now, and I finally found a copy to read through interlibrary loan. My Mother Gets Married is an account of Moa Martinson’s own childhood growing up in impoverished Sweden around the turn of the last century

My own grandma was frugal, but everyone was who lived through the great depression. It wasn’t clear to me if her family immigrated more because of harsh living conditions in the old country or more because of the promise of the “new” world.

While I can’t be exactly certain of my family’s exact circumstances, I think perhaps things weren’t so dark as Martinson depicts in her book based on some information I have. Either way, the book offers insights into some of the culture in Sweden at that time. I appreciated learning about the schooling they would have received, the dresses they would have worn, and the tokens that would have been important to them.

Personal interests aside, Martinson’s writing is strong. There is a subtle, underlying and scathing observations on gender, social class, and justice. Martinson’s writing reveals a deep insight and understanding of the human condition.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

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I listened Atomic Habits by James Clear almost entirely while running on the treadmill. Learning about the compounding effects of healthy habits over time helped motivate me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Much of this information is not new, but it does help me to be reminded and reinspired from time to time.

This time around, one of the take aways that stuck with me the most is that habits are easier than motivation. It is easier to stick with a habit than it is to muster the motivation to decide do a thing day after day. Take the decision away whenever possible. If you’re just a person who does certain healthy things, then over time, you’ll just be a healthier version of yourself.

The book had me reflecting on my own habits. There are a few areas where I’m doing okay–lately I’ve been getting more exercise, eating a (slightly) cleaner diet, and I’ve stuck to some tough work deadlines over the past year and a half.

The book also highlights that I’m still spending plenty of time scrolling and sitting around. Now, sitting around is good and essential. Some scrolling might be okay too. But, intentional effort is still needed in this area, so that I can be more present and engaged with my family. This attention economy is no joke.

Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

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So, Pamela Anderson is interesting. She’s raised her children. She’s gardening in Canada. She’s on Broadway. She’s galavanting around Paris Fashion Week with a bare face! Gasp! I’m really enjoying seeing an iconic figure doing something a little different than the status quo, in both subtle and overtly radical ways.

I just finished her book, Love, Pamela, and I really enjoyed it. She comes across as aware, intentional, not overtly prudish at all, but much more thoughtful than most women in her position are ever allowed to be.

Weirdly, perhaps, I identify with some aspects of Pamela’s life, especially her whirlwind romance with Tommy. He even proposed with a skull ring similar to the one that I received after a show from the person with whom I would later have children. Like Pamela, I also have seen some things, but like grounding back in familiar land, gardening, chickens, etc. Of course, there are also some critical and obvious differences too!

I appreciate that her voice is being amplified, and I look forward to seeing what’s next from this icon.

Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead

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Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead is one of the best there is in contemporary literary prose. I want to say that Whitehead is incredibly “playful” on the level of the line–unique and like nothing I’ve ever seen before–but “playful” doesn’t seem quite like the right word because of intensity and oftentimes heaviness of the content, but a better alternative escapes me. The book is vulnerable, embarrassing, and brave and deserving of the accolades.

Dear Girls by Ali Wong

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A friend gave me this book, and, as you know, I like a comedian’s memoir. Dear Girls by Ali Wong is that great blend of comedy and memoir, with some important social commentary about race and gender sprinkled in throughout.

Some readers may think it doesn’t age well since the author and her husband divorced shortly after the release of this book, and the book covers their relationship extensively, but this book is still worthwhile and captures a moment and a sentiment worth capturing.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

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I don’t often read books that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers–those romancey, thriller, and beach readers. However, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver was that book: great, accessible to a broad audience, and also…read by me.

The Bean Trees was the first Kingsolver book I ever read, and I remember absolutely loving it. That was probably over years ago! I am continually impressed by Kingsolver’s ability to put herself into other worlds and characters with such conviction. She also layers in social issues in a way that is compelling, but without disrupting the narrative flow.

Overall, this is a compelling book, a great narrative, a great main character, important, perhaps a bit too long (although by now you know how I like a pithy book) and one that will, I think, have a lasting impact in literature. Oh, and Kingsolver also gardens and raises sheep, which you can see on her social media, so you know she’s good!

Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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Dare I say it? I think I preferred Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses over her more recent and longer work, Braiding Sweetgrass, which has gotten all of the attention over the years.

As predicted, this little book piqued my interest in mosses, offering both an education, appreciation, and lovely little connections and narratives to guide the process.

I could also see myself returning to this book for guidance on organizational structure in my own future written works.

On principle, I love these slow, detailed meditations. And on the topic of moss? Something that is tiny, unassuming, and often slow to grow? Even better. That said, I mean, it is moss, and so I did find certain points of the book to be a bit boring. Somehow the book gains momentum in the last half, though, and was easy to finish.

This author also has a newer book on serviceberries, and I’m looking forward to reading that book as well.