What I learned:
1. I prefer reading e-books.
2. I LOVE the kindle app.
3. I prefer non-fiction.
4. It's OK to give yourself permission to abandon.
5. Read what you love and you will love to read.
A run-down of what I read in order of least favorite to most favorite:
Unfortunately this book came highly recommended by a friend. Also it was a massive best-seller. So if you liked it, I'm sorry for you because this review is going to be harsh. First of all, it wasn't even written by the girl the story is about, (and it is advertised as a Memoir), and the self-indulgence and woe-is-me-naivety was nauseating. Plus the whole "I'm so enlightened from traveling" bullshit wears out pretty quickly. That message is just not authentic enough to pull the weight of the entire narrative. Finished it quickly, but ultimately hated every second of it. Even worse, they're making a movie! My disgust is up there with Wild on this one. That was on my worst list of 2013 for almost the exact same reasons.
What a bummer. I couldn't wait to read this book and it was sooooooooo borinnnnnnnnnnnngg! I guess there are only so many anecdotes you can tell about being a National Park trail dog. I couldn't finish it, and I think that says more about the author than it does about me because I love just about everything that has to do with the National Parks.
I didn't finish this one, either. The all-natural/organic lifestyle doesn't need to be sold on me. It was all very elementary information for people who have no idea what they eat or what they put into their bodies. For the rest of us that get it, this is kid stuff. Over it.
This was pretty good. I liked her chapter on annotating text with post-it notes and I use that all the time now. I also completely agree that novels should not be torn into little shreds of comprehension questions every chapter because it kills that art of the plot. This was really refreshing to read, but very specific to this teacher's style. I adapted what felt like me. Overall, a good resource.
This was not as good as The Year of Magical Thinking, but beautifully ruminative just the same. Didion is "Queen of Prose." Took only a few hours to get through, but more than a few days to stop thinking about. Lots of mother-daughter themes, as well as death, life, purpose, beauty, and regret.
As Leslie Knope is my hero, there was no way I wasn't going to read this book. It was quick, easy, enjoyable, and interesting. Nothing mind-blowing or all that fascinating here, but fun. Thanks, Amy! The real question now is what am I going to do with myself with "Parks" is over? HELP!
I finally got over it and read this book even with its implications. It put me at ease and has helped me feel more prepared for a future journey of raising an only child. I liked it and would be interested in reading more on the topic.
This book got me thinking a lot about how the rest of the world interprets free time, hobbies, work, child care, and parental balance. I really enjoy reading about other cultural interpretations of highly complex societal and social norms. I appreciated how research based it was.
Oh boy. Couldn't put this one down from the moment I started reading it. Everyone knows Hurricane Katrina was f*cked up, but did you know it was THIS f*cked up? This brought up a ton of philosophical issues about life, death, age, choices, hierarchical systems, human error, systematic failure, and the moral role of corporate responsibility to employees. Also a lot about critical thinking, problem solving, and authority. Wow. This was heavy but riveting. You have to really get comfortable with the idea of every-man-for-himself and what that dilemma truly feels like in life or death trauma, especially at the leadership level. No thank you.
Well, the only thing I'm as obsessed with as National Parks is Tumbleweed Tiny Houses. This was a great story about a woman who ditched her corporate life in a beautiful home for a simpler life style that is reliant on community and sustainability. I love what this movement represents. Freedom from possessions, freedom from convention, freedom from debt, smaller carbon footprint... It is just so idyllic and desirably I can hardly contain myself. The book felt a little rushed at the end, but was so enjoyable for me, it didn't matter.
My number two choice of the year is about Edward Curtis, a Seattle artist in the early 1900's photographing the last of the dying Native tribes across America. The story was riveting and heartbreaking and inspiring and frustrating all at the same time. I don't usually like history books, but I love narrative non-fiction and this was perfect. My mom and dad both read the book, then both Brian and I did, and then we passed it on to Brian's dad. When we went to Seattle this past summer, we even visited Curtis's original studio in the heart of downtown. It was a sort of pilgrimage for us and really set the theme of our time in Washington. A fantastic book about a talented and perhaps cursed visionary genius.
This book takes the cake because it felt like it was written just for me. It wasn't, of course, but also, it was. It's a book written by a working woman, (Sheryl Sandburg, CEO of Facebook), for other working women. It explores motherhood, leadership, power, responsibility, ambition, marriage, success, and on and on and on. The overall question is why are so few woman in corporate leadership when women make up 50% of the population? How do we change that? It's about encouraging and empowering women to make career choices that are not based on fear or guilt. It is about "leaning in" to the table and not leaning back waiting to be invited. It was about faking it until you make it. It was about allowing yourself to desire what men want in the same way. It was about encouraging men to have a more hands-on role at home and in the family so the partnership truly is equal and women don't have to feel ashamed to say they work, and they don't have to assume they have to do it all, because they can't and they shouldn't. It was about how women can be incredibly successful if they are simply willing to stay in the game. It was so inspiring for me that it changed my complete career direction and gave me the courage to keep taking things to the next level in my career. It also gave me hope that balancing motherhood and a demanding career is possible with a balanced marriage and a disciplined schedule. It can be done and we all deserve the best that we can attain. And anyway, why shouldn't I attain my potential? This book led to a whole burst of TED talk obsessions and had a domino effect on other areas of my job, so I would highly recommend this to any other woman working, no matter what profession or what level or status. It is so empowering and truthful. Go for it.
The only thing left to contemplate is what books will 2015 bring??
On to the next!
