Let Me Tell You About Some Books I Read (part 1)

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

It's been a really good year on the reading front. I have kept up tracking my books via Goodreads, and I can't be sure, but I have likely read more this year than ever before. Most of them were actually listened, but that counts. Don't contradict me, I will fight you. Most of my audio-books, and some e-books have come from Scribd. I have been subscribed to it for about 18 months now, and it works really well for people who are not specific in most of their reading. If you have tried listening to an audio-book once and decided it wasn't your thing, it may be worth trying again, with another book. Some books are not ideal for the format and there have been narrators I couldn't tolerate for various reasons.

As we are approaching the end of the year, I was reflecting on reaching my reading goal, and someone asked for my top 5. Why if you insist, I will be happy to share. As I was making it, it became clear there was a need for two, so I have one for fiction and non-fiction list. There were quite a few more books I loved that did not make it in the top 5s. You might have to stalk me on Goodreads if you want those.

Non fiction picks in no particular order:

"Educated" by Tara Westover - I read this in January and I still remember it quite well. I know there is a lot of buzz about this right now, but don't pass on it because you think it's trendy. It deserves the publicity. It is an extraordinary story told by a brilliant writer. There is a compelling personal story as well as psychology and cultural topics. Content warning for abuse.

"Shameless: A Sexual Reformation" by Nadia Bolz-Webber - For those who were raised Christian or in a Christianity-influenced culture, it is worth examining the ideas we received about sex, gender and our bodies. I gave it four stars but this book made it into top 5 because it left an impression and I think it's a significant topic.

"Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and The Future of Neurodiversity" by Steve Silberman - This one is going to hurt. Some pain is necessary and it comes with growth. This is one such instance. All the books that seem to kill you a little on the inside go into two categories in my mind: worth it and not worth it. The latter makes me furious. The former makes me feel all the things. There is so much trauma and neglect and even downright torture in the history of autism. But this must be known and never forgotten and everyone should read this book. Rest assured, it gets better in the last section, because internet. Not really but kind of. Just read it. Content warnings galore here.

"How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan - The super long subtitle: What the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression and transcendence. Yeah, it's a mouthful. Or earful. The subtitle led me to slightly inaccurate expectations. There are definitely lessons about all those things, but they're not the main purpose of the book, and they are not served up to the reader, but are there if you think and make your own conclusions. There is a lot of really interesting history, science, personal narrative and if you're like me, you will be gifted with a long-term fascination and appreciation for mushrooms in general.

"Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear" by Elizabeth Gilbert - Yeah, the Eat, Pray, Love author. She is also the author of my internal conflict around this book. You see I don't do self help books. And I liked this book. So loving this book kind of turned my world upside down. Rude. But I am a forgiving person. There is a lot of good stuff here. It discusses perfectionism, inspiration and a lot of harmful notions about the creative process. Worth reading for all creative people in the widest sense of the word.

Well, my studious friends, I was just going to say a couple of things about each (I know, hilarious), but it turned into mini reviews, so I will end here and put my Fiction top 5 into another post. Please share thoughts on any of these you have read if so inclined, and send me recommendations for reads I don't yet know I need.

Accessibility text: A quote on a white background which reads: "If people don't like what you're creating, just smile at them sweetly and tell them to (in pink capital letters) go make their own fucking art". - Elizabeth Gilbert #"Big Magic"